The ENGINE slumbered in the star-speckled sky. Its gears forever turning like a grandfather clock. Emily pulled her hood over her head as droplets of rain hit her freckles. Wine, nature, hormones, and freshly baked bread lingered in the air. Masquerade masks clung to citizens' faces, imitating the masks of the chosen. A harpsichord plucked in D minor strummed from a gazebo, nestled between a noble manor and vineyards.
"So, where are these associates of yours, Arthur? I want to leave as soon as possible," Emily asked as she walked behind Rachel and Arthur.
"Oh, don't be like that, Emily of Leonore. Make merry, drink a little...have some fun. We only have a week before things get messy after all," Arthur said as he grabbed a glass of champagne.
"I have to agree with Arthur on this. Live life like it's your last," Rachel insisted as she also grabbed a glass and downed it swiftly. Her eyes widened as she saw a table with cheesecake. "Oh my PRIME...they have my favorite food!"
"Bleh," Emily said as she watched Rachel rush over to the table and grab a whole cheesecake.
"How could you say bleh to cheesecake, Emily of Leonore? Cheesecake and wine are Leonore's specialities," Arthur replied as he grabbed a knife and cut himself a slice of cheesecake. "You really going to eat that whole cheesecake?" Arthur asked as he glanced at Rachel.
"You judging me?"Rachel replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Absolutely not, Miss Rachel, in fact, I wish Emily had the same enthusiasm you do with Leonore staples."
"Maybe if I wasn't living on the street, surviving off bread...I would like it more," Emily retorted as she glanced around at the festival-sized portions of food on multiple tables. "Got plenty of food to feed the rich but not a speck to feed the poor."
"There will always be haves and have-nots, Emily of Leonore," Arthur replied as he glanced at Rachel. "Some people rise, some people do not."
Emily rolled her eyes. "Please, as if everyone starts on equal footing," she retorted as she grabbed a glass of champagne. She swirled it with a sour expression, then chugged it.
"Well?" Rachel asked as she saw Emily lick her lips.
Emily shrugged. "It's alright...kinda sour."
"Like you?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Rachel shrugged with a thin-lipped smile.
Emily rolled her eyes as she grabbed another drink. "Whatever...it's good. Happy?"
"Arthur, go on ahead...we will meet up with you and your associates once I get Emily...less sour," Rachel said as she grabbed Emily's hand.
"Please take your time... we've got all night. Enjoy yourselves...might not have another opportunity after all," Arthur replied as he bowed and then walked towards the manor.
"Where are we going?" Emily asked as she reluctantly got tugged along.
"We are going to find where they hide the good stuff," Rachel replied as she pulled Emily towards the manor. "You've never been drunk, have you?"
"Can't say that I have."
"Good...then let's get you drunk, "Rachel replied as they entered the manor.
Emily glanced up at the golden chandelier hanging overhead as Rachel pulled her along. Her eyes glimmered with wonder as she stared at the intricate craftsmanship, as the lights flickered like a faulty lightbulb. Rhythmic Baroque music filled the air as nobles danced on marble floor. Acrylic painting aligned the walls as butlers handed drinks to patrons.
"Surprised to see you here, kid," Elijah said as Rachel pulled Emily over towards him.
"I could say the same thing to you," Emily replied as she watched Elijah pull out his pack of cigarettes.
"Shiyu thought it would be beneficial since a lot of other chosen would be here," Elijah explained as he lit his cigarette, then gestured towards Shiyu, who was speaking with Sarah.
Emily groaned as she made eye contact with Sarah.
"Oh, if it isn't the musical prodigy herself," Sarah said as she waved at Emily. "Are you performing later tonight?" She asked as she walked over with Shiyu.
"Absolutely not," Emily replied.
"Why not...we could do a duet? We would be the talk of the party."
"I would find that absolutely terrifying."
"What she means is that she needs a little something to take the edge off first," Rachel interjected as she nudged Emily.
"₮Ⱨ₳₮'₴ Ɽł₲Ⱨ₮ ⱠłVɆ ₳ Ⱡł₮₮ⱠɆ."
"Shut up."
"What was that?"Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, just thinking out loud again...ahhaha..ha," Emily replied as she rubbed her neck.
"Well, we are going to find the wine cellar," Rachel said as she swung her arms around Emily's neck.
Emily's face flushed as her eyes widened. Her heart raced as she smelled Rachel's floral perfume. The voice in her head faded as she fixated on the warmth of Rachel's skin.
"You two do that...think I am going to get some fresh air before this storm hits," Elijah said as he looked up at the chandeliers' flickering lights.
