The forty-ninth floor, a place I never thought I'd be able to step foot in. Well, I never even thought I'd ever have the chance to go the twenties let alone the forties. Plus, it was the floor closest to the top. They said the magicians sometimes visit the forty-first to the forty-ninth floor. I didn't like the idea of seeing one while making the deliveries. The floor was filled with grand houses, as expected of the floor officials, some obviously did the people dirty. They were living a life of luxury from the tax money the people were paying. The people, especially those from the bottom floors, worked their butts off just for a grain of rice, yet we still had to pay tax only for the money we worked so hard for to be enjoyed in useless extravagance by those dirty pigs. Nobody questioned the system because it somehow kept the illusion of peace between the social classes. The poor went with it with the fear of being homeless or worst kicked out of the tower, though that never happened before.
We arrived in front of the entrance to the district where the magic shops were. I climbed off the truck slowly. I was feeling hesitant. I really didn't feel like seeing any of those 'esteemed' magicians. Eliza lightly pushed me forward. I turned to see her bright wide smile. My hesitation vanished in an instant. I couldn't leave her to do them alone. I already promised to help her, and I wasn't the type to go back on my word. I pulled the cart from the back and loaded some delivery boxes. Unlike earlier, we decided to make deliveries together. Eliza and I walked to the magic-filled district, while the truck driver sped off to his own assigned area somewhere else in the floor.
The streets were filled with curious-looking people. Their eyes sparkled in amazement at the different spectacles each shop presented. I couldn't help but be in awe myself. We only had a few boxes to deliver but it almost took forever. We stopped at interesting shops we saw on the way. It was wrong and very unprofessional, but we knew we'd never have the chance to explore the forty-ninth floor again. We stopped by a pink store which was decorated by pretty pink balloons in the outside. A lot of women were gathered outside it so we thought of having a look. The shop was indeed for the ladies, from love potions to magic hairbrushes that style your hair on its own. I wasn't really interested in them, but Eliza seemed to be enjoying herself. There was a bunch of other items like a corset that makes your waist smaller, like a lot, and shoes that make your legs slimmer. It was ridiculous. Seriously, those magicians had nothing better to do.
We stopped by a few other shops. I followed Eliza like a lost puppy. At first, it was interesting. I was amazed. But, the longer I stayed there, the more I got annoyed. I found those things useless. Sure they give entertainment to people, but did they actually help in any positive way? Did those items contribute greatly to mankind? They were just a bunch of useless items. There wasn't any that was truly valuable. It was a waste of time and resources. I didn't say anything though. I didn't want to dampen Eliza's spirits. We were able to finish the deliveries after almost two hours. We found a bench beside a small stall and decided to rest. My ankles hurt and I was covered in sweat. Eliza didn't seem tired at all. She was still so fresh-looking with that big bright smile on her face. She was obviously having fun.
"Would you like to buy something?" Someone suddenly asked. I turned my head to the voice's direction. It was an old lady, a grandmother. "Feel free to take a look, you might find something you'll like." She said softly.
Eliza and I both stood at the same time. We moved closer to the table filled with magic items. Truthfully, I only did it for courtesy. I didn't want to say no to the grandmother. She looked nice. She sold small pieces of jewelries, like rings and earrings. The accessories each had an attached story to them, and magical effects to the owner according to the old lady.
"How about that?" Eliza asked, pointing to a bright blue butterfly inside an orb that was hanging behind the old lady.
The old lady stood up to untie the orb from where it hanged. She sat back down and held the orb in her hands. The butterfly faintly sparkled. "This is the butterfly of fate." She said. "Whoever frees the butterfly from its orb will be led to one's destiny." She held it out to me. "Would you like to open it?"
"Oh. I would love to." Not really, but I didn't want to be rude. "But, I have no money."
"It's your first time here, isn't it?" She asked.
"How did you know?" I must have been too obvious, I thought.
"I don't know. I just feel it. I've never met a soul like yours before." She said. "You are bound for greatness."
"Thank you." I didn't buy it though.
"As a welcome gift, I will give this to you for free." She took my hand and placed the orb gently on my palm. The orb felt warm in my hand, like I was holding a hot iron, but it didn't burn. The warmth was gentle. "Open it."
"Come on, open it." Eliza urged.
I slightly twisted both sides of the orb to different directions. The orb opened and the butterfly flew out. It was beautiful. The patterns on its wings were majestic, like they were designed by a master craftsman. The butterfly hovered in front of me and fluttered its wings slowly. Then, it flew away.
"Go. Follow it." The old lady said. "It will lead you to your destiny."
