Ugly side of a beautiful fairytale

Jonathan's mood from this morning was, to put it lightly, stormy. Lengthy late night reflections on life till the sun rise, followed by an early wake-up would make anyone grumpy. The close call with a disaster was just the cherry on top of the disastrous day he just had. He would say that it was the worst day of his life, if not for the fact that yesterday was the worst day of his life… for now.

But Jonathan was not discouraged, much, not to say that he was especially cheerful either. With his situation being a literal illegal alien, it did not seem that bright to be unequivocally cheerful. However, as befits a person who has accepted and resigned himself to his situation, he has slowly been able to see not only negatives, but also positive ones.

With some things, it was more difficult. It is difficult after all, strictly speaking, to find any silver linings in domestic violence. Against a persecuted girl who is at any moment could snap and just start hurting her tormentors.

Hey he's saying that he could see some positives in his position, not that there were many of them… or that there's not a lot of negatives. Sigh, his situation is shit.

"Hmm," Jonathan had a random thought wriggle into his mind. "If Cinder is already put into the corner so much that she is ready to hurt her tormentors, why does she still continue to obey them?"

Jonathan would be the last person to advocate for a child to run away from home, but Cinder had a much better reason to do so than when he did it at least.

When he was a lot younger, and a lot more stupid, he did not quite understand why using magic was so dangerous. Being the stupid brat he was, he constantly argued with the old man about it. So much so that the old man's constant prohibitions on the use of magic annoyed him. He was very young and stupid… After all, three whole years have passed! Jonathan has grown so much during this time!

Jonathan chuckled at his own joke and shook his head.

Cinder, ha, Cinder... Cinder, cornered, embittered, and ready to go for the throat. And yet, for some reason, she continues to obey her tormentor. Why?

The thought that she feared some kind of 'punishment' floated into Jonathan's mind, making him frown. The 'punishment' can be a lot of things. It can range from something as simple as a talking to, to something that can create life-long traumas like locking her overnight in a dark and damp basement full of cockroaches… But that would hardly have worked on Cinder.

Cinder doesn't seem to be the type to be that cornered with punishment with shame or other unpleasant emotions. There are indeed other kinds of things that would be scarier but…

Jonathan exhaled slowly and shook his head.

It is unlikely that Cinder could have been physically abused or the other sordid things that his mind had conjured up. Even if Miss Sunny had some influence, something that his previous jaunt through the city had disproven, if Cinder had bruises, abrasions or even traces of the other kind of abuse, then one of the guests would have noticed it. Especially considering that one of the Hunters had noticed even his stilted, and not at all can be confused as anything else conversation with Cinder. The Hunter had even, if somewhat politely, threateningly approached both of them to inquire about what was happening.

So, judging by what had happened yesterday, the only possible abuse that he could think of is Miss Sunny withholding food from Cinder. And if she would be able to stoop so low as to intentionally starve Cinder, then she probably also forced her to live in disgusting living conditions. Possibly even unsanitary ones.

Jonathan wanted to spit on the road under his feet in disgust, but when he saw the nearest robots, he resisted the urge. He will not tolerate these tech dummies making a remark about the manners of a true British gentleman!

Jonathan shook his head again, then sighed to release the slowly boiling anger in his chest.

So, to iterate what he needed right now; he needed official identifications, to deal with Cinder's issues, find a suitable base for living and lastly some kind of source of income.

He greatly prefers to stop being a lout soon-ish and to have a more significant permanent base of operations than a hotel room rented for two weeks.

However, Jonathan did not know even the first thing to do to get into contact with illegal dealers of fake IDs. If they, of course, existed at all, and were not another thing that the creators of films and books made up.

Jonathan also needed to establish some kind of surveillance on Cinder. And not by putting security cameras and bugs on her clothes. He's not a Technocrat after all.

