June 1st, 2018. 12:50 PM.

  Elio groans in his sleep as he hears the sound of the PA system turns on. “Attention all passengers. The train will be arriving at the Violet Paradise Gold Station in five minutes.” The driver announced.

  Elio opens his eyes slowly as a piercing gold ray of sunlight shines through the window. “Geez, it’s even blinding with my eyes closed!” He shouts internally as he subconsciously cover’s Reggie’s eyes with his hand. “Thanks…” Reggie said groggily.

  Elio nods; “Of course.” he softly replied. “By the way, you mind if I prop you up for a bit? I just wanna move you into the shade.” “Sure…” Reggie answered.

  Elio gently lifts up Reggie and carefully sets him down so as to not hurt his back. He took a deep breath; “Just hang in there, buddy…”

  The train soon comes to a stop; “We have arrived at your destination. Please watch your step as you exit the train.” The driver announced. Elio gently picks up Reggie with one arm as he grabs his backpack and steps off the train.

  As Elio steps foot onto the platform, he’s amazed as he takes in the sight of the Gold Station being bathed in a shimmering glow of gold and boasting intricate designs that adorn every surface. The marble floors gleam under the soft light, while exquisite antiques punctuate the space, adding an air of refinement and sophistication to the bustling transit hub.

  “I… I have no words-” “Excuse me.” A soft, elegant voice interrupts Elio’s surprise as he looks behind him.

  “Hmm?” He asked as he glanced at the person talking to him. Her appearance carrying an air of effortless allure, her attire a dance between casual chic and relaxed sophistication. With a hint of mischief in her emerald gaze, framed by an untamed cascade of fiery red locks, she captivates with a style that speaks volume in its understated elegance. She’s holding onto countless handbags.

  “Sorry if I sound rude, but could you move, please? You’re standing in the way of the platform.” She asked sweetly. “Oh, shit, my bad! I didn’t realize!” Elio steps out of the way, allowing for her and other passengers to exit the train.

  Some of them give Elio a dirty glare, but Elio just smiles. “Sorry ‘bout that.” He said politely. The girl smiles back; “It’s alright, thank you for moving.” She replied.

  "No problem. Oh hey, mind if I ask you something?” Elio asked in a friendly tone. “What’s up?” “Do you know where the vet is? My baby’s in really bad shape.” He asked as he gestured with his head toward Reggie.

  The lady’s eyes widened; “Oh my God, that looks terrible! Yeah, lemme check the address real quick!” She responded as she set her bags, taking out her phone and typing in the address.

  “Alright, type in ‘Culat’s Pet General,’ that’s the nearest one.” “Thanks, but about that…” Elio takes out his phone and shows that it’s dead. “I’m out of battery.”

  “Oh… so you’re saying you want me to take you there?” She asked, her tone showing that she’s hoping he’d say that’s the case. “Well, yeah, if you don’t mind. I just figured you look like the type of person who knows her way around a maze of a city like this-” “Yeah, I can help you,” she answers as she looks away; “no need to try and butter me up.”

  Elio grins; “That was easier-” “But if I show you, I need you to help me carry my bags back to my place.” She interrupts his thoughts. Elio shrugs; “Deal! Oh, and I’m Elio, it’s nice to meet you.” “It’s nice to meet ya too, Elio. I’m Julia. Anyway, let’s get going, my arms are killing me.” Julia said as she began walking up a flight of stairs, Elio followed suit.

  “So, tell me, Elio, what’s your ‘baby’s’ name?” She asked jokingly. “His name’s Reggie.” “Reggie, that’s a cute name. He looks like a Reggie.” She smiled.

  “Yeah, also, you got a funny name for a frog.” Elio replied playfully. Julia takes a quick glance down at her belt. “Is that cause of the emblem on my belt?” “The symbol of France? You might as well wear a ‘kick me’ sign on your back.” Elio stated.

  Julia shakes her head while accidentally letting out a laugh. “Even outside of Europe, we’re still the butt of the joke. At least tell me that-” “India is worse?” Elio interrupts, keeping up the playfulness. Julia smiles; “Yeah, we’re gonna get along well!” She returned the playfulness as they kept walking. “Glad to hear it!” Elio commented.

