The sky above the forest road reeled from morning to evening then back to morning, while the BMW flickered through tunnels like a heartbeat.
The moment it exited a tunnel that had triangular symbols at its side, countless bats appeared flying safely in the morning sunlight.
Kai's heart froze for a second when he saw the creatures that usually have sight only in the night. They flew as if they had evolved and could now traverse through both day and night.
'Wow,' he said in his head as he leaned against the tinted glass and watched, while the giant trees slowly dissipated from the sides of the road.
Cassy jolted awake when the sound of howling wind hit the BMW and splashed on her face. It entered the vehicle through the fractured window.
'What place is this?' she asked in her head then shifted her gaze to Jinx who sat there staring at Black's face.
Black smiled when a large wall that stretched from the ground and vanished into the skies sprawled at their front.
"Welcome to Lurk City," Black said while the vehicle neared the wall.
"How can we get past that?" Jinx asked when she saw the wall approaching them fast.
"Watch me," Black said and smiled. In a flash, the ground at the front of the wall cracked in two, revealing an underground passageway that seemed to be designed only for the size of the BMW.
As soon as the BMW sprawled upward, colorful trees stretched across the new city they had entered.
Birds of different nature and species flapped their wings as they flew high above the trees, humming through the slow rushing wind with their cries.
"I've never seen a city so beautiful as this," Cassy said as she lowered her window and peered her head out.
Violet leaves slammed on her face as the vehicle continuously moved forward.
After five miles, the BMW stopped at the front of a well-established mansion that had only the shades of the trees and the light of the sun guiding it.
When everyone exited including the chubby lady, Jinx turned to Black and frowned. "Is this the highly secured place you mentioned earlier?"
Black's shoulders lifted as he laughed and walked backwards toward the mansion's entrance, which was a natural entrance made by trees that had bent sideways, crossing each other. "Well, as far as I know, this is far calmer and safer than the world outside that wall."
Jinx turned and squinted at the direction Black had pointed, wowed at the height of the wall even from miles away.
As soon as they all passed through the natural tree gate, Jinx's eyes lowered when she saw countless soldiers keeping watch over countless white-painted buildings.
"Do you now see the guards?" Black asked in a teasing voice as he turned to Jinx then back at the soldiers.
"I see," Jinx snapped her head upward, then rushed toward the chubby lady when she noticed a change in her walking. "Let me help you."
She tucked her left shoulder under the lady's arm and helped her forward as they followed Black.
Two of the soldiers keeping guard at the main entrance of the building that had an L written boldly at its top dashed forward and tucked their shoulders under the chubby lady, releasing Jinx.
Kai stood at the front of the sliding gate. He stared at the bright sky, the arrangement of the trees, and how the buildings were arranged like a triangle before heading inside.
The sweet floral scent of the live wall paint caught Kai's eyes and lost him in his own thoughts after the door closed behind him.
'Wow. Why does Black live a simple life if he's this rich?' he asked himself as he moved from the hallway to the section of the building where they had placed the chubby lady.
After giving the lady several injections and sending her into a deep sleep, Doctor Saki, the female doctor they met there, turned to Black. "What's her name?"
Black shifted his gaze slightly to Jinx, who also shifted hers to Cassy and Kai.
Cassy raised her shoulders then pointed to Kai. "Kai, what's her name?"
Kai giggled as he stroked his fingers through his hair while staring at their shocked faces. "I don't know."
Black smiled then shifted his gaze to his personal doctor. "All that is needed is that she gets better."
He moved a step forward and placed a hand on Saki's shoulder. "Treat her as if she were me."
Saki's cheeks reddened. The longer Black's palm rested on her shoulder, the longer her eyes glowed with joy.
'It's been months since I felt the touch of your hands on me, Black,' she said in her head while secretly squeezing her thighs together. But no one saw it since she wore a long white robe.
β¦
"Kai," Black called out after he had taken them for an excursion in the building then stopped at one door. "This will be yours for the meantime."
Without hesitation, Kai moved forward and pushed the door open. When he entered, his dual eyes glowed when he saw how smoothly it had been arranged and preserved.
When he exited, Black, Jinx, and Cassy were nowhere to be found. "Where did they go?"
He asked but went back into the room and threw himself on the bed.
As soon as he closed his eyes for a quick sleep, the door swung open.
Cassy entered the room and began scanning the paintings, the books, and the position of the bed.
She stopped at the side of the bed and smiled. "This is a bed for two people, not one."
Kai cracked one eye open then looked at Cassy with an analytical stare.
"Never mind, I just wanted to see how big your room is," she said, then placed the tip of her right index finger on her teeth and bit it slightly.
Kai yawned then pushed himself upright. "Now that you know mine, take me to yours; I want to see how big yours is also."
'Will he accept if I tell him I have feelings for him?' Cassy said in her head as the two of them exited from Kai's room and walked side by side.
Soft air and the fragrance of the building flowed between them while both of them had words flowing in their minds which they were unsure whether it was good to say or not.