And, of course, Jonathan wanted to buy himself a suitable place to stay with all the amenities. Preferably in a legally and absolutely transparent way. Well, if he can't find one, then maybe some kind of abandoned building? Though, he imagines, finding an abandoned building that is at least guaranteed not to be demolished in a couple of weeks by builders would be a miracle in a place with as limited space as a floating city.

The solutions to all three problems were not fully known to Jonathan, but at the same time, magia could help Jonathan with solving each of the problems that arose.

And so Jonathan could finally begin listing the positives he had found.

In any Umbral world, magic was not vulgar, but natural. Using it in any way did not give rise to Paradox. In the Umbral worlds, magic, even as strange as magia, was normal - and therefore other things, such as tass, for example, were normal. The basic foundation of all being, the quintessence of all things, pervaded everything.

In the literal sense - everything was now putty in his hands.

Matter, atoms are what is quintessence, energy is also quintessence, information is quintessence, thoughts and ideas are also quintessence.

Anything that can be called 'something' is quintessence that has taken on a certain 'form'.

An interesting fact, as a bani Bonisagus, Jonathan's specialization was not Ars Congligationis, the so-called Sphere of Correspondence, but Ars Potentiae, the Sphere of Prime, exactly the Art that deals specializes in manipulating quintessence.

In any case, given that everything in the world is made up of quintessence, then it should follow that quintessence would be easy to manipulate. And indeed it is.

However, as quintessence is precisely a part of everything, there is a lot of quintessence in the world, but there is very little free quintessence in the world. Just as in the seas of Earth existed as much gold to buy a whole country, just as quintessence is in the world. Innumerable, but good luck getting them.

And therefore, to find by chance a lump of free quintessence was like accidentally finding an ingot of gold in the middle of the road. Possible, but very unlikely. And therefore, to find tass, an un-embodied quintessence, a pure free basic unit of all things, would be quite the boon.

Basically a unit of anything you wanted, absolutely useful and so incredibly valuable.

On Earth, tass is an extremely valuable rarity. A resource that Mages would be killing each other to get, if not for one fact, Mages are able to independently produce a little quintessence every day, storing it inside themselves. Jonathan did not like bani Akashica, but their dribble about tass calling it internal energy, 'ki' or 'chi', Jonathan did not remember specifically, was somewhat easier to imagine in gathering tass.

However, in the Umbral Worlds, free quintessence was absolutely common. As common as magic, if not one that he recognizes.

And therefore, when he found the elite-looking shop having large tass in crystalline form on display, he was not that surprised.

The 'Schnee Dust Company', written with gilded letters, a sigil of white snowflakes as a background. A company that coincidentally also made his clothes.

The white building built in a modern style was guarded by no less than a dozen robots, turned out to be a real place selling tass. The mass of magic was sold as if it was the most ordinary everyday little thing that a bored passer-by could come across on the street. Needless to say, Jonathan needed a while to pick up his jaw from the floor.

Jonathan was ready for the weirdness that he could see in this Umbral world. Or, Jonathan himself had thought so at least.

***

Amy turned and stared as disinterestedly as a minimum wage service industry worker could, as another customer entered her store. The possible hick were looking at the Dust store as if he was barely able to believe his eyes, as if it were the first time in such a store. However, given his 'kid in a candy store' excited look - perhaps he really was just new to Schnee's dust store. She was told that nothing can compare to the collection and quality of Dust that a Schnee's shop have. At least that's what the many company meeting she had to attend said.

'I hope he's not from Mantle.' Amy snorted inwardly, then took a closer look at the new visitor. 'Although, he is not in rags, so most likely not. Those beggars from Mantle can barely afford to dress nicely after all.'

The visitor, a guy that looked several years younger than Amy herself, started looking around literally every shelf with his eyes, stopping periodically on individual dust crystals. Then slowly, he started whispering something to himself.

Amy did not care enough to bother listening closely to what he was whispering to himself. Most likely, he was repeating a shopping list or something similar.

However, at the moment, Amy did not have any other source of entertainment except for observing the new visitor. And so, loathe as she is to get up from her comfortable chair, she decided to take a closer look at the mumbling visitor.

