She may be mad at me, but she can't get that mad. Genis thought to himself as he walked down the cobblestone street of Arkylia, the new capital city of Sylvarant. He had ignored his sister's command and traveled by rheiard to Arkylia from Palmacosta earlier that morning, saving at least three hours in travel time. He was too eager to see his sister as it had been three months since his last visit. And besides, Genis really missed flying. All of his time was now spent on studying. He hardly had a chance to get away from the books and enjoy the new world, much less see people.
He turned off the main road that led towards the Convention, and headed instead into the residential district. Sure, she'd scold him, tell him not to do it again, try to punish him (though that had become difficult in the past two years with Genis' growth spurt), but he had a secret weapon. The elven boy grinned mischievously as he thought of the silver cookie tin filled with freshly baked scones in his backpack. It was a recipe he had concocted specifically for instances like this. Raine couldn't resist these scones.
She'll forget all about the rheiard when she smells the scones. He thought, opening the door to the apartment building. He groaned as he trekked up three flights of stairs before arriving at his sister's front door. Why had she chosen to live on the third floor?
"Raine!" He called out as he knocked.
No response.
He knocked again. "Raine?"
No response.
That's weird. She should be here. He started rifling through his backpack. "She probably overslept." He mumbled to himself. A sense of unease crept over him as he fished out his key to the apartment and put it in the lock.
Genis opened the door and walked in. "Raine? Are you here?" He looked around the main area, empty of human life. Large windows lined the wall in front of them; showing down onto the plaza below. The whole room was bathed in a soft white light. A large couch next to a filled bookshelf to the left, a pristine kitchen to the right.
He made a b-line to the master bedroom, passing through the hallway to the left. The bedroom door was cracked open. He knocked and said again, "Raine?" Silence filled his ears. He pushed the door open with his fingers, timidly, and poked his head in. The room looked untouched. The bed was made up, a light blue comforter with white ivory pillows piled on top, fighting for space. The shades to the left were open, filtering in sunlight above a mahogoney dresser. He walked to the left of the room, into the master bathroom. Empty. He walked back out and to the guest bedroom, a room of pastel yellows and greens.
She was not there.
Maybe she went to the Convention early. It seemed likely, with the vote happening. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he walked out of the apartment, locked the door and headed out, his face etched with worry.
About ten minutes later, he arrived on the doorstep of the Convention. The large wooden doors were only able to be opened from the inside, keeping all unwanted guests out. He rang the intercom.
A cheery voice answered. "Hello. Welcome to the Convention. Who are you here to see?"
"My name is Genis Sage. I'm here to see the Chair."
"Ohh- of course! Please come on in!" The voice responded, immediately registering his identity. A loud buzz sounded, and the door unlocked. Genis pushed the door open and walked inside.
The ceiling was tall, with skylights lining the central area. A large tapestry depicting a map of Sylvarant filled the far wall to the entrance. On the far right were two grand staircases, each going up for three floors. Without hesitation, the half elf walked to the reception desk directly to the left. "Hi, I wanted to check-in before I go up." Genis said to the receptionist.
A perky brunette smiled at him. "Oh yes, please sign in here." She handed him a clipboard to fill out. "The Chair hasn't come in yet though. But you're free to wait here in the lobby."
"She's not here?" Genis asked.
"No, she hasn't arrived yet."
"What time did she leave last night?"
"Um...the log says the building locked just after 11:30pm." The receptionist clicked away at a few keys on the computer.
"That's right after we talked..." Genis trailed off.
His stomach tightened, and he could feel the anxiety waft over him. Stumped, Genis finished filling out the paperwork, and slumped into one of the chairs, his heart beating fast.
Where was Raine?