The Doldrums village
What is this place?
The location where Mr. Laith sent it to me and it is located in the Doldrums village. But it looks abandoned. There's no light at the entrance of the village, and there's no light on the street inside. I look up at the village sign. But it's correct. I look at my phone again to see the location on the map. It said I had arrived at the location.
What an odd name…Am I walking into the trap?
'Maybe, want to find out?'
Hmm, yes.
I step my foot under the village sign over my head. I walk straight, look around, and observe the environment that I just entered. It's definitely an abandoned village. The buildings and houses have been ruined for years—definitely not in this generation. I'm not surprised if I didn't know this place before. The electricity must be cut off. But thanks to my phone's flashlight, I can see ahead and also the moonlight. It's very bright and white tonight.
Probably, there are no machine trash bins here I don't want to trip them again. I hate that sound so much.
Normally, I should be scared, but I have Xin. Honestly, I'm scared of humans more than the things I can't see with my eyes.
The streetlight?
I notice the light from a big streetlight, which is faded orange, almost red. I walk toward it, and I am so drawn to that color that I look up and see the little flies flying around.
'Roelle, look.'
I turn my face to the path ahead, and I see the real village. The big and small buildings, and the houses with the light hanging around the roof. People are walking around the street.
It's like a festival here.
I walk past the old traditional houses, the modern styles, and the out-of-nowhere style. This village is intermixed. The red and orange lantern lamps hanging in front of the stores mingle with the Neon light from the signs on top—green, pink, and blue. I turn my face left and right and turn around like a country girl just arriving in the big, chaotic city.
This village is messily cool.
Then I noticed the shadows on the ground. They are everywhere. Not a single person doesn't have one.
"Ha.."
I am startled.
But they look…normal. their faces don't look distressed.
This village is more alive than the big city outside.
"BOOM BOOM!!"
Suddenly, there are fireworks.
I turn to see the flash of colorful light in the sky, sparkling in mid-air and falling to the ground where I stand.
"Ah!"
After I turn and spin my body, admire the surroundings, and stop at the big tall building in the center of the village, two side roads brace the building.
"I found it."
I speak out loud.
'This place?
Yeah, he said, a big, bold building in the center of the village.
'So he's legit…'
We haven't met him yet...
He told me about the building. It's not hard to find because it is tall, outstanding, and in the middle of the town. However, I can't see the color clearly because the environment's mixed lights reflect on it.
I walk up several stairs to get under the grand ceiling.
"May I help you?"
One of the security guards asks me and glances at my shadow.
"Here, I come here to see him. Do you know where I can meet him?"
I give him Mr. Laith's name card.
"...4th floor."
"Thank you."
I walk past them and reach the elevator behind these two security guards. I press the button while waiting. These two are still looking at Xin.
"Ting!"
The elevator is here, and the door opens. I get inside and press the 4th button.
Woah, there are a lot of floors. I observe the button from the top of the ceiling way down to the bottom of my feet.
If we want to go down there, Do I have to sit on the floor to press that?
And then the door closed.
"4h floor."
And there's a sound announcing the floor. I haven't even blinked my eyes yet.
When I get out of the elevator, I see the long counter, and in the corner, it says 'Reception.' That would be our next step, right?
"Hi, I came here to meet Mr. Laith Kint. He asked me to meet him here."
"Alright, please wait for a moment. I'll contact him for you."
"Thank you."
What is this place?
There's a totally different vibe inside here. It's like a hospital—white, clean, neat, and bright, even if it's like 9 p.m. at the moment. I feel I have to be cautious all the time.
"Hi, you came."
And then the tall guy with glasses approaches where I sit, with a smile on his face, wearing his gray suit.
"Hi."
I stand up for a proper greeting.
"I'm Laith. We spoke on the phone last night."
"Yes."
So he looks like this in bright light. His hair is light blonde, not yellow, golden, or even true blonde. It's softer. Like tea, which pours too much milk into it.
As the soft milk tea hair.
"And we met that night. I haven't seen you after that, though."
"I'm busy."
