Lulled by some semblance of sleep, she lost track of just how many hours they’d spent cradled in silence. Only when a new light struck her eyelids did she lift her head from her knees. The train car had emerged from its underground passage and now sped quickly through an increasingly mountainous landscape. The charcoal smitten surfaces narrowed as if for a closer look at their procession while the train slowed to a steadier climb.

“When did we come up?” She asked, mid-stretch.

“About three hours ago,” He answered, eyes locked on the scenery. “The tunnel shoots through the ground and then up into the stone within the mountains.”

An echo of wind accompanied them as they neared the mouth of the precipice – a slit in the rocks which perfectly balanced the position of a setting sun. The opening appeared to widen as they approached, giving way to what appeared to be a goliath crater.

The train car slowed to a halt as it entered the valley of dust, encircled by a massive palisade of stone. Lara turned to Auras who had stood to interact with the map. With a closer look at the slow blinking circle on the screen, she realized they’d reached their destination.

Her voice betrayed her confusion while she peered again at the desolate landscape, “Are we here?”

Auras ignored her, instead tracing a mess of invisible shapes onto the map.

“Auras,” She tried again, before being cut off by the jolt of the car.

Her eyes widened as the train crawled forward and a barrier pixelated away as the city appeared before them.

Glittering glass buildings stood triumphantly in the distance. They were blended seamlessly into a patchwork of white stone which ended suddenly as a wide dividend of coral brick separated the structures from the area they’d entered. Around them stood cramped shanties, apartments, businesses, and stalls, all packed atop one another with aged concretes and rusted metals.

Civilians went about their business, unconcerned by the danger of idling too close to the train car which glid comfortably down the street, led solely by a thin metal rail.

It finally pulled to a stop at the white stone road between the contrasting neighborhoods.

With the unbuckling sound of her seatbelt, Lara’s stomach melted in freedom as she removed the restrictive harness.

The brief respite was interrupted by Auras as he motioned her towards the now open door.

“No need to stare.” He swiped down the length of the map, reverting the surface to an unassuming window.

Lara hurried over to the door, pausing only to press a finger to the glass where the map had been. Only her fingerprint appeared. Frowning, she descended the car into the city’s shadow.

Random specks began layering the crown of her head to form a cap of dust while the air tickled her throat.

Lara coughed, looking up to find the source of the debris. A woman leaned out from her window, beating what appeared to be a worn rug.

With great reserve, Lara followed Auras down the street packed with motley inhabitants. She swiped the dust from her hair with suppressed irritability, causing some raven-black tendrils to slip from her ponytail and lick at her face.

Though she’d wanted to appreciate the melted sherbet hues of sunset in the clear sky, the feeling was quelled by the epic battle waged between her fingers and the growing lion’s mane of tangled hair whose loose strands sought to conquer her sweaty face.

In addition to the sporadic waves of people continuously colliding with her path, by the time Auras stopped to turn and address her, Lara had become a nearly unrecognizable mass of frizz and dirt.

“What on earth happ--“

“Does it matter?” She quipped, nearly ripping out her hair as she jerked her hand through it.

“But how does that happen when you were just behind me?” He asked as he motioned her up the wooden stairs he’d stopped beside.

Lara pushed past him and stamped up the building’s steps, conveying her displeasure.

Behind her, Auras instructed her to stop on the third floor. While she waited for him to make his way up, she crossed her arms, taking a moment to glance across the street at an identical building. Above it, a streak of orange hung in the sky lined by lavenders and purples.

Because this doesn’t seem dangerous at all, she thought, questioning the sturdiness of the wooden plank beneath them as it strained under the addition of Auras’ weight.

“Your mood seems to have devolved.” Auras assuaged as he unlocked the door in front of them; 306, read its rusty numbers.

“I don’t know, Auras,” She answered, sarcastically, her anger threatening to bubble out from within her. “Actually, I don’t know anything. If I were to ask you what hit us on the train, I’m not entirely sure you wouldn’t lie and tell me it was a baboon.”

The twitch of Auras’ lips only provoked her further.

“No, you know, this is pretty serious. You just moved me halfway across the country. I don’t know what attacked us on the train, I didn’t know how long it was going to take us to get here, I didn’t know how far we were going to be walking, I didn’t know this place even existed, I don’t know why I’m standing on a death trap – would you like me to go on?”

Auras sighed, holding the door open, “I understand your frustration,” Unwisely, he added, “Are you hungry?”

