Year 2050

  Month 3

  Location: Hearts Desire

  In the large lobby, volunteers in matching gold vests organized care packages at long tables. On one side, well-dressed donors chatted quietly over coffee. On another a holographic display showed before-and-after images of renovated veterans’ housing while a woman in a tailored suit explained funding allocations to attentive donors. Posters featuring smiling children lined the walls, each bearing the slogan “Rebirth Foundation: Being Reborn is for Everyone.”

  Lucian stepped through the entrance with his hands resting in his pockets. His eyes looked around the room casually.

  “Can I help you, sir?” A receptionist approached with a clipboard. “Are you here for the volunteer orientation?”

  “No, thank you.” Lucian reached into his jacket and produced a sleek black card with “Hearts Desire” embossed in gold lettering.

  The receptionist’s professional smile didn’t waver. “Of course. The private entrance is to your right.”

  He approached an unmarked door, then swiped the card and stepped through as it slid open silently. A narrow corridor stretched before him, the lighting gradually shifting from bright white to purple. With each step, the sounds of charitable work faded behind him, replaced by the low thrum of bass.

  The corridor opened onto a landing overlooking a sprawling nightclub. Below, bodies moved in synchrony on a dance floor illuminated by shifting patterns of light. Private booths lined the area, occupied by patrons being attended to by companions in elegant yet revealing attire.

  Lucian descended the stairs, his eyes fixed forward, deliberately avoiding the curious glances from those he passed.

  A woman with blue hair and a thin black dress intercepted him as he walked through the crowd, her hand resting lightly on his arm.

  “Looking for company tonight?” she asked, her voice held its customary sultry melody. “You look younger than most of the regulars.”

  “Not tonight,” Lucian replied. “And not my first time, but thank you.”

  Her hand lingered a moment longer before she nodded and retreated, already scanning the crowd for another potential customer.

  “Miss Katari’s natural not trying voice is sexier…” Lucian muttered as he continued walking.

  Lucian soon reached the far end of the club where another door waited, this one with a subtle security scanner embedded in its frame. He swiped his black card again, and the door slid open to reveal a descending staircase bathed in subtle red lighting.

  The stairs led to a narrow hallway lined with doors on either side. The soundproofing was expensive but not perfect. From behind one door came a woman’s breathless “Mmm, yes, just like that,” while another emitted low groans. Lucian kept his eyes forward, moving purposefully down the corridor.

  The hallway opened into a junction with three possible paths: left, right, or straight ahead. Lucian continued forward without hesitation, approaching an elevator that required another card swipe. The doors parted, and he stepped inside.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  When the elevator opened again, the atmosphere had changed completely. Gone was the glamorous nightlife and beautiful companions.

  On this floor, the true business of Hearts Desire thrived.

  A sprawling casino floor took the center of the level.

  Security guards with visible weapons stood around the room. At one table, a man in an expensive suit passed a small case to another. In a corner booth, two women examined holographic blueprints while a third cleaned a disassembled weapon with practiced precision.

  Lucian moved through the space, drawing instinctual glances, but no one interrupted.

  Signs throughout the room could be read. Words of great wisdom that allowed a place like this to thrive as it had:

  Mind

  Your

  Business!

  With such a motto, no one dared to let their gaze linger for too long. Lucian soon approached a door at the far side of the casino floor, guarded by a man whose suit did little to hide his combat-ready physique.

  The guard’s eyes narrowed briefly before recognizing the card in Lucian's hand. “Please go in,” he said, stepping aside. “She’s waiting for you.”

  The door opened to reveal a final staircase leading downward, where humid, fragrant air rolled up to greet him.

  As Lucian descended, the sounds of the casino faded behind him, replaced by the soothing rush of flowing water.

  The chamber he entered was vast and dimly lit. Fountains sprayed arcs of water into shallow pools. Several attendants stood discreetly in the shadows, ready to serve.

  Steam curled through the air, giving the marble chamber a dreamlike quality. The waters were empty save for a single figure partially obscured behind a thin curtain of water.

  Katarina Mercier emerged without hurry, water droplets tracing paths down the smooth skin of her back before a waiting servant stepped forward and draped a towel across her shoulders.

  Lucian met her gaze without flinching.

  “You don’t shy away, do you?” she purred, amusement flickering in her eyes.

  Lucian shrugged, unbothered. “Why should I? This isn’t the first time you’ve tried teasing me.”

  Her smile widened, sharp and knowing, as she casually tightened the towel around herself. “Good. I hate boring men.”

  “That’s why you're my favorite golden boy,” she purred.

  “Get it? Golden?” she winked before sitting down on a curved chair and extending her leg. A servant quickly walked toward her and began to lotion her skin.

  “Come closer, I won’t bite... unless you ask nicely.” a naked finger pointed and motioned for Lucian to come closer.

  Lucian approached. “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice.”

  “When have I ever refused darling?” Katarina replied. “It’s been, what—three months since you last needed my... assistance?” Her painted lips curved into a knowing smile. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten our arrangement.”

  “Some things are hard to forget,” Lucian replied.

  Katarina’s eyes gleamed. “Like finding you bleeding out in that warehouse two years ago?” She snapped her fingers, and another servant stepped forward, reequipping her with the infamous metal-tipped claws. The deadly hand harness caught the light, reflecting in Lucian’s golden eyes.

  “I still remember how you looked at me when I asked if you wanted to live. Such desperation in those golden eyes.”

  Lucian nodded. “I remember asking why you bothered saving me.”

  “And I told you exactly why,” she said, sitting up straighter. “Two very simple reasons.” She extended one metal-tipped finger. “First, having the future Police General’s son in my pocket is a valuable investment.”

  A second finger extended. “And second, you’re Dante’s friend. My little brother would be so sad to lose you. And it has been a beautiful arrangement since then. The arrangement between us had begun that night. You would occasionally feed me information from your father’s department, and I would provide assistance when you needed it. A dangerous game, but one that had saved your life, and that of other lives more than once.”

  “I need your help again,” Lucian said, getting to the point.

  “Hm? I’m all ears darling.” Katarina said with a wide smile.

  …