"Ugh, disgusting."
The narrow shortcut Alex took reeked of piss, cigarettes, and other unidentifiable substances that still clung to the back of his throat. He stepped out, took a deep breath of the sweet fresh air, then cursed under his breath.
This part of the city was one of the three most popular places in the whole district because it held the biggest entertainment industry in the entire country. For that reason, all kinds of weird things happened here, drugs, gambling, those betting rings, and every other kind of thing a person with money could experience. To Alex, this might be the exact reason they named the place "Rouge."
He didn't care much about any of that; to him, it was probably for the better. He always appreciated new fun. Coming all the way here to the city, he hoped it wouldn't disappoint him.
'And besides…' Alex looked around, taking in the sight.
The city looked beautiful. There was always something new to do here, and almost every day was packed with enough entertainment to make all your worries fly away.
And the air was always clean, despite the fuel-burning that should've made the whole continent unlivable. In environmental class, they said the reason had to do with the Black Sphere. Now, looking at it, Alex thought it was the most obvious explanation. But he couldn't help wondering what life would've been like without it. Would it have been better? Would the air have been even sweeter?
To that, Alex disagreed. Because just like no one from inside the sphere could leave, no one from outside could enter. And the sphere seemed to provide all the basic supplies they needed to survive.
Alex looked up at the tenebrous sky and sighed.
'It's not that bad if you look at it this way.'
Everything was perfect. No matter how you look at it.
Alex shook his head.
'And that's the biggest problem.'
Being trapped within one of the biggest cities in the country was far from perfect. While the cities were beautiful on the surface, they were filthy at their core. Take Rouge, for example. It looked like it had a government keeping laws in a firm grip, but in truth, it wasn't run by anyone, making it the perfect playground for politicians and high-ranking officials from other countries.
"Being stuck between all of this isn't bad," Alex murmured jokingly.
Looking ahead, the night was alive with faint buzzing music and lit-up holographic signs and glowing marquees. The hum of engines filled the background, and the pulse of distant bass guided him toward a towering monolithic structure of glass and shifting lights. It looked majestic.
Above its entrance, the name "EUPHIEN" burned in flickering crimson. Below that, lines of people waited beneath a curtain of holographic rain. Alex wondered what the building was for, but based on how people were dressed, and how they filed inside one by one as a guard checked them, it had to be one of the biggest clubs around here.
'They all seem excited… makes me want to tag along,' he thought.
But that thought was cut short when he noticed something else.
A dozen meters from the building, he spotted his friends near a small noodle stand just off the main street. Noah was wearing his familiar red hoodie. Alex would've thought he wore the same one every day if he hadn't seen Noah's wardrobe that night, almost every outfit he owned looked identical. That guy had a weird sense of fashion.
Beside him, Daniel wore a white turtleneck and carried a troubled look on his face, which happened from time to time whenever he was annoyed.
'He's always annoyed anyway… and I've never seen this guy wear anything else either,' Alex thought.
Looking at it now, besides Malik and Michael, Alex himself had the same weird habit. He only enjoyed wearing three types of outfits. Maybe them becoming best friends really was fate… not that he believed in fate, but it was a fun way to look at it.
Malik leaned lazily against a rail while Michael stood behind them. Suddenly, Michael looked Alex's way, and a smile lit up his face. Like a chain reaction, the others turned toward Alex too.
"Ah, finally!" Noah shouted as Alex approached. "Look who finally decided to show up!"
Alex looked around, confused. "Where's the party? You said it already started."
The young men exchanged glances, then burst out laughing.
"Stop acting dumb, Alex," Michael said. "Can't you see we're waiting right outside its door?"
Alex glanced at the noodle stand. "A noodle shop? We came all the way here just for noodles? Are they that great?"
He started firing off questions. Malik nodded encouragingly, urging him to continue.
"I mean, Noah, your dad owns a noodle stand, right? It should be open by now. Why come all the way here? Also—"
Michael raised a hand to cut him off. "Dude, calm down. We're not here for noodles. Though, honestly, they taste better than Noah's dad's noodles."