Emily's eyes widened as she felt Rachel tug on her, then grabbed her hand. "Hey, what gives?"
"Time to raid the wine cellar," Rachel chuckled as she pulled Emily down the hallway towards the basement.
Wooden floorboards creaked underneath their shoes as they descended a flight of stairs. Caskets of wine aligned the brick walls. Wood, fermented grapes, and rain lingered in the stagnant air as they ventured deeper. Shadows crawled on the walls as the lights flickered, and thunder echoed outside. Emily was too busy staring at Rachel's golden blonde hair to notice her shadow wasn't in sync with her movement.
"Perfect," Rachel said as she stopped a series of wooden liquor cabinets nestled between caskets of wine. "They always keep the good stuff in the cellar," she added as she examined the vintages.
"You drink often?" Emily asked as she picked up a bottle of wine.
"I guess you could say that. The empire loves its vodka, but my family also imports wine from Leonore. They never drink it, though. It's just to show off to guests," she replied as she uncorcked a bottle and then started drinking right from it.
Rachel then handed the bottle to Emily. "I used to sneak into my parents' cellar all the time for a glass of vodka on rough days, but they kept the imported stuff locked up tight."
"Just like how Leonore makes it impossible for people like me," Emily replied as she took a sip.
Rachel sat down, back against the wall, as Emily handed her the bottle back. "Unfortunate your life so far. You would have thrived in the empire," she said as she drank, then handed it back to Emily.
"I doubt it," Emily replied as she took a big swig. "Still would have been an orphan."
"The empire doesn't care about that; it only cares about talent and power. Those who are strong rule over the weak, those who are talented earn their place."
"But who gets to decide who is talented and who is weak?"
"Competition, of course. The empire doesn't gatekeep. If you got what it takes, prove it through competition," Rachel explained as she finished the bottle and grabbed another.
Emily sighed as Rachel handed her the bottle after uncorking it. "Sounds like a big game of whose stick is bigger," she retorted as she passed the bottle back to Rachel after taking a swig.
Rachel smirked as she listened to the rain outside. "I dream of a world where everyone can prove their mettle fairly, and when I am PRIME...I will make it so."
Emily smiled, but didn't reply as Rachel handed the bottle back to her. Her mind wandered as her eyes lowered, and a smirk formed on her face. Shadows swirled on the wall as his vision blurred. Every muscle in her body relaxed as she glanced down at the bottle and chugged the rest of it.
"What's your dream, Emily of Leonore. What would you do as PRIME?" Rachel asked as she watched Emily grab another bottle.
Emily shrugged. "Never thought about it....you would make a better PRIME than me. At least you have a dream...I just want to survive," she replied as her notebook dropped out of her hoodie pocket.
"Oh, let me see!" Rachel shouted with glee as she reached for Emily's notebook.
"Nope, my eyes only," Emily replied as she quickly snatched it from the ground.
Rachel burped then chuckled. "Now I am even more intrigued. What secrets does Emily of Leonore keep hidden within the pages of her diary?"
"It's mostly lyrics...if I am being honest," Emily replied as she passed the bottle to Rachel.
"So sing me something... don't act like you don't have chops. I know you do," Rachel chuckled as she handed the bottle back to Emily after taking a drink.
Emily sighed as she looked up at the ceiling, fixating on the flickering light overhead. "I don't think my lyrics are....happy stuff...would kill the mood."
"And what mood is that?" Rachel asked as she leaned closer to Emily.
Emily's eyes widened as her cheeks flushed.
"Too easy," Rachel laughed as she grabbed the notebook from Emily's hand. "Let's see what we have here."
"Ay...give that back!"Emily shouted as Rachel kept the notebook out of arm's reach.
"I've got sunrise colored dreams in my eyelids. Sewn with threads from a bright star's dress, You paint our future in hope and kisses, But the static hum's what I suppress," Rachel read before Emily snatched her diary back.
"Wait, what?" Emily replied with a raised eyebrow, then glanced at her notebook. Dread crept up her spine like a centipede as she began to read the lyrics scribbled in her diary.
"₩Ɇ'ⱤɆ ₣Ⱡł₵₭ɆⱤł₦₲ ₣Ⱡ₳₥Ɇ₴ Ø₦ ₳ ₵ⱤɎ₴₮₳Ⱡ ₮V ₴₵ⱤɆɆ₦."
