Premonition

Chapter 8 - Click, Boom, Click

They paid the tab for the food and walked out, Elisè with more mood in her step than before. She was enthusiastic, and Ethos was simply along for her happiness. As they continued to walk through the bustling city, stuff shifted into a louder tone, bass boomed as they crossed large blocks, filled with creatures of many kinds drawn in as Elisé was.

Ethos sighed, emitting a grimace that you could only tell was one by the scrunch of his antennas, and reluctantly walked towards the sound. Roads turned into crowded bunches, bunches into thousands, and those thousands sifted into lines of partial significance and structure.

As Ethos navigated the growing crowds, the chaotic symphony of the city surrounded them. The roads melted into a sea of creatures, each one contributing to the rhythmic pulse that echoed through the air. What seemed like random bunches evolved into a kaleidoscope of movement, forming lines that hinted at a line of excitement into a bustling center of sorts.

The eye of it all, the two found as they got closer, was a large building. It stood out from the rest of the gray-toned buildings, the center a vibrant hue, and through multiple opening gates people attempted to stumble and find their way in. They shuffled their feet with interested faces, some joyous and buzzing, and soon enough Ethos and Elise found themselves along the lines too. Laughter and snippets of conversation blended into a rich tapestry of sounds. The vibrant center seemed to pulse with life, drawing them closer to discover the secrets within its walls. The air buzzed with an electric energy, leaving the duo eager to unravel the mysteries that awaited them beyond the gates.

"Err, two tickets please." Ethos asked when they made their way to the front of the line. The creature who stood there, piercing eyes at the two, raised an eyebrow.

"Ya can't just come in without tickets. It's prepaid." The creature, a bird-like character, folded his arms, scoffing. "Hell. This ain't even my job ta be runnin'." He muttered under his breath, turning away.

"Sir, if we could just find a way—"

"Look, dude. Id love ta help, really. But if he knows I'm talkin' ta you, I'm double whammied." He exclaimed in a frantic whisper, turning at the sound of heels clicking.

"Oh ah—"

Suddenly, a taller security person swaggered in, towering over the bird-like character and plopping his arms in a crossed resting position on his head. "Hey, what's the ruckus here? Ziz, ya makin' trouble again?" The newcomer grinned, exchanging a knowing look down at the bird.

The smaller shuffled nervously. "Nah, just tryin' to keep things in check. These folks don't have tickets."

The taller chuckled, patting the smaller's shoulder. "Ah, always playin' by the rules. Relax, pal. I got 'em covered." He reached into his pocket, pulling out two tickets and handed them over with a wink. "Enjoy the show, kids."

"Thanks, sir." Ethos responded, holding Elise at an angle where he was able to accept the tickets.

The taller smirked, glancing between the smaller and Ethos. "Just doin' my job. Now scram before the boss catches wind of this little chat."

The two quickly made their way through the bustling crowd, clutching the tickets tightly. Elise turned to Ethos with a grin. "That was close." She meekly responded.

Ethos chuckled, glancing back to see the taller and smaller security people resuming their duties. "Yeah, lucky break. Let's find our seats and... uh, enjoy the show."

A large concert hall stood ahead of the two, easily able to hold thousands. Odd entities of many different shapes and sized filed in, moving into seats around the circular stage, which was... rather empty for the crowd size.