'Dream of Glazed Glass' Andusia's glass room.
In the lush vine and flower room, a soft sound of violin strings being played arose, but after a few beats, the music stopped and then started again.
Hexia had her eyes closed, one hand lightly touching the neck of the violin, the other holding the bow, drawing it slowly as she sought the right pitch.
Not far from her, Andusia tended to the flower tea, pouring hot water into a cup slowly, then sitting beside quietly listening.
The girl's learning was not fast, her technique rather clumsy, often interrupted, and it took quite a while to find the correct placement before beginning again.
However, it was heartening that she appeared to have not a trace of impatience or emotion, like a serene orchid, earnestly and carefully familiarizing herself with the instrument in her hands.
So continued the session until the respite at noon ended, and the young girl slowly opened her light blue eyes, gently placing down the violin and bow.
Andusia clapped her hands lightly, smiling at the young girl before her.
"Very good, Dantalion, you've improved a lot since yesterday."
"Thank you." The girl carefully placed the violin back in its case, then closed it.
Ever since she had agreed to Botis's request, she took time out every day at noon and after work to practice, and this violin belonged to Andusia, who was rumored to have also played for guests when she first arrived at Dream of Glazed Glass, although she seldom did so now.
After returning the violin to its spot, Hexia bid farewell to Andusia and, holding the hem of her black and white skirt, passed through the vine-encircled flower room towards the place of her afternoon work.
Such was her routine until the artificial sky in the store slowly changed, bathed in twilight, marking the end of her shift, and then she proceeded to Andusia's place to continue her practice session from earlier.
Days passed by, and gradually, under Andusia's guidance, Hexia became familiar with playing the violin and was now ready to start learning her first piece.
Hexia also opened the public list with anticipation, scanned through it, and eventually found her own name.
Luckily, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her heart.
However, she was troubled again when she saw the retest date because it coincided with the same day as the retest at Yuanting Academy in the Northern First District. If she attended the retest at Yuanting Academy, she definitely wouldn't be able to make it to Irene Academy.
A tough choice indeed, the girl glanced at the date displayed on her personal terminal, calculating in her mind.
She was confident about passing the Irene Academy retest since she had prepared for it for a long time, but she was unfamiliar with Yuanting Academy. Yet to give up such a good opportunity just for this reason would be too regrettable, and it would be a disservice to those who had shown her kindness.
No matter what, she thought, start preparing first; perhaps there was still a slim chance for her to squeeze in both, like attending the Yuanting Academy test in the morning and the Irene Academy in the afternoon.
With her mind occupied, the girl didn't pay too much attention to her surroundings on her way home until she reached the residential area and noticed that the atmosphere was somehow amiss today.
In the spacious hallway, many people were gathered, discussing something, and from afar came the loudspeaker's booming voice.
"Attention, all Federal residents: starting today, D390 Industrial Zone and the adjacent F31 Residential District are under comprehensive lockdown. No one is allowed to enter or approach!"
Hexia was slightly puzzled, then saw a temporary notice posted on the wall of the hallway beside her.
"Regarding the lockdown of F31 Residential District, entry and exit are prohibited."
The gist was that residents should not enter, nor even approach, the area, even if family or friends were inside — attempting to cross the lockdown would result in legal consequences under Federal law, among other things. The Payin City government's official stamp was seen below, with badges from multiple departments, indicating the local government's serious concern. Police cars were parked around the perimeter of the restricted zone, and white-clad police officers were seen patrolling continuously.
Curious about the incident, Hexia checked the local forum; many people were discussing the matter online. The consensus was that this was a follow-up to a previous incident involving an unruly individual, and something serious had been discovered, although the details were being tightly controlled.
Things were getting more serious, Hexia turned off the screen and continued towards her home.