The visitor was a young teenager dressed in the most ordinary looking jeans and white shirt, in a gray raincoat. Though she felt that the felt hat gave him a very comical look. The young man with black hair tied in a short ponytail, looked around the Schnee's Dust store with such attentiveness and scrupulousness that for a second Amy even wondered if this was some kind of secret check sent by her superiors during her work.

Just in case, she straightened her back, schooled her appearance, taking on the appearance of a confident professional rather than the bored teenager she looked like before. She still continued to follow the new visitor with her eyes however.

In his hands, the teenager was holding a sports bag. It looked quite voluminous, which only reinforced Amy's idea that he had arrived for a rather large order of Dust. But at the same time, the fact that, as if completely unaware of Amy, he continued to walk inside the store, examining every nook and cranny of every item on display, looked a little odd for Amy herself. Although, at the chance that he was actually a surprise inspector, she chose to ignore the strange behavior.

Walking from the entrance to the very end of the store, completely oblivious to Amy's presence, the guy eventually approached the most expensive item in the most conspicuous place. The showpiece, the diamond of the entire store, the most expensive thing in the store. Slowly, the guy started reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket. Thankfully, to Amy's slowly quickening heartbeat, it was not a prelude of a robbery, as the guy pulled out a glasses case instead of a gun.

In other conditions, perhaps Amy would have noticed that Jonathan's hands were shaking when he took out the case, and then his glasses. However, having already decided internally for herself who the client was, she lost almost all interest in his action, only noticing how he slowly fastened on his glasses as she began looking back at the storefront.

Before she was surprised by the soft sound of glass cracking.

Turning around, Amy saw, first the guy already without glasses, and a moment later the glasses that fell to the ground, the lens cracked.

Amy grimaced in sympathy, the loss of glasses was an unpleasant event. Strangely enough the guy did not seem to even notice what had happened, continuing to look almost dazed by the lot on display in front of him.

'Definitely his first time in a Schnee's Dust store' Amy easily deduced for herself - 'He probably never seen such high-quality dust…'

However, contrary to her belief that the guy would soon get over his fascination with the Dust, he continued to stand, not paying attention to anything in the world. He stood there staring in fascination for so long, that Amy was forced to do something lest he bothers any potential customers.

"Do you need something?" After Amy called out to him, the guy shuddered, obviously forgetting that in addition to the Dust, there was a seller in the store. The guy turned towards Amy, an expression with a semblance of seriousness on his face. Amy could see that he was forcing himself to turn away from the Dust display.

'Am I that unattractive?' Amy exhaled indignantly inwardly, putting on a polite smile on her face,

"And your glasses..." With Amy's words, as if only now realizing that he had broken his glasses, the guy slowly looked at his feet, blinking in confusion.

"Glasses?" As if not understanding what was said, but still looking at the broken glasses, he then started rambling incomprehensibly.

"Glasses, ha... Glasses, yes, exactly, glasses... Glasses…"

Amy frowned, looking at the strange guy's reaction. Was the glasses expensive? She could only hope that he was that distraught, and she would not need to use robotic security and take him out of the store by force.

"Broken glasses are bad…" The guy continued. - "Very, very... Bad... New... I'll have to... Buy... Then... Somehow…"

Amy frowned at the guy, then peered at him closely with all her might, determining if she needs a security intervention.

Ok, judging by his appearance, the guy did not look like a drug addict or a drunkard. However, it was impossible not to notice his absolutely detached look, slow slurred speech, and confused thoughts. He looked incredibly immersed in his thoughts... if not completely lost in the world of his own dreams. He looked like the perfect picture of a drug user a teacher would show their students. If she hadn't watched him enter the store normally, he would already call security.

"Do you have anything you're looking for?" Once again Amy tried to finish the conversation as quickly as possible.

The guy blinked again… Before looking at the pure Dust Crystal in front of him and smiling.

"Of course," He nodded, looking at Amy carefully. "Tell me the price... of everything that is in the store."

