SYBIL'S POV

Moscow, Russia
11:34 pm

"Dream Aura." I read the address written on the chit in my hand to a cab driver who nodded in agreement to drop me off.

He helped me with my luggage and opened the back side door for me. As I sat in he closed the door and went to sit in his driving seat.

The cab started moving forward and my sinking heart felt more heavy.

I glanced outside to see the huge train station which I left a few minutes ago. Hundreds and thousands of people were around it. 

Everything and everyone is so beautiful and different, their outfit style, fancy bags, their hair, even the way they walk is so classic but everyone seemed busy.

Minding our own business is different but they don't even smile back when I smile at them whenever I make eye contact.

Some even eyed me for an unknown reason. Maybe because of my fit. I was wearing an ankle-length light blue dress with a pair of white sandals. This is how girls dress in my village but the people of this city looked down on me.

This is my first time traveling alone, leaving my parents eleven hours away. I don't know how I'll manage everything but I have to.

I've learned ballet dancing and have been teaching children since last year but I got an offer from a dancing academy to take a place in their dancing classes as a coach.

It took me a week to convince my parents to allow me as I'm their only child and haven't left their side even for a day.

I succeeded in convincing them but continuously failed to convince myself, my heart. It's been thumping since I stepped into this big city.

I have a feeling that something huge is going to happen. Something bad. Very bad.

I placed my palm over my heart. I wanted to clench it so badly. I know it'll take time to adjust but I will be used to the new surroundings soon.

"Will I?" My heart whispered.

"Everything will be alright. I believe." I tell myself.

The cab suddenly stopped breaking the chain of my thoughts.

" Why did you stop?" I asked the driver as there were no signals ahead but still, many long rows of cars were stopped on the left lane and ahead of us. While the right lane was completely empty.

" King's cars must have to pass from here." The driver replied tapping his fingers on the steering wheel while looking outside as if it's usual thing here.

" King?" I was about to ask about them but in the nick of time, my jaw dropped witnessing around eight luxury black cars passing in a heartbeat from the empty road. One of them was a limo which I got to see for the first time.

The air literally fanned my hair back and the vroom sound echoed for a few more seconds in my head.

The horror I felt inside of me is hard to explain. I felt goosebumps. I don't know how to say it but I felt something really strange.

" Could you please close the window?" I asked the driver.

" Sure ma'am." He agreed and obeyed me.

I took a deep breath trying to stay normal because I have had Claustrophobia since birth. I feel suffocated quite quickly but I needed to close the door.

Everything and everyone here is terrifying me without them knowing or maybe I'm noticing everything too much.

I patted my chest to calm myself down that's when I felt a metal beneath my fingers.

I gazed down, it was my mother's necklace which was hanging from my neck. I took its pendent between my fingers and raised that a little.

I terribly miss her already. She's so sick.

I rested the side of my head on the glass window and let out a big sigh. 

I kept on staring and thinking about my next move and it was making me more and more nervous.

Finally, the cab stopped. I paid the charges which were pretty high and thanked the driver who took out my luggage from his cab trunk and drove away.

I turned to look at the buildings behind me. My left hand was holding the handle of my suitcase while the right one had the address written chit in it.

" Dream Aura." I glanced up to read the same name but it was big and golden. It was curved so beautifully over the huge black gate of my new resident's complex's gate.

I moved my head up to see the buildings but I had to take some steps backward to see the top of them. They seemed to end in the clouds. Those buildings looked like it has made up of glass. The city lights were reflecting because of the paneglass windows.

" Wow," I mumbled.

The humming sound of a plane pulled my attention as it passed over my head slowly.

I was amazed but my smile slowly dropped as the plane disappeared far into the clouds.

Am I even at the right address?

Those buildings seemed so modern compared to my rent amount.

" Miss?" I flinched at the dead voice of a man. I turned to see a watchman standing next to me with a blank expression.

" Hello, sir." I greeted and bowed but his jaw dropped for an unknown reason. " I'm new here". I said showing my identity card and pass. " Could you please tell me where the entrance is from?" I asked politely handing him the chit.

" It's B wing, Go straight and take left. You'll find an elevator door there." He replied.

" Thank you so much, uncle." I bowed again and flashed a big smile.

Addressing him informally brought a smile to his rock face.

What else does a person want from another? Fondness, love, a few words of respect, some quality time. That's all.

Approaching inside I pressed the floor number from the elevator button panel and waited patiently.

Soon it arrived and a girl with a doctor's apron rushed outside. She was on her phone, she didn't even look at me as she was in a hurry yet I read the nameplate attached near her left shoulder.

Zoe. Pretty woman with a pretty name. I turned to look at her as she ran out of the building.

Before I could zone out again and miss the elevator I entered it and soon reached my floor that is nine.

Two doors were facing each other on my floor. " Flat number 18 ." I stood in front of a white door that had a doorbell on its left side.

I finally reached my destination. The apartment I have bought is on 50% rent and I'm sharing half of it with someone I still have no idea about.

I raised my hand to ring the doorbell but the exact door suddenly opened. I froze as a guy with messed up hair and clothes, opened the door. He had lipstick print all over his neck and lips. I averted my gaze as the guy was shirtless and had only a leather jacket on with jeans of course.

The door opened more. There stood a beauty only in a plain white shirt that was hardly reaching her mid-thighs.

My grip around my suitcase's handle tightened looking at them both. I haven't seen unholy things like that before." I'm sorry. I think I'm at the wrong address". I apologized when I noticed them staring at me.