I tell him.
"And what should I call you?"
"Roelle."
"Roelle…?"
"Roelle Reize."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Roelle Reize. I didn't do a proper introduction. You ran from me. Hehe."
"Well…"
"I understand a stranger approached you at night and randomly offered you a job, hahaha. If I were you, I probably ran too… I'm sorry."
He explains to me with a smile.
He smiles a lot, but there is something behind it. Or perhaps I am just being cautious again.
"It's okay. So this is your workplace, Mr. Laith?"
"Hehe. not exactly. This floor is a registered floor. Come, I'll show you around a little."
"This floor is for the register, the office area, and gathering information."
He explains to me while walking around the front zone area.
"Register and gather about what?"
I ask.
"The patients, the patients who want help."
"So this is the hospital."
"Can you notice something different from other hospitals?"
He asks me back and stops his move.
"..."
I look around and don't see many people, but one thing that stands out.
"The Shadows?"
I answer.
"Yes. This floor is for someone who has money to ask for help."
"..."
"They register the patients here and wait for the appointment, and they are diagnosed with how and when the shadow has begun and what the patient's feelings or problems are."
So, they come here to prevent and stop their own shadows from growing.
"Can the doctor help?"
I ask curiously.
"More like prevention and how to deal with it, but if you want to get rid of it... you must have more than enough money in your pocket, but of course, every solution has its own results and causes."
He explains while tapping on his pants pocket beside his hip.
Can we get rid of the shadow?
'…'
"...So, what exactly is the kind of job that you are offering?"
"I'll show you... it's better than explaining in words."
He tells me with a smiley face and his eyes almost close.
Then Mr. Laith leads me to the same elevator again and presses the button. I try not to glance at his shadow, but the tiny black things floating around its body make me very curious.
"Ting!"
"Please,"
He shows his palm to let me get inside first.
Then, he gets in, pushes the handle beside the corner, and rolls down. The orange light appears on the button, and he quickly moves down to the lowest and the last button on the row.
"Roelle…Reize."
"..."
He calls my name all of a sudden.
"I like your name. It's very beautifully cool."
He tells me while looking at me a bit.
"...Thank you, Mr. Laith."
Oh boy, don't fall for me. I don't even know what job this is.
"Underground floor."
And it announces the floor.
"Underground?"
I repeat.
"Yes, please be very close to me. I don't want to lose you in the crowd."
"What?.."
I softly say it to myself.
The elevator's door opens, and he leads me out.
The scene in front of me is a mess. It's full of people here, the crowd screaming and applauding. There's loud music. The atmosphere is wildly chaotic.
"Ah!"
And then I bump into some stranger and bump into another.
"Miss Roelle!!"
He shouts my name and comes to me.
"Mr. Laith."
I call him.
There are many people here, Xin.
'I know, what the hell is this place?'
"..."
I shift my eyes to Xin, which is almost as big as the wall.
Shrink a bit, Xin. I don't want anybody…here to notice you much.
'Okay.'
"!!"
Mr. Laith grabs my wrist.
"Please, follow me."
"Y-Yes.."
Then, a few security guards help us block the crowd and make a path for us to walk through. Mr. Laith leads me to another elevator, which is made of glass. He gets inside first, takes me in, and then presses the highest floor on top of the number row.
"I'm sorry, Miss Roelle. Today is a big match, so the crowd is bigger than usual."
"Big match?"
I step closer to the glass to see. There are the fighting stages, several of them spreading out there and there.
"Don't get too close, the speed is fast."
He pulls me away from the glass.
"Mr. Laith, can you let go of my hand?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't want you to get lost. It's hard enough to get you here. Hehe."
He lets go of my right hand and chuckles.
"...Thank...you?"
Finally, we are on the floor where he pushed the button before. He leads me out to the hallway, where nobody is there. It's quiet. The dark red carpet in the long hall is very soft; even though I wear boots, I still can feel it. The wall and decoration are simple and raw but a little modern. I'm following the guy with light, soft hair that I really want to touch, wearing a dark gray suit, and I just realized that he's wearing sneakers.
