The Imperium's Frontier: Midnight Rendezvous

Vito walked along the clean, tidy, and spacious sidewalk. Even the non-arterial streets of the Upper Hive were built with such breadth; it was clear that the people here loved to show off, manifesting their status and wealth at every moment and in every place. Ha, typical Upper Hivers.

Angel-shaped streetlamps illuminated the thoroughfare, and the ground reflected a faint luster, clearly paved with some sort of marble-like material. If nothing else, it was certainly expensive.

Vito's boots clicked against the pavement, echoing through the deserted street. His boots seemed perpetually fitted with silver iron plates, the layered, armor-like ridges covering the forefoot as if they were the heads of spears.

He crossed the street and turned at the end into a small urban garden. As I said, the greenery here was absurdly well-maintained, with parks of all sizes scattered everywhere.

Vito stepped through the garden archway and then stopped, watching the young woman beside the fountain, which was spewing jets of water.

Her gray-green hair formed soft, rolling waves, the long, supple, water-like tresses resting on her shoulders, clearly groomed and prepared with as much care as her attire.

This bartender and bar owner from the Lower Hive, the former daughter of the Governor—no, at this point, you could drop the "former" prefix.

The gown, shimmering with tiny specks of starlight and looking as beautiful as the galaxy itself under the glow of the night lamps, accentuated a figure as curvaceous and perfect as a masterfully sculpted statue.

The neckline of the dress, shaped like an angel's wings, opened across her chest, revealing a miracle of the human form that, elegantly framed, would make any man salivate—to say nothing of the side-slit skirt. Under the moonlight and the night lights, she looked as if she had stepped right out of a painting. Honestly, how does that bastard Vito Constantine always get so lucky?

Vito smiled, walked over, and clapped his hands. Silver Snake, or Olivia, noticed him, and she turned her head to look at the approaching Vito, who had already shed his long trench coat and weapons.

"Oh, darling, though I have traveled across half the galaxy, I must say, there are truly few who can compare to your brows."

Olivia smiled and reached out to hook her arm through Vito's extended one. "I'll take that as a compliment." "Any trouble on the way here?" "None. Marshall dropped me off directly and then left; he seemed to have something very important to attend to in the Upper Hive." "I suspect that was another one of your arrangements." "Indeed, I suppose you could say that."

As he spoke, Vito produced the brooch from somewhere unknown and handed it to Olivia. The beautiful companion took it with slender fingers, her charming eyes gazing at the silver snake and blooming rose upon it, her long eyelashes drooping slightly to veil her gaze.

Olivia's fingers traced the rose petals before she gripped the piece tightly in her hand. "You saw him?" "Mm, your family home is quite nice. Very artistic."

"Designed by my father, of course. He was always an artist, perhaps even more passionate about that than being Governor. That is likely exactly why he died."

Vito did not smile; he wore no expression at all, which was very rare for him. "Your uncle is a bastard—a typical Imperium bastard, with the 'noble' prefix added on. And even among that lot, he is a top-tier piece of trash."

Olivia looked at Vito. She didn't know if he said that for her sake or out of professional duty, but for the moment, it didn't seem to matter.

"How do you intend to deal with him? With a Bolter?" "No, my dear, no." Vito placed one hand on the back of the hand Olivia had hooked through his arm, and his signature smile finally appeared on his face. "It's a grand plan. You know I like to reveal things at the very last moment. It makes for a wonderful surprise."

Olivia sighed helplessly and gave a small shrug. "So, can you tell me why you decided to come here for a date tonight?" "What's wrong with that? I heard the Shaman Club is one of the best in the Upper Hive and is always packed. It took me quite an effort to secure two spots."

"Yes, that is true. It is a fine place. But if I consider that this place belongs to the Syndicate boss Philus, then I suspect coming here wasn't purely for a date."

Silver Snake looked at Vito with a charming smile. The latter smiled back, nodded slightly, and looked ahead toward the colorful, luxurious club entrance at the other end of the garden.

The two "partners" crossed the garden and walked from the end of the street to the club's entrance. There was a long queue in front of the club, which shimmered with all sorts of colorful lights, but it was clear that Vito had no intention of waiting. He walked straight to the entrance, drawing a wave of dissatisfaction from the young nobles waiting in line.

