9 .a mysterious touch.

My neighborhood was pretty much normal. Nothing abstract, nothing fascinating. Along the main road leading to the center of Jing'an District. You make a right turn, before reaching the big traffic lights and from there, you carry going down a normal, quiet and slightly dark road. Although this road was not far from our apartment, it was also not close. You had to continue down the path until you reached an alleyway which had 1 single light about 10 meters in.

This light had lit up a certain section of the alleyway which made it scary to walk through at night. I was not personally a fearful person but I wasn't a fearless person either.

There were rusted metal fences about 3 meters high on each side, with weeds growing around each bar. The path itself was rough with holes and plants growing in every crack of space where any possible life available could live. At the bottom of this endless walk waited a dark yellow streetlamp accompanied by a narrow car parking lot belonging to the apartment.

It was dark and unsafe with howls of animals and crunching movements from inside the gardens by the alleyway. Indeed, no one ever wanted to walk through there. It felt desolate and abandoned.

The smell was funnier than usual, a hint of bitterness in the air lingered for a little before completely vanishing.

I reached home, finally.

But before I could take a step into the building, I was stopped in front of the large glass doors, blindfolded and dragged into a car. I tried to release myself before hearing a deep voice. I think that man was speaking over the phone. He had said that I am on the way to see him, unharmed but blindfolded.

What could they possibly want from me?

Shortly after half an hour, the car came to an abrupt stop, a neighborhood of business and traffic, nonetheless, he spared no kindness and dragged me up. He unfolded the blindfold. I was almost blinded for a second.

Because in front of my stood 2 immense gold doors with lights on its porch advertising the beautiful name. It was the "Sarfiline Hotel." And hell did it look gorgeous. A towering building stood glaring its eyes at me, reflecting the beautiful lights of the hotel and taking in the energy of its guests.

1 second in my dream felt like hours, as this haunting building dragged me into its tricks, attraction.

I was soon pinched harshly back to reality where I was greeted by 2 or three men dressed in black urging me to go in. Of course, I had been paying no attention to them until now so I complied and went in. Interestingly, I was calmer than usual, a straight face but still panicking on the inside. I was directed to a stunning crystal elevator decorated with intricate carvings and slashes of delicate color.

By now, my heart was thumping in my chest as if it were ready to pop out, but I kept my cool and waited for the right time to make my move.