The moon spills over the city like diluted ink, washing everything in silver and gray. Dull light blasts through the windows, illuminating everything but my face.
"Hey, are you listening, Arte?! What the hell was that! You let the enemy get away by intervening... whose side are you on anyway?"
Arti Satic snaps, but the symphony the angels play drowns him. I've no time for worldly affairs, not when those living in the sky are trying to communicate to me.
He places his hand on my shoulder, my core flickering in reaction to the touch. Meeting his gaze, I press my face against his, staring at all which lies inside him.
"Threade was not fated to die by your hands, such was written by the Gods in the sky. His soul still wavers, and like you, his potential grows. It is only when he connects with his reservoir will I then kill him. He will reach eternal peace, and henceforth, he will flow."
His countenance is overcome with haze, but what does it matter? Brushing his hand aside, I continue to distance myself. There is no part of me that wishes to entertain the chirping of the unworthy.
"You're a delusional prick, you know that? You're really beyond help!"
The halls of REGALIA remain frozen, my footsteps being the only source of sound. I halt before a door, my fingers intuitively wrapping around the handle. Upon opening it, the air folds, and the sound warps into a gentle orchestra. With one step, the flooring beneath me shifts, REGALIA headquarters eluding my vision.
What once was still becomes a roaring unity of angelic voices entrancing my soul. The wind of the opera house blows against my skin, shadows of lost spirits occupying empty seats.
A smirk creeps onto my face, harmonizing with the melody as I descend the steps. I slide into my seat alongside the astray, savoring the moment with them.
"Here you are. Are you enjoying yourself?"
I do not bother to look up, as I already know who it is. They warned me.
"The seat beside me is already occupied."
She scoffs in response, adjusting her circular glasses.
"Sorry, but I won't entertain your fantasies, Arte. Unlike you, I believe in reality."
"You first disturb my peace, then insult me? The heavens are not content with you showing here, Prima. Explain why you have come."
The orchestra silences along with my conversation, only rising in volume when I do.
"We're conducting a mission to destroy one of the smaller companies shouldered by AEGIS. It'll help us break them down one by one by removing their allies. So far, Arti, Fiere, and I will be attending–"
"So?"
She clears her throat, moving her body closer to mine.
"So, it'd be most efficient to have you there. There's no knowing which AEGIS associates will show. Maybe even Alexander Zillman..."
At the prospect, the singers howl, simultaneously with my surprise.
"Zillman. He who disturbs those above merely with his presence. I sense it: there, his death is fated. The rebel who is not meant to live, the heavens curse the day he was created."
And with that, the light fades.
"Oh, and take those earpieces off, would you? Maybe you wouldn't be talking about Gods whispering in your ears all the time if you weren't always listening to music."
...