Galaxy of Hyperion: Mystic Heir

Chapter Eight: Encounter

Jay was of the opinion that it took far too long for her and Arian to drag themselves out of bed. However, she couldn't make herself think about getting up until after she had slept a bit more, and she was welcomed with her exhaustion starting to bleed into nothingness. After the night before, she needed some extra rest, and she had enjoyed it far more than she would have thought. 

Jay did have to admit that she had problems with nightmares while she was waiting for the time to arrive. She kept on waking up and staring at Arian with a frown on her face when terrors drifted behind her eyes. She was never loud enough to stir him from slumber, but she most certainly made herself feel terrible with her nasty dreams. 

Arian had been the first one to get up, and Jay had woken up to see him with lunch at his side and a smile on his face. He waved to her before having her sit down and eat with him, and she objected far less than she would have had she slept more. The meal was mostly silent, and Jay couldn't tell for sure if Arian had heard her dreaming of something awful. If he had, he was choosing to ignore it, perhaps for his comfort or her own. She wasn't even sure if she wanted the answer, and her stomach knotted at the idea of him bringing it up for what would surely be an intense, lengthy conversation. 

The two found themselves outside the City of Steel, staring up at the glass dome that surrounded the area. Jay felt her mouth go clammy, and she couldn't tell if it was because of nerves or since she was surrounded by desert sand on all sides and had gotten some on her tongue. Did it even really matter? 

Arian was the one to press the button to let them into the city while Jay held their invitation from Lana silently. Jay was barely paying attention as a pair of occupants from the city walked over to where they were waiting, and she only looked up when she heard the light hissing sound that indicated something new was happening compared to last time. 

When Jay did look up, she saw that a door had revealed itself in the glass. The outline was faint, but she was sure that it was showing itself because they had permission to be inside. She swallowed nervously, relieved when she didn't taste sand, before reaching out towards the door. She pulled away when the door slid into the glass nearby, allowing for her and Arian to walk inside without any issues. He let her go in first before taking up the rear. 

The nearby occupants of the city utilized the function to shut the door once again after they had gotten inside, and Jay heard the hissing sound once more when she had fully stepped into the city. She sighed to herself before tilting her face to the sky. The City of Steel was somehow even more impressive on the inside compared to the outside, and that was certainly saying something given how incredible it already was. 

Jay didn't give herself time to marvel at the sight though, instead choosing to trail after Arian deeper into the city. The city's guards who had let them inside guided them through the streets of the city, and Jay glanced around at the tall buildings with her lips pressed together firmly. Arian seemed to be just as impressed as she was, but he was hiding it far better. Jay didn't even care about how she looked like she was staring at her surroundings, knowing that there were far more important matters that required her attention rather than caring what others thought about her. 

Soon enough, they arrived outside the largest building at the center of the city. Even with the glass dome, the building seemed to pierce the clouds somehow. Jay looked back at it while biting at her bottom lip nervously before taking a step forwards. The doors of the building slid apart to reveal a lobby. The room was mostly empty, but an elevator waited on the other side of the room. 

The guards left behind the pair as soon as they arrived in the lobby. Jay looked over to Arian, and he responded with a loose shrug before walking over to the elevator. He pressed a button on the side of the silver doors, and then the waiting started.