After saying goodbye to Mr. Fernandi, Hexia continued to be busy working at 'Dream of Glazed Glass'. Though it might be possible to receive some subsidies in high school, making her own money still felt more reliable.
Just as her mother had said, when you can earn your own money, you'll feel a tremendous sense of freedom because you no longer have to depend on anyone else.
So, while the bar inside 'Dream of Glazed Glass' was still under renovation, Hexia finally had another holiday to look forward to.
Should she go out or stay at home?
Hexia sat on the bed, as the window on one side of her bedroom let in bright artificial sunshine, illuminating her lower body. Her slightly elongated legs were exposed to the sunlight, fair and radiant, the toes showing a translucent color.
She had been very busy recently, with work, studying music, and occasionally paying attention to school matters.
Hexia lay back down on the soft bedding, gazing at the ceiling above her, her nerves slightly relaxed, her brows slowly easing, before her eyes closed once again.
She would just stay at home and sleep today.
In the sunlight-streaming window, the fan whirred, stirring a little circulating air. Shortly after getting up in the morning, Tilan continued to sleep, her legs first curling up, then slowly stretching out to lie on her side, her soft hair scattered amidst the blanket.
Time flowed soundlessly; there was no one to disturb her, no work to attend to, forgetting those complex formulas and study materials, the young girl enjoyed a peaceful holiday.
Today was June 5th, Sunday.
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In the afternoon, Hexia finally got up from bed, not because she didn't want to sleep any longer, but because she was hungry.
Entering the vertical elevator leading to the top of the Skylight, the girl watched the numbers on the screen change upwards until the last floor number showed '0', and the crimson steel elevator doors slowly opened.
Stepping out of the Skylight's corridor, the fierce sunshine immediately hit her, making Hexia squint her eyes. She shielded her forehead with her arm as she stepped onto the dry, clanking steel staircase in the gentle breeze.
Holding onto the handrail on one side, she walked down the stairs and looked outside.
Before her was a blanched world, the ground grey and hard, the wind carrying sand and dust that felt gritty against the skin.
No wonder people rarely came out, the girl thought, yet she still relished the feeling.
Outside Payin City's Skylight, aside from a barren desert devoid of vegetation, there was only a large parking lot. Under the scorching sun, the lot seemed very desolate, with hardly any vehicles coming and going.
Trucks suitable for surface travel would haul their goods to the back, unload them there, then the drivers would park and go relax for a day or two below in Payin City before continuing their journey.
Continuing to walk away from the metallic floors near the Skylight, Hexia stepped onto the parched earth with her sandals, her white summer dress dancing in the hot wind. She brushed the stray hair beside her ear upwards, then squatted down to examine the ground closely.
The land, once muddied by rainwater, now had irregular cracks from the baking sun. With a nudge of her finger, she could crumble the edges into a white chunky powder.
Grinding the particles between her fingers, they turned into a fine dust that dispersed in the wind.
Long ago, this land was lush with greenery, but now, corroded by acid rain, it no longer supported vegetation.
Time changes everything; that's probably what it means.
Hexia slowly stood up, her forehead now slightly sweaty from the sun. She decided to head back.