Caput Sextum

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The trio arrives at the monolithic stone manor, its black edges jutting into the gray morning sky. They pull into the long drive and proceed down into the parking garage dimly lit by xenon lights. Her jaw slackens at the sheer opulence of it all. Naira wonders how long it will take before this all seems routine. They all enter the elevator, and Chae steps off at the lower level. Naira follows Kiran as she guides her to her sleeping quarters.

"You'll be sleeping here. I'll give you a walkie-talkie so we can contact each other whenever. Don't be too shy to use it," Kiran says as she opens the bedroom door for Naira. The bedroom makes her room back in the apartment look like a closet. The dark limoge wood floors are so well polished that Naira can see her silhouette and vague reflection. Every piece of furniture looks to be worth thousands and French colonial-themed. The warm tones contrast sharply with the colder tones of the rest of the mansion.

"And this," Naira scratches her forehead, "this is all mine?" she asks with widened eyes.

"For the time being, yeah. Just try not to make a mess. It was made for our warm-blooded guests, so it won't be as cold as the rest of the house. I'll let you unpack. Call me on the walkie once you're done. Asha's expecting you in twenty, don't be late." She replies and steps out, shutting the door behind her.

Naira took a deep breath and dropped her things as she took flight to land on the doughy bed. Once on the velvety black duvet, she ran her hands along its intricately detailed patterns. She turns onto her back and rests her head on her clasped hands. She smiles softly while looking up at the jagged carvings on the ceiling. "Hell yeah! This is the life!" She exhales. "I can get used to this," she whispers to herself. She quickly puts her things away and calls Kiran on the walkie-talkie to let her know she's ready. As she opened the door, she saw a quick blur, and before she knew it, Kiran was standing in front of her.

"Let's get moving, slowpoke," Kiran demands dryly before leading Naira toward Asha's office.

Kirans' knock echoes throughout the cold black metal door. To Naira's surprise, it slowly swung open with no force being applied. Stepping into the room, they saw Asha putting her finger to her mouth, gesturing at the pair to be quiet. Behind her were two glass doors that led to the balcony. Asha continued her conversation with whoever was on the other line. "Whatever she's selling, the customer is definitely buying," Naira thinks. The floor of her office is layered with glistening black tiles. The walls are a similar shade of black and decorated with diamonds that have been placed in swirling patterns. Her office being much colder than her bedroom causes a chill to run down her back as goosebumps decorate her skin.

"It was just procured some time ago. I can assure you the quality is something out of this world. I really paid attention to detail this time," Asha smiled at Naira before continuing, receiving a nod from her new employee. "If everything is approved, you can expect it to arrive a month after your first payment," she nods a few times. "Alright, sounds fantastic. I'll let you get back to it. Enjoy the rest of your day," Asha closes before hanging up the phone.

Asha blinks briefly at Kiran, who pats Naira on her shoulder before leaving and shutting the door behind her. "Your first day of training starts here. I'll show you to your office, and I'll teach you how to properly service guests," Asha says. Naira nods, agreeing and receiving a warm smile in return. Asha begins walking out of the door with Naira following closely behind her. As they reach the small lobby they'd walked through to reach Asha's office, Naira studies it. She sees that in this waiting is a silver desk that sits toward the left wall of the lobby. Across from the desk is a rather uncomfortable-looking couch. The desk also stands out more for aesthetics than for its practicality.

"Guests will come in through that door, and you are to direct them into my office or tell them to wait on this sofa. You'll be in communication with Kiran, who will be giving you the heads up on who to expect. The twins will give you a shout when my food is prepared, and Wayra will be telling you when the weekly book cart is ready to be brought up and down," Asha rattles off, making it hard for Naira to keep up, so she just nods along with a polite smile. "You can sit at your desk now and try to relax. Oh, and another thing. If the light above my door is red, you are not to enter under any circumstance. Are we clear?" Asha clarifies as she stands in her doorway.

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