Hope born of solitus

*

Finishing the phone call, I swiftly returned the phone to that woman and left the fast food restaurant. Erupi was a city near my home, on the continent of Pangaea there were numerous residential zones separate from commercial zones.

There were less than 10 types of zones present, about 50% of the landmass were the uninhabitable zone. Then there was the industrial zone which included factories and resource extraction facilities. After that was the agricultural zones which are nearest to civilisation. Civilisation referred to residential and commercial zones, their names were self explanatory. While 90% of commerce do flow through the crowded and bustling commercial zones, there are still convenience stores and supermarkets at the residential zones which are far more sparse. There are other subtypes and hybrids, but those weren't important in daily life.

Commercial zones not only consist of the facilitation of goods and services, they are also where people carry out their jobs and contribute to society. Schools predominantly reside in residential zones. There were also many hotels and rental homes lying around in Erupi and Manukia. I would say the commercial zones are closest to what was known as cities or countries from 20 million years ago.

Neon lights filled the streets, while it is a hassle to stray from the main street and go upstairs, the surroundings buildings were able to offer a vast array of retail services on not only the ground floor but also on higher floors, giving widespread accessibility to the centre roads and utilising vertical space. While these long streets formed long rows of buildings, there are some gaps that lead the more parallel streets.

This was the famed unending market. It wasn't unending because the street stretched on indefinitely, it was because these stores went open for all 24 hours of a day. Beyond the market would be large interconnecting roads leading to other parts of the Erupi commercial zone. I was the one to plan the trip so I did a cursory brush up on some trivia. Important information such as the names of places and the paths there, I spent the whole morning preparing so that things would go smoothly... I can't believe I had to abandon my plans for the Manukia commercial zone.

Regretful. I wanted to experience it, but realistically it's not safe with the Remnant situated there. I walked through the street, it was already approaching evening with the skies turning a faint purple. Despite this being my first destination, the travel time and the battle took a lot out of me. I was awfully fatigued just getting here.

Ah! Whatever! Away with the awful thoughts! At times like this... I should eat! Thankfully food is one of the things that were offered abundantly here. It should be noted that many of these stores were tourist traps that have marked up prices. It'll be hard to find something that's moderately priced much less cheap.

I observed the sky getting more saturated, my footsteps quicken. It was almost 6pm, I would like to save the night time for sightseeing. I also don't want to compromise and eat something expensive. What to do...? I continued to senselessly wander the streets, the lights smear the sky and decorate the streets under the dusk of twilight. A shade of dark purple reflected from the sky paints the tarred road and concrete walls, although not as pronounced or vibrant as the sky.

It began to remind me of the Remnant's monochromatic world, her looks, her power. It matched {Anxiety} and its ability to manipulate frequencies and vibrations... A previous Lastia wrote it down in her diary, because she worried about this... In a way, was it my fault the ogre Trace escaped and claimed a victim? It was painful just to think about it. A one day long existence, I had no inhibitions around filtering my thoughts or emotions. If possible I wished to be honest and earnest, even in my own thoughts, without lying to myself.

A fickle existence, I recognise and don't at the same time. Maybe because it's getting dark that I'm getting anxious. On the way, I found a place selling noodles with good soup. The price is decently high, suspiciously high to me. However I got tired of searching, and their portions seemed generous, so I'll take it. I entered the restaurant and quickly ordered up a bowl.

A man wrapped in white thick cloth, from his top, robe and hair, to his white boots, was serving the counter. He was also manning the kitchen at the same time, skillfully remembering the orders of customers, balancing preparation and delivery. Like his clothes, his hair was also whitening at the edges, his deep wrinkles reflected a layer of moisture coating his wrinkles.

"Miss, have you decided on your order?" (Mr. Alan)

Despite the bustling nature of his patrons, he patiently asked and waited for my words. Well, he didn't need to wait much. I was pretty decisive as a result of my hunger.

"I'd like the classic pork broth! As for toppings, I'd like to add more of these and these!" (Lastia)

Could I finish it? I don't know... But my hunger was exceedingly stimulated by the savoury scent in the air, the fragrance of every soup wafted into the air to give a delightful and welcoming atmosphere. Perhaps the olfactory sense contributed greatly to the experience of a meal. I patiently waited, looking around the place while stuck to my seat. The place was crowded for good reason, even if the price was quite high according to the reviews, the quality and taste was guaranteed.

It was more than 20 dollars for a set meal, I felt really selfish spending it on myself as opposed to letting the next Lastia use it... Well, I brought a lot of cash for a reason. There should be enough for her to enjoy the trip back too, maybe lavishly so...

Or will she think like me and mostly thrift? There was a lot of savings from an unknown source of income to my bank account. Looking at the history of my account, the same amount was withdrawn every month... I do hope that even if the other Lastias are thrifting, they were eating healthy. With only a few hours left, was I getting sentimental?

Not really. There's no time for such emotions. Enjoying every second is what I strive for. I'm just... An inherently sentimental person, I enjoy my life by thinking about others. Specifically the other Lastias. I hadn't had much contact with Sariel and Arin, though I am indescribably grateful, I'm sorry I don't have much thought about you guys...

After some time, I realised I got lost in the sea of my own conscious, a deluge of thoughts of my own making caused me to lose track of time. The wooden bowl of noodles sat on the table with a plop.