Some time passed before everyone began filing out of the establishment one after another.
Outside, Nightingale stood silently beneath the pale streetlights, his gaze drifting toward the sky as his thoughts wandered aimlessly.
He was waiting for Marcus, whom the waitress named Tyr had escorted to the upper floors. Nightingale didn't need to guess too hard about what was happening up there.
Velvet Sanctuary might have been rebranded as a family restaurant and bar, but its past as a brothel was difficult to erase. Even now, some of the waitresses retained the privilege to invite favored customers into the so-called "private rooms."
It was an exclusive, premium service that didn't require payment at all.
Damn bastard. He sure is taking his sweet time, huh? The young Esper thought with a bitter smile.
Somehow, Marcus had managed to pull off the impossible using his legendary smooth-talking skills to convince Tyr to agree to a threesome.
Nightingale had no idea what kind of sorcery the young man had used to acquire that kind of effect, but it didn't seem to matter and the waitress didn't mind either.
After a few glasses of whiskey, Tyr had loosened up considerably. Her guard dropped and her curiosity bled outward. Perhaps she hadn't been lying when she said she wanted to explore and meet new people.
Clearly, he had refused the offer since he was standing all alone beneath the glow of the crimson moon.
There wasn't any particular reason behind his refusal. In truth, Nightingale wasn't the innocent or inexperienced type. He had lost his purity long ago and shared wild nights with more than a few women some his age, others older, some divorced and perhaps even married. It hadn't mattered to him back then.
The past "him" could only be described as a womanizer and playboy who showed no regard for the lives he trampled along the way.
A truly vile individual with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
However, the present "him" was far different from the past "him." The gap between the two couldn't be measured on a numerical scale.
Tyr was undeniably a charming beauty that most men would dream of spending a night with. He wouldn't pretend he wasn't tempted; in truth, Nightingale had his share of wild encounters, even a few threesomes in the past. He was no stranger to that kind of thing.
But doing it with his best friend? That was where the line was drawn.
There were certain boundaries he would never cross in this worldline, and sharing a woman with his childhood friend was one of them!
Despite that line of thought, he was starting to regret turning down the offer so quickly. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad after all. Certainly better than standing outside all alone like some lost puppy.
'What a miserable turn of events.'
Nightingale sighed with a note of quiet resignation.
Bored out of his mind, he fished out his smartphone and opened his banking app to check his balance.
[$95,250]
He grimaced.
'Goddamn it! How the hell does dinner for three people cost five grand?! Are they trying to rob me blind?!'
It was ridiculous. Spending a whopping $5,000 on a single meal was something he'd never done before. Not that he ever had the luxury to, anyway.
Nonetheless, he had just thrown away five grand with absolutely nothing to show for it. Sure, he had eaten like a king, but that wasn't nearly enough compensation for the hole it left in his wallet.
Damn it all! He should have accepted that offer from the get-go!
He should've gone all in with no hesitation and done exactly what his gut told him to do instead of second-guessing himself like a fool!
Maybe then, maybe just maybe, he'd have felt some kind of satisfaction to make up for all his troubles!
"What the hell am I even thinking? Where are those thoughts coming from?"
Horrified by his own mind, Nightingale trembled, his body leaning against the wall for a moment. Then he let out a shaky sigh and pulled out the pack of cigarette he had bought before leaving the interior of the establishment.
He lit up the cigarette using his personal lighter.
Crack!
The flame flickered briefly before catching the tip.
Nightingale took a slow drag and the smoke curled lazily into the night air. The taste was bitter; not from the cigarette itself, but from the nagging sense of dissatisfaction still lodged in his chest.
He exhaled. A pale plume drifted upward, dissolving into the crimson-tinged sky.
"What the hell's wrong with me…"
The city felt unusually quiet. The faint hum of traffic, the distant noises spilling from nearby bars, even the buzzing of the streetlamp above.
All of it seemed muted and far away.
His phone vibrated once in his pocket. A message from Marcus, presumably. Even so, he pulled out his phone and checked the message.
[Marcus: Don't bother to wait up, brother. This chick is insane! She won't let me go! I'm going to spend the night with her, okay? See ya at school ^^]
Reading the message, the final emoji tugged a faint smile onto his lips.
'At least, one of us is happy.'
Nightingale pocketed the phone and took another drag, his gaze dropping to the cracked pavement. For some reason, the thought of heading home didn't feel appealing.
He didn't want to be alone with his thoughts, especially not tonight.
Maybe a walk would help.
As that thought crossed his mind, Nightingale suddenly felt alarmed and uncomfortable. It wasn't the darkness that bothered him, but something far deeper and profound that stirred an inexplicable dread within his chest. Confused and shaken, he couldn't understand where this feeling came from.
Until he raised his head…
Beneath the haunting glow of the Crimson Moon, a colossal shadow loomed eerily over the horizon and dominated the cityscape. Though distant, its massive silhouette could be seen from every corner of the city; a towering shape that pierced the bleeding sky.
The night air grew colder. So cold it bit into his skin. Nightingale's breath misted faintly as he stared at the horizon and his expression darkened.
The Black Mire.
Just the sight of that towering structure was enough to stir something deep within his chest. Every Esper could feel its call. It was an instinctive pull that resonated in their very souls.
For a freshly Awakened like him, that sensation was anything but subtle. To make matters worse, he now knew that some kind of monstrosity was roaming freely through the levels.
A terror powerful enough to nearly annihilate an entire cohort of Knights.
"Tsk. Just great. Now my mood's ruined."
Clicking his tongue irritatedly, Nightingale removed the cigarette from his mouth and tossed it to the ground, then crushed it under his foot.
With one last glance at the distant monolith, Nightingale turned away. He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked off into the quiet streets, disappearing into the darkness.