Amy was right, she could feel the commission in her hands right now.

***

Jonathan became four hundred lien poorer, there were only five hundred left in his pocket right now.

'I'm rich' Somehow even that thought calmed Jonathan down. In his bag rested ten small sealed containers filled to the brim with dust. The local name of tass.

'I'm just so fucking rich,' Jonathan smiled at every passerby. 'For such a large amount of tass… Fifty thousand pounds? A hundred? Two hundred? Or even a million?' Jonathan struggled to predict the possible reaction of hypothetical buyers.

'Ha! For such a prize, several covens might even cut each other throats just to have the chance to buy it.'

Ten Dust containers, each costing ten lien, and thirty lien to fill each with pure tass. Forty lien each for ten containers. Jonathan was sure that the old man had never seen so much tass in one place in his life.

He was rich. He was simply inhumanly rich.

Jonathan was sure he could buy half of his Order for the contents of one such store, maybe not the Magisters. Although, even they would hardly refuse such a gift from him. Jonathan could make himself more than just a courier, he could build his whole life on the trade of tass from this world.

To compare, one pound to one lien, he had just converted four hundred lien into fifty thousand lien, minimum, by simply buying and reselling.

This is if you take it by the gross income, if we take into account the labor costs and delivery, such a delivery could net a profit of two or three hundred thousand. And so he just bought an asset worth three hundred thousand pounds for four hundred pounds. What a steal.

Jonathan felt as if he had deceived everyone at once, taking advantage of the naïveté of the local natives. As if he was the Dutch man who had just bought Manhattan from the Native Americans for twenty-four dollars.

Jonathan barely stifled his impulse to laugh out loud, only letting out a squeezing couple of dry chuckles.

Still, noticing several lonely passersby looking at him strangely, Jonathan raised his cloak and lowered his hat while quickening his pace. Trying to hide from passers-by, as if fearing that they would be able to identify the stupidity that they had just committed and demand the goods back from him.

Only a miracle kept Jonathan from teleporting across the rooftops of the Atlas. A miracle and the understanding that only time could help him calm down and not waste two gallons of pure quintessence right now.

***

Jonathan returned to his room, oblivious to Miss Sunny's acerbic greetings, almost twitchy at the realization of how many assets he possessed. And so very, very afraid.

So much so that he could break out into a song.

Jonathan could use tass as a spice, like sugar, add to your tea and stir. And a drink, destroying the whole world, such is the blessed power of tass. THAT would be quite the spectacle.

Ha, making money is much easier than Jonathan previously thought! Jonathan didn't even taste the baked goods he picked up along the way, just thinking about what he'd just got his hands on.

Jonathan was afraid because he simply didn't realize just how common tass is here. He couldn't be a supplier. For such a delivery, he would have been identified and killed even before he could sell his goods to anyone, it was that significant.

The Dust he had purchased, the tass, were so incredible in their volume that Jonathan could say without any hesitation that even if he started performing the most wasteful ritual he could imagine right now, he would not have spent a quarter of what he had bought.

Well, excluding, of course, the option in which he would simply sprinkle himself with dust and start running around Atlas like a drug addict who has overdosed.

Jonathan literally felt pain in indecision, that the list of prospects before him was so great that he could not even decide what he was going to do right now.

Teleport to the other side of this world?

Start stocking his body with quintessence until it rips apart?

Create spatial discordance consuming Atlas, all at once?.

Jonathan could feel the slowly building hysterical chuckles as he contemplated his options. And, not being able to hold back, he laughed devilishly.

Jonathan wasn't just rich in money.

After all, as they teach in the Order, quintessence is everything.

***

In the coming evening, Cinder saw her fate ahead of her. No, she did not know how to look into the future, she simply possessed the rudiments of reasoning sufficient to figure out what would happen in the future.

