Chapter 41: Place to stay [2]

Rael remained seated across from Daniel and spoke as if the earlier confrontation had never happened.

"Now then. About the place I want to rent."

Daniel had clearly hoped the matter ended with the money. His smile looked strained. "Of course. What kind of unit are you looking for? One-bedroom or two?"

"Two-bedroom. Preferably close to the Dimensional Gate."

Daniel knew better than to argue. He pulled up the listings again and turned the tablet so Rael could see. After a short review Rael selected a unit with strong security measures, only two kilometers from the gate.

"This one."

Daniel began the paperwork without complaint. "When would you like to move in?"

"Now. I have nowhere else to stay because of a certain someone."

Daniel gave an awkward little laugh and called his secretary. She entered a moment later carrying a tray with a set of keys and the printed contract. Rael briefly activated Conceal so she would not see his real face. Daniel noticed the shift watching Rael’s features change into and ordinary looking person but he kept silent. Rael signed, took the keys, and stood.

"Have my things from the old apartment brought over."

Daniel’s expression said he felt like a servant, yet he only nodded. "Of course."

Outside, evening had already settled over the city. Rael climbed into another taxi. Through the window he watched the sky turn soft orange and pink as the sun dropped behind the towers. For the first time in months he felt no immediate threat. Inside the Dream Realm every day had been a fight to stay alive. There had been no time to notice a sunset, no space to simply sit and breathe. The quiet of the taxi felt almost unreal.

The vehicle stopped in front of a clean thirty-story building. This was one of the better districts—quiet streets, well-kept sidewalks, the kind of place where important people preferred to live. Rael paid the driver and walked to the entrance. A guard stepped forward. Rael showed the rental documents. The tension in the man’s shoulders eased at once.

"Please set up biometric access for future entry," the guard said.

Rael followed the short procedure—fingerprints and retinal scan linked to both the building and his specific unit. When it was finished the guard pointed him toward the elevators.

A woman was already waiting in front of the lift. She looked mature, mid-thirties perhaps, with calm features and black hair gathered in a neat bun. She wore a simple half-sleeve black shirt that did little to hide a full figure. Rael glanced at her only long enough to check for mana. He felt nothing. Either she was an ordinary person or someone strong enough to hide her presence completely. After everything with Aurelia he was inclined to assume the first.

She noticed his brief look and offered a warm, polite smile. Rael returned it. The elevator arrived. He pressed the button for the nineteenth floor. She pressed nothing. They rode in comfortable silence. When the doors opened she stepped out first and walked a short distance down the hall before disappearing into an apartment. Rael realized they shared the same floor.

His own unit was the door immediately beside hers. He used the key, then the biometric lock. The door opened with a soft click.

Inside, the lights came on automatically. The apartment was fully furnished—sofa, table, shelves, even a small dining set—but everything was still wrapped in clear plastic from the previous preparation. Rael peeled the covering from the sofa and sat down. The cushions were soft. The air was clean and still. After the constant noise and danger of the Dream Realm the ordinary quiet felt almost heavy. He leaned back and let his head rest against the top of the sofa.

It still felt strange to live this way again. Comfortable. Safe. He decided he would buy a househelp robot later so the place would stay that way without much effort. For now he simply sat and listened to the silence.

A knock sounded at the door. On the small security screen he saw two men standing with several boxes. He opened the door. They explained that Daniel had sent them with the belongings recovered from the previous apartment. Rael signed the tablet they held out and stepped aside. The movers carried the boxes in and set them neatly against one wall.

When the door closed again the apartment felt a little less empty. Rael returned to the sofa, the last light of evening fading beyond the windows, and allowed himself a few more minutes of uninterrupted quiet.

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