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Enia’s light-scape punched through her thoughts and riveted her attention. It was like no other. In this city, every street was alive with light. Bio-luminous plants lined the sidewalks, their leaves glowing softly in the darkness. Visitors and residents meandered tree-lined avenues, surrounded by a verdant glow as if strolling through a magical forest. Above, the buildings towered into the sky, their windows and balconies glowing brightly. At the city’s heart was a large park filled with glowing lanterns, a popular gathering place for locals and visitors.
Selene turned her head to marvel at the glowing maglev trains that floated across the skyline, ferrying hordes of people to the city’s best attractions.
The light shows, for one, were legendary, featuring millions of flashing LEDs choreographed to sound. The Fountains of The Gods especially, which she could see from the terrace, were a must-see spectacle. The showcase sprayed multi-coloured jets of water sky-high, twisting and dancing, coordinated with music and giant displays.
If the tourists didn’t come for the dancing water and lights, they thronged to the club hotspots and parties held in the vast array of live entertainment and multi-level venues, where sculpted synth droids and genetically enhanced hosts served visitors every pleasure imaginable.
Selene remembered how she’d once attended an open terrace party at NeoStar, a System-famous establishment on Enia with incredible panoramic outlooks of the city and the surrounding areas. She and her friends had danced all night, fuelled by cocktails, trays of never-ending delicious food and spine-tingling DJ sets, with a spectacular view of the eternally lit city. She’d never forgotten how carefree and alive she’d felt as the lights became brighter, the music louder, and the energy more vibrant.
Yet she now missed the simplicity of Dunia’s clear, dark skies, pristine and unencumbered from light pollution. The vast canvas of distant galaxies, nebulas, meteorites and shooting stars had always left her in awe. She often went stargazing on the beach outside her father’s official residence, lying on her back looking up at the heavens as she lost herself in their rich, ancient, mysterious beauty.
For a moment, she longed to return to the utter liberation, deep peace and sheer joy Dunia’s night sky always imbued.
With another sigh, she resigned herself to her current vista. She bent over the edge of the railing to get a better view of fireworks in the distance when she suddenly froze.
Holy Dunia!
Every nerve under her skin lit up when a little way along the terrace, she thought she saw movement.
She stared.
Something had vaulted from thin air onto the handrail.
A silhouette. One that moved once more to land noiselessly on the balcony’s marbled floor.
Selene’s heart rate raced.
She glimpsed a man. Large, hulking, cloaked. His profile stood out against the bright lights of Enia. He turned his head, and she thought she saw a flash of sapphire-tinged flames come from within the confines of his hood.
Impossible.
Then he was gone. He’d disappeared into a doorway further along the terrace.
Heart still pounding, she took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Behind her, the noise of the party rose and fell. Music played, and voices clashed. Below, Enia’s nightlife continued without missing a beat.
Up here, on the mezzanine, however, a strange silence settled.
Selene found herself toeing off her heels.
She set them carefully down on the ground and proceeded to creep barefoot along the wall, staying well within the shadows. After a few tense moments, she reached the doorway where she thought she’d seen the figure slip into.
It led into a dark corridor.
She felt strangely pulled in. So she took another step forward. Quietly. Surreptitiously. Like her years of reserve military training had taught her.
Damn you, woman, her sensible inner voice said.This is ‘raise the alarm and alert the security guards’ level shit.
She fought the logic, debating with herself.You’ve trained for this. First, find the threat, if there’s any. Then alert the guards. Otherwise, you’ll look silly if nothing comes of this. One count of embarrassing yourself is all you get this evening.
Her latter thinking won. She soon found herself creeping along a wall, past paintings and sculptures of exquisite artistry, towards where she thought she heard voices.
She approached as soundlessly as possible. Then froze at the sound of a whisper.
‘You crossed the wrong people, Occaro.’
The murmur, so low and so deep, reverberated against the walls.
‘Fokk you,’ came a strangled voice.