Miss Sunny had seen that Amanda had left the dirty footprints, she even scolded her. To be more precise, she said 'don't do that anymore' and shook her finger threateningly. Then Amanda burst into tears and Miss Sunny, of course, began to console her, eventually promising to buy the dress she liked so much. After all, the price of the dress was only twenty thousand lien.

Miss Sunny didn't spend money on the hotel staff, she could afford such expenses if she wants to, but she doesn't. The lien after all, was for her beloved daughter. Not like Cinder.

But, according to Miss Sunny, she had spent incredible sums of lien on Cinder.

After all, she was even given a room. After all, she was given the opportunity to eat the leftovers from visitors. After all, she was given the opportunity to use the cleaning tools. After all, she was given the meaning of life.

After all, 'without me, you are nothing.'

Cinder felt her Semblance begin to spiral out of control again as she pulled her hand away from the wooden tabletop she had rested on. Luckily she was fast enough before leaving blackened traces of grime on it.

After all, Cinder cannot even appreciate what she was given! What a horrible girl! How can she not understand that she owes everything to her! How can her hand strike those who accepted her into the family!

Cinder still believed that she should have punished Amanda. Should have! If anyone deserved to be punished, it was NOT Cinder.

Bloody traveler… What was his name again? Jonathan?

But Jonathan… Perhaps, just perhaps, he was right. Cinder really wouldn't have received the best result if she'd just thrown the damn brush at Amanda. She would reveal her aura, and her semblance.

Aura was Cinder's trump card.

If she used her aura, then the punishment was not so painful. Thanks to her aura, she was able to recover faster than expected. And Miss Sunny didn't know that.

If she knew this, then Cinder's punishment would be more painful than before, longer even. Cinder would not have been able to steal a few hours after each punishment session 'to recover.' There would be no extra hours of sleep.

Jonathan, huh, bloody traveler... He said Cinder was right. If Miss Sunny had found out that Cinder possesses an aura, she would make Cinder work even harder. This could not be allowed. She was barely hanging on as it is right now.

Cinder exhaled slowly and rose over the countertop.

After she had finished washing the dishes, the last of those damn hunters disappeared into their room, and the hotel closed for the night. All the customers were now in their rooms, which meant Miss Sunny could now punish Cinder.

Cinder slowly clenched her fists until her knuckles were white before slowly unclenching them.

While she was washing the dishes, she had time to delay the inevitable. A few extra seconds to collect her thoughts, then go to Miss Sunny, quickly, because sluggishness is punishable.

Cinder exhaled before turning away from the sink and slowly heading towards Miss Sunny.

She was waiting for her in the usual place for punishment, the room for dishes, behind the wall from the kitchen and behind the wall from the common hall.

Miss Sunny did not want any of the visitors present to see her punishment.

Cinder walked a few steps to the door before exhaling slowly for the last time and looking down at the floor.

Miss Sunny didn't like being looked in the eye.

After another moment, Cinder opened the door, looking at the floor, but even so, she saw that besides Miss Sunny, there were two other people in the room.

Amanda and Lee, ha... They loved watching Miss Sunny punish Cinder.

If Cinder was older, she might have guessed the abnormality of this fact. But Cinder had lived her last four years of life in this damn hotel, from four to eight. She's used to it. Therefore, Cinder did not feel any surprise when she realized that the twins were with their mother again, as always.

Cinder took a few steps, facing Miss Sunny, staring at the floor in silence.

Silence reigned in the room for several seconds before Cinder heard Miss Sunny's voice.

"Cinder." The woman's voice was cold, as always, - "What happened today with the carpet on the second floor?"

"I have shown extreme disregard for my duties and kindness shown to me, Miss Sunny." Cinder spoke slowly and quietly.

She knew that accusing Amanda was the wrong decision. Amanda was the best daughter in the world. She couldn't do something terrible. Everything bad about the hotel was due to Cinder.

Cinder have learned to speak the right words. She had a lot of practice.

"Yes, you did wrong." Miss Sunny's voice was calm, and cold, so very cold. "Cinder, did I give you little? Don't you know I care about you? Didn't I take you to our family?"

