ARC ONE: Lost Faces
From living the regular servant life working at the High Nexus Hotel at the level of a footman and daily attending to his duties, to catching the eye of an impressively influential figure and becoming his apprentice. And soon after doing so, surpassing his master and forging his own legacy.
The Servant of Fury, Verus.
This one in a million occurrence he had heard when he was 9 years old had become Aiken's sole dream, his motivation to wake in the morning and dutifully work until the sun sunk below the horizon.
But, alas, hard work can only amount to so much. To completely enter a new field with no prior related experience was almost impossible unless the person in charge was an idiot, or in Verus' case, a very strange man. Such a situation was unlikely to ever transpire again.
Yet, Aiken still held onto this aspiration. In life it was important to have a goal, something to work towards so life wouldn't become a meaningless burden.
Skimming his eyes across the portrait of Verus printed on the open book which lay flat on his desk, Aiken's outstretched hand hesitated slightly. His gaze lingered on the page for a while before he closed the book shut and placed it neatly into the cramped bookshelf. Sliding the book between The Elegant Butler: A Complete Guide and Practices of A Gentleman, hestarted to get ready for the day.
The early sun's rays beamed in through the windows, washing the room with a warm golden glow as the chilly morning air slipped in and brought with it a feeling of cold numbness. Putting on his uniform which consisted of a simple white pressed shirt paired with a plain black waistcoat and slacks, Aiken closed the door to his dorm and made his way to the Task Distribution Office where he would be allocated his tasks for the day.
As a rule, everyone had their own list of fixed tasks that had to be completed every day.Along with these assigned set duties, one would also be allocated a list of odd jobs in the mornings to adapt to the ever-changing and unpredictable environment of the hotel. Some days the list would contain only a handful of simple things while other days it felt like the jobs would never end, resulting in Aiken and many others having to work until the late hours of the night.
It couldn't be helped, after all, the hotel was a colossal business.
Spanning roughly 2,000 acres or 8.1km², with roughly 3500 full-time, on-site employees High Nexus Hotel is an incredibly large establishment. Its impressive reputation is not only attributed to its sheer size but also due to the significance it plays for those who live in the Labyrinth. The hotel acts as a sort of connection between Earth and the Labyrinth. It's more than just a place where those who dwell in the Labyrinth stay when they're on Earth―it's a social hub which connects the two worlds and oversees many developments.
Although he had stayed at the hotel his entire life, the sheer grandeur of the hotel never failed to impress Aiken. As he walked through the wide hallway, his footsteps echoed in the silence born from the early hours of the day, and the polished marbled glinted, reflecting the light of the chandeliers strung high above. His gaze darted across the hall as he made his way through, taking note of anything that was amiss or dirty.
Politely greeting the staff he encountered on his way, he had arrived at the Task Distribution Office. Gently pushing the door open, he stepped inside and made his way through the fairly crowded room towards one of the bulletin boards at the back. After finding his appointed list from the board, he took it off and looked over it.
ID: 002843 AIKEN
▪ To replace the light bulb of the lamp situated to the right of the furthermost single-seater from the entrance in Hospitality Room #72
▪ To transfer the books borrowed by Guest Rooms #348, #267, #212 and #302 to the Central Library
▪ To dry clean curtains in the reception area of the second floor
Glancing at the list, Aiken was pleased to find that it was rather short, consisting only of a few tasks. Pocketing the note in his trousers, he swiftly made his way to the door to leave and attend to his duties. As he reached for the door handle, he overheard a muffled groan.
"Do you know what Madam Louise told me this morning?" A young woman stood next to a nearby bulletin board with an exasperated expression on her face, as she talked to another employee beside her. "The building's presidential suite is to be deep-cleaned, all the furniture swapped with the presidential suite of the East Building and fit for hosting within one week!"
Intrigued, Aiken paused to listen.
"One week?!" the lady she was chatting to repeated in astonishment. "I didn't know we were expecting such a high profile guest, who is it?"
The lady shrugged in response. "We haven't been informed yet."
A high profile guest arriving next week? Normally a VIP would contact weeks if not a month in advance. To be notified so late…
Aiken frowned slightly as he pulled the door open and left.
I'll be seeing Aldrich tonight, I'll see if he knows anything.
