Cigarette smoke swirled in the crisp afternoon air. Leaves crunched underneath Elijah's tactical boots. His gray chosen mask stuck out like a sore thumb as he walked the cobblestone streets of Leonore. Elijah looked up as several citizens gazed at the ENGINE. Its mulberry eye was closed, but its ominous eldritch presence was always felt. A reminder that it's still there, still watching, still absolute.
Rachel glanced up as well, her chestnut eyes glimmering in the light. She flipped her strawberry blonde hair out of her face as a gust of wind swept by. Primordial fear mixed with awe bubbled within her as she stared up at the ENGINE. She didn't know why, but she felt like it was still watching despite its eye closed.
Elijah glanced at Rachel, then back up at the ENGINE above. He exhaled a cloud of smoke and then flicked the butt of his cigarette. He dug in his black cargo pants for his lighter. Dread clawed up his arm as he pulled out his pack of cigarettes, only to find it was empty.
"Remind me to get some more smokes while we grab takeout," he grumbled as he threw the empty pack into a trash bin.
"You should really quit... It's not good for your health," Rachel replied with a raised eyebrow as she glanced at Elijah.
"Yeah, and neither is being chosen," he joked, then sighed.
"Just how many packs do you go through in a week?"
"Let's not talk about that."
Rachel chuckled, then shook her head.
"Don't act like you don't have any vices."
Rachel shrugged. "I don't...because I was never allowed to."
Elijah crossed his arms as his facial expression sharpened. "Ahhh...that's right, your nobility. Your whole life has been orchestrated to be the next PRIME."
Rachel forced a smile on her face as she looked at Elijah. "Yup...I never really had a life of my own," she replied as she looked up at ENGINE. "Every meal, every book, every friend, and even my love life are all crafted by my parents. Ironically, being chosen has allowed me to have a life, even if for one week."
"That's some heavy shit. Too bad you got a ninety-nine percent chance of getting the game over screen," Elijah replied.
Rachel shrugged and forced a smile. "There's still that one percent chance that it doesn't, though."
"Damn, you don't let anything faze you."
"A product of my cultivated upbringing," Rachel said as she stared up at the ENGINE. "You ever wonder why the ENGINE picks a PRIME?" Rachel asked.
"I don't think about that stuff...we mortals tend to go mad over what gods care about, you know," Elijah replied as they stopped at a restaurant.
"That's fair...I admit, I get nervous even looking up at the ENGINE," Rachel explained as she watched Elijah order some waffles.
"Is that so?"Elijah asked as they waited for their food.
Rachel nodded, then rubbed her shoulder. "I also got that same feeling with Emily when we knocked down the door."
Elijah's eyes narrowed. "Good to know I am not the only one," he chuckled, tipping the chef and grabbing their food.
"Got any idea what that was? That wasn't just nightmares."
"Don't know, but perhaps Shiyu will shed some light soon."
"You're forgetting something," Rachel muttered as she followed Elijah down the road.
"Good catch," Elijah replied as he rubbed his salt and pepper beard. "Pack of Empire Reds, please," he said as he approached a vendor.
"Of course, you smoke what my parents smoke," Rachel rolled her eyes as she watched Elijah light a cigarette.
Elijah shrugged. "Premium smoke for life's premium bullshit."
Rachel blinked as she rubbed her hair. "That oddly makes a lot of sense right now."
Elijah chuckled, then offered a cigarette to Rachel. "Here, a choice not cultivated by your parents."
Rachel stared at the cigarette, then up at Elijah. "Why the hell not?" she said, taking the cigarette. She hacked and coughed as Elijah lit it. "This is revolting....I will find myself a different vice, " she grumbled as she flicked the cigarette to the ground.
Elijah chuckled as they made their way back to the hotel. His eyes sharpened as he saw Shiyu standing in front of Emily's broken door.
"Everything okay?" Rachel asked as she grabbed the bag of food from Elijah, who reached for his smokes.
Shiyu nodded and smiled. "Everything is okay. We should get ready to leave. The ENGINE will be awakening soon, shining the path to the home of the previous PRIME."
"You ain't going to tell us anything?" Elijah asked as he put a cigarette to his lips.
Shiyu shook her head. "Emily requested that our conversation remain private. I am sorry if you're disappointed by that."
Elijah nodded as he lit his cigarette, eyes watching for any tell in Shiyu's body language.