Then, he stops.
He opens the door. He walks inside first, and then I follow him. This room is round, with a glass window covering all of the walls. We can see everything outside. This room seems to be a special or VIP room, or perhaps it's for him.
There's someone sitting on the couch playing a game on his phone ignorantly.
"You're here?"
Mr. Laith greets him by touching his shoulder. But he keeps on playing with his phone.
I walk behind Mr. Laith, and he notices me, and glances at me.
"Hello"
I greet him and follow Mr. Laith to the glass view.
"This room is the highest?"
"Yes."
He answers.
This is the highest floor, so we can see everything up here: the crowd, the bars surrounding the place, and what they are watching and cheering for.
Mr. Laith points at the window, but the target is down there. I look down and shift my eyes to follow his direction.
"On the left, what do you see?... And Can you explain it to me?"
He asks.
Hmm.
"They're fighting…it looks normal to me…Wait, the shadow…"
I am trying to explain while I'm observing the match on the left. The fighters have their own shadows behind their back, but it's not normal to react when the ray of light hits them. Those shadows move around wherever they want, just like Xin when we're alone. But the shocking thing is that shadows creeping and sprinting all over the fighters' bodies. And suddenly, the punches that the fighters hit mingled with their shadows.
"They use them to attack!?"
I ask with a shocked face.
"Yes, it's just a regular fight, but the athlete or the fighter uses his own strength mixed with his own shadow…they're working together…And the punches are stronger, more significant."
"And on your right…"
Mr. Laith tilts his body to the right.
What on earth is this!!?
I am shocked and hurriedly run over his body and move to the right side view to see it clear-cut.
Xin, what the hack is that!!? Did you know about this?
I see the opponents just standing still, but the ones fighting are their shadows. The shadow's owner stands behind and lets his shadow spread out and expand into a form—not just a human body or the regular-sized form of the owner. But it's huge and shaped like a Monster, a creature I see only in comics or TV shows.
The Black shadow figure on the left side grows taller and spreads his right arms like tree roots to another figure, fastly moving up in the air. He then spreads his arms and both legs to the other figures in the ring, catching them and suddenly swooping down to attack them, and black smoke floats around and splashes out.
"What...kind of fight is this?"
"I think you guess right."
Mr. Laith.
"Is it real? How?"
I ask with confusion.
"It might look unbelievable, but yes, they use their shadow to fight…the strong shadow of the person is fully formed in shape, and the person can order or... how to say....They cooperate in some way to fight another shadow."
"..."
"And there's another range of fighting as well, but... we don't have to talk about that yet."
"..."
All I have is shocking silence to give him.
I stare at the fighter who used his shadow to make an unbelievable attack earlier. He must be on another level, and his shadow is like an alien out of this world.
He won.
Before that fighter is going to shift his eyes up here I turn myself away from the glass view.
"..What job exactly are you offering to me?"
I ask.
"Let's sit first"
He suggests.
We sit across from each other on the sofa in the center of the room while the quiet, big guy is sitting on his own couch, playing games on his phone.
"I want you to join our team."
Mr. Laith.
"Your team? Don't tell me you want me to be like a sidekick, assistant, helping your athletes, or running errands, something like that, right?"
I ask.
Well, it is better than being in that ring.
"Haha, no. I want you to be one of the competitors."
"Ha!.. What!!?"
'What!?'
I should not have thought that.
I can feel the sense of the guy who is sitting, playing a game, glancing at me.
"I saw you at the gym that night…training, fighting with your shadow."
"That was just child play, a relaxing activity! I exercise to get rid of some thoughts!"
I quickly scream in a softer way into sentences.
"The skills you have are not that perfect, but you have some…unique moves. They can be improved. I am fascinated by the way you work with your shadow."
"!!"
'Hmpt.'
"It's nothing like I've ever seen. How old are you again?"
"22"
"..."
"Most of the competitors and people who work in this field cooperate with their shadow by contracts."
"Contract?"
