As night began to swallow the city of Meylir, Karla led us towards her house to spend the night. The road we had taken was a commercial street, so it wasn't surprising it was still noisy even at that hour. However, the next alleyway we took this time seemed much quieter. It was very calm. The houses were indeed neatly lined up, but we could see some windows glowing, indicating people were still awake.
After a few minutes of walking, we finally arrived. Carla's house was very modest. But factually elegant, when you thought about it a little more.
The house was small, nestled in the hollow of an alley. Its gray stone façade bore the marks of time, with flaking plaster in places. The door, a blue faded by the seasons, seemed low and welcoming. A small front garden, half-wild, let a few stray weeds and an old rosebush grow along a rusty trellis. A soft light bathed the whole scene, as if to soften its humble appearance.
"Come in, what are you waiting for?!"
We were a bit surprised by the entrance, so we stood there as if stunned. When she gestured for us to enter with her hand and a gentle smile, I delicately helped Raysley forward to the door.
Inside, the air smelled of dry wood, wax, and a hint of dried herbs. The main room was dominated by a dark stone fireplace, its mantle laden with modest mementos. Near the hearth, a chair with worn fabric hugged the shape of a familiar body. The light, filtered by thin curtains, played on a gleaming terracotta floor. Nothing was new, but everything was peaceful and orderly, as if polished by the simple repetition of days. It was a refuge where time seemed to flow more slowly.
"Wow! Karla, your house is beautiful!" I didn't have the right words to express the house's ambiance; I could only marvel at it.
"Thank you! I do my best to keep it clean. Even though I'm all alone."
We sat down comfortably on the sofa, letting out all the fatigue and worries that clung to our minds and bodies. With a long sigh, everything already seemed better.
Karla, over in the kitchen area, seemed to be preparing something. Before I even had time to say anything, she asked us:
"Would you like some tea?"
"No, thank you," I had to decline her offer, firstly because of the fatigue, and secondly because it reminded me of bad memories not so distant; I wanted to avoid any concerns.
But that wasn't the case for Raysley; she, on the other hand, seemed to really appreciate tea.
"I'd love a cup, please," she said with great tenderness.
Karla simply smiled and took another cup from her cupboard.
After a few minutes, she had two steaming cups of tea emitting a calming aroma of flowers and aromatic herbs. I began to regret not asking for one.
With that, she handed one to Raysley and another to... me?
"Why? I refused though!"
She just had a satisfied smile.
"I know no one can resist my tea!"
I could only resign myself to accept.
"Thank you."
Raysley turned to me and silently raised her cup as if to say "enjoy," and I did the same mechanically before drinking the infusion.
The taste was extremely gentle and drank itself, despite the heat of the infusion. Plus, it was perfectly balanced, neither too sweet nor too strong; I didn't know much about tea, but I could say without pretension that it was excellent.
And Raysley seemed to agree with me. She simply had an equally sweet smile and sipped the tea in silence.
"Hmm, I see you really like it. Take your time. I'll go take care of things; I must admit the armor is quite annoying to wear for relaxing."
On those words, she went upstairs to take a bath and change.
In the meantime, only Raysley and I remained. Senerith was already asleep; it was predictable for her since she was already dozing off on the way back.
So technically, only Raysley and I were left in the room. The atmosphere was calm but awkward. The fact that no one wanted to say a word put me in a more than unexpected situation. After all, we had only known each other for barely a day.
I could also see the situation didn't please her much, so I decided to end the heavy silence.
"Hey, Raysley! Do you like music?"
"Music?"
"Yes! Is there no music in your world?"
The question surprised her a bit but seemed to interest her greatly.
"Yes, there is music in my world, lots of musical variety. It's even what I listened to the most at home." She set the teacup down gently and arranged the slightly disheveled strands of hair on her face.
"Ah, yes! I'd love to know the level of your musicians."
She let out a soft laugh, putting her hand to her mouth.
"You want to underestimate our artists?!"
"I didn't say that, but... Wait, I'll show you something."
I searched the pocket where my phone was to let her listen to my playlist. It's important to know I don't have very rich musical tastes... I listen to almost everything: rap, pop, even classical music. As long as it sounds good to my ears, I record it, so there would surely be something Raysley would like in all of this.
"You're taking out your phone? Aren't you worried about the battery?"
"I only worry about it when Hiyro is around. He's capable of draining it by wanting to try anything."
But it wasn't too serious; my phone still had battery, so I wouldn't worry too much if I used it properly.
