The Uninvited Guest

"Welcome back to the lift," Hector says outwardly, his voice a low rumble that echoes off the metallic walls.

Unlike last time, the lift is completely empty—with only 41 people, a stark contrast to the earlier count of around 150.

Leonardo nods, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Yup, he let me out to explore!" he exclaims, his voice carrying a note of forced cheerfulness. He's trying to mask the unease that's been gnawing at him since he appeared in that alley in Lingering Streets .

"You're making this up, right?" Marquis asks, his tone dripping with skepticism. He's always been the doubter, the one to question the absurdity that others might accept without hesitation.

"Well, no—" Leonardo began, his protest cut short by a sudden shout erupting from the lift entrance.

"SHADOW BLADE!"

The figure materialized with jarring suddenness, as if conjured from the stars themselves.

His appearance was a chaotic anachronism: a tactical vest bristling with pouches was strapped tight over a costume echoing the vigilantes of Marquis's childhood cartoons. A long, obsidian cape snapped behind him like a captured piece of midnight, defying the stale lift air.

"Stop distracting me!" Marquis snapped, genuine frustration warring with utter bewilderment as he whirled towards the other heir.

The sheer incongruity of the moment seemed to short-circuit his thoughts. "Just... who are you? And if you're telling the truth..." Marquis swallowed, the awkwardness thick in his voice as he forced out the loaded question, "...what did your father do during the Cycle of Transcendent Dawn?"

"I have no idea," Leonardo replies flatly. He didn't know, and he felt like he would sweat bricks because of it. He glances over at the text that seems to hover in the air, telling him exactly what to say.

It's unnerving, this sense of being guided by something—or someone—unseen. "It can't even explain anything in detail," he thinks as the text slowly fades away, leaving him with more questions than answers.

Shadow Blade, now fully commanding the attention of everyone in the lift, smirks as if relishing the confusion he's caused. "They think I merely hide in the dark, but I am the dark," Shadow Blade declares, striking a dramatic pose that's almost comical in its intensity.

The way he moves, the way he speaks—it's all reminiscent of heroes in cartoons. And then, just as suddenly as he appeared, Shadow Blade vanishes, leaving nothing but a faint ripple in the air where he once stood.

"Isn't that weird? Did he just teleport?" Leonardo tries to say, but his voice is drowned out by the overwhelming noise of the lift's machinery grinding against the forces of acceleration.

"Look. At. Me," Marquis demands, grabbing Leonardo's arm and pulling him back to reality. His eyes are wide, almost frantic.

The thought of the tour guide having a son—especially one like that—is indescribable, a notion so outlandish it borders on the absurd.

It's on par with the idea of a sage procreating with a "human," a concept that defies the very laws of nature and the established order of their realm.

The lift's speed increases abruptly, throwing everyone off balance.

"It seems we have to increase the speed a bit more," Hector announces, looking over at Marquis and Leonardo, his tone casual as if he's merely adjusting the thermostat in a room.

He looks at the air in front of him, waving his hands in a motion that seems to communicate with the lift's controls. "3x speed enabled," a voice drones. This voice is unlike the authoritative tones of the sages; it's monochrome, robotic, almost devoid of any emotion or inflection.

The lift responds instantly, moving at a speed so intense that the very fabric of space-time seems to warp around them.

The stars outside the lift, once twinkling dots of light, now stretch into long, unbroken lines, creating a dazzling display of colors as the Doppler effect kicks in.

The light shifts from white to blue to red, the stars appearing as if they've been smeared across the sky by an unseen hand.

Hector smiles a bit, clearly enjoying the chaos he's unleashed.

"What is he doing?!" Anna's voice cuts through the din, her tone sharp with alarm. She's standing far off, but her voice carries, echoing through the enclosed space.

As Shadow Blade reappears, he's already at the top of the lift, clinging to the ceiling with an ease that defies explanation.

He doesn't even have time to react before the lift's next movement sends him crashing against the floor, his body plastered against the metal like a fly caught in a web.

"Floor 2900!" Hector announces, his voice gleeful as five people get down, their faces pale from the ordeal.

"Floor 2805!" Two more descend, moving with an urgency that suggests they want off this ride as soon as possible.

"Floor 2705!" Two get down.

How can so many people live on a single floor? How big is one floor? Leonardo tries to ask, but the words catch in his throat as the lift accelerates once more.

Hector, oblivious to the growing tension, is thoroughly enjoying every bit of the ride. He throws his head back and laughs, a sound that borders on madness.

"HAHAH!" he cackles, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Leontis, do something!" Mei Ling shouts, her voice filled with a mixture of fear and frustration as her guide struggles to keep her steady.

The speed of the lift is relentless, unforgiving, and it's clear that not everyone is handling it well. Leontis, however, is having a much harder time, his gauntleted hands trying—and failing—to find purchase on the slick Polsium floor.

Tyrsson, ever the stoic warrior, lies flat on the ground, his body rigid as he braces against the forces threatening to fling him into the air.

Shadow Blade clings to the ceiling, his fingers digging into the metal as he fights to maintain his grip. His guide is nowhere to be seen, possibly on the ground—or worse.

Leonardo's mind races with possibilities, none of them comforting. Ryuji and Wata, on the other hand, stay on the ceiling.

"Floor 2000!" Hector announces, his voice a little less jovial now as Marquis prepares to exit.

"Well, looks like this is my stop," Marquis murmurs as the lift finally begins to decelerate, the hum of machinery quieting.

His hands, perpetually buried deep in the pockets of his hoodie, remain there, even as the blood-red lettering on his hoodie comes into view.

"Future," it proclaims in bold, near-Gothic letters. He continues, his voice softer now, "This might be one of the many times we cross paths."

Leonardo hesitates, the words slipping out before he can catch them. "I know. It was nice meeting you... 'blue-haired savior.'"

Marquis lets out a low, sarcastic chuckle, shaking his head slightly. "You're a trip, you know that?" he says, extending his hand—a gesture that feels both final and unexpectedly sincere. "It was fun."

"What do you mean fun? We barely talked," Leonardo replies.

"Nah, nothing. You just seem better than Alain and Ryuji combined. Where were you during my school days?" Mining with my life withering away, Leonardo smirks, thinking inwardly.

"Just get on with it already!" a nearby heir barks.

Leonardo ignores the outburst, focusing solely on Marquis as he grasps his hand firmly. Marquis nods, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he turns away.

The lift's doors slide open with a whisper, revealing a lush, vibrant forest that stretches endlessly before them, the scent of pine and earth rushing in like a breath of fresh air.

"Marquis, wait—" Leonardo begins, a sense of urgency rising in his chest.

"Yeah?" Marquis turns back slowly, his eyes meeting Leonardo's for just a heartbeat. But before the words can form, the doors snap shut with a finality that echoes in the small space.

"Moving on!" Hector calls out, his voice edged with a note of finality. The lift jolts, then resumes its descent.

As the lift hurtles through the void, Leonardo stares at the closed doors, a mix of regret and resolve churning within him. "It was fun."