Chapter 12 - The Lounge

Leon and I make our way to the Lunar Groove Lounge. I keep him close to me to remind him that his life is in my hands. When we arrive at the entrance, the bouncer, a short, plumpy man, stops us and asks what we're here for. With nervousness in his voice, Leon is the first to speak up. 

"I-is the music loud tonight?" 

"Louder than ever" 

"Bring me to the loudest corner then." 

'This filthy liar... He told me I was supposed to tell them to bring me to the quietest corner....' 

"ID?" 

Leon shows him his special identification card and we are allowed inside. Once inside, a butler in impeccable attire gives us both masks to hide our identities. It seems that anonymity is highly valued here. After giving him a firm threa- a firm warning, I release Leon into the building. Once we have parted ways, I step further inside, and all my assumptions about the place are shattered. This is not the run-down establishment I expected from looking at the front entrance. This is more akin to a palace than a night club. The interior is filled with people, regular and [enlightened] alike. Each piece of furniture exudes an aura of opulence, seemingly crafted from the most precious materials available in the world. A magnificent chandelier hangs from the ceiling, illuminating the main room of the building. Soothing and elegant music is playing for all to hear, fitting the upscale atmosphere. Waiters are running around, serving food which I may never have the chance to taste in my life. Bottle girls pour expensive wines in the glasses of all the attendees as if they were bottles of water. Though all those present wear masks, the aura of wealth and power is unmistakable. 

Now that I have managed to enter, it is time to explore and gather more information. In the other rooms, some are playing board games, others are having enthusiastic conversations, and a few are simply sitting down, enjoying the night by themselves. The latter will be perfect to get more information about this place. I locate a lone woman sipping on wine by herself. She seems to be in her late thirties, wearing a flowing red dress which complements her stunning figure. Holding a glass of whiskey in my hand, I approach her. 

"You come here often?" 

"Has that line ever worked for you, boy?" 

"Haha, I'm older than you think." 

"What a nice joke, my oldest son might be older than you." 

"What's a pretty lady like you doing in this kind of place anyways? Are you here for 'that'" 

"You mean the tuning pill? You can say it out loud in here you know? You really are a green horn!" 

'It's called a tuning pill...' 

I end my conversation with the lady in the most natural way possible, by getting her card. With absolutely no ulterior motive at all, I store it in my pocket for later use. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll need the help of a beautiful older lady. Thanks to her, I have gained a crucial piece of information. The doping medicine Leon was talking about is called a 'tuning pill', from the name alone I can guess what it does. As [it] mentioned during the [fracture] ritual, sometimes, the soul is not tuned to the scale of the melody, which yields weaker abilities. Then, this tuning pill must be the solution to that problem. Everything is slowly starting to make sense. This pill explains why there are so many [enlightened] in this establishment, who wouldn't want to get stronger? If they are not composers, I imagine that more than a few [enlightened] need these pills to compete with the truly talented. 

The only missing piece of the puzzle is Calvin's connection with this place. What would a non-enlightened want with a tuning pill? It's not like he'll be able to use it. Now that I am here, I can no longer contain my curiosity. If possible, I'd like to unveil the mystery behind the tuning pill business, who makes them, how, and why do they have to be sold in such secrecy? It is strange for such a miraculous thing to not be more well known, even considering that great families might want to keep this a secret for themselves. If something this revolutionary existed, there would at least be rumors going around concerning it, but I've never even heard the term 'tuning pill' before. 

I spend some more time gathering information from the locals in hopes of receiving answers to these questions. I avoid inquiring about Calvin, however. Individuals in his line of work usually have eyes and ears everywhere, especially in places they often go to. 

From what I've gathered, there are two types of tuning pills, the first type is given starting in early childhood to improve the chance of success in the ceremony as well as gradually increase the synchronicity between the soul and the [melody]. Its only downside is that its beneficial effects must eventually hit a plateau. The second type, the new type, is supposed to allow a momentary boost in the abilities of the user beyond what they should be capable of even with a perfectly tuned soul. The going price of the former is around 3000 notes per pill and the best effects are seen when given once every month starting at the age of around 6 years old. An exorbitant price for me, but a drop in the bucket for the type of people to frequent the Lunar Groove Lounge. This new one, however, does not have a price yet, all information going around about it is solely based on rumors and 'samples' that some [enlightened] were lucky enough to get their hands on. 

The first one was not a surprise. I had already suspected that the great families had a way to ensure success during the ceremony, now I know for sure. The only problem is that I can still not say for certain why exactly these pills work. 

After a while, I realize that further questioning will not yield any new insights into the tuning pill. Each new person that I approach reiterates things that I've already heard. It seems the individuals here are only aware of superficial knowledge. Nonetheless, I believe that I have gathered enough information for the night. Additionally, I do not want to push my luck and gather unnecessary attention on me. Satisfied, I opt to return to the motel and think about what I've learned today. 

As I am on the verge of exiting the building, a voice amplified by a microphone makes an announcement for all to hear. 

"For all of those who are still with us tonight, the famous LGL auction will begin shortly, please grab a bidding paddle and take a seat in the rearranged main room of the Lounge!"