Settling the matter in his mind, he set to work on completing his duties.
The day went by smoothly with no noticeable disturbances. Aiken calmly and quietly completed his tasks and was done with everything by the time the sun started to descend down the horizon.
Placing the equipment he had used for his cleaning back into the appropriate storage room, he then began searching for a dusting cloth. Finding it, he took it with him, leaving the room and heading towards the elevators.
He took the elevator to the 31st floor and stepped out. Aware of the fact that he wasn't supposed to be there, he made sure to keep his head down. If someone were to spot him, he was sure he'd be sent right back. This was because floors 30 and up were usually reserved for important guests and also contained dorms for the servants higher up in the hierarchy. It wasn't standard to have a room boy like him running around here.
Drawing from his previous experience, Aiken quickly turned towards the direction of the left wing and stopped at the archway that signified its beginning. Kneeling down with his head bowed low, he took out the dusting cloth and began to clean the leaves of a potted plant.
It was completely unnecessary as it seemed to have been cleaned recently. However, Aiken needed an excuse to stay here longer, and people generally wouldn't bother him if he was crouched away in a corner doing some cleaning. He had done similar activities in the past and had got away with it.
"My, my, what a diligent boy," an amused voice sounded from above Aiken's head.
Aiken glanced up and saw a familiar face. His eyes brightened and he stood up.
"Good evening, Aldrich," he greeted politely.
Aldrich smiled at him warmly. A hint of exhaustion which could normally be found at the end of a long day was present in his deep brown eyes, and a few strands of his neatly combed blond hair had fallen astray.
This was no different to the usual, considering that Aldrich worked as a personal valet to VIP guests. Given the stark difference in their positions, it would've been unlikely the two would've met or developed a friendship.
Under normal circumstance that is.
Many years had passed since a 12-year-old Aiken had discovered the central building's golden boy smoking when he had gone to throw out the trash behind the kitchen one night. Ever since then, Aldrich had kept a good eye on him to make sure he wouldn't tattle to anyone about what he saw. And before he knew it, he had unknowingly taken Aiken under his wing.
"It's been a week since I last saw you, how've you been?" Aldrich asked.
"Quite well, thank you," Aiken answered, tucking the dust cloth away. "Although, I heard something this morning that I was wondering if you knew more about?"
"Let me guess," Aldrich said, smiling knowingly. "Is it about the guest who'll be staying in the presidential suite next week?"
Aiken nodded. "The news has been making rounds."
"Hmm." Aldrich pressed a finger to his lip, a playful glint in his eyes. "I might know something about it, what exactly do you want to know?"
"Who's the guest?" Aiken asked promptly, looking at up Aldrich with a curious gaze.
Aldrich tilted his head, seemingly in thought. "I can tell you but you can't tell anyone else, if it get's out I'll be in trouble. Understood?"
Aiken nodded eagerly. "I won't tell, I promise."
"The Emperor of The Forsaken Empire, His Imperial Majesty Sephtis," Aldrich replied with a respectful tone. "It's his first time here, so everyone's trying their best to make sure his stay here goes smoothly."
Aiken stunned, fell silent
The Forsaken Empire's ruler, also known as the Supreme Tyrant.
Although the hotel was used to hosting many high profile guests everyday, such distinguished leaders weren't common occurrences.
"Do you know why he's coming?" Aiken asked, snapping himself out of his thoughts.
Aldrich shook his head. "I'm afraid not, but he's not staying here for very long from what I've been told."
"I see…"
"I'm sorry to cut this short Aiken, but I need to head over to a meeting soon to discuss more about this very topic," Aldrich said, brushing his loose hair strands back into place. "We'll talk again next week, OK?"
Aiken nodded.
Aldrich smiled, ruffling Aiken's hair. "Good lad."
He then turned towards the left wing and walked inside.
***
At night the hotel was submerged in a different kind of silence than the one present in the morning. A type of stillness which felt mysterious and evoked a strange feeling in one's heart.
Aiken shivered as he stepped out of the elevator. The central heating had just been turned on and the cool temperature brought by the darkness hadn't yet been fully dispersed. Yearning to go back to his room and warm up under his blanket, Aiken turned towards the dorms and started to quickly make his way over.