Lara’s face contorted, annoyed by the partial accuracy in his statement. “I’m hungry, I’m tired – but that’s not the point! We’re here, Circa, and yet you’re still leading me around without any real explanation, like a ragdoll. You said you would explain.”

“I will explain, I just need some time to--”

“To what, Auras. You always need time. You could have, at the very least, told me where we were going,” her voice rose, “Why do I have to walk around for miles following you around when you don’t even look back to make sure I’m still there?!” Lara paused, suddenly remembering the weight of the firearms in her pocket and the two men from Circa in Indianapolis.

“You know what, it’s fine.” She stated, her voice more controlled.

Auras sighed, oblivious to the subtle threat hidden in her statement. “I apologize for not informing you of the distance, and if you would just get settled I can leave to get you food. It’s fair to assume your hunger is intensifying your... dissatisfaction.”

Taken aback by his total disregard of her outburst, Lara shook her head. Disappointed, she dismissed the topic and finally walked into the tiny box of a room.

He’d lost his chance, she concluded.

A single bed sat in the corner closest to a window which offered a limited view of another concrete building. And directly across the room was a doorway to a small kitchen. Its yellowed linoleum dully reflected the day’s last light.

Auras left the door open behind him as he went to inspect the kitchen. No longer impeded by his figure, the glow of setting rays filled the space where his shadow had been.

Dejected by their interaction, Lara flopped backwards onto the mattress. It responded with labored creaks and a dying gasp of dust. Her legs hung over the edge, the bed low enough for her feet to rest flatly on the ground. However, a mound under the small of her back caused her to sit back up.

She grabbed the culprit and examined it. The white fabric unfurled in her hands, dropping crumbs of mud that had rubbed off from her clothing.

Bewildered, she called out to Auras, who reappeared from the kitchen.

“Where did you get that?”

“I just found it here,” she began, looking over the dress. But she was distracted by the burn of the gun which had grown hot enough to transfer through the fabric of her pants.

“Ah!”

“Lara?” Auras came closer.

“Headache,” She lied, putting the dress down beside her. “Glad to know the previous tenant was forgetful. At least I can change.”

The blonde man’s voice resonated in her head.

We’ll find you.

“I suppose it’s exciting to not have to sleep in mud. Again.” Lara added, trying to make her sudden shift in mood from frustration to anticipation sound more natural.

After a moment, Auras gave her a small smile and began heading for the door.

Trying to gauge how much time she had, she found herself asking about how long he’d be gone.

“I’m not sure yet,” He admitted, following a brief pause. “But for now you should stay here.”

“I can’t leave?” She asked, incredulously.

“Have patience; take this time to rest and we can discuss our travel arrangements in the morning.” Auras looked at her with a small plea.

Lara looked away, hoping to hide her chagrin, and focused her attention on the window.

Taking that as the end of the conversation, Auras headed out the door, closing it gently behind him.

Hearing him head down the steps, Lara huffed, scooching up the bed to rest her back against the wall. When she was sure he was gone, she pulled the silver firearm from her pocket and examined it.

Lara’s eyes widened, watching as the engravings dulled. They were certainly still there.

She traced the entirety of the metal, replaying the night before. They’d let her go because they’d seen something in her. And she’d stumbled across them – albeit she still couldn’t explain, or even begin to fathom, how.

Lara looked up at the ceiling, contemplating her options.

What if they don’t find me in time, she worried. She had no idea of the length Auras planned for them to stay.

Although she wasn’t sure how the markings worked, Lara convinced herself she’d be better out in the open, where she could be recognized. If she could just remember where the apartment was, she could always just come back.

Glancing at the kitchen, she watched the last vein of sunset streaking through the window. She closed her eyes and inhaled.

Shimmying off the bed, she discarded the distraught jeans she had donned every day for nearly a year, and flipped the shirt inside out to use as a rag to wipe herself off as best she could before slipping into the dress.

It was newer than anything she’d remembered ever having.

Lara wriggled her feet back into the black shoes she’d arrived with, as she had nothing to replace them. The mud had fallen off, leaving faint stains on the white-tipped fronts while the rest of the fabric, overall, had withstood the onslaught of the last two days.

She headed towards the entry, not bothering to tie her laces properly.

Pausing, she uttered a mental apology to Auras before taking a deep breath.

And with that, she opened the door and began her descent down the stairs.