ᵗʰᵉ ᵐᵃˢᵏ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ˢᵉᵖᵉʳᵃᵗᵉᵈ ᵘˢ | ᶜʰⁱˢʰⁱʸᵃ ᶠᵃⁿᶠⁱᶜᵗⁱᵒⁿ

Chapter 3 - Visa countdown: Will Elentya find her Brother?

Everyone gets in and Lyria slams the door.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Lyria?!"

I'm confused. Everything was fine. Now she's suddenly leaving the meeting, because of... well, I wish I know. It's starting. My first argument with my boss. And all the other exclusive members are listening...

"What's wrong with me?! Don't you realize that you embarrassed me? Why are you interfering in a conversation between me and the Hatter, huh??"

I raise an eyebrow to show her that I don't understand anything . Is she fucking serious? She was the one who...

"Are you stupid?! You pulled me to the front row and- wait- are you mad because the Hatter called me more assertive than you? Are you fucking serious?"

"It is enough."

Lyria's tone was suddenly cold, she looks ahead at the road as she then turns on the engine.

"I'll think carefully about your role as an exclusive member."

Her words leave a strange emptiness in me. I look around briefly and all the other exclusive members look at me with pity.

I swallow the big lump in my throat and look out the window to avoid eye contact. For the entire journey, no one said anything.

When we finally arrived, I took off my uniform. I put it aside and stare at the 16 for a few moments.
Then my gaze shifts to my reflection in the mirror.
My hair looks messy and the circles under my eyes are in a dark purple, like I haven't slept in days.

I swallow hard and put on a pair of dark gray sweatpants with a black oversized t-shirt. I take a deep breath and run my hands through my disheveled hair.

I throw myself onto the large bed with the black sheets and bury my head in the fluffy pillows. I breathe deeply in and out the smell of freshly washed laundry until I get disturbed by a knock on my door. Without saying anything, I hear the door open and footsteps walking towards my bed.

I slowly look up to see Elentya with her typical warm smile which makes me smile too. She's number 17. I've met her a few months ago, she was immediately friendly to me and we immediately got along well.

Elentya also lost a lot of people who were important to her. Nevertheless, she still has hope of finding her older brother here, her only family. Sometimes she really admires me. Elentya and I are like partners in crime.

She sits down next to me and her blonde, almost white hair with dark roots flies gently over her shoulder as she starts to laugh.

„You look cruel."

"How much I love your positivity."

I respond to her compliment with an ironic tone.

"How was that conversation with the Hatter?"

After this question I bury my head back into the pillow with an annoyed groan.

"Lyria causes unnecessary stress."

"Okay, okay, different topic. Why I'm actually here..."

I slowly look up and Elentya is looking at me expectantly. I sigh and sit up slowly.

Elentya notices that I'm paying attention now and continues.

"So, you know that I'm still looking for my brother..."

"If he's not already dead."

She sighs in annoyance and stabs me in my ribs with her elbow.

"Now listen. Borderland is divided into four groups of games: Spades, so you play with physical effort, Clubs games, so you play team games, Heart games, so you play with other people's hearts, and diamond. The game with intelligence. I guess he's more of a diamond player."

I nod and close my tired eyes for a few seconds.

"Okay, and what exactly do you want from me now?"

"The two of us will play tomorrow. I hope that I get to a diamond game and that I see my brother there. If I'm lucky... And you have to play because your visa expires tomorrow."

My eyes widen. This can't be true.

"Are you fucking serious? My visa has almost expired again!?"

Elentya nods slightly.

„I already know where my game is. You play at the old apartments."

I tilt my head slightly because I don't know what she's talking about.

"Apartments?"

She sighs as if she's not surprised that I don't know what I'm talking about.

"A big building with lots of apartments. All the doors are blue and I think... about 7 floors? I don't really know."

As I think about her words. I realize what place she means.

"All right, thanks. I'll play tomorrow."

___________

Sorry for the short chapter 😿