Lucius walked out of the theater a changed man.
No, not enlightened or inspired — completely changed in a way that left him questioning his life choices.
He was horrified, utterly horrified, and if he was being honest, mostly horrified at himself for agreeing to this in the first place.
"That was a good movie." Esmeralda’s satisfied sigh carried a tone of smugness, though the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her.
It was, in fact, the first time she had ever watched a movie with someone else. Because of that, she decided she needed to act tough.
Even if she had clutched the armrest with white knuckles during half the scenes, and even if her heart was still racing, she would never admit how close she’d come to hiding her face.
"Let’s agree not to watch that again."
"I agree," Lucius muttered, massaging his forehead like a man who had just seen into the abyss. "This was worse than The Hollow Man. At least that one was... tolerable."
His expression twisted with conflict as flashes of the film replayed in his mind.
This world wasn’t just ahead of Earth in technology... it was decades ahead in horror.
They didn’t shy away from gore,and that alone made him wish he could unsee what he had just witnessed.
"I’m not sure who thought it was a good idea to put in the scene with the mother carving her own face off while singing to her baby in the crib," Lucius said flatly, his voice dropping. "The way the skin peeled, the sound of the lullaby getting wetter with every line—"
He cut himself off, shaking his head. "Why did you even buy these tickets?"
Esme shivered.
She tried to look composed, but her hand instinctively touched her own cheek as if to reassure herself the skin was still there.
"I know, right?" she said quickly, eager to move past that particular image.
Together they exited the cinema, the cold air outside washing over them like a blessing.
They stood in silence for a moment. But as the seconds stretched, Esme realized something.
She didn’t want him to leave yet. The thought of him saying goodbye and vanishing back into his world left her chest hollow.
Luckily, Tinny had told her what to do if this exact moment came.
"Uhm... we already did a movie." Esme hesitated, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "There’s still some time to burn, so... should we grab a bite?"
Lucius looked at her, one brow arched.
His stomach answered before he did, grumbling loud enough to make her stifle a laugh.
He remembered suddenly that he hadn’t had breakfast.
He’d jumped from hangover to cinema without pause, and the gnawing emptiness in his stomach made her suggestion very appealing.
"Sure," he said at last, smirking faintly. "Do you know some nice places around? Or did you reserve an entire restaurant for us?"
His sarcasm landed, but not in the way he expected.
Esme tilted her head thoughtfully. "Should I have?"
Lucius blinked. "It was sarcasm."
"Oh." She rolled her eyes, dismissing his tone like it was his problem, not hers.
She began walking, leading him down the busy street. "Come on."
Lucius shook his head, falling into step beside her.
That was when her eyes caught something or rather, someone across the street.
Her body stiffened instantly.
’Irael?’
Why was he here? And why was he staring at them with that unreadable expression?
Lucius rolled his shoulders. "Anyway, is this restaurant nearby?"
Her eyes snapped back to him.
"Y-yeah. Just up ahead." She forced her voice to be steady and pointed down the road.
They arrived at a cozy but popular restaurant, tucked between glass towers.
The smell hit them first as they got in... grilled meat, roasted spices, bread baked fresh. It wasn’t extravagant, but it had an inviting warmth that made it obvious why Esme came here.
"I usually stop by after a movie," she said casually as they entered.
Inside, chatter filled the air, utensils clinked, and laughter carried from tables.
That atmosphere lasted only a second. When the customers spotted Esme, the noise dropped sharply, like a collective intake of breath.
All eyes shifted away from her though they were surprised Lucius was with her.
The staff, however, didn’t share their reaction.
The waiters moved quickly, vibrant smiles plastered on their faces as they ushered Lucius and Esme toward one of the best tables by the window.
Esme accepted a menu with casual grace, immediately pointing at nearly half the options on the list.
"This, this, oh and this too. Yes, that as well."
Lucius stared.
His eyes widened slightly as the waiter scribbled furiously to keep up. "Are you seriously going to eat all that?"
He handed his own menu over with far less fanfare. "Just some chicken and juice."
As the waiter left, Lucius leaned back with a sigh.
His thoughts drifted. ’I really have a lot of things to do today... I still need to spend time with Elara, brainstorm the next stream, and I even promised to go shopping for drone parts. God, I’m screwed.’
He shoved the thoughts into the back of his mind.
For now, food came first.
The waiters soon returned, pushing carts laden with trays.
They placed them in front of Esme with mechanical efficiency, covering nearly the whole table with steaming dishes.
"Miss Esmeralda, here’s everything you ordered," one of them said politely, clearly used to this level of excess.
Lucius whistled under his breath. ’This girl eats like a black hole.’
When his chicken arrived, he didn’t even bother with the fork.
Hunger took over, and he tore into the food like a starving man.
"Hey, slow down." Esme laughed as she forked a piece of steak into her mouth.
Her lips curved in genuine amusement. "It’s not running away."
Lucius grunted, ignoring her advice. The chicken was heavenly, and right now, he didn’t care if he looked undignified.
A shadow suddenly fell across the table.
Slowly, he raised his eyes to find Irael standing there. The man’s expression was dark.
Without asking, Irael placed a firm hand on Lucius’s shoulder.
"Hey," he said evenly. "We need to talk."
"Do I know you?"