Tragedy of Divinity

Chapter 16: The Room of Unease

The city of Jill, for all its calm, held a strange atmosphere in the air. The tall, elegant buildings were filled with people moving in rhythmic harmony, their lives seemingly untouched by the madness of the Nexus. The air smelled of flowers from the city's carefully manicured gardens, and the distant hum of conversation could be heard from the nearby markets. Yet, for Seraphine, there was always a certain tension in the pit of her stomach.

It had been a long day. After dealing with the strange creature earlier, they had managed to find their way deeper into the city, still searching for some sense of normalcy. But Jill's quiet streets offered little comfort in the grand scheme of things. For all its beauty, the city could not erase the ever-present unease of being stuck in the Nexus.

Lucian had found them a place to stay. Not exactly a luxurious one, but it was shelter—something they had sorely lacked since their arrival. The building itself was tucked away in a quieter corner of Jill, away from the bustling crowds and closer to the outskirts of the city, where shadows seemed to fall a bit longer.

"Here," Lucian said, his voice colder than usual as he handed over a key, his dark eyes flicking over the group. "It's not much, but it'll do."

Seraphine took the key with a nod, grateful that Lucian had at least managed to find them somewhere to rest. Quintin, on the other hand, looked at the building warily, clearly expecting more from the "city of peace." But he didn't voice any complaints.

The trio walked up the narrow staircase, the old wood creaking beneath their feet. As they reached the second floor, Lucian led them down a dimly lit corridor, stopping in front of an unassuming door. The wood was worn, chipped at the edges, but the lock seemed sturdy enough.

With a soft click, Lucian turned the key, opening the door into the small room.

Seraphine stepped inside first, her eyes scanning the space. It wasn't much—a single window let in the dim light of dusk, casting long shadows across the room. A single bunk bed sat against one wall, the only piece of furniture aside from a small desk and a lone chair. The walls were bare, painted in muted tones of brown and beige. The air smelled faintly of dust, but it was clean enough.

"Well," Quintin said, his voice dry, "this is cozy."

Lucian didn't respond. He simply walked in, his boots clicking softly against the wooden floor, and dropped the small bag he carried by the foot of the bed. Seraphine followed suit, not quite sure how to feel about the cramped quarters.

After a moment of silence, Lucian spoke again. "One bed. One room. We'll manage."

Seraphine raised an eyebrow, her gaze flicking to the bunk. "We?"

Lucian didn't look up as he began unrolling his bedroll on the floor next to the bunk bed. "There's only one bed," he said flatly. "You and Quintin can decide who takes it. I'll take the floor."

Seraphine and Quintin exchanged a glance. They both knew the unspoken rules—Lucian wasn't the kind of person to argue or be bothered by such things. And he was right. One bed was hardly enough for the three of them, but it was all they had for now.

Quintin, being the more easygoing of the two, shrugged. "You sure you're okay with the floor, Lucian?" he asked, half-teasing. "I mean, you're not exactly the most comfortable guy to sleep beside, but—"

"Enough," Lucian cut him off, his voice devoid of any humor. "We sleep. We move on."

Seraphine shook her head with a quiet chuckle, appreciating the dynamic in a way that was more familiar than she would have liked to admit. Quintin always had a way of lightening the mood, even when it felt like everything was against them.

"Well, then," Seraphine said, rolling her shoulders as she moved toward the bunk bed. "I'll take the top bunk."

"Fine by me," Quintin responded. "Top bunk's all yours, Princess."

Lucian didn't react, his focus already on preparing for sleep. It was strange, how easily the two of them had fallen into this rhythm—Seraphine, the top bunk, Quintin, the bottom. The unspoken agreement of it all. They had always seemed to make the best out of their circumstances, no matter how strange or hostile the world around them was.

As night fell and the room grew colder, the trio settled into their respective spots. There was a strange silence in the room as they lay in the darkness, the only sound being the quiet hum of the city outside. Seraphine tried to push back the thoughts that lingered in her mind—the questions about Lucian, about their situation, about the Nexus itself.

But sleep didn't come easily. She found herself staring at the ceiling of the small room, wondering how much longer they could keep this up. The world outside was quiet, peaceful even, but Seraphine could sense the unease crawling under her skin. There was something wrong with this place, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

From the corner of the room, Lucian's steady breathing filled the silence, but even in sleep, there was a coldness about him. A distance that Seraphine couldn't ignore. She had been in the Nexus long enough to know that there were forces at play here, forces much darker than the serene appearance of Jill. And Lucian, for all his coldness, was tied to those forces in ways she couldn't understand.

Finally, she closed her eyes, the quiet hum of the room surrounding her as she drifted off to sleep, but it was not a peaceful rest. There were dreams—dark, swirling nightmares that threatened to pull her under, and in those dreams, she heard whispers. Whispers of a past she couldn't recall, of a future she couldn't see, and of a looming presence that grew closer with every breath.

The Nexus was watching. Waiting.

And Seraphine was a part of its twisted game.

End of Chapter 16.