NOTUM: Study Of A Nightwalker ✔️

Growl

▪ Symptom one:

Insomnia and nocturnal biological clock. Affected are unable to sleep at night and cannot stay awake during day. Biological clock shifts within 12 hours of being affected.

•°*°•

Hotel Niravellin was nothing short of luxurious. The golden vines that wrapped around the black marble pillars traveled upwards and led into a huge dome in the center of the entrance hall. A single chandelier hung inside, and the reception area was well illuminated by thousands of glass lanterns.

It looked more like a fairy-tale castle than a hotel.

Firenze felt dangerously underdressed standing in front of its glass double doors, phone safely returned to his pocket. The creature was shaking, and ducking every time someone passed them by, making him fight for balance. His calf healed well enough, but he felt tired. He closed his eyes and stifled a yawn, his eyes watered.

He had crouched behind the huge staircase leading up to the hotel as he watched his boss Levi Nathan step out of her car, clad in a white fur coat. A man in a white suit, her PA most probably, followed her with a suitcase in his hand. As Miss Nathan was about to enter the hotel, her phone rang out loud.

Firenze couldn't make out what was said, but it got her agitated enough to give the PA a few instructions and rush to the car. The limousine had sprang to life and sped off down the street, endangering the lives of several pedestrians.

All he had to do was talk to the PA and ask him to take him home.

But I can't, with this thing refusing to let go of me. God alone knows what it'll do if released in here.

The beast licked his ear and moaned, egging him to go on. The phone he had was running on an almost empty battery. And his eyes were two balls of hot metal.

Sucking up his breath, the young man walked up to the guard, who was rubbing his badge clean.

"Oy, there. What d'ya want?"

"A room to sleep in, a warm shower and a cup of coffee would be nice."

"Then why don't you go home?"

Firenze faked confidence and smiled,

"I would love to, unfortunately my flight to New York was cancelled. Heavy rain apparently. My friend's sick. Would you like to have a talk with my PA?"

The guard stared at him and at the guy on his shoulders, "What are you in town for?"

He ran a hand through his hair as he continued, "Meeting's been postponed for tomorrow. There is a factory of Messers Gregor we'd like to buy."

The guard didn't listen to the rest of his sentence.

He yanked open the glass doors and greeted him heartily,

"Welcome to Hotel Niravellin, Sir! Sorry to have bothered ya. Have a great day!"

Firenze chuckled in victory as he strode down the vast hallway. The golden velvet couches kept on the black marble floor had real fur carpets lying beneath them. Firenze noted that the entire theme of the hotel was black and gold.

The entire hotel was quiet and deserted much to his surprise. Save for the receptionist, the guard and the solitary bellhop, the staff were nowhere to be seen. And he and the beast were the only ones in the huge hall.

The entire atmosphere felt alien.

The receptionist was a perky black haired girl. She looked at him as if he were a sea lion on display at a zoo. As he leaned on the desk, the creature began sniffing a statuette and the lady smiled at him sweetly.