I went into my playlist and started playing "Babydol." The melody and lyrics gently infiltrated the air and her mind. I didn't turn the volume up too high because someone was sleeping, but it was enough for her to appreciate.
"It's not bad," she said, laughing awkwardly.
"I still can't believe this little thing has so many features. You should be careful with it!"
"Yes, you're probably right! Do you want to listen to others? There are all kinds."
"Why not," she told me with a great, angelic smile.
I went through all styles of music: pop, rock, country, R&B. We reviewed sounds like "Period" or even "Back in Blue." One thing I was sure of at least: Raysley doesn't like brutal music like rap at all but prefers calmer things.
After several dozen minutes of listening to all sorts of music, Karla finally joined us.
"I see you're having fun here!"
She was wearing very loose clothing that revealed little of her figure. A red top whose sleeves extended slightly past her shoulders and long, baggy gray pants that touched the floor. You could barely see she was wearing sandals underneath. She came down the polished wooden stairs slowly, her brown hair messy and damp, drying the back of her neck and hair with a white towel.
"Is that music you're listening to?"
she asked, throwing herself completely onto the nearest sofa.
Raysley answered her question with great enthusiasm.
"Yes, but you could say the music from Nico's world is quite particular. Or maybe he's the one who's too particular... I couldn't say."
"I'd say more like weird, don't you think?!" Female laughter echoed throughout the room. Well, I must admit I didn't mind it too much.
As long as I was surrounded by beautiful girls, I'd be happy. It's better than being surrounded by loud guys ready to make fun of you at any second.
Plus, the scenery didn't displease me at all. Honestly, if there was a way to have a girlfriend in this world, I wouldn't say no. But for now, the best thing would be for me to sleep surrounded by beauties!!! I was already imagining the scene.
In my long and deep reflection and imagination, Karla was trying to get my attention, but I was too lost in thought.
"Hey! Are you asleep already or what?!"
"Huh, pardon?!"
"She asked you if you could carry Senerith upstairs," Raysley replied, wanting to inform me of what Karla had said, which I hadn't heard.
"Ha! Yes, of course. I'm also very tired. Let's go to bed..."
"And where do you plan to sleep?!" Karla retorted coldly with an accusatory look.
"Well, in the bedrooms..."
She made a slight mocking sound and pointed at the sofa with a sly smile. I already knew what was coming.
"You sleep in the living room! There are already blankets for you."
Faced with her piercing gaze, I could only resign myself.
So I headed towards the sleeping beauty who was resting peacefully on the other side of the room near the extinguished fireplace.
Senerith weighed much more than I had imagined. Despite her slender and refined figure, she weighed much more than her appearance suggested. With great difficulty, I still managed to carry her and take her upstairs. She was breathing heavily in my neck, and it tickled me so much I couldn't help but let out laughs while climbing.
Behind me was Karla, holding Raysley's hand to guide her safely.
"I sense someone is feeling a bit too proud," Karla kept teasing me; at one point it became exasperating.
Once upstairs, there were three wooden doors slightly darker than the wall, which contrasted enormously with the ambiance of the upstairs floor.
"It's the one at the back."
She indicated the third door starting from the left, the one all the way at the end. Once there, she opened the door, revealing the room's decor.
A sober bedroom, where every object seemed chosen not out of necessity, but by a form of elegant restraint. The evening light filtered through the slats of a wooden blind, striping the light parquet floor. A wide, low bed, a crumpled linen duvet, a single almost empty shelf: a few beloved books, a stone picked up on a beach. Money was guessed in the well-insulated silence, in the perfect cut of the jacket hanging on the wall rod, in the solid ashwood desk where only a computer as thin as a leaf sat enthroned. Here, the supreme luxury was space, calm, and the certainty that the world could wait behind the door.
"You can put her there!"
She pointed towards the bed with disdain. I promptly approached the bed to lay Senerith down. When my hand came into contact with the bed sheets, an ancient coolness coursed through me relentlessly, making me regret this unattainable comfort.
I parted from the bed bitterly, regretting not being a girl at that moment to enjoy this comfort.
I left with a defeated expression on my face. The face of a man who thought he had everything but ultimately had nothing.
As I walked away, Karla helped Raysley get properly settled into the bed and got them comfortably arranged. I could only close the door, lowering my eyes.
Once downstairs, I looked at the sofa assigned to me with mistrust and disdain. I simply turned off the lights and lay down on it without complaining too much.
It wasn't very comfortable, but it was better than the floor. And the warm blankets made the experience less unbearable.
Just as I was finally starting to close my eyes, I heard footsteps coming from upstairs.