The 14th Floor

“Looking for bodyguards… enter if you meet the requirements?” he read, struggling to understand the handwriting.

He knocks on the door, and as expected—no one comes to answer. I guess entering is the only option… The thought lingered in his head. Hesitating, he opened the door.

The inside was dark; curtains blocked the sunlight from seeping in. He continued exploring the room, finding it empty. Who could live in a place like this? There was barely anything to live on.

His gaze focused on a closed door; a thin veil of mist escaped its cracks. What is that…? he questioned, walking up to the door to investigate.

Putting his hand on the doorknob, he flinched from the coldness. Why is it so cold?  He puts on his gloves, and the door opens slowly, revealing a bedroom covered in ice.

How… is this possible? The question lingered in his mind. His gaze sharpened at the sound of movement coming from the bed.

A figure stood up, blocked by the bed curtains. Then it spoke, “What are you doing?” Her voice was soft and light, hinting they were waking up.

“I—uh… saw your advertisement,” he responded.

“I see…” she sighed, her voice hardly noticeable. “You are free to leave. I’ve been meaning to take it down anyway.”

“I was interested in your request… I happen to be a bodyguard myself.”

Hearing those words, she quickly tried to get out of bed, but in the process, she fell. “Ow…”
“Are you alright…?” he asked. The sound of the fall wasn’t pleasing.

“No… I’m fine.” After a short pause: “Could you… give me a minute?” she asked.
“Yeah, sure…” He exits the bedroom, closing the door.

--- 

…Inside The Room…

She slowly gets up from the floor. I guess I’m getting more unstable. The ice around the room starts to melt unnaturally quickly. She opens her closet and grabs some clothes to wear.

This… should be good, right? The thought lingered in her head as she got dressed.Dressed, she opened the door, which he was standing in front of. “I… accept your request, “ she said, walking past him.

“So… bodyguard, what’s your name?” She asked, turning back to look at him.“Shisori… and you?” he responded.

“It’s Yuri…” after an awkward silence. “Come on, we need to get moving, “ she said, walking towards the door.

“Where are we going?” Shisori asked.“You’re a bodyguard, why does it matter where I take you?” She responded.

“I… never mind. “ Shisori followed behind her.

---

…Six Months Later…

“How much for one room?” Shisori asked.

“8,000.” She responded.

Shisori handed her the cash in which she gave him the keys to a room. Unlocking the door, he’s greeted with a bed and a stool. Walking inside he pressed down on the bed, testing the comfort. This should be good enough. Shisori set his bag on the floor and sat on the edge of the bed.

He sighed heavily, and carrying the bag for hours drained him completely. I should get some rest before she gets back… He lays back on the bed, his eyes slowly closing.
“Shisori!” She said, bursting into the room.

“What is it?” He responded, his eyes cracked open.

“I bought some stuff in the town’s market.” She said, frantically opening her bag. Shisori sat up from the bed to see what she bought. “A lighter, lantern, and—” he pauses momentarily. “What is that exactly?”

“It’s a bracelet… it’s supposed to change colors based on the wearer’s emotion.” She responded, putting on the bracelet.

“I suppose not everything is useless…” Shisori muttered.

“Oh… and I got you this,” She said, tossing an object on the bed.

“MP3 player…?” He questioned, unsure why he’d need one.

“Figured it will help since you’re always watching me sleep.” She responded. 
An awkward silence feeds into the room. “Thank you would be nice…” She mentions, taking a seat on the bed.

“Thanks…” he responded.

“What floor is this again?” She asked, now lying down on the bed.

“The 14th Floor is the next safe zone, and it is on the 26th Floor, " he responded, standing up from the bed.

Yuri begins to yawn. “I’m going to rest, we’ll start tomorrow…” She said, falling asleep right after finishing her sentence. Shisori grabs the MP3 player and puts on the headphones.Pressing play he was surprised by the first song being played. After the cataclysm, 7 years ago, hearing something this beautiful now… is like a gift from a god.