"Hey! Sir! You can't do that! Go to the back of the line!" a young noble brat shouted. Vito looked at him playfully and ran a finger lightly across his own collar. "Kid, if I were you, I'd choose to stay quiet."

Vito's threatening tone stunned the man, but it quickly drew the attention of someone else—the club's bouncer.

A club guard in a tuxedo walked over, followed by two brutes who were a whole head taller and broader than the average person. Naturally, they were also dressed appropriately.

"Sir, please go to the back of the line." "No, my dear friend, I will not wait in line. In fact, you should let me in immediately." "Sir, there are no exceptions here."

The head of security said firmly, gesturing to the end of the line. "Please be self-aware and don't make us use force."

As he spoke, the two brutes took two intimidating steps forward, but Vito didn't even look at them. He smiled at the head of security and tapped the list in the man's hand.

"There is a name on there: Vito Constantine. That is my name."

The captain paused, looking at the man before him with slight surprise, but he quickly regained his composure. He glanced at the long line, nodded slightly, and whispered, "May I ask what brings you here? Mr. Constantine, I don't recall our organization having a meeting scheduled with you."

"Informal. I'm here for a date. You see, with this beautiful lady." Vito said. The security captain looked at Olivia, who smiled and offered a greeting. The captain nodded politely in return before looking back at Vito.

"I will inform Mr. Philus. You may enter now, Mr. Constantine." The captain stepped aside. Vito nodded his thanks and walked in with Olivia, while the young nobles who had been shouting in dissatisfaction quickly fell silent under the glares of the two brutes.

Inside the club, the noise was deafening, and passionate music blared from every corner. The elegant dance floor was filled with young nobles dancing fervently, men and women swaying together, while the surrounding seats were occupied by these same thrill-seeking young aristocrats and elites.

All sorts of expensive luxury goods, fine wines, and unknown, likely illegal, hookah blends were everywhere. People talked loudly, laughing and joking, especially the women, whose laughter rang out like silver bells.

Olivia held Vito's arm, her high heels clicking against the obsidian floor. Strange lights were everywhere; everything here was so decadent.

"I didn't think there was anything strange about this place at the time, but looking back at it now, it's absolutely bizarre." "Mm-hmm, you know how it is. The elites of The Imperium enjoy their lives here, and they are quite persistent in their pursuit of pleasure and novelty."

Vito squinted as he surveyed his surroundings, then smiled brilliantly. He extended a hand as if issuing an invitation. "Shall we dance?"

Olivia looked at him oddly, but then smiled helplessly and placed her slender hand in his. "Alright."

Vito smiled and led Olivia onto the dance floor, which was crowded with people. Vito put his arm around Olivia's waist, and they began to dance together, moving step by step amidst the colorful lights.

Her skirt fluttered like a flower, the gown shimmering with countless stars and glowing brilliantly under the strange lights. The piece of the universe changed colors, becoming vibrant and as beautiful and magnificent as a distant nebula.

The obsidian floor clicked under the impact of high heels and Vito's silver-plated boots. Their steps were rhythmic and tacit, as if they had been dance partners for years, even though this was their first time dancing together.

Vito held Olivia's hand, and Silver Snake spun outward, her skirt tracing a beautiful arc. She spun back to Vito at the edge, and he skillfully caught her waist before beginning the next set of steps.

Vito smiled as he looked at the beauty before him, and she returned his gaze with charming eyes. The colorful lights made the distance between them seem at times worlds away, and at others, right before their eyes. The sense of space was being gradually distorted, and pure, instinctive reactions and desires were being triggered.

Olivia and Vito danced together. There were many other dancers around them, but their steps seemed completely suppressed; everything else felt unimportant, and only the person before them was the sole entity in the thousands of galaxies at this moment.

Vito stepped quickly toward Olivia, and as she turned, he caught her waist from behind. Olivia tilted her head playfully to look at Vito beside her ear, and he smiled, using his other hand to brush back her hair.

His voice rose above the music echoing through the hall, like a whisper traveling through the endless void. "I will