  * * *

  June 1st, 2018. 1:05 PM.

  As the two step outside the station, Elio halts for a moment to once again take in the scenery. Instantly enveloped in a radiant glow emanating from the buildings adorned with gold and silver accents. The architecture’s mesmerizing blend of sleek modernity and opulent extravagance, reminiscent of a grand casino. The street lights even have a resemblance to slot machines. Towering structures rise towards the sky, their facades shimmering in the sunlight, while intricate designs and patterns adorn every surface. The city’s atmosphere is electric, pulsating with the energy of endless possibilities.

  Julia laughs at his daze; “It’s amazing, ain’t it?” “Yeah! I’ve never seen anything like it! No wonder people visit this place!” Elio replied, stunned. “This place has a lot of iconic locations. Anyway, the vet isn’t gonna wait for us, so let’s go.” She said as she began heading east, leading Elio through the bustling streets of Violet Paradise.

  Elio glances at a pole while at a stoplight; “Hey, where’s the button for this?” “Oh, yeah, there is no button. You pull that handle.” “Oh, I see.” Elio replied. He tries to pull it, but it doesn’t budge.

  “Wait, why’s it not working?” “Oh, yeah, if someone already pulled it, then the handle won’t go down until after the walk signal goes back to the hand signal.” Julia explained. Elio gives a low whistle to her explanation. “That’s pretty smart design, honestly!” “Plutonians really are something else.” “Oh, this is Plutonian technology?! Now it makes sense!” Elio replies with more enthusiasm, amazed by the creativity of foreign engineering.

  The walk signal turns on and the two start crossing the street. “By the way, Julia, what is it that you do?” Elio asked. “Oh, I’m a bartender at a Mexican restaurant.” Julia answered.

  Elio replies with enthusiasm; “Oh, ?la comida mexicana es jodidamente buena!” “?Verdad? ?Es uno de mis favoritos! Voy a ser honesto, es mejor que la comida francesa.” Julia returned the excitement. “I’ll drop by there when I can, it sounds really good!” “Sounds like a plan to me!” Julia responded happily.

  * * *

  June 1st, 2018. 1:25 PM.

  The two finally reach Culat’s Pet General, as they step inside, the veterinarian office boasts a warm, inviting wooden interior, adorned with an array of bird-centric decor and antiques. Perches and feeders accentuate the space, creating a tranquil atmosphere resonant with avian charm. Classical music can be heard within the building, adding to the calming atmosphere.

  “I’ll wait for you outside, Elio-” Julia quickly turns around and sneezes into her elbow. “I have bad allergies.” “Alright, I’ll see you outside.” Elio nodded. Julia walks outside as Elio steps toward the front desk, he sees a bell and taps on it, though when he taps on it, he’s greeted with the sound of a bird whistling, rather than a ‘ding!’

  As the whistle finishes, a creature with the short, stout body of a penguin, adorned with dragon-like wings, sharp talons, and a long, sinuous dragon tail flies up to the front desk, perching down on it and looking up at Elio. A Plutonian.

  “Welcome to Culat’s Pet General.” The Plutonian greets Elio, his voice comically deep. He glances at Reggie; “That’s a nasty hump that Martian Tabby has-” Elio reels his head back in surprise, interrupting him; “Don’t tell anybody, please!” He quietly begged.

  “Calm down. Nobody will know about it. Here, we don’t care about the species, we just want to do our jobs, that being to help animals, even if it’s an illegal species. Nobody can listen in on us, this vet has signal jammers, so the government is fully unaware of what we’re saying.” The Plutonian explained thoroughly, Elio let out a massive sigh of relief.

  “Thank God.” “Anyway, that Martian Tabby’s back appears to be fractured. Wait right here, I’m readying for an emergency room right now.” The Plutonian begins tapping its beak on a keypad.

  “The doctors are going to x-ray your cat in a few minutes. While they prepare, you can put your card right here.” He explained, the keypad rotates, facing Elio, its screen tells him to insert his card. “This is gonna cost me every single penny, but it’s worth it.” Elio puts his card in, and the screen immediately declines it, saying ‘INSUFFICIENT FUNDS.'

