After saying goodbye to Mr. Fernandi, Hexia continued to be busy working at 'Dream of Glazed Glass'. Though it might be possible to receive so 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 trendous 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 ho?
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 ho 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.
Ti 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.
————
In the afternoon, Hexia finally got up from bed, not because she didn't want to sleep any longer, but because she was hungry.
Ah——
After a long yawn, Hexia shook her head while sitting on the bed, flicked her hair, and stood up.
With a simple two-step walk to the mirror, she bent over to look at her reflection, her ashen blonde hair contrasting with her black eyes. A side fringe partially covered her ear, needing to be pinned back or tied up to fully reveal her delicate ear.
Sitting at the dressing table, the girl neatly combed her hair, gathered the long strands on one side of her ear, then took a rubber band hair tie and tied it in front of her chest. She did the sa on the other side.
After getting ready, she stood up, opened the nearby wardrobe, rummaged for a dress suitable for sumr outings, then slipped into a pair of strappy sandals, ready to go out.
It was a sunny day. After having sothing to eat, she planned to take a look above ground.
Having packed her things, Hexia picked up a small handbag, placed her belongings inside, and left the house.
Since entering the ninth grade, due to the pressure of academics and financial constraints, she hardly had the energy to worry about other things. Every day, besides studying, she just went ho to buy groceries and cook sothing to eat, then continued reviewing at night, a cycle that repeated endlessly.
Since her father had also left, she was alone at ho without anyone to rely on. Not being admitted to Irene Academy ant repetition would be extrely difficult, not only financially unsustainable but also likely to lead to a ntal breakdown.
A whole year passed like that until she graduated a month ago, and she could finally catch her breath, but she couldn't completely relax because she hadn't received the admission notice, and even if admitted, she had to worry about future employnt.
Now, these problems no longer troubled her, and she could finally relax for a while and do so things she hadn't been able to do before.
Like taking a walk on the ground above the Skylight.
Though there was simulated sky underground, it still lacked the grandeur and vastness of the natural sky.
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 imdiately 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 ca 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 seed 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 tallic floors near the Skylight, Hexia stepped onto the parched earth with her sandals, her white sumr 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.
Ti changes everything; that's probably what it ans.
Hexia slowly stood up, her forehead now slightly sweaty from the sun. She decided to head back.
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