"Đ₳₦₵ł₦₲ ł₦ Ⱡł₲Ⱨ₮ ₮Ⱨ₳₮'₴ ₥ɄⱠ฿ɆⱤⱤɎ ⱤɆĐ"
"ł ₣ⱤɆɆⱫɆ ₮ł₥Ɇ."
"₳₦Đ ł'VɆ ₦ɆVɆⱤ ₴ɆɆ₦."
"ł'VɆ ₦ɆVɆⱤ ₴ɆɆ₦."
"ⱧØ₩ ₮Ⱨł₴ Ɇ₦Đ₴."
"ⱧØ₩ ₮Ⱨł₴ Ɇ₦Đ₴."
Emily's eyes widened almost in a trance-like stare as she turned the page. "I...I don't remember writing these lyrics down."
"That's because you're drunk, Emily," Rachel laughed as she watched Emily turn the page.
"No...I didn't write these lyrics....I....I," Emily mumbled as her eyes blinked heavily as the lights flickered and thunder echoed outside.
"₴ⱧɆ'₴ ₵Ⱡ₳₩ł₦₲ ₳₮ ₥Ɏ Ɽł฿₴ ,ⱠɆ₮ ₥Ɇ ØɄ₮!"
"₴ⱧɆ'₴ ₴₵ⱤɆ₳₥ł₦₲ ₮ⱧⱤØɄ₲Ⱨ ₥Ɏ ₴₭ł₦, ⱠɆ₮ ₥Ɇ ØɄ₮!"
"₮Ⱨł₴ ₥₳₴₭ JɄ₴₮ ₲₳VɆ ₱ɆⱤ₥ł₴₴łØ₦."
"₣ØⱤ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ₳Ⱡ₩₳Ɏ₴ ⱠłVɆĐ ₩ł₮Ⱨł₦."
Emily threw her notebook as she yelped. Her heart raced as she stared wide-eyed at it. "I didn't fucking write these lyrics," she said as her hands quivered. She looked up as the lights flickered violently overhead.
Rachel put the bottle down and walked over to the notebook, wiping off the wine splashed on the cover. She opened the notebook as Emily curled up on the wall. "There are no lyrics, Emily... you're drunk," Rachel said as she showed the page she was reading was blank.
"What?"Emily muttered as Rachel handed the notebook back to her.
"ⱠɆ₮ ₥Ɇ ØɄ₮!"
Emily's heart dropped as she read the lyrics on the page. Her body trembled as she looked up at the light flickering overhead, which started to glow in an intense mulberry hue. Sweat trickled down Emily's forehead as she balled up in the corner. Her ears rang with pulsating bass.
"Hey, stay with me," Rachel said as she shook Emily as she looking up at the mulberry light flickering overhead.
"Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳₳Ⱨ₳₳₳₳!" Emily cackled, her voice crackled like static. "ɎØɄ ₮Ⱨł₦₭ ₮Ⱨ₳₮ ₥₳₴₭ ł₴ ₩Ⱨ₳₮ ₵Ⱨ₳₦₲ɆĐ ɎØɄ? ł'VɆ ฿ɆɆ₦ ⱧɆⱤɆ ₴ł₦₵Ɇ ɎØɄⱤ ₣łⱤ₴₮ ฿ⱤɆ₳₮Ⱨ!"
Rachel stepped back wide-eyed as the light overhead shattered, and a violent mulberry aura erupted around Emily. Items seemed to glitch in and out of existence around the aura as Emily's head twitched back and forth.
"₴ⱧɄ₮ Ʉ₱, ł'₥ ₦Ø฿ØĐɎ, ł'₥ ₦Ø₮Ⱨł₦₲!" Emily shouted to herself as her body trembled and her voice fractured into different pitches.
Emily stared forward with a blank expression as she rocked back and forth, then all went black.
The ENGINE slumbered in the star-speckled sky. Its gears forever turning like a grandfather clock. Wine, nature, hormones, and freshly baked bread lingered in the air. Masquerade masks clung to citizens' faces, imitating the masks of the chosen. A harpsichord plucked in D minor strummed from a gazebo, nestled between a noble manor and vineyards.
Emily blinked heavily as rain splashed onto her cheeks. She stopped in her tracks, then looked up at the ENGINE hovering above. Deja vu lingered in her mind, but the memory of what had faded into the void.
"Everything okay back there?" Rachel asked as she noticed Emily staring up at the ENGINE.
Emily looked back at Rachel and nodded. "Yeah...just yeah, feel like I forgot something," she replied as she threw her hood up.
"So, where are these associates of yours, Arthur?" She asked as she started to follow Rachel and Arthur once more.