After twenty minutes of walking and talking, they got to know each other on a more refined level. Then, eventually, made their way in front of a giant apartment complex. They walked towards it, seeing a garden with children playing on the multiple slides and swings.
Then, they went inside the main entrance door, stepping through to see, on either side, mailboxes for all the residents in the apartment. Then, Talia took him for a stroll, past the elevator, which was right in front of them. Into an office, with a woman sitting and typing on the computer. She looked like the receptionist and the general manager for the apartment.
Then, ascending past the receptionist, was another door to an even grander office, which belonged to Talia, as in front of Nova was a large brown table, which was primly set, organized in such a way that no mess would be created, and everything could be found in less than a second.
The desk looked like it was designed by a perfectionist with a taste for quiet power. It was a wide, polished slab of dark wood, smooth to the touch, not a fingerprint in sight. Everything on it felt intentional.
There was a slim leather desk pad centered perfectly, a neat stack of correspondence trays to the left (all empty, naturally), and a heavy pen holder with just two pens, both matching, both aligned with accordance to the table.
A slim digital clock ticked quietly beside a clean, closed laptop. No wires showed. No coffee rings, no scribbled notes. Even the chair behind it looked like it had been adjusted to the perfect angle.
At the center of the desk sat a nameplate, thick black stone with Talia's name etched in sharp, clean golden letters: "Talia Williams – Manager." It caught the light from the sun, from the window on the right side, when you sat, like it had been proud of itself.
Talia put her bag that she was carrying on the table, not disturbing even an atom. Then she sat, opening up her laptop, as Nova held the box of kittens and just stared at her with narrowed eyes. It was very awkward, as Talia realized he wasn't already seated.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, please sit and make yourself at home," Talia said, her tone embarrassed, voice low, not that of a manager.
Nova sat down, and as soon as he sat down, his Circle of Pillars activated. He felt, for a second, a sharp twitch in his muscle as the circle appeared. And he couldn't help but scratch himself, like a cat, as the spot of the circle on his right hand was itching like there was no tomorrow.
Talia was confused why he was trying to scratch the circle, as that was the fundamental function of society. The thing that drove society. Then she realized, trying to recall their day up till now, and realized that she hadn't seen the Circle of Pillars on his hands, now even for a second, until now, which was strange considering that everyone was born with the circle, even if no pillars appeared, like Talia, for example.
She has the Circle of Pillars, yet she can't awaken her innate ability that would stick with her till the time she dies. To awaken was to have one pillar between your two concentric circles. Maybe about six billion people, out of the entire nine billion population, weren't able to awaken any pillars throughout their lifetime.
Shifting the focus, Talia spoke up, offering Nova a chance to shelter the kittens: "I'm the owner of this apartment complex, and I have many apartments ready to rent out, with renters flying at our doorstep, for an apartment, like a moth to a flame." Then her voice softened, looking at the kittens, then back up at him: "But seeing you with a box full of kittens and hearing your story melted my heart. So, I'm offering you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in one of the apartments, for free, but for a month, and after that month is up, you will have to start paying rent."
Nova nodded his head, comprehending every last piece of information, as he saw this as an opportunity to shelter himself and the kittens for an entire month for free, until he found a job to help support them.
"Great, I'll take that you agree." A slight smile, like a cunning fox, lit up on Talia. "And, if you awaken, then maybe you might want to consider applying for the American Guild. Their pay, I have heard, is exceptional. And you get a lot of benefits that these stupid insurance companies don't even live up to. And the guild is about ten minutes from here, and they are always looking to hire a person."
"Thank you for telling me." his tone was polite, yet lacked basic emotions. "I will unlock my ability and try out for the guild as soon as possible, and have next month's rent ready by the time the month rolls by. And thank you again for this opportunity to let me stay here for a month, and that too for free."
She smiled, melted by the things he said. She was the type of girl who was very innocent, yet at the same time, paradoxically, cunning to the brim. She gathered herself, tucking in her chair, as Nova did the same thing, and then followed her.