  Elio’s heart falls upon seeing that, the receptionist perches onto Elio’s shoulder; “It’s alright, we’ll still perform the surgery. We just have to keep him in our care until you can pay the bill.” He explained. “Wait, for real?!” Elio’s face lights up, feeling hopeful. “Of course.” The Plutonian answers as it hops up, eating a bug that it spotted in Elio’s hair, it then hops back down onto the front desk.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Elio puts his card away before gently setting Reggie down onto the front desk. “You are a lifesaver! Knowing that he’ll be ok and all I have to do is just make the money while having all the time in the world to get it is a relief that I can’t put into words!” He exasperates gleefully.

  The receptionist chirps at his happiness; “It’s best if you get started then.” “Of course!” Elio replied. He puts his hand on Reggie’s head; “Well, buddy, we gotta part ways for a bit. I gotta do some work so I can have you back after your surgery. You’re in good hands.” “That’s a… relief. Good luck, Elio…” Reggie responded sluggishly, but optimistically.

  “Thanks, Reggie.” Elio turns around and starts walking out; “I’ll see you soon!” He leaves the building.

  Julia, currently leaning with her back against the wall, spots Elio. “So… how’d it go?” She asked. Elio simply makes an x-mark with his arms. “Oh… not enough money? I’m sorry to hear about that.” “Eh, it’s cool, I’ll just have to get a job to make enough.” Elio replied, waving it off.

  “Well, if you need a job, I could bring you to the restaurant and ask my boss if you could get one. AFTER we bring my stuff back to my apartment, speaking of which,” she holds out one of her arms; “you get the heavier half.” Julia said.

  “That’s fair.” Elio answered back casually, grabbing the bags and holding them. “You’ve been more than helpful, I can tell you that much. I appreciate it, Julia.” “Aye, it’s my pleasure!” Julia smiled. “Come on!” She starts walking again.

  * * *

  June 1st, 2018. 1:50 PM.

  The two arrive outside the door to Julia’s apartment, she looks up at Elio as she grabs her key. “Oh, fair warning,” she puts the key in; “my roommates do a lot of pot unfortunately, so even when I keep the windows open, the smell refuses to leave.” She opens the door.

  “Oh my God, you weren’t kidding!” Elio plugs his nose; “It smells so shit, it’s kind of funny!” “Yeah, it’s bad.” Julia chuckled while stepping inside, Elio followed suit. “Anyway, we can just put the bags by the fireplace, I can just put this stuff away when I get back from work.” “Got it.” He sets them down.

  Julia takes a box out of one of the bags, one full of scented candles, she begins going around the apartment, setting each candle down and lighting them. “Oh, and you can just set your backpack down by the fireplace as well.” She added. “Let's go, I’ll show you where I work so you can talk with the big boss.” She said. Elio takes off his backpack and heads out the door with her.

  * * *

  June 1st, 2018. 2:15 PM.

  “Well, here we are, Cocina del Rey!” Julia excitedly introduced to him as she opened the door of the restaurant for him. Her face quickly changes to confusion when she sees Elio holding the other door open for her; “Well… ladies first!” Elio said. Julia shrugs; “Alright then.” She lets go of the door and walks through the one Elio is holding, he walks in after.

  The air is filled with the aroma of sizzling fajitas and freshly squeezed lime as vibrant colors dance off the walls adorned with traditional artwork, while the sound of lively mariachi adds to the festive ambiance. Guests chattering happily over glasses of handcrafted margaritas, their laughter mingling with the clinking of glasses and the occasional shake of a cocktail shaker. The atmosphere is bustling, yet cozy, inviting patrons to linger over flavorful dishes and lively conversation.

  “This feels like my place, like I own it.” “Well, I wouldn’t go as far to say that it makes people feel like they own it-” “That’s the thing, my last name is King.” Elio responds. “Ohhh… interesting! Well, let’s get going. We still have an hour before my shift starts.”