Until―
"Room boy! Over here!" A shout pierced the silence as Aiken turned to face its source.
A man dressed in the uniform assigned to personal attendants stood a distance away, a wooden box placed next to his feet as he gestured for Aiken to come over.
Aiken silently sighed in dejection from having his very important plan of returning to his room and relaxing interrupted, but walked over nonetheless.
"Drop this off inside the shack in the Regal Garden, will you? I've got an important meeting to attend," the man ordered hurriedly, picking up the wooden crate and handing it over to Aiken before turning abruptly and rushing towards the elevators.
Aiken stood there with a blank expression for a while before letting out a sigh of defeat.
Better get this over with.
He headed to the ground floor and made his way out the main entrance. The box wasn't particularly heavy most probably containing a few small gardening tools, the muffled sound of the items moving with the rhythm of his footsteps seemed to emphasised more in the quiet night.
Passing through the garden, he observed a few guests lounging on chairs or lingering by the flower beds as they admired their beauty, and swiftly walked past them with his head down. It was expected of him and others of his level to keep interactions with guests at a minimum.
Aiken took a sharp turn, walking past a "STAFF ONLY" sign and entering the restricted area. With the guidance of the sparsely placed lamp posts, he spotted the garden shed nestled within an area of dense trees and made his way over.
Placing the box neatly in a corner inside the shed, Aiken let out a relieved sigh as he dusted his hands. Turning around, he walked towards the doorway and looked out into the night. Having finished taking in the sight and also not being able to resist the cold any longer, he closed the door behind him and prepared to make his way back.
"ARGH!"
A muffled cry of pain sounded suddenly, disturbing the peaceful silence.
Aiken froze.
The cry was further accompanied by stifled sounds of anguish, as if a person was being forcibly suffocated.
A chill ran down Aiken's spine, he could feel his limbs freezing in fright.
The sounds of distress coming from behind the shed ceased abruptly and a quiet, eerie hush fell over the area.
It took a while for Aiken to gather himself, he slowly walked behind the shed and stepped further into the dense thicket of bushes towards where the sound had come from. If he were to have left then and there, he knew he would regret not checking out the situation later. What if someone was in need of help?
However, he wasn't overly foolish. He would first keep his distance and observe from the shadows to understand the situation before deciding what to do next.
Crouching down low onto the ground, Aiken slowly peered over a dense mass of branches and leaves. The light from the nearest lamp post just barely illuminated the open space ahead. He narrowed his eyes attempting to discern the shadowy figures ahead.
As the silhouettes became more clear, his eyes widened considerably in shock and he struggled to suppress a gasp.
A man in a maroon suit laced with golden accents wearing a top hat of the same colours stood tall, his hand wrapped firmly around the throat of a limp body. In his other hand, he held a small leather journal by its cover, its pages were spread open as Aiken glanced at its contents. Symbols resembling goblets and vases, each with unique patterns and features, were repeated across the pages.
He noticed that the book was slowly disappearing, as if its existence was being slowly erased.
The suited man slowly lifted the head of the deceased body and leaned down, his face inches away from the body's ear. Although he stood a considerable distance away, Aiken heard every word with a strange clarity as if they were spoken right next to him.
"I did warn you," the man whispered, his voice deep and carrying a dangerous edge. "Perhaps it was foolish of me to believe that a written warning would suffice. Oh well, at least I was able to turn you into a show-worthy spectacle tonight."
His grip loosened and the body flopped lifelessly onto the ground.
The man went to adjust his top hat before his hand paused abruptly midway.
Aiken's breath constricted as he felt a cold piercing chill run through his body.
The man let out an amused chuckle and resumed his motion. He took a step aside, glancing at the dead body on the ground once more.
"Oh, and don't be too upset. You're death will serve as a reminder to those watching not to partake in such dangerous business."
Upon hearing his words, Aiken felt his heart stop.
Does he know that I'm here?
However, before he could descend into a frightened spiral, he saw the man slowly disappear. Inch by inch, his body began to vanish.
Just before the effect could reach his head, he turned to face where Aiken was kneeling. Although his features were shadowed by his hat, Aiken could discern a smile before the man completely disappeared.
Once the man had completely faded away, Aiken glanced towards where the deceased body had been discarded.
Only to find that it too had mysteriously vanished from sight.