" Have I been here before? " Sen asked as he held onto the wall of a white building.
His stance was wobbly, his frame slouching down as if ready to fall the next second.
" … watch where you're going! " A man wearing a monocle shouted as he whooshed by.
Sen staggered closer to the wall almost falling from the impact with the man.
The world around him was moving too fast. There were too many lights, too many faces, voices, sounds…
He gently shook his head trying to focus his vision but to no avail, all blurs.
" Where am I?... " he asked.
" Where did the fog go? "
" Who are all these people? And what's wrong with their faces?"
He shook his head again, this time rougher.
" Aaah! " he cried as a searing pain shot from his head. He let go of the wall he was supporting himself on, grasping his head as he dropped to the tiled street path.
" Hey kid, are you okay? " a random voice called out.
Sen was on the ground. His finger ran through his white fade hair as his breath slowly settled down. He raised his eyes to meet another's, a middle aged man, but for some reason his face was blurred out.
He shook his head and slowly rose from the street floor.
" Then don't lie by the street side. The nobles here don't like commoners like us on their streets, "
" wait… " he paused and gave a sifting look at Sen.
" you are a commoner right? " he asked slightly stepping back.
Sen nodded.
" Okay but as I said don't let them see you sleeping on their streets for too long, the higher lap is not an ideal place for commoners." the man said as he paced onward.
The streets were bright as they were in the day, with the sequence of lamp posts stretching from block to block, such that the subtle shift from day to night had completely been blurred out. The small brick and wooden buildings that cascaded through the town had been completely erased and replaced by new towering two-story buildings that never seemed to sleep. The walls and windows seemed more shiny and maintained compared to back then when only inns got that much attention.
Sen rubbed his eyes as he walked through the packed walkway. He could see nothing but walking extravagantly dressed silhouette walking past him, all with the same blurry look on their faces.
" … odd? " he muttered rubbing his eyes once more.
He kept his head low as he moved through the wide avenue. The polished stone beneath his boots caught the light of the overhead streetlamps, bright enough that every step sent a dull throb through his temple. He tried to ignore but his headache was still pinged at the back of his head like a pulsing lighthouse on a foggy shore.
The flurry of Laptove night raced on. A procession of carriages rolled past, their lacquered sides painted with family crests. Footmen shouted for commoners to clear the way. One driver swung his reins too hard, and the horses clattered dangerously close before veering off — no apology, no glance back.
He kept moving. The warning from the guy earlier was more than evident. The streets were hungry for fresh meat to look down on, especially for one who looked lost.
…
The air ahead grew thick with the scent of grilled meats and sweet spice. His eyes rolled about following his nose searching for the source.
Ahead the Culinary Fade's flagship restaurant stood, its terrace lined with white tablecloths and soft golden lanterns. Servers in pressed coats glided between tables, trays laden with steaming dishes — jewel-bright sauces, slices of pink fish on porcelain plates. Sen caught the scent of cinnamon, sharp enough to make him flinch.
His stomach grumbled.
He reached into his pockets only to draw out air. His hand shifted to his stomach, where the grumbling got stronger as the smell got more potent.
" Sen? " a female voice called out.
With the voice came a shape piercing ringing in his head. Then came abrupt flashes of two little girls with ribbons in their hair… something else popped up. It looked like a giant weasel with red claws. The flashes then suddenly shifted to a brown haired lady, dressed in a maid outfit.
" Aaah! " Sen groaned as some footsteps grew closer to him.
" What's the matter, Sen? " the voice asked.
Sen opened his eyes as the image of the brown haired lady, with dazzling blue eyes, came to form in front of him.
" Who are you? " he asked stammering his way through the sentence.
" Don't tell me you've already forgotten… " she asked slightly taken aback by the question.
The blank look on his face answered her question.
" It's Lisa, and why are you walking about at this hour. "
" I don't know, I was just at the guild… then this man helped me… and now I'm here. Where's here? " Sen mumbled.
" You don't look too good, come on let's get you back to the inn. " she said extending her hand towards him.
Suddenly a hot tingle surged across her body. She quickly retracted her arm from Sen and took a step back.
" Why is he so hot? " she wondered looking into his dazed eyes. There was a distant glimmer, like sparking remnants of something trying to hold itself together but was met a greater and more resilient force. There was a scorching sensation pulsing on her the fingertips on where she had came into contact with Sen. It was hot. Too hot for a normal human body.
Sen watched as the lady in front of him extend her hand towards him. This time she was more cautious as she slowly bridged the gap between her hand and his face.
" She said her name was Lisa… where have I heard that before? "
" Lisa… Lisa… " her name lingered in his foggy mind.
As he tried to place her name he felt a cold touch on his face. It was soft as it came in contact with his skin and none like his currently flaring body, cool, refreshing and melted away on his skin carrying the tension on it. Unknowingly he sighed sinking deeper into its hold.
His eyes slowly closed, savoring the feeling that ran across his face.
" I remember now… " he said exhaling in relief.
" She's Lisa. " He said in a fading breath.
In the middle of a noisy rushing a maid held in her arms a boy. It was quite the sight for the onlookers as the whispers and murmurs stirred under their fan hidden faces. All passing eyes were on one of the servers in the culinary fade restaurant a distance away noticed this and dropped of his tray hurrying to her aid.
The lady crouched down slowly trying to support the weight of the boy in her arms. The flat look in her eyes easily told of her annoyance of the boys current state.
" He fell asleep…" she thought as the server arrived to their position.