"I'm going to be showing you your apartment now. It's a two-bedroom, one-bathroom, about eight hundred square feet, not huge, but it's livable. Comes with a washing machine but no dryer, so you'll have to hang your clothes like a pleasant," she said with a teasing grin.
Nova followed her through the hallway, silent, his expression unchanged. But his eyes scanned everything: the wall cracks, the light flicker at the end of the hallway, the distant sound of another tenant's TV.
Talia unlocked a door and pushed it open.
The apartment smelled faintly of wood polish and lemon, like someone had tried to make it seem more inviting. It had off-white walls, scuffed wooden floors, a couple of cheap shelves, and an old kitchen with a medium-sized oven that looked like it was built in the 90s.
Nova stepped in. His eyes scanned the room like a divine machine running a full diagnostic. The place was… blank. Clean, dry air. White walls. Dustless floors. Perfect.
The open floor plan stretched out before him. The kitchen was small but practical, joined to a living area that would one day host whatever life he built. The two bedrooms branched off from the main corridor, across from the bathrooms and laundry closet.
"I know there's no furniture," Talia said, closing the door behind them. "But don't worry. I already set up a delivery. Should be here tomorrow or latest by the end of the week. Couch, beds, dining table, all the good stuff. I'll cover the bill for now, and no, you don't need to pay me back immediately. Just get on your feet."
He turned to face her, tone soft, neutral, but not cold: "Thank you. That's… considerate of you."
Talia waved her hand like it was no big deal.
"Hey, I've been there. Fresh start, blank slate, no furniture, no clue where the bathroom light switch is. Trust me, a rug and some decent lighting will make this place feel like home."
Nova walked slowly through the apartment. Each room felt oddly vast, though not in a lonely way. It was a peaceful kind of empty.
He stepped into the first bedroom, the slightly smaller one. He looked around, with white walls, a double closet, and one small window.
It's so bare… yet my intuition tells me that I have been lucky to meet such a wonderful young lady. He thought, loving the place with his heart. The place has a tremendous amount of potential, and with a couple of décor and kittens playing around, it will become home in no time.
He closed the closet doors softly, then stepped into the main bathroom. It had a modest sink, toilet, and a shower, one that creaked when he tested the knob. Talia chuckled.
"Yeah, this one screams like a banshee when you use hot water. But it works. Apartment charm, you know?"
Back in the living area, she gestured vaguely around the room.
"Couch is going here, facing the window. Coffee table's optional, but I ordered one anyway. TV's up to you. I figured you might prefer books or meditation or... floating in midair, whatever 'gods-turned-humans' are into."
Nova didn't respond to the joke. Instead, he stood in the center of the room, letting the silence fill in what words could not. He could hear the muffled city through the window. Cars. Horns. Life.
This is what the mortal realm feels like…" he thought. …not pain. Not chaos. Just… the slow rhythm of existing.
He hadn't explored the best parts of the mortal realm yet, so he didn't know how much chaos could accumulate in a very short period. How much pain one can suffer, even if they had put their heart and soul into it. He was still new to these concepts.
Talia stepped next to him, nudging him slightly with her elbow.
"You okay? You've been kinda quiet."
"I like it," Nova said plainly. "The apartment. The silence. The simplicity. It's… pure."
That caught her off guard. She wasn't expecting honesty, certainly not the poetic kind. She blinked at him, then shrugged with a crooked grin.
"Glad to hear it. Just try not to summon anything in the living room before the furniture arrives. I don't want demons tracking dirt into the carpet."
He allowed himself the smallest of smiles.
"Understood."
Talia gave the kitchen counter a final tap. "Alright. I'll leave you to settle in. If you need anything, knock once. If you're dying, knock twice. If it's an emergency involving cosmic threats, don't knock, just text. I don't do screaming."
He followed her to the door; the kittens still nestled under his arm.
"Goodnight, Nova."
"Goodnight."
He whispered to himself, hearing the faint footsteps of Talia retreating to the office: "I'm home."