"Er…a business, a deal, an exchange, rather say that. So what is the deal between you two?... You can be honest. We know what it's like to have one."
"I don't. I don't make any deal."
Right? Or we have, but I don't remember.
'We don't.'
"Impossible, at least... it's gotta be something you ask for in exchange, right?"
He asks.
"..Maybe.. I asked him not to scare the little girl in public."
'...I didn't scare that kid. She was too loud. I hate it...'
You were going to eat that girl, Xin.
"..."
Mr. Laith glares at me.
"And I took him to a movie instead of the ground play."
I answer.
'So, Is that an exchange? I do like movies.'
You do really like romance movies.
'I don't.'
Don't deny it. You wouldn't shut up if I didn't take you to see.
"..."
He does not seem to believe what I say.
"He quite loves fighting with me at the gym.. we don't make any deal. We just do activities together…we know each other well."
I try to explain.
"He?... That's quite impressive."
He gives me a curious, mischievous expression.
"And I don't think I can be one of your competitors. Using him to fight for someone else's good."
"Someone? Using? Did you know how the shadow forms up and attaches to us?"
"Partly."
"There are 3 types of us. 1. They know they have one but ignore it or run away. 2. Accept and don't do anything about it 3. Accept and turn them to be helpful. And we are type 3, same as you. We learn how to cope and make it useful for us rather than attach and eat us alive."
"...Why me?"
"Your shadow cooperates with you on the stage level that people like us try to reach that point…your shadow is more capable than you think. However, it doesn't reach the highest level…because of something…or perhaps because you can keep it under your control…What exactly is the reason that it can listen to you so easily?... But it's your business. Even if I really want to know so badly, I will not cross that line…And the training, practices, and learning together with your shadow…the competition, you guys probably win that easily…"
"..."
"That's why I want you to join my team. I see your unique ability…and it..."
He explains while looking at me and then looking right through me at the black smoke figure behind me.
"The answer still…"
"You're looking for a job, aren't you? Besides, this job pays you much more than regular jobs. You usually get 500,000 per match."
"Ha…"
"If you win, you will get 500,000 more."
"..."
"But it will be a 5 percent share to the team leader for a rookie. When you are well-known, the percentage share will be only 3 percent."
Let me think.
If I got 1 million and cut the 5 percent share out, I still would get 950K!! Are you kidding me?
'Tempting?'
950K Xin, I can just…pay off any debts, mine and also my mum's.
"And if you climb yourself up to the High-Rank fighters. You absolutely get more than 500K."
"..."
"I'll let you think about it…If you're interested, you can call me anytime."
He looks at me with a smiley face again.
I get up and head to the door. I notice the guy with white-pinkish hair color who stops playing with his phone and pays attention to me instead. I bow my head a little to him to say goodbye.
I'm about to open the door, but I see a tall body blocking the way. I look up. It's the same fighter down there.
I see him up close, and his eyes are black, matching his hair, which is long around his shoulder.
"..."
He flinches a little and then stares at me without blinking.
"Hey, good job out there. Come in, I'll send her first, and I'll be back."
Mr. Laith tells him.
"Yes, team leader."
He answers Mr. Laith politely.
I walk past him and his shadow ignorantly and straight ahead to the elevator. Mr. Laith takes me out of the noisy crowd and takes me up to the elevator to the village.
"I can drive you home."
He tells me before I open up my mouth.
"Thank you, but it's okay."
"It's almost midnight. It's not a good idea to take a cab at this hour."
"It's okay, really, Mr. Laith."
"..."
He looks concerned.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yes."
He answers me with a smile.
"...When we fight...I mean, when we use our shadows to fight…Are they hurt?"
"…"
"Why don't you ask yours…he…probably knows better than me."
He answers me.
"...Okay, Thank you, Mr. Laith."
I say goodbye to him and turn my back to him
"!!"
And he grabs my wrist again.
I have loads of physical touch in one night more than two months combined.
"I insist...Let me take you."
"...You can take me to the nearest station."
I suggest the alternative.
"...Alright."
He smiles at me.