---

…The Next Morning…

The sun begins to illuminate through the cracks of the window. A slight glow appears on Yuri’s pearl-white hair. As the light reaches her face, her eyes slowly fluttered open. She groans softly as her body is stirred awake. “Shisori… what time is it?” No response, “Shisori?” She called, sitting up from the bed. She looks around, clearly no sign of him. Where is he…? The thought lingered in her head as she got out of bed.

Stretching, she opens the door and walks towards the front desk. “Excuse me…” She announced. “Did you see anyone walk past here? They were tall, had black hair, and had yellow eyes.” She asked.

“Yes, I believe that he went towards the roof.” She responded, pointing in the direction she last saw him.

“Thank you,” Yuri said, dismissing herself as she walked towards the roof.After going up some stairs, almost out of breath. She opens the door leading to the roof. “I walked way too many—” She pauses. He’s… not up here? Yuri closes the door and takes a seat on the stairs.
This is getting out of hand… and I’m starting to get worried. Yuri thought, slowly fidgeting with her fingers. After a long sigh, she gets up and walks back to the main floor. As Yuri passes the main receptionist and makes her way outside, she can’t help but feel irritated by Shisori’s absence.

Outside, she begins looking around, walking from building to building. After what felt like hours of searching, she found nothing.

Damn… where is he?!

A sudden ruffle catches her attention, moving towards where it came from. Turning the corner, what she found wasn’t who she thought it was.

“Looks like someone followed us.” One of the figures spoke, his voice muffled from the mask.Panic washed over Yuri, her expression was beyond comprehension. Frozen in fear, she could only speak in thought. What… do I do?

Three of the figures turn around towards Yuri, their faces hidden behind masks. “Looks like she’s all alone, It was a mistake following us.” He said, walking closer towards Yuri.

“What… are you doing?” Another figure spoke.

“Just trying to have some… fun,” He responded, averting his gaze from Yuri. “shouldn’t be a problem right?”

He’s getting closer… What do I do… What… can I do…?

“Just make it quick… we don’t have all day.” The figure responded.

Quick?! What is he trying— Before Yuri could finish her thought. She was pinned to the ground, the cold concrete resting beneath her. Please… someone help me…

“I can tell you scared… and that’s perfectly fine…” The man chuckles, finding his next words amusing. “You’re so scared I can tell what you're thinking!” He said, grabbing Yuri’s chin and forcing her gaze towards him. “Please… someone help me…” He mocked.

Yuri's eyes widen at his words. The thought of someone reading her mind was impossible. The man reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small pocket knife. Slowly, he brings the blade closer to Yuri. The blade comes into contact, the feeling of cold.

“Don’t worry… This won’t hurt…” He said, slowly cutting the fabric of her clothes. “STOP IT!” She cried, her eyes shutting from managing to get her words out.

It grew silent, only her heavy breathing and beating heart covered the silence. Opening her
eyes, the figures were in front of her. They slowly took their masks off, revealing their creepy sinister smiles. They crept slowly towards her, the devilish smile growing in size.

“No… no…. please… SOMEONE HELP ME!” She begged, crawling backward until her back was against the wall.

“Yuri…” they responded in sync, slowly inching closer.

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” She yelled, the smooth concrete wall stopping her from moving further.As they reached closer, Yuri shut her eyes out of pure instinct. “Yuri…” A familiar voice called. The voice was different from before, then the room grew cold.

Yuri opened her eyes, still in fear she thought the worst. What if—No... She retracted the idea, feeling the sense of danger slowly settling. As her vision unblurred, the clear image of the voice was brought at ease.

“Thanks for saving me…” She said quietly, a small smile appearing on her face.Shisori takes his hoodie off, handing it to Yuri. I guess what happened here wasn’t good. He thought, turning around to see the aftermath. After Yuri puts on the hoodie she hugs Shisori.

“What are you doing?” He asked.

“Hugging… you? It's another way of me saying thanks…” She responded, squeezing a bit tighter.“I…” He pauses momentarily, rethinking his words. “You’re welcome…” A thought lingered in his head. hmm… she still shaking… whatever happened, it’s best not to discuss anything about it.

“I’ll carry you back…” he said, picking Yuri up from her feet. Shisori walks towards the exit of the building with one more thought in mind. She says that I saved her; in reality, she murdered all 3 of them. The question I have is… who am I protecting?

...