Home sweet home.
After recuperating for a short period of time, dillydallying and looking around Felony of Night, I came back to Quedence and entered my apartment.
Instead of the warm, inviting, and cozy look, I was greeted by a dark, eerie-looking, dimly lit apartment.
I have not installed many lights even though I live in the NightAxis because I prefer it this way.
As I entered the living room, I saw a woman wearing a thin negligee, sitting on the couch, watching television. The room was ill-lit and only the brightness of the television radiated in the room.
She didn't notice my presence, as I was behind the couch she was on.
"You're back?"
Or so I thought...
How did she? She is not a magician, right?
Magicians have senses, enhanced with the use of magicules but unlike us, Charlotte is a normal human being...?
She craned her head to a side, looking behind, meeting my gaze directly.
"What took you so long?" She asked offhandedly.
I didn't answer and took a seat beside her watching the news she was watching.
She sniffed in my direction, as she mumbled, "A woman?" Charlotte narrowed her eyes as jealousy glazed over in those black orbs.
Your senses are crazy... How did you do that?
I tried to ignore her mumblings while watching the television...
Oh? It's about me. Apparently, someone uploaded my footage on IntraNet and as usual, they are making a big deal out of it.
"Who were you with?" She asked me.
"Charlotte, I wonder when I gave you the permission to ask questions to your master?" My eyes gleamed as I cocked my head to look at Charlotte.
Her expressions, which were casual a moment ago suddenly changed directions as I saw Charlotte's pupils dilate and her entire body spasmed. She gulped a mouthful of saliva and lowered her gaze, just like a servant would when looking at their master.
How cute.
I chuckled. This is fun.
I was satisfied with my teasing, so I ignored her and moved my vision back to the television.
I don't know how long we watched the television together in silence but it felt great... to me.
I had company and honestly, I felt happy.
It might have been weird for Charlotte to see me smiling like a creep while watching the television for a long while without saying anything. I saw her shaking slightly and shifting her position away from me as I don't even blink my eyelids with a big professional smile.
It has been my usual routine ever since I have known myself.
Ever since I have become the professional I am, I love to practice my smile in front of the television.
"I-I'll bring something to eat," Charlotte finally mustered some courage, or rather an excuse to run away. Well, whatever. Normal people don't understand virtuosos.
I heard a lot of rustling sounds from the kitchen and I wondered what she was going to cook.
"Erm, Axiom. Do you have anything else other than noodles?" I heard her voice, when I suddenly remembered, that I have nothing else in the kitchen other than some instant noodles.
"Arghhhh!" I suddenly, felt a tang of pain, pricking my brain.
Have I been eating instant noodles for my whole life?
That can't be, right?
What was I used to eat when I was younger?
Did I even have a childhood?
My suppressed memories, or rather forgotten, tried to flow in...
I clutched my head hard and struggled against the stinging agony...
"W-What happened Axiom?" A worried voice rowed my boat out of tsunami-like waves as the pain gradually suppressed.
Yes. I am Axiom.
I look to my side, towards the kitchen counter with a polished smile,
"If you want to order something then you already have my card."
I am Axiom.
And Axiom has been eating instant noodles for as long as I know. Other identities matter not.
Charlotte's eyebrows twitched but I ignored it. She picked up her phone and started ordering some ingredients. A few minutes later, the same arrived at my balcony via a drone.
It's amazing, isn't it?
While I was watching television, Charlotte was cooking and I heard a lot of sizzling sounds coming from the kitchen.
I wonder when was the last time I cooked or ate homemade food... but I decided to not think too much as it brings that throbbing headache that makes me want to rip my head off my neck.
A while later, Charlotte placed two servings of nourishing hearty fish stew on the coffee table.
I have not bought a dining table, as I have always lived alone, for as long as I could remember...
From the delicious scent, I could tell, it was made with tomatoes and wine sauce, along with crabs and scallops. It had a very rich look and honestly, my mouth was watering...
I, Axiom, will eat a homemade dinner for the first time.
