Chapter 107: Nightlife
Reinhard sighed as he glanced over his wound.
The cuts cross his shoulder, the smaller cuts covering his arms and face, and the deep bruising from being slammed into the ground. The elevator rose through darkness, taking far longer than a normal single-floor ascent.
Which made him wonder if it was Miss Martha who opted for such a creation, or maybe it was always there.
Finally, the elevator slowed and stopped. The doors opened onto the small access room he’d entered through earlier, it was empty like before.
Reinhard stepped out quickly, then immediately pressed the button to send the elevator back down. The doors closed, and the mechanism descended, carrying the cage back to the chaos below without any evidence of unauthorized use.
He crossed to the door leading back into the clinic proper, pressing his ear against it to listen.
He heard voices from elsewhere in the building, the other night shift workers he’d heard earlier were still unaware of what was happening below.
Reinhard opened the door carefully, checking the hallway and then leaving the room to look for a window. The layout was familiar from his initial infiltration, and it didn’t take long to find one of the ground-floor windows facing the side street.
He tested it gently before unlocking it and slipping out. The cool night air hit his face before he closed the window behind him, ensuring it looked undisturbed.
Drasil Step.
Time slowed down extremely before Reinhard rushed away from the clinic, until he was clear of the immediate area. He stopped using Drasil Step once he was three blockers away in an alley between residential buildings.
After time returned to normal, he took off the mask immediately. Then tucked it back into his bag and took off his black suit before using water to wash off the blood.
Then he wrapped bandages around the wounds before putting on the normal clothing he had in the bag.
Reinhard emerged from the alley before joining the flow of late-night foot traffic. People were still moving through the streets despite the hour, such as night workers heading home, night owls seeking entertainment, and couples enjoying night walks together.
Reinhard furrowed his brows as he continued walking through the streets, his mind still processing what he’d discovered. When he’d decided to invade the clinic, he hadn’t been expecting something like that.
At best, he’d thought Phineas might be using it to store Sinner soldiers or supplies. Instead, he found dozens of Phantasm Beasts caged and cataloged like inventory. He sighed, the sound carrying frustration and exhaustion in equal measure.
The light around him shone bright from street gas lamps, illumination that turned night into something warmer. Music drifted from somewhere ahead as he heard piano notes through the air with accompanying strings.
Reinhard blinked and paused as a crowd came into view.
People filled the street, forming a circle around an open space where others danced. He watched their quick and light steps as they moved in beautiful patterns.
He watched their bodies swaying, spinning, hands clasped or extended, creating shapes that flowed from one to another. He watched the joy radiating from faces illuminated by lantern light.
For some reason, Reinhard couldn’t stop the faint smile that appeared on his lips. It looked fun to move like that, lost in the moment, and be free from whatever burdens normally weighed on you.
Now that he thought about it, he recalled some people mentioning that dancing helped them cope better with stress. He glanced around, taking in the crowd surrounding the dancers.
People clapped in rhythm with the music, cheering when particularly impressive moves were executed. Some swayed in place, caught up in the infectious energy, while others simply watched with expressions of contentment.
The piano continued playing, joined by a violin with beautiful melodies.
"Oh? Mr. Reinhard, is that you?"
Reinhard blinked and turned to see that it was Martha walking toward him, wearing a long black dress that swayed with her movements.
"Hello, Miss Martha." Reinhard said, surprise evident in his tone. "I didn’t expect you to still be up."
Martha laughed lightly, her hand rising to brush hair from her face. "Usually I’m not. But I was just coming back from a meeting with a colleague and found myself being pulled over here." Her gaze shifted to the dancers, something wistful appearing on her expression. "I do love watching performances like these, and yet I envy how happy they look without any worries."
Reinhard fell silent as his blue eyes returned to the dancers, and his expression began to soften, tension easing from his face.
"Oh, it seems it’s about to start." Martha said suddenly.
Reinhard blinked before he saw that the dancers had stopped their individual movements. They separated slightly, standing back from each other with visible anticipation. Then slowly, deliberately, they moved to stand before new partners.