"Yes, Miss Sunny." Cinder was quick to learn that Miss Sunny was Miss Sunny, not her mother. "Without you, I am nothing."

This phrase saved Cinder when her aura was not yet awakened. Only this phrase could mitigate the punishment. Only this phrase gave Cinder hope for an end to the punishment.

Cinder has learned a lot over the years.

"Cinder, you were so disobedient." Miss Sunny's voice was low, so Cinder, without looking up, could hear that Miss Sunny had taken out the remote control.

The remote control for her collar. A collar she wore, like a dog.

"Disobedience must be punished," Miss Sunny raised the remote, and Cinder heard the twins giggle. This was their favorite part of the punishment.

After another moment, Cinder felt the electricity from her damn collar rip into her body. Aura could protect Cinder from all the pain, however, this must not be done. Cinder must feel part of her punishment, part of this pain. Without the pain, Cinder could betray her secret by acting wrong.

Therefore, Cinder felt the shock of electricity jolt through her. Not as strong as it should have been, but the pain was still enough to make her fall to her knees.

Good. Miss Sunny liked seeing Cinder on her knees. If Miss Sunny were satisfied, she would let Cinder go earlier.

Cinder didn't hold back her agonizing groans, Miss Sunny liked that too, but not screams. Screams could wake up hotel guests, Miss Sunny did not like this. Miss Sunny's disliking something meant more punishments.

Cinder bit her lip, holding back a cry.

It was less pain than Cinder could have experienced, but it was still pain. A pain that she must endure.

Miss Sunny continued to hold her finger on the button, looking at Cinder crumpled on the floor for a few more seconds before removing her finger, stopping the electric collar.

"Say it," Miss Sunny looked at Cinder.

Cinder slowly caught her breath, but she did not drag out her answer. Miss Sunny had little patience.

"Without you, I am nothing," Cinder said slowly, in clear syllables, hearing the giggling chuckles of the two twins, clearly looking at the writhing Cinder.

"Right." Cinder heard a smug satisfaction in Miss Sunny's voice, which made Cinder clench her teeth until it squeaked. "Never forget that, Cinder."

"I won't forget this, Miss Sunny," Cinder said slowly, through her teeth.

This was usually followed by a second round of punishment, a second electric shock, shorter than the first. Cinder was ready, Cinder knew Miss Sunny well.

"The carpet should be cleaned by six in the morning, completely. Now, regarding the new guest… no, dear client, Mr. Rhodes. The Hunter turned to me about the scene you arranged, and you're talking with the guest from room two hundred and twenty-six, a certain Jonathan. What do you have to say about this, Cinder?"

Cinder gritted her teeth. Hunter, the bloody hunter... Bloody idiot...

"I am very guilty, I made a respected client, hunter, Mr. Rhodes worry" Cinder got up from the ground, continuing to kneel, slowly trying to catch her breath. "I promise that this will never happen again."

"It's true Cinder, this should never happen again." Cinder felt with a sixth sense that Miss Sunny had raised her finger above the button. "In order for you to remember this…"

Another shock of electricity hit Cinder, making her writhe in pain. The laughter of two twins next to Miss Sunny made Cinder clench her teeth.

Cinder gritted her teeth in pain and impotent anger, hiding her hatred. She hated them, they have to die. They should experience the same pain as Cinder did.

Cinder gritted her teeth harder.

The damn collar continued to shock her, but not for long. The second punishment was always shorter than the first.

After just a few seconds, Miss Sunny removed her finger from the button, allowing Cinder to inhale sharply, feeling tears spontaneously appear on her face.

"Remember, Cinder," Miss Sunny said slowly, "You are nothing without us."

"I'm nothing without you," Cinder said slowly.

Cinder felt that anger was boiling inside her... But Cinder was weak. Too weak and pathetic.

Even just enduring only a fraction of the electricity, her aura was almost exhausted.