" Sybil... right?" The girl asked making me look at her gorgeous face again. I nodded nervously." You aren't lost. You are my housemate." She added.

"She- WHAT?!?!?"

" I'm Lia." She introduced herself offering her hand to shake.

" Sybil." My voice came out low. I  shook hands smiling back a little.

" And I'm Ren, but you can call me tonight ". The guy winked forward his huge tattooed hand.

'Why would I call him "tonight"? He got a good name already.'

'Or was that a pickup line? That can't be!'

I didn't want to shake hands with him but it's rude to ignore someone so I gave my hand to his. His fingers totally wrapped around my palm. He shook my hand and then suddenly brought that closer to his mouth.

'No please no...' I screamed internally.

He kissed my knuckles.

Eewww...

Yes, I regretted being super kind.

I pulled my hand back and wiped it awkwardly on my dress.

" Goodbye." He turned to face Lia who encircled her arms around his neck. That guy firmly rested his hands on her lower waist and pulled her into a kiss.

I swept my eyes around to see no humanity around.

'How are they so comfortable kissing on their doorstep?'

They made me feel so awkward for a few moments then finally pulled away. " Good night." Lia seductively bid him goodbye.

That Ren guy bit his lower lip and eyed me up to down before he left.

" Get in," Lia said opening the door wide for me.

I nodded stepping inside and pulling my bag with me.

The apartment was wide. Only the living room was bigger than my house. It was beautiful but not neat.

Clothes and other stuff were thrown on the floor as well as on the couch. I glanced around to see the kitchen at the side of the living room itself then there was a corridor with two doors facing each other.

" This is your room," Lia said handing me its keys.

" Thank you." I opened the door to see a bed in the center. A closet and a door I guessed was for the washroom.

" I'm ordering dinner. Do you want anything?" Lia asked.

I immediately nodded. As my stomach had been growling for hours now. I didn't eat anything while traveling because I had been crying all the time.

" Okay, Get freshen up." She said closing the door behind me.

I sighed sitting on the edge of the bed. The mattress was so soft that I  bounced a little.

My parents would be so happy to see where I'm gonna live.

I opened my bag and picked up a photo frame. Me and my parents were smiling in that picture. I stood it on the side drawer of the bed and grabbed my pajamas to change into.

After taking a warm shower I stepped outside my bedroom. Lia was sitting on the chair next to the dining table. She had changed into extremely short shorts and an off-white off-shoulder t-shirt. She was taking a bite from her food while using her mobile phone with her other hand.

Her nails were painted with light pink glittering nail polish, and her long fingers were quintessentially encompassing her handset. A chain was hanging from its cover. She has a shiny stone ring on her thumb with which she was scrolling the screen.

I looked down at my finger. Short nails with no paint on. I compared myself again. And curled my fingers.

" Sybil" She called pulling me out of my thoughts. " Sit." She offered.

I sat in front of her on a chair. She forwarded a khaki paper pack of food to me.

I opened the pack to see a burger in it with some fried finger chips.

I sniffed the food before taking a small bite of the burger. I chewed that slowly. I thought it would be delicious as Lia was moaning at the taste but it was tasteless. I somehow gulped.

" Do you like it?" She asked smiling brightly at me.

I nodded and didn't want to drop her beautiful smile.

" I knew it. It's my favorite." She flipped her hair dramatically.

She's so cool and social unlike me.

She was the one who paid the bill saying I was her guest for a day.

After dinner, we sat on the living room's couch. A big television screen was playing a movie and Lia was sitting beside me with a pillow on her lap.

" Tell me about you," Lia said making me face her.

" About me?" I smiled nervously.

" The landlord only told me your name. I want to know more about you." She paused the movie and paid all her attention to me.

" I'm a ballet dancer." I began.

" Wow." She seemed amazed only after hearing one sentence about me. That gave me some confidence to speak more about myself to a gorgeous lady like her.

" I run a small dancing class in my village but a few weeks ago one of my students whose father was impressed by me, offered me a job here as a coach in some classes and told me that I'll have to come here for it. He said my boss would pay me well so I came here. My boss was the one who arranged this appartment for me and also talked to the owner of that classes to appoint me. I'm so thankful to him. I'll never forget his favors for me." I explained my journey.

" You really are a good soul. Your parents must be so proud of you." Lia complimented me.

I nodded slightly. " They do. They love me so much." I smiled looking at Lia who was listening to me while resting her elbows on the pillow and holding her face with her palms with a tilted head. " You know... My Papa works very hard. He tries to fulfill all our wishes. He loves my Mumma so dearly. I wish I could find a man like him. He's so kind."

" Your eyes holds so many dreams. I hope you find your soulmate here." Lia's words brought smile to my lips but my eyes got teary. " Wait." She scooted closer to me blinking multiple times. " Are you crying?" She asked.

" I tried not to but I'm missing them so much." My voice broke at the end and I covered my face. I don't like to cry in front of anyone.

" Awww..." She pulled me into a warm hug." First night without parents are the hardest." She caressed my back. " But atleast you can meet them. Unlike me." Her voice had pain when she spoke about them.

A few moments later I controlled myself and pulled back. " Arey they mad at you?" I asked wiped my cheeks using the back of my palm.

" They are dead."

• Damaged people are dangerous. They know how to make hell feel like home.

Chapter published on: 03  September 2023.

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