Charlotte smugly giggled upon seeing me ogle the dish with a tinge of anticipation in my eyes, "Fufu~".
With that, we both dived in and savored the dish. It was tasty.
While we were eating, the news suddenly halted.
Hmmm?
{Emergency Broadcast!}
Woah. When was the last time such a thing happened?
{Breaking News- Meterol, a city in the NightAxis, under the rule of the Night Government was destroyed by a horde of unexplainable creatures. Initial investigations suggest the creatures entered the city from below the ground and destroyed everything inside the city.}
Why didn't that happen in Quedence? It would have been so much fun...
Then they proceeded to show graphics of the ruined city via drones.
A large portion of the city was completely decimated in rubble, where nothing but howls and shrieks of creatures could be heard. It was very unclear as fog and dust reduced the visibility.
Then the camera moved forward to the relatively less ruined part of the city, where some buildings were burning while some were half shattered into rough fragments as if a missile hit them, converting them into half-derelict debris
{Meterol had a population of over 3 million and most if not all individuals were caught in the sudden attack.}
Yup. That is true and I hundred percent agree with the news as even the fog shown in the footage has a tinge of tangerine in it. The magicule concentration in our bodies leaks when we die, thus if a genocide occurs where many magicians die, a zone of high concentrated magicules should be created. I am not sure but from the color of the fog, it seems like my deductions are correct.
As soon as the drone flew close to a very tall building, a faint figure of a winged creature shimmered on the rooftop,
Interesting...
Kreeeeeee!
It shrieked and before the drone could get footage of the creature, the camera suddenly went black.
Wow... I think I finally have a competitor...
These creatures may have a similar skill to mine, [WickedSpectra], that allows me to disable technologies I am familiar with. Or maybe the drone was shot down by something.
"That's scary..." Charlotte muttered with a bit of fear in her eyes.
I don't think an incident like this ever happened before in the NightAxis, so I am quite surprised as well.
Fear? Nah... I think it would be so much fun.
Should I visit Meterol sometime? I don't think the government would let me. They would close off the area and investigate the matter in secrecy.
Death of millions... I would have loved to witness it.
I firmly believe death is the single most important moment of a person's life. It is spectacular.
Death defines the way we have lived our entire lives. During those last moments, if you have even a hint of regret, you have not fully lived your life the way you wanted it to be, but if you die with a big smile, accept it with open arms, then you are a legend.
Death shows how much courage one has, to accept the endless darkness...
Those who celebrate overcoming a serious fatal illness, are nothing but cowards. They didn't have the dauntlessness to face death, which leads them to make desperate attempts to avoid it.
Death has a meaning, and only maestros like myself, dare to challenge it...
I switched off the television, while Charlotte went back to the kitchen, to clean the plates on her own without any prompting.
Since I will be going back to my daily routine from tomorrow, I went back to my bedroom and slouched on my bed.
My thoughts ran back to the faint figure of the creature...
Why do I feel like I have seen something like that before?
It feels strangely familiar...
As I was musing over my thoughts, Charlotte entered my room with a faint blush on her face, her eyelashes fluttering, while her short hair accentuated her beautiful facial features...
I have no idea how she became like this...
She should have been out of my control by now.
I have to wake up early tomorrow...
I let out a small sigh.
A professional needs to take responsibility.
With that I indulged in the rough play she has been expecting...
***
When I woke up, the smell of debauchery prickled my nose. I shook my head and turned to look at Charlotte leaning on my arm, breathing rhythmically. The only thing that covered her body was the thin blanket as it is slightly cold on this part of the Planet.
I gently moved her and sat on the bed.
I need to get to the bottom of Charlotte's behavior.
Today, I have decided to conduct some tests on my other clients...
I will try my best to match the conditions under which Charlotte was influenced and became like this, hopefully, I could get some results.
With that set in my mind, I prepared myself and walked to the office.
I only drink a cup of coffee before going to the office.
Upon entering my office, I smiled at the woman at the reception counter who ignored me...
I found my next target- cough, client.