The faucet in the new apartment still leaked, the heater made a sound like a trumpet, and the ceiling fan spun as if it were two seconds away from flying off with its wings. Well, it belonged to the cheapest rental agency in town, but Tasha Bloom didn't have the luxury of being picky and the last thing she wanted was to go back to her nagging parents.
She dropped the box marked "Kitchen Junk" onto the cracked floor and let out a long, exhausted sigh. Her knees ached, her back was screaming, and her last meal had been an energy bar she found at the bottom of her backpack.
Tasha ran a hand over her curls- thick black and shiny, currently tied in a loose puff. Her skin gleamed with sweat. Underneath the exhaustion, though, she was striking. Big brown eyes, a sharp nose and full lips that hadn't smiled much lately.
A knock at the door made her jump. She wiped her hands on her jeans and opened it.
"Hi!" A short woman with a warm grin, and a giant fruit dish balanced in her arms. "You must be the new girl. I'm Nina from your neighborhood. I come with fruits and gossip."
"Hi. Um...fruits and gossip?"
Nina pushed past her, smiling with confidence. "Of course, girl! And you look like you're hungry. Sit. I'll grab the plates."
Too tired to argue, Tasha slumped into a secondhand chair and watched as Nina moved around her kitchen like she owned it. She had bright eyes, and brown hair in a pineapple bun.
"I'm serious," Nina said as they sat down to eat. "This city may smell like earth and rain, but there's work everywhere. Depends on what you're looking for."
She hesitated, then sighed. "Thank you, I'll really need this,"
"Girl, you need The Agent."
"Sounds mysterious."
"Mysterious?" Nina laughed. "Totally. But also magical. She finds people work really fast. Just show up, tell her your situation, and you're in!"
Tasha narrowed her eyes. "So, I just show up and say I'm broke and desperate?"
Nina nodded with a grin. "Exactly. Broke and desperate should be your motto. Come with me tomorrow. You might just land something that might change your life."
The office was a dusty storefront situated between a pawn shop and a tattoo parlor, its faded, peeling sign visible from the street. It smelled faintly like something herbal.
"This place gives a strange vibe," Tasha whispered, looking around carefully.
"Shh. She hears everything."
The bell above the door jingled as they stepped in, and from behind a cluttered wooden desk rose the woman. She wasn't tall, but she had presence. Her long gray braid hung like a whip down her back, her eyes were sharp slits behind thick glasses, and her lips were permanently fixed in a scowl.
"Yes?"
Nina gave her a nudge. "Go on."
"Hi, I'm Tasha, I'm broke and desperate for work."
"How desperate?" The woman said, raising a brow.
"Willing-to-sleep-without-eating-tonight kind of desperate?"
The woman stared at her. Then unexpectedly, she snorted. "You're not funny." She shuffled through a file cabinet and pulled out a single folder.
"There's a family looking for a live-in assistant. Fancy people. Rich and private. I'll give you the address of the Penthouse."
"Penthouse?"
You'll arrange affairs," the woman continued, ignoring her. "You'll follow instructions and keep out of their way. No questions, no peeking around and you don't get personal. If they say you jump, you jump. If they say disappear, you vanish."
She swallowed. "That's intense."
The woman leaned forward, voice low. "It is. But the pay is double."
She didn't ask for more details. She didn't think twice. The woman handed her a business card made of thick black paper.
"The family doesn't do interviews," the woman said, eyes narrowing. "You show up there tomorrow and wait for instructions."
Tasha adjusted the collar of her white blouse, smoothing her palms over neat gray slacks Nina had picked out. Her hair was tucked out into a loose bun. She carried only her bag that contained chips and cookies for survival.
The cab pulled up the main highway into an area that didn't looked like it belonged to the city at all. The buildings disappeared. Streetlights thinned out, swallowed by trees. The entrance was massive, transparent gate. Behind it, a long stone-paved road curved inward, stretching deep into an area that looked more like a private forest than a neighborhood.
Without a single sound, the gate opened. The cab rolled in, tires crunching an old gravel, swallowed by towering trees. The sunlight dimmed beneath the dense canopy, and the air turned cool, quiet and strangely wild. The deeper they drove, the more the forest wrapped around her like a cocoon. No city noise, no buildings. Just the rustle of leaves and the distant cry of a bird she couldn't name.
She felt goosebumps rise across her arms. Just when she thought they looped to another dimension, the trees parted.
The Tower.
It rose like a dark crown above the treetops- tall, brooding, and impossibly sleek. It glass reflected no light, absorbing the color of the sky. Vines curled near it base, blending strangely well with the structure's modern edges.
It didn't look like home. It looked like a warning.
A tall woman stood at the threshold, graceful and composed. She wore a dark high-neck dress, her silver hair twisted into a braid that fell over one shoulder. Her face was pale, striking and expressionless.
"We've been expecting you, Miss Bloom."
"Hello,"
"This way, please."
Inside the tower was nothing like she'd imagined. The interior was warm, glowing with gold and amber tones. Vaulted ceilings, stone arches, marble floors polished like mirrors, and large chandeliers. When the doors slide open again, they stepped into a quiet hallway.
"This will be your room," the woman said, opening a carved wooden door. Tasha stepped in and gasped softly.
The room was massive. Elegant and well designed in its details. The bed looked like it belonged to royalty, with green velvet bedding and gold trim. The furniture was dark wood, rich with carvings of wolves and moons. A large arched window stretched along one wall with thick drapes pulled back. She walked toward it with awe and placed her hands on the glass.
"I love it." she whispered, already imagining sitting at the window with a book. She turned to the woman.
"I'll need to go back this weekend to grab the rest of my things."
"There's no need," the woman said with calm finality. "Everything you need is here."
Tasha frowned. "But-"
"Your clothes are in the wardrobe, trimmed to your size. Your schedule begins tomorrow. Your payment will be issued every Saturday, promptly."
Tasha blinked, more confused than reassured. "Okay?"
"Obedience is valued here. You've been given privacy, space and generous compensation. Stay in your lane and you'll find comfort."