I froze. What if my destiny was back to the slums? How would I feel? Will I still be able to change it? My head was filled with negative thoughts.
"Let's go!" Eliza gave me a push before grabbing my arm and pulling me along.
We followed the butterfly through the busy streets of the magic district. The butterfly flew pass without hesitation. It flew further and further, we had a difficult time following it without catching our breaths. Thankfully, the butterfly slowed down whenever it sensed we were too far behind. It felt like we ran for almost an hour, I wasn't sure. Then, I was dumbfounded. The butterfly stopped at the foot of the stairs to Phantasia. Eliza became more excited, and ran ahead to the butterfly. She waited for me beside the butterfly.
"No way." I said as soon as I arrived at the spot where they were standing. "There's got to be a mistake."
"What do you mean? It's a magic butterfly." She said, her voice sounded higher than usual. "It was created by a magician. There's no way it'll make a mistake."
"Well, maybe this one's defective." I reasoned. "Why else would that old lady give it to us for free?"
"You are so negative." She rolled her eyes. "Come on. Aren't you even the least bit excited about this? This could change everything. This could change your life for the better."
No way. I couldn't believe it. There was no way I was destined to be at the top. "I don't believe it. Let's just go home already." I started to walk away, but Eliza grabbed my hand and started running up the stairs.
The staircase seemed endless. There were at least a thousand steps to Phantasia. What's worst was the fact that stepping foot in it without permission was against the rules. We were bound for trouble. I wanted to turn back but we were already halfway there and Eliza was already running far ahead of me. Knowing her, she wouldn't give up. Once she sets her mind on something, she'll see it through to the end. Well, unless she gets pushed away or fired, talking about jobs. I also couldn't just turn back and let her go there herself. I had a bad feeling about it, but going together seemed like the better choice. I tried my best to follow along. I stared ahead of me. Eliza was already at the top of the stairs with the butterfly hovering above her head. "Hurry!" She shouted. Easy for her to say. I took a deep breath and sprinted to the top. I stopped beside her. Like her, I was speechless for a moment.
It looked….. Well, magical. There was no other word to describe it, aside from breathtaking, spectacular and remarkable. The city looked like one that came straight out of a fairy tale book. It was filled with tall castle-like infrastructures, their tips almost touching the sky. The sky. I only ever saw it in books before but seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn't help but stretch my hand out. The sky was a lovely blue and there were white cotton like balls floating in it, the clouds. I never imagined I'd ever have the luxury of gazing at the open sky. The air was also different in Phantasia. It was fresh, cool, and caressing. It was so unlike the stagnant air that was circulated within the tower using enormous ventilation fans on the surrounding walls. The trees and the grass seemed greener in Phantasia, as well. The leaves looked like they were dancing happily in the breeze. Phantasia didn't just look beautiful, it looked alive. I stared in wonder at the splendid sight I was seeing.
"What are you still doing? Come on. Hurry!" Eliza shouted from a few meters away.
Unlike the other floors, the streets in Phantasia weren't crowded with people. The streets were empty, and it was quiet. I thought I could hear my own footsteps. The butterfly flew deeper in the city and I got more worried by the minute. There were no guards around patrolling, no people walking, no sound of life.
"Eliza, wait!" I called to her. She stopped and took deep breaths.
"What is it?" She asked. "Arg. How far do we have to go?"
"That's why I keep telling you it's pointless. That butterfly's obviously defective."
"But, why isn't anybody here? Where is everyone?"
I was about to answer her when a huge cheer erupted from somewhere. We heard people shouting and applauding. We followed the sound. The butterfly was also flying to the direction of the noise. We arrived at the foot of the hill and saw the enormous stadium on top of it. The cheers were coming from there. The butterfly flew upward.
"Wait!" Eliza shouted, but the butterfly didn't stop. She followed it without hesitation.
"Eliza!" I called to her. I didn't have a choice so I ran after her.
We followed the butterfly into the stadium. The stadium was filled with people. It looked like everyone in Phantasia was there all along. The butterfly flew past the cheering audience, to the center of the stadium where two magicians seemed to be fighting. Eliza tried to follow the butterfly, but I was able to grab her arm on time.
"No! If they see us, we're in big trouble." I told her.
"But the butterfly…."
We watched as the butterfly flew slowly to one of the two who were the center of attention. The man was just as surprised as I was. The fight was put to a momentary pause. The butterfly hovered in from of him before finally resting on his shoulder. He slowly lifted his hand and touched its head. After his hand made contact, the butterfly slowly dissolved into thin air and completely vanished. The man looked around, until his eyes settled to our direction and our eyes met.
I could only mutter. "This is bad."