  She looks around and sees a tall, chubby man with a cheeto mustache, wearing primarily dark formal clothes; “And we’re in luck, that’s my boss!” Julia walkes over to him. “Oye, Carlos, hay alguien que quiero que conozcas. Está interesado en encontrar un trabajo aquí.” “?Quién es?” Carlos asked.

  Elio walks up to him; “?Hola! Soy de quien habla Julia. Me llamo Elio, ?encantado de conocerte!” He introduced himself as he held his hand out for a handshake. Carlos shakes his hand, giving a firm grip; “Encantado de conocerte, Elio. Tu espa?ol es fantástico.” “Muchas gracias!” “De nada. Dime, ?qué puedes hacer?” Carlos asked with enthusiasm.

  “Well, I’m really good at cooking, like really good, stupid good!” Elio boasted. “I see. Well then,” Carlos faces Julia; “show Elio to the work lounge, please. I like his confidence, but I doubt my customers would be comfortable being served by someone dressed like him.” He said jokingly.

  Julia gives a small chuckle; “Sure thing!” She beckoned for Elio to follow. “Come on!” They reach the lounge, Julia starts rummaging through some clean employee uniforms; “Elio, what size are you?” “I wear a large, and my pant size is thirty-two.” “Large, thirty-two…” Julia mutters; “There we go! Found ‘em!” She said, handing his work uniform, both the shirt and pants are charcoal black.

  Elio takes them; “There’s a changing room right there, so get to it.” “Cool, oh, and Julia, thanks for going out of your way like this. I know I said it earlier, but I genuinely mean it.” Elio smiled softly. Julia returned the smile; “Of course! It’s the least I could do, besides, you were nice to me.” She replied. Elio nods to her response.

  Elio steps inside the changing room and comes out, wearing his new work uniform, as well as still wearing his shades. He glances at Carlos as he enters the lounge; “The visor stays.” He said. “Well, you still look sharp. Anyway, here’s your hair net.” Carlos responds, handing it to him. “?Bienvenido al equipo!” He welcomes him. “?Me alegro de estar aquí!” Elio replied, putting on the hair net.

  “Julia, ?no te vas a preparar?” “Aún me quedan cincuenta y cinco minutos para mi turno.” She answers while looking at her phone. “Entendido, Elio, ven conmigo.” Carlos beckons as he starts heading toward the kitchen. “?Claro que sí!” Elio said as he followed. He gave Julia a quick wave, which she returns.

  The two reach the kitchen, right as they do, an order comes in. Carlos takes a look at it; “Carne asada burrito.” He hands the order to Elio. “Got it!” He responds with enthusiasm. Elio grabs an apron and ties it around his waist, he grabs a bag of marinated beef and sets it on the counter before cracking his knuckles. “Alright, watch me, Carlos!” He said excitedly.

  Elio fires up the grill, as it heats up, he dumps the beef onto it. Letting it cook for a bit, he flips the carne asada with the flick of his wrist, the flames dancing around it like eager spectators at a fiesta. His movements are graceful, each turn of the tongs a carefully orchestrated performance. He adds a sprinkle of the restaurant’s homemade spice blend, infusing the air with a tantalizing aroma. With a confident grin, Elio quickly slathers sour cream and guacamole on a heated tortilla before sprinkling shredded cheese on it. He then places the grilled meat alongside charred peppers and onions, arranging them with artistic precision before wrapping up the burrito at record pace.

  Elio hands the plate to Carlos; “?Obra maestra!” He comments with pride as Carlos looks at the food he’s been presented with. “?Me has quitado las palabras de la boca!” Carlos exclaims, amazed by it. “Buen trabajo, ?sigue así!” He said as he takes the plate and brings it out. Elio smiles, glad to hear his cooking being praised.

  * * *

  June 1st, 2018. 3:20 PM.

  As Elio’s preparing a posole soup, he notices the time; “Huh, that’s strange, Julia’s shift started around five minutes ago. I should’ve seen her come through here when she clocked in.” He pondered. Elio then nudges on a coworker’s shoulder; “Hey, Debbie, I haven’t seen Julia yet since I left the lounge. Where’d she go?” “Oh, she probably went up into the attic to talk with her brother.” She answered.

