A loud banging disturbed Noir, causing him to twitch in his sleep. Calling it persistent would be an understatement—the knocking was relentless as he twisted and turned, trying to ignore it.
And yet, it grew more insistent.
Noir opened his eyes and sat up with no wasted movement. Three sharp knocks rang in his ears.
"Kid?" Jackie's voice dragged out the word from the other side of the door. "Hey, kid." More knocking followed. "I'm trying to give you your privacy, but if you don't get up soon, I'm coming in. The day's already started."
After a few seconds, she pulled out her master key and reached for the lock. Before she could insert it, the knob turned, and the door opened slightly.
"Yes?" Noir muttered, a hint of reluctance in his voice.
"You hungry? I made breakfast over at my place."
The mention of food made Noir realize he hadn't eaten in over a day. His stomach growled in response.
Stepping out from behind the door, he closed up behind himself and waited for Jackie to take the lead.
"I guess that's a yes?" she said, already heading back to her place, Noir following behind.
JACKIE'S PLACE, right next to the apartment's office, stood out with its house-like exterior. Unlike the other single-story units, hers was a two-story space, merging the first and second floors of the complex into one.
It had its own separate balcony, a triangular-shaped roof, and a backyard. It was like the house came first, with the apartment being attached to it later on.
Inside, the dinner table was set with a feast—eggs, bacon, biscuits smothered in gravy, sausage, and stacks of golden pancakes. The air was thick with the scent of warm, hearty food.
Noir sat at the table, staring at the spread before him. The sight and smell were unfamiliar. His years in Mille Dan had conditioned him to survive on nothing but cold, bloody meat.
"Well?" Jackie gestured toward the food. "Eat up."
Slowly, Noir reached for a thick slice of bacon—the only thing that resembled what he knew. He took a bite.
Then, he stopped.
The taste, the texture—it was different. Not raw. Not bloody. It was a memory he had never experienced, yet one that now existed.
Jackie watched him with curious eyes. "Is everything okay?"
Overcome by its deliciousness, Noir proceeded to stuff his mouth with more bacon.
"Woah, slow down," Jackie teased. "It's not going anywhere."
Hmm, I wonder when the last time he had a home-cooked meal was. Or a warm one at that, she thought.
"Hey, kid. Keep eating, but try to listen to me, okay?"
"If you're going to be staying here, I'm going to need you to start doing some chores. We don't know how long your stay will be, after all." Jackie smiled. "I'll even make sure to pay you so you have some cash in your pocket when you leave."
Noir paused. "What are chores?"
"They're, uhh— It's like work. Things to do, even. And I'll give you money for doing them."
"Why do I need money?"
"Oh god," Jackie groaned, dragging her hand down her face. "Okay, you see that bacon you're eating? It's good, right? Well, if you ever want more, you can use the money I give you to buy more."
"So money is used to buy bacon?"
"Yeah, no. It's used to 'buy' just about everything. Everything you see in this house was bought with money, including the house."
Noir paused, looking around at all the things in the house. "You must have a lot of money."
Jackie smiled, brushing her nails across her shirt proudly. "Yeah, I guess you could say I do alright."
Feeling thirsty, Noir reached for a small cup filled with a brown liquid that reminded him of the murky river water he used to drink. But the moment he took a sip, he spat it out just as fast.
"Yeah, coffee isn't for everyone," Jackie said, wiping droplets of the drink from her face.
"So what chores will I do?" Noir asked, oblivious to the residual coffee still on his face.
ACROSS THE STREET, in the men's bathing room of Celcus Springs Spa, Noir stood with buckets of hot, soapy water and a push broom for scrubbing.
"Fun fact," Jackie began, leaning against the doorframe. "This is one of the few places in the world where a cold water spa makes more sense than a hot one. The kingdom stays the same temperature year-round. There's an old story about how, before this continent was inhabited, a meteor crashed here, leaving a massive crater. Over the next four hundred years, nature took its course and regrew over it. They say that impact created the Mille Dan River and is the reason the wildlife here is so diverse."
Jackie rubbed her hands together, a satisfied grin creeping onto her face.
"That meteor is supposedly still buried beneath the land, forming a dome of heat over the kingdom. Just a story, of course, but it does explain why the temperature is so consistently humid all year. No matter the season, in Meteor Kingdom, it never changes. And people are always looking for a way to cool off."
Thinking about how much money her cold water spa raked in each year, Jackie took her leave, but not before issuing instructions to Noir.
"Anyway, kid, we're closed on Sundays, so there won't be any customers. The women's baths are next door—start there once you're done here. When you've finished everything, come see me in my office at the apartments across the street."
"Okay," Noir replied, wasting no time as he poured the bucket of water onto the floor, beginning to scrub like Jackie instructed.