It wasn’t just the dancers.
The crowd itself began moving, people pairing up, creating new partners throughout the space. The circle expanded outward, incorporating spectators who’d been content to watch but now found themselves drawn into participation.
Martha moved to stand in front of Reinhard, a faint smile touching her lips. "Do you want to try?"
Reinhard’s brows furrowed, uncertainty crossing his face. "I... I don’t know how to dance."
Martha’s smile grew warmer. "Me either." She paused, then continued. "But this isn’t about whether you can dance or not. It’s about letting go and having fun with no burdens plaguing you."
Reinhard stared blankly at the other dancers forming around them. His voice emerged quietly, almost questioning. "Having fun..."
Martha nodded slowly, her light blue eyes holding his gaze. "To be honest, I feel like you and I are the same. I’m not sure why, but I feel like you also didn’t get to enjoy your time as a child."
Reinhard fell silent.
The words hung between them, more accurate than Martha could possibly know. His silence stretched long enough to become an answer in itself.
Martha held out her hand, palm up, fingers extended in invitation. "It will only be ten minutes. So why not just forget everything for these few minutes?"
Reinhard’s gaze shifted from her hand to her face. Her light blue eyes held warmth, free from judgment or expectation. Her long, wavy hair fell down her back in shades of violet and deep blue that caught the gas lamp light beautifully.
He lightly chuckled, the sound surprising even himself. His hand rose to meet hers, their fingers intertwining. "Sure. Let’s dance."
The music shifted, the piano and violin started at a moderate tempo that was not too fast to follow, not so slow that movement felt awkward.
The entire area began moving as one. Couples stepped together, following patterns that seemed to flow naturally despite their complexity. Reinhard watched the pair nearest him, absorbing their footwork and mimicking it. Step forward with the right foot, left foot follows, slight turn, step back.
Martha followed his lead, or perhaps he was following hers, it was difficult to tell as they found rhythm together. Her hand in his was warm, grounding. Her other hand rested lightly on his shoulder while his other hand held her back.
They moved through the space, sometimes colliding slightly with other partners, and sometimes flowing smoothly through gaps. When Reinhard made mistakes, Martha simply laughed and adjusted, her own imperfect technique making the errors feel less significant.
The music tempo increased slightly, and the dancers responded, movements becoming more energetic. Reinhard found himself spinning Martha and her dress flaring outward. She laughed with a massive smile without a care, and something in his chest loosened at the sound.
For ten minutes, nothing else existed.
Not Phineas’s plans, not caged Phantasm Beasts, not the coming performance that threatened an entire city, and not the promise he made.
Just music, movement, and the simple pleasure of being present in a moment.
The music reached its crescendo and concluded with a final flourish. All the men, Reinhard included, bowed their heads toward their partners while the new crowd erupted in cheers, applause washing over the dancers like a wave.
Martha laughed, her face flushed from exertion and happiness. "You’re really good at following others’ movements. But tell me, did you have fun and enjoy yourself?"
Reinhard hummed thoughtfully, then nodded with a faint smile. "It felt good to simply do something without worrying or thinking."
Martha nodded, understanding clear in her expression. "That’s what I do to deal with stress. Most of my life has been managing pressure and expectations. But this city has made it way easier with all the things they do."
Reinhard’s gaze swept across the dispersing dancers, the cheering crowd, the musicians who were already preparing for another set. "This is an amazing city."
Martha beamed with a nod. "It’s the people that make it so amazing. The longer you stay here, the more you’ll be absorbed into the community, such as these events that will draw you in."
Reinhard chuckled. "Like you were?"
Martha’s grin turned self-deprecating. "I thought it was pointless at first as I wanted to focus on my goal, but I was inevitably drawn in. It wasn’t just me, but most new visitors who come to the city experience the same thing."
Reinhard smiled as he took another glance at the cheerful people and the crowd beginning to form for the next dance. For just a moment, standing here in the light and music, surrounded by joy that asked nothing of him except participation, he could almost forget what was coming.