Hearing that, Noah glared at him. Michael ignored it and gestured toward the towering glass building.
"We're here for this. Didn't I say we'd surprise you?"
He glanced at Malik and Daniel. Malik shrugged. "You have the tickets."
Daniel crossed his arms. "How did you even get five of these?"
Michael laughed softly. "An acquaintance lent them to me. Anyway, here's yours, Alex."
He pulled out a golden card with the picture of the glass chateau printed on it and handed it over.
The ticket felt heavy and cool to the touch. Alex examined it. To his surprise, the ticket was made entirely of gold. He flicked it with his finger, producing a soft thup.
'Yeah… definitely gold,' he thought.
Looking up, he found his friends staring at him.
"Dude, what are you doing?" Noah asked.
Alex cleared his throat. "It seems the ticket is made of pure gold. You don't see that every day."
They all gave him a strange look until Daniel sighed. "What are you talking about? This is EUPHIEN's Golden Ticket. Only VVIP members get these. Clubs like this use gold tickets to show status and professionalism. Besides, aren't you guys worried about how Michael got five of them?"
Michael laughed again and patted Daniel's back. "Chill. I told you. an acquaintance lent them to me."
As they continued arguing, Malik sighed. "Guys, we're here to party. The party already started. What are we still doing outside? The line's gone."
Indeed, almost everyone waiting had already gone in.
"Yes, you're right. Let's go," Michael said.
As they walked toward the club, Noah asked, "Say, Alex. College starts in three weeks. You haven't told us where you enrolled. Or are you not going?"
Everyone looked at Alex. He hesitated, then shrugged.
"I got enrolled in 'R.R.I.'"
They all suddenly stopped and stared. Michael blinked. "Could you repeat that? I didn't catch it."
Alex raised a brow. "I said I got enrolled in 'R.R.I.'"
Malik spoke up. "There's no college in this city with that abbreviation. Only Rouge Research Institute. You mean that one? The school for elites and rich kids?"
Alex frowned slightly. "Why not?"
Daniel cleared his throat. "I mean… both you and Michael got in there. No offense, but Michael's always been a genius, that was a given. But you, Alex? Your grades were great, but how did you get into such an elite school?"
Alex shrugged. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Daniel frowned. "What?"
Alex smiled faintly. "My dad, Daniel. My dad. We all know he's got a lot of connections."
Before Daniel could answer, they reached the club entrance. A deep rhythm pulsed from within, and a single bouncer stood guard.
The man was massive. Long black hair fell to his sharp chin. His eyes were like dull metal. His black vest barely hid arms carved from stone. His presence alone made most people think twice before approaching.
It was finally their turn. They stood a foot away from him. The bouncer didn't speak; he just stared, blocking the entrance like a wall.
Michael smirked and stepped forward. He leaned in, whispered something to the giant, then flashed the ticket between his fingers.
The bouncer's expression changed instantly. His stern gaze softened into something close to satisfaction. He looked over the group. They all showed their golden cards. He nodded and stepped aside.
"Enjoy your night," he rumbled.
Michael clapped the bouncer's shoulder. "We will, friend." Then they walked inside.
…
A tidal wave of light and sound crashed over Alex the moment he stepped into the chateau. The pounding rhythm of music, flashing colors, and the heat of hundreds of bodies hit him at once.
The club looked enormous. From outside it looked big, but as for the inside, it felt twice as large. Walls of shifting glass reflected light like liquid crystal, and holographic ribbons drifted across the ceiling.
A sweet, electric smell hung in the air.
The lower level was packed with a sea of people moving to the music. Their energy was contagious and very seductive and Alex was tempted to jump straight to the dance floor above, which would've been disastrous.
He stared, transfixed. He looked at Michael, then back at the crowd.
'When he said surprise, I didn't expect this… I'm very surprised indeed.'
Michael leaned close and shouted near his ear, "What do you think? Pretty impressive, huh?"
Alex nodded, still stunned.
"Come on!" Michael yelled with a grin. "We're VVIPs tonight. There's a room reserved just for us."
He waved for them to follow, leading them around the massive lower floor into a hallway lit with gold and violet lights.