Home Sweet Home

[Nox]

Sage sent Nox an address where he could go. Said he'd meet him there. Which wasn't the truth in reality. Nox's phone rang when he stopped in front of the small building just a few blocks away from Kallisti, conveniently with in his security system.

"Welcome to your new home." Sage said over the phone. "Key are in your mailbox. The front doors should be open. Box 3. Take the stairs to the second floor."

Nox had walked past the building many times. He'd never really given it much thought. "Sage..."

His friend giggled on the other side. "Just go in."

Nox sighed. But did as he was asked. The building itself was pretty nondescript. It was four stories, and Nox was pretty sure it had a basement, but he wasn't positive. The entrance was indeed unlocked and he pulled it opened followed by Sae. A set of stairs leading up and a door to the left said basement greeted him along side a bank of mailboxes. A sign pointing to the left were two signs pointing down a long hall.

"Sage, what was is Durante Security?"

He smiled. "A long story. But short one is. Your security system you installed around Kallisti, the sensors and cameras and all that software. It's sold under Durante Security."

"You're selling my idea?"


"And making you money. I am. And I'm selling Aurora's software too. That's Borealis Industries. I'll explain it all later. There is a lot I've not told you, about you." Sage laughed softly and continued, "Technically I bought the building, but it's an investment by the two companies, which you are a silent owner in. The building is yours. First floor is the living spaces with an office in the back. The upper two floors are bedrooms, a total of four. A garden on the roof, and weights, laundry and your dojo in the basement. Nothing needs to be done. It's all legal. I promise."

"We'll talk about this later then. What's the combination to the mailbox?"

Sage rattled off the combination and Nox opened the box. There were more than just a pair of house keys -- more like all the keys to all the doors and everything. Nox sighed. "Do I have to maintain this place?"

"Only if you want to. You can hire a manager. But I figured you'd use that power of yours and fix everything anyway so why bother."

Sage wasn't wrong.

Nox took the stairs and unlocked the door stepping into the brilliantly white walls of his new place. "Everything is white. And fully furnished. Didn't figure you'd have much time to do it all yourself. Nothing fancy, I didn't know what you liked, but it's serviceable."

Looking into the living room a gray, L-shaped couch sat in front of a TV on a stand with a coffee table set up in the middle. The floors were a dark hard wood, though from the sound it made it was actually tile.

The tile continued past the island/bar combo with sink and had enough room for comfortable enough looking bar stools. Might need to get a small table if he ever wanted to have more than a few people over.

Everything was a stark white with the hidden pot lights in the ceiling.

The counter tops were a gray stone with gold veins. The appliances all gun metal black. There was even a coffee pot on the counter just waiting for a fresh cup of coffee to be made in.

Down the hall was the utility closet and the bathroom before he opened the door into the office. It was light with mostly natural light from the large windows and billowy white curtains. The patio was small, but there was more than enough room for a small garden and maybe a patch of grass for an emergency pit stop for a dog. Yes he was thinking about that...

The room held a desk and not much else though it looked as if Sage had installed holo projectors throughout the room to be used with Aurora's software. The whole room was the computer, Nox wondered where the processing was.

"In the closet." Sage giggled.

I opened the door and rolled my eyes. It wasn't a server room like Sage had boasted about back home, but it was far more than Nox would ever need.

"You know me a bit too well, Sage, but I don't need all this."

"You do. We'll talk later."

Nox had lost Sae to the TV and couch in the living room he noticed as he wandered up stairs.

The remaining bedrooms were identical. One was connected to the patio, the other was slightly larger. Both had their own bathrooms.

"I fixed both up cause I wasn't sure which one you'd like best. The dark cave like one in the back -- or the one with the open air."

Nox laughed. "Honestly, I don't even know." He looked down the hall between the two, both had merits. But which one would he want to start his family in. Where kids would sleep? What was best in the long run. He still had some time to figure it all out. For now he dropped his bag in the room with the balcony.

"Welcome home. Sage hung up the phone and Nox looked around. He didn't even know where to start or what to do first. So many things. And the horde -- they felt stronger, healthier and somewhere they shouldn't be.