Even if Cinder had rushed at Miss Sunny now, she would not have been able to do anything. Miss Sunny still had the collar remote in her hands, she would be shocked with electricity like a mad dog.

Cinder knew this, Cinder had tried to fight before. She flinched as she heard Miss Sunny's voice again. "By morning the carpet should be clean." Miss Sunny threw last as she left the punishment room, receiving a reaction from the twins, who laughed, as if from a joke.

"The guests went to bed. You can be free."

After another moment, Cinder heard the sound of receding footsteps before being left alone.

By morning, ha… Cinder looked up at the clock hanging on the wall, which says that it's eleven o'clock in the evening...

Cinder had managed to remove some dirty tracks, so she only needs two hours of work left to clean it all. By six in the morning, that means she had five hours of sleep...

Cinder gritted her teeth before inhaling slowly, feeling the tears trying to break through.

Why is she so pathetic?

Why can't she do anything against Miss Sunny?

Why is she so weak?

Why does she humiliate herself so as not to get a whip?

Why is this happening to her?

Cinder gritted her teeth before lifting herself off the floor, dusting herself slowly. It was a useless gesture, Cinder constantly did not have enough time to wash her clothes, so her clothes were dirtier than the floor. But, Cinder felt that with this she could shake off everything that happened to her.

After that, Cinder went to the room assigned to her. Miss Sunny must see that Cinder has gone to bed. The closet that had been allocated to her had once been used to store cleaning equipment, but now the small room had a mattress and a thin bedspread that covered her every night.

The heating did not warm this closet well, therefore, they gave it to her.

"Cleaning equipment cannot be stored in such appalling conditions."

Therefore, Cinder now lived in this closet.

Cinder sighed, squeezing herself into the closet, a couple of square meters, space enough only for her clothes and mattress. This is where she was supposed to sleep in, as far as Miss Sunny knows anyway.

Miss Sunny barely knew what's going on in her own hotel, so Cinder have a lot of hidey- holes. Miss Sunny was always at the front desk, while Cinder had traversed all the nooks and crannies of this hotel.

The closet was equipped with a lock, one that could be closed from the inside. It was strange, but played into Cinder's hands. She preferred not to draw Miss Sunny's attention to her safe place.

Closing the door behind her, Cinder took a couple of steps before lifting the ventilation grill in the closet. It was an old ventilation, even a small adult could get through it.

After that, Cinder squeezed into the ventilation, finding herself in a dark, narrow tunnel before she started moving familiarly through it.

The first turn to the right... Then forward... And to the left...

And soon, Cinder found herself in front of an exit into a dark dusty room, illuminated only by moonlight through a single window. It was an abandoned room, littered with numerous broken furniture covered with white sheets.

Miss Sunny has already forgotten that they even had this room in the hotel.

There was an old, broken bed in this room, and white sheets could be put in place of a mattress and used in place of a blanket. The room had a lot of space.

Miss Sunny would never enter this room.

It was Cinder's personal little world. The place she went to rest every day.

Miss Sunny did not wake up until eight, and the twins got up at nine for school, so she has a lot of time. Here Cinder was calm. Cinder was alone here. Cinder was good here. There was no one here...

"Ha, guys, your moon is broken… Or even… That's no moon… " Jonathan's voice echoed across the room from Cinder, making her freeze.

All the girl's thoughts were jumbled up in her head. Jonathan? Here?! HOW?!

Cinder swallowed, slowly turning around and finding Jonathan sitting on one of the broken couches. Jonathan was here... Ha...

"What are you doing here?" - Cinder slowly peered at the strange guest of her safe place.

Jonathan, only now realizing Cinder's presence, blinked in surprise before turning to look at Cinder carefully.

Cinder froze, staring at Jonathan. His eyes were serious. Deadly serious.

"Cinder." Jonathan looked at the girl - and Cinder saw that his gaze was focused at her neck, no, just below. Through her work clothes and straight onto the pendant hanging from her chest. He was staring at her collar.

Jonathan nodded slowly, looking into Cinder's eyes. "I want to help you."