  “Oh, it must be private if she had to go up there to call him.” “Oh yeah, I forgot, you’re new here. I meant that her brother’s literally up there.” “Wait, for real?” “Yeah, I’d say you should ask Julia about it when your break starts.” “Got it.” Elio responded as Debbie got back to work.

  Elio resumes making the soup, his eyes widened as he realizes something; “Wait, it just hit me. I know Reggie’s in good care with those Plutonians, but… I still don’t know all there is to the Nightmare. What if he transforms after his back is fixed? He’s never been around Plutonians before, if he catches a whiff of them while he’s in that form, it’d be a slaughterhouse for everyone there! Shit, I’ll be sure to ask Julia if she knows anything about making money fast, I don’t wanna risk having Reggie kill so many people.”

  * * *

  June 1st, 2018. 4:30 PM.

  Elio takes off his rubber gloves and throws them in the trash can before hanging up his apron and stepping out of the kitchen. He walks behind the bar counter; “Hey, Julia, you got a moment?” “Hmm? Yeah, what’s up, Elio?” She asked back as she mixes a drink. “I got two things I need to ask. One: how do I make money quickly here without throwing away dignity? Two: is it true that your brother’s in the attic of this place?” He asked.

  Julia's face becomes serious; “It must be dire if you’re in desperate need of that much money, despite Reggie likely having gotten his surgery started. Though, while my brother isn’t too fond of meeting others, he does know the ins and outs of this city. Tell you what, I’ll introduce you to him after my shift.” She said, patting him on the shoulder. “Guess I’m in luck, I’m glad to hear that! Alright, thanks Julia, I’ll get out of your hair now.” Elio gave a quick wave as he walked away. “No problem, I’ll see ya around.”

  * * *

  June 1st, 8:20 PM.

  Julia steps out of the changing room, wearing her regular clothes again; “Alright, you ready to head up?” “Yeah, I’m ready.” Elio replied, wearing his street clothes as well. He gets up from a chair, pushing it in. “Then let’s go.” She beckoned, Elio followed her.

  Julia pulls down on a string from the ceiling; “Watch your head-” The steps come down, nailing Elio in the forehead, knocking him to the floor. “AHHHH, FUCK!” Elio shouted as he puts his hands on his forehead, groaning from the pain. Julia immediately crouches down to help him up; “Elio, I’m so sorry! Are you alright? That’s on me, I didn’t warn you early enough.” She apologized. “I’m fine, if anything, that pain was more surprising than painful for me.” He stood up. “Why are the steps made of steel though?” He asked, befuddled.

  Julia sighs in relief, seeing that he’s ok; “My brother’s super heavy, so he replaced the steps with steel ones so they could remain stable whenever he climbs in and out of the attic.” She explained. Elio tilts his head; “Jesus, no offense, but if he’s that heavy, how does he even fit in the attic?” “You’ll understand when you come up.” She answered as she’s climbing up, she gestures with her head for him to follow.

  Elio starts climbing while looking down so as to not stare, he looks up once Julia steps into the attic. “Hey, Ray, I got someone who wants to meet you.” Julia said, but she’s not given a response. “Hey, Ray!” She raised her voice to get his attention as Elio stepped inside.

  Elio quickly takes in the darkness of the attic, the only light source being a bright computer screen. His eyes follow toward the screen, and he quickly looks away, using his arm to cover his vision. “What the fuck is on that screen?!” He shouts in disgust.

  Elio slowly glances back. “Huh- oh, shit!” Ray jumps as he closes the tab and looks at them. “Sorry you had to see that.” He takes off his headphones and Elio gets a good look at him. Ray’s physique is defined by shredded muscles, his dark skin accentuating a strong presence. His beard frames a face marked by a nasty gash on his left eye, adding a rugged intensity to his gaze. Freeform dreads, combed back, exuding a raw, primal energy, enhancing his intimidating aura. He wears a purple t-shirt and black sweatpants.

  “THIS is the guy who knows the ins and outs? You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Elio grimaced at the thought.