Shiyu's eyes wavered beneath Elijah's gaze, drifting towards the ground and then towards Rachel.
"Is she in there? I want to give her this," Rachel asked as she lifted the bag of waffles.
"She is...she is just looking out the window," Shiyu explained, then gently touched Rachel's shoulder. "Don't bring up anything about her incident...okay?"
Rachel's eyes widened as Shiyu's voice ripped through her body. She nodded her head as she stared into Shiyu's unwavering eyes.
"Wow, okay. I thought you said she was alright?" Rachel replied.
"She is...just she has specific triggers that should be avoided."
"That serious?" Elijah interjected as he smoked. "Can you at least tell us what triggers her meltdown?"
Shiyu forced a thin-lipped smile. "I wish I could tell you, but I can't say. She will tell you herself when the time is right."
"Let me talk with her first, Rachel," Elijah said as he gestured at Rachel for the bag of waffles.
"But?"Rachel grumbled.
"She will want more...you can get the next one."
Rachel sighed. "Fine..."
Elijah carefully stepped between chipped wood and glass as he entered Emily's room. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Emily, gazing out the window. The hair on his chestnut skin stood up as he felt the suffocating energy in the room. Each step he took felt earned as if he was pushing through an invisible wall. The energy felt volatile, an unseen weapon that zapped the energy from his body.
"Hey kid...you doing alright?" Elijah asked as he rubbed his neck.
Emily turned around with a startled expression. Her emerald eyes were wide with surprise. "Oh... didn't notice you there," she said and then rubbed her shoulder. "I uh...sorry."
"Sorry about what?" Elijah asked as he placed the bag of waffles on a table.
Emily sighed as she gazed at the door. "That I am leaving you in the dark about what the fuck is going on with me."
"You probably got your reasons...I won't pry."
Emily smiled and nodded. "Thanks, sourpuss."
Elijah smiled, noticing the sudden, trance-like look in Emily's eyes.
"You want some waffles?"Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow.
Emily blinked rapidly, then looked around the room and saw Elijah. "What did you say?"
"I said you want some waffles. You uhhh spaced out there for a moment, kiddo."
Emily rubbed her neck and smiled. "Yeah, I've been doing that a lot lately," she explained as she looked at the bag of waffles. "Thanks, sourpuss."
"You already said that, kiddo," Elijah chuckled as Emily dug into the bag.
Emily rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Of course I did...Sorry, I got a lot on my mind."
"Emily...you alright in there?" Rachel asked as she stepped into the room.
"Hey...I am fine..haahahahaha. No... no, I'm not fine..but I'm okay...ish?"Emily replied with a forced smile.
"Want to take a walk?"Rachel asked.
Emily nodded and smiled as she grabbed a plate of waffles. Elijah glanced up at Rachel, then at Emily. His heart raced in his chest as the energy in the room shifted from suffocating to overwhelming. The cigarette fell from his lips as Emily walked past him. Emily stopped in her tracks, then picked the cigarette up and handed it back to Elijah with a smile.
"Umm, thanks, kiddo," Elijah said as he accepted the cigarette. "Got lost in thought there myself," he explained, forcing a thin lip smile as Emily went to talk with Rachel.
The suffocating energy suddenly released its hold as Emily left the room with Rachel. An invisible weight left his chest, and a sudden lightness in his limbs arose. Elijah exhaled a cloud of smoke as Shiyu entered the room shortly after.
"She is a ticking time bomb," Elijah said as he glanced at Shiyu with hawk eyes.
Shiyu nodded. "I have it under control."
"Do you really?"
"So long as you don't pry...yes."
Elijah exhaled a cloud of smoke as he put out his cigarette in an ashtray. He then felt a pulsating bass rumble off his chest. The walls shook as his body quivered with eldritch fear. His eyes glanced towards the window, but his body refused to move until the noise dissipated.
"The ENGINE is about to wake again. We should get going," Shiyu said as everything returned to normal.
Elijah glanced down at the broken door and then reached for another cigarette. The pack of smokes dropped to the ground as the ominous bass rippled down his back, shaking the very foundation of the hotel. He grabbed his cigarettes off the ground, arms shaking as he waited for the next round of bass to stop before leaving the room. His body etched the same sensation of the engine's roar, of the energy he felt emanating from Emily.