"Wow," Roland breathed as the car came out of the tunnel. "They say this is the City of Night!"
Laspeas spread out before them like a galaxy carved into the ground. Towering spires of glass reached up toward a smog-choked sky, every one of them dripping with neon. Electric blues and violent pinks reflected off the puddles in the streets below. Every corner flickered with motion — screens, holograms, crowds of people. The whole city seemed to breathe in and out without ever stopping to rest.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Roland," Leonora said, her tone as precise as the line of her uniform. "Laspeas is known for its traps. The city will charm you first, and then it will bleed you dry."
Roland ignored her completely and leaned forward between the seats. "Come on, Youri, you lived here! You must know all the good spots."
Youri grinned, his eyes gleaming under the shifting lights. "If you want to drink and gamble, I'd be happy to show you around. But first we have to take care of your sister's business."
"Hey, D7." Leonora's voice sliced through the car, quiet and dangerous. "If I see you anywhere near a bar, a pub or a casino, I will personally hand you over to your loan sharks."
The smirk fell off Youri's face. "Understood, ma'am. Sorry."
"Good." She turned her gaze back to the window, where the city burned in colors that looked more like wounds than light. "Now that we're clear, take us to the Presidential Office."
"My lady, the accommodations you requested have been booked," Anna said softly from the passenger seat.
"Thank you, Anna."
"Where are we staying, sister?" Roland asked, still glued to the skyline.
"The Palace Hotel."
"That's such a cool name! Are we going to pass it?"
"Shortly," said Youri.
"Really? You've been there?"
"They have a decent casino," Youri said, and the grin crept back onto his face. "Have a look to your left. That's the Palace Hotel."
The car turned a corner and revealed a colossal tower of mirrored glass and gold filigree, its surface shimmering with holographic banners that advertised luxury and sin in equal measure. Roland pressed his face to the window. "Wow, it's huge! And we get to stay here for three days? I want to try the casino too!"
"Roland." Leonora's voice was suddenly low and almost trembling with restrained anger. "If you set foot in that place, I swear I will drag your ass across the galaxy and haul you home myself. Understand?"
"Yes, sister," he mumbled, his shoulders slumping.
"We've arrived at the Presidential Office," Anna said, and the car slid to a stop.
The Presidential Building loomed over the street, a fortress of white stone and obsidian glass, guards in ceremonial armor lining the entrance, their visors reflecting the storm of city lights. Inside, everything smelled of old power. Marble floors stretched away beneath golden chandeliers that hung like upside-down suns, and the air carried a sterile chill, as though emotion itself had been forbidden in that place.
Leonora walked through it with quiet command, her heels echoing sharply. When she reached the President's chamber, she removed her gloves slowly and deliberately. The President rose from behind a desk of dark obsidian wide enough to seat a council. He was tall and silver-haired, with the calm voice of a man who had long since stopped being surprised by anything. "It's an honor to have you here, Lady Leonora."
"Thank you, Mr. President." She inclined her head slightly. "You've prepared quite a welcome."
"We've arranged a banquet in your honor. The people of Laspeas have missed your visits."
"There was no need," Leonora said, and a faint smile crossed her lips without ever reaching her eyes. "But thank you for the effort. I assume the Consul informed you of the purpose of our visit?"
"Yes, my lady."
"Then let's begin."
He led her to a smaller office heavy with the scent of old books and the hum of data screens, and laid a stack of folders on the desk with a hand that trembled very slightly. "These are all the files concerning your requests."
"Thank you," she said, already scanning the first page with mechanical precision. "This may take a while. Feel free to leave. My assistant and I can handle it."
"Very well." He hesitated in the doorway. "I was told you brought two more guests with you?"
"Yes."
"Then please, invite them in," he said warmly. "We have plenty of food and rooms. It would be a shame not to extend our hospitality."
For the briefest moment, Leonora's eyes softened, and then they hardened again. "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. President. Anna, go and fetch them. At least they can eat something."
"Yes, my lady."
A few minutes later, Anna came back pale and trembling, her voice barely a whisper. "My lady… the car and the boys are gone."
Leonora went very still. The pen in her hand snapped cleanly in two, and for a long moment the only sound in the room was the faint hum of the lights. When she spoke again, her voice was so calm that it was terrifying.
"I hope," she said, her gaze distant and cold, "that they're just lost."
The Lux Club was chaos wrapped in velvet. Its walls pulsed with crimson and indigo light that moved in waves to the rhythm of the heavy bass. The air was thick with perfume, alcohol and static electricity. The ceiling was lost somewhere in the smoke and the holographic projections that flickered overhead like ghosts. Every surface shimmered as if it were whispering a secret.
"Where are we going?" Roland shouted over the music.
"I have a friend here," Youri shouted back with a grin. "She owns the place. Drinks are on me. Well — technically, on someone else."
They pushed through a sea of bodies, of laughter, sweat and music crashing together in a frenzy of color, until a voice cut through the noise like silk and smoke. "Look who just walked in. My god — fucking Youri."
She was a tall, striking Black woman in her late twenties, with curly black hair cascading over her shoulders and brown eyes that burned with mischief and command. Her glittering gold corset and high-waisted black leather pants gleamed under the shifting lights. She moved as if the rhythm of the club belonged to her personally, confidence dripping from every glance.
Youri spread his arms wide. "Gloria! It's been ages. You've lost weight!"
She laughed, a rich and dangerous sound that turned several heads. "That's the first thing you say after disappearing off the face of the planet?"
"Come on, you know I missed you."
"Sure you did," she said, narrowing her eyes. "The only things you miss are booze and bad decisions. Who's the kid?"
"Him?" Youri nodded at Roland. "Just an acquaintance."
Gloria leaned in close to Roland, and the lights painted fire across her face as her voice turned suddenly grave. "Listen to me, boy. Don't get too attached to this man. He's the kind of storm that never leaves quietly."
"Come on, Gloria," Youri said, forcing a grin. "Get us a table?"
"For you? Hell no." She paused, then turned a sly smile on Roland. "But since you brought such a handsome young man with you, I'll make an exception."
"You're the best, Gloria."
She led them through a set of velvet curtains into a private alcove glowing in soft red light. "Your usual spot."
Youri sank into the couch with a sigh of pure contentment. "Oh, and bring three bottles of gin and as many snacks as you can find."
"I hope you're paying for all this."
"Of course. Put it on my acquaintance's tab."
Gloria laughed again. "Well, in that case, the first round is on the house."
Youri raised the glass she handed him and swirled the liquor in the red light. "You see, Roboy? That's why she's the queen of this city. Generosity. May God grace you with all the riches in the world, Gloria."
Gloria smirked as she turned to go. "Don't bring God into this place," she said over her shoulder. "He checked out a long time ago."