Chapter 1: Intruder

The city of Velata was stunning and vibrant during the night. Rays of multicolor lights and publicity poles governed major buildings. One particular advertisement being displayed was causing the most attention amongst the others.

Publicity pole: "Find your love partner by registering now! All you have to do is state what you wish in a lover, and you shall receive!"

Hologram publicity: "Our Clientele is always satisfied with our services!"

Publicity pole: "What are you waiting for? Apply now!"

The scene faded away.

In an apartment building with 5 floor levels in the middle of the city. A young man was in front of his door on the 2nd floor.

Door: *clack*

Nora: (tired) "*Sigh*... Man! Today couldn't be more rough.."

Nora stretched from the fatigue and walked to the kitchen. Feeling hungry, he opened the refrigerator, finding nothing.

Nora: (slightly annoyed) "The groceries!, Argh! I knew i forgot something this morning..."

He was used to living with his parents and having all those unimportant things handled by them. But now, living alone, he realizes how important they actually were. He made the quick decision to issue a grocery delivery on his hologram phone. He wipes out his phone while scratching his head.

Nora: (jokingly) "Man...I gotta adjust quick to not have mom around to cook for me or else i will die from starvatiooo-"

But as he turned around from the refrigerator, still on his phone, he noticed an unfamiliar silhouette in the background on his kitchen chair. He looked away from his phone to now look at the stranger sitting at his kitchen table, he jumped a little bit on himself out of fear, making his unfinished phrase elongate.

Nora: (surprised) "oooonn?"

There lay sat on his chair, a woman dressed in a gray turtleneck and black leather skirt looking at him with nervousness. They looked at each other in silence for some minutes. Whilst looking at her, he got mesmerized by the intruder's beauty. "How pretty!", luckily his sense of danger was here to remind him not to wander. He shook his head.

Nora: "...."

[???]: (awkwardly) "Hello."

Nora: (scared) "....."

All sorts of thoughts went to his mind, but the most recurrent one was of a "robber", but he desperately wanted to cling to the ridiculous scenario of her mistaking his apartment for hers. All the apartments of this building was similar to each other. The woman in question looked stressed as he was, so he had to be the one to speak up.

Nora: (frightened) "What...What...are you doing here? Are you here to rob me or something?"

She lifted herself out of her chair, a little baffled to his comment.

[???]: (defensive) "No! I am not a robber i swear! The report said you were going to arrive at 3:30 pm and if in any case you were late-"

She showed him a spare key similar to his.

[???]: "I would have to resort using that spare key of your apartment, which i did..."

Unfortunately, it backfired, he was shocked to see that it resembled his. To which his cautiousness upon her was now doubled. "She is not working alone to rob me!", He thought.

Nora: (scared) "Who in their right mind would think straight if their house key was shown by an intruder?!"

[???]: (confused) "What?"

She realised that she had worsened the situation, causing her to sweat profusely.

[???]: (tensed) "Wait! This a misunderstanding, please listen-"

Without her finishing her sentence, Nora quickly dashed to his sink to grab a kitchen knife.

[???]: "-to me..."

Nora: (panicking) "Don't you dare approach me or move an inch!"

Now being threatened, it caused her to start trembling. She desperately tried to find a room for reasoning and rectify all misunderstandings. Under pressure, she started stuttering.

[???]: (stuttering) "B...But.."

Nora: "I'm doing the questioning!"

To unfortunate results...

[???]: (stuttering) "Yes...Y..es."

Nora looked around his apartment while still making backs and forths with the girl's eye.

Nora: (scared) "Where are your friends hiding?"

[???]: (confused) "What? I...came here all al..alone!"

Nora: "You mentioned a report of you coming at a designated time, didn't you?"

[???]: "Yes...my Company..did."

Nora's panic caused him to think of a further scenario. "A company of robbers?!" He thought.

Nora: (tensed) "Who are you working with?!"

[???]: "Th-The Th-"

Being tensed, he lost patience.

Nora: (panicked) "ANSWER ME!! OR I'M CALLING THE POLICE!"

The owner started to notice droplets of water falling on the floor. He took a good look at her and realised that she was now crying. Perhaps has he judge her wrong, her appearance didn't seem threatening. She did not carry any weapon either. This feeling of being wrong began to haunt him and if proven right.

Nora: (empathetic) "... Listen i...ummm...maybe I was a little too harsh on you...maybe this is just a mis-"

Without him finishing, he then heard the following.

[???]: (sobbing) "The M.M.I..."

She finally managed to answer his question, and now, He was struck with a horrible sense of guilt and stupidity to the whole situation. His forgetfulness struck again.

Nora: (remorseful) "Oh my god!!! I am very sorry!!, I forgot to read the mail that your company sent to me this morning."

The woman whom he thought was a burglar was still crying, trying to wipe away her tears.

Nora: "What have I done....."

Shifting from a tensed panic atmosphere to total awkwardness, our two main characters made their first encounter in the most improbable of ways. Why was this woman in his house?, The MMI? What was going on?

Chapter 1: END