Upon reaching the edge of Willowbrook, Nathan, and Leon they nodded to Mako before disappearing back into the woods with haste while the remaining four started making their way into the village.
Mako, Iris, Erin, and Bill all entered a village from a quiet corner making sure nobody saw them coming out from the forest and started wandering around acting as if they were lost.
This was all part of the plan as they were all imitating young rich kids coming here for a nice weekend break.
Mako was wearing a pair of light khaki shorts that reached just above his knees, allowing easy movement. His simple white T-shirt had a playful graphic of waves on the ocean. A pair of worn-in flip-flops completed his look, looking at ease and carefree.
Erin chose a breezy sundress with vertical stripes in various shades of blue. The dress featured thin shoulder straps and a cinched waist, enhancing her feminine silhouette. She paired the dress with white canvas slip-on shoes and her sandy blonde hair was beautifully curled and bouncy, She wore delicate gold hoop earrings that caught the sunlight, and her sunglasses added a touch of sophistication to her attire..
Bill sported a light-blue short-sleeved button-up shirt that he had left unbuttoned from the top. He had rolled up the sleeves, revealing his muscular forearms. He paired the shirt with simple long trousers and opted to just wear some regular black running sneakers instead of flip-flops.
Iris embraced a laid-back and trendy summer look. She wore a pair of high-waisted denim shorts with a slightly frayed hem with a thin brown braided belt cinched her waist. Her crop top was a soft and breathable white T-shirt with a scoop neckline. The shirt had a faded graphic of a beach sunset, giving off a retro vibe.
Iris's hair was styled in loose waves that cascaded down her shoulders with a pair of oversized round sunglasses perched atop her head, completing her look.
The group of four travelled deeper into the village which was quite barren and quiet to be a tourist hotspot. They kept up the impression of just some teens exploring the surroundings while being lost.
As the group of four continued to explore the quiet and seemingly barren village, they eventually entered a street that resembled a bazaar, with various stalls and markets lining the sides.
The stalls displayed a variety of goods, though most appeared to be in short supply. The atmosphere was somber, with the normally bustling market now echoing with an eerie stillness.
The group felt quite bad after seeing the disturbing state the village was in. All the holoscreens meant to display ads and points of interest were switched off. There were barely any hovercars or any other vehicle moving about and the whole atmosphere was quite dim.
****************
Technology had advanced so much that almost everything could be automated and executed perfectly and efficiently and many centuries ago this was exactly what the world had become.
Long before the Yalhvi arrived and introduced the world of abilities and power to humans, the whole world had become automated with life going on easy mode... for wealthy individuals.
Scientists had predicted from as far back as the 21st century that if the world continued to operate on a capitalistic model where the greed of the people ran everything, business owners and organizations would opt for the low-cost and highly efficient option which was robots and automated machines doing the jobs that workers or employees would do.
This was countered a bit by the world governments who charged more outstanding taxes to these organizations and companies who opted for atomization and gave a universal income to the growing number of unemployed people.
However, with thousands of different loopholes present that companies and organizations use to avoid paying any tax and the corruption of the governments themself, the common man was left completely helpless.
There were still career paths available that people could pursue such as research & development, entrepreneurship, and the art & entertainment industry amongst others, but even in them most functions such movie making, music producing, and many more were all created by Artificial Intelligence and robots or the space was so competitive with millions of applicants that it was hard to stand out or even get hired.
A society couldn't function like this at all and this led to many conflicts, fights, and riots with people sabotaging factories and workspaces, demanding a better way of life.
After many messy years, the situation was getting completely out of hand as the number of unemployed people continued to grow and grow all over the world.
Finally, a bill was passed by all of the governments of the world called the "AI and Automation Workforce Protection Act"
This bill worked as an absolute law such that it was extremely exact and void of any loopholes and a brief oversimplified version of the law was that any automation that was made just for the ease of life or cost efficiency and didn't provide any actual betterment to the work was banned.
There were many policies and other items added onto the bill so that it didn't affect advancement and development of any kind and still favored business owners in some way but still a lot less than before.
However, this made it so only those automated machines that did precise and extremely difficult work that couldn't be produced by humans were still in effect while all others were made illegal.
It was thanks to this law that people even after the civil wars were still able to earn a living and survive while they recovered from their own inflicted battle scars.
*****************
As they strolled along, feigning the appearance of lost tourists, the villagers began to take notice of them. Whispers and curious glances followed their every step, creating an uncomfortable tension in the air.
Just as the awkwardness reached its peak, a pair of small kids came running down the street, chasing after a ball that had rolled away from them. The ball continued rolling toward the group.
Iris managed to catch the ball before it hit her and held it out to the kids with a warm smile. "Hey there! Looks like you lost this," she said kindly.
The kids, wide-eyed and curious, looked at the group before taking the ball with shy smiles. Their presence seemed to break the tension slightly.
"Thank you!" one of the kids said, his voice hesitant.
Iris was touched by the kid's soft and gentle voice and gently patted him on his head. She asked the kid about some directions to a place they could stay and he quickly began pointing to one of the main streets, saying that there was a hotel there.
"Thank you so much!" Iris replied with genuine gratitude. "Umm...Could you show us the way? We seem to have gotten a bit turned around."
The kids exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. "Sure! Follow us!"
Guided by the young and energetic kids, the group walked down the street and eventually arrived at a quiet, dull building that appeared to be the village's hotel. The exterior was quite beautiful but it looked like it hadn't been taken care of for a while as all the windows were covered in a thin layer of dust, adding to the dull vibe.
Stepping inside, they were greeted by a middle-aged man with a weary expression, who seemed surprised by their presence. He was the manager of the hotel.
His black and white hair was neatly combed, though it bore traces of stress and perhaps a few sleepless nights. He wore a slightly wrinkled, muted gray suit that had seen better days, and a simple dark tie with a plain white shirt that was tucked neatly into the jacket.
"Hello there," the manager greeted, his voice tinged with both surprise and caution. "I don't often see newcomers around here. How can I help you?"
Bill, taking the lead, offered a friendly smile. "Hi, we're a group of friends on a little road trip and thought we'd check out your village. We were wondering if you have any available rooms for the night?"
The manager's expression grew more somber, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and hesitation. "I must be honest with you. This isn't the best time to be staying here. Strange occurrences have been happening in the village, especially after dark."
Erin raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "Strange occurrences? Like what?"
The manager's gaze shifted to the side, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Unexplained noises, odd shadows moving about, and sometimes... even sightings of figures that can't quite be explained. It's as if the village has been enveloped by a shroud of unease."
Mako leaned in, his voice lowering as he asked, "You mean to say this place might be haunted?"
The manager hesitated, his gaze meeting theirs with a mixture of uncertainty. "I can't say for certain, but people from this village have been going missing, and the local police still haven't found any clues as to where they could have gone. People have stopped coming here after hearing these stories."
Iris spoke up, her tone firm yet empathetic. "We appreciate your concern, but we've come this far, and we'd like to stay if possible. We promise to be respectful and not cause any trouble."
The group exchanged glances, their determination evident. The manager sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Very well, if you're sure. I can't stop you from staying, but I recommend keeping your wits about you. If you encounter anything strange, do not hesitate to seek help."
Mako nodded appreciatively. "Thank you for the warning. We'll be cautious. Can we get a room for the night?"
With a resigned smile, the manager handed over a key to one of the rooms. "Room 205, Deluxe Suite. I hope your stay is uneventful, in a good way."
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