Wonders of the World

Chapter 4: Fourth Wonder - Memory IV

Kaveh woke up early the next morning, the house still dark as the sun was just creeping up above the skyline. He only felt slightly groggy as he stretched his arms above his head, feeling that satisfying pop in his spine.

The blankets pooled around his waist. Running a hand through his unruly hair, Kaveh yawned and felt better than he had in days. It seemed that finally sitting down and discussing the whole situation with everyone lifted a rather heavy weight off his shoulders.

Of course, there was still some apprehension stirring in his gut. There were so many unknowns and possibilities to consider; choices to foster and deductions to make. Just thinking about it all made Kaveh's head spin.

But as it stood, he needed to focus on starting his day. That was the first hurdle.

Kaveh slipped out of bed and shuffled to the washroom, rubbing his eyes as he went. He freshened up and combed through his hair, making sure to style it the way he liked.

After a moment of consideration, he decided to line his eyes with some kohl he'd bought from the Grand Bazaar. It was a new bottle—and an expensive one, at that. Kaveh had been saving it for a special occasion, like a gallery opening or some kind of dinner party.

He didn't wear makeup often. It wasn't because he thought he'd be ridiculed for it—many men wore casual makeup in Sumeru. Kaveh simply preferred to go bare-faced most of the time for practicality's sake.

His mornings were usually rushed due to his staying up late the previous night and accidentally sleeping in for much longer than was considered healthy, so all Kaveh would have time for was a quick five minutes to do his hair and three to stuff his mouth with whatever Alhaitham had made for breakfast.

But Kaveh had put all of his projects on pause and had sent out letters of apology to all of his clients so he could take some time to handle "personal matters," regardless of how much he detested the term. He'd never taken off from work a day in his life, much less so for personal reasons.

As he waited for the coffee to brew—the expensive kind that Alhaitham told him not to touch—Kaveh leaned against the counter, guilt eating away at his heart. He'd settled on specific deadlines for all of his clients, promising he would be able to meet them to the best of his abilities. And he was rather good at meeting deadlines, no matter how much he procrastinated or how burnt-out he felt.

Because if he couldn't live up to the title of Master Architect, then what was all the struggling at the Akademiya for? Six years he'd spent cultivating his love and knowledge for architecture, killing himself a hundred times over for a sliver of success. For a taste of it.

All of that damage couldn't have been for nothing.

Kaveh jolted when the kettle whistled. He scrambled to fetch it off the stove and made himself a cup of coffee. He had quite the sweet tooth (much to Alhaitham's dismay), so he mixed in a generous amount of cream and sugar, stirring until the black coffee turned beige.

He ambled over to the window, watching the sun rise above the mountains as he sipped at his coffee. Peaceful moments were a true rarity throughout Kaveh's life. He couldn't remember the last time he'd watched the sunrise, in awe of its golden glow and seemingly unchanging nature.

Rays of light poured through the stained glass windows, basking him in warmth. The sun was so very warm and bright, yet Kaveh felt a slight chill at his side. He was not used to spending his mornings alone.

Even so, sips of coffee and sunlight warmed him enough. He watched as Sumeru City slowly awakened from its well-earned slumber, vendors setting up their shops and putting out their wares for the day. Kaveh eyed a stall selling freshly made baklava and made a mental note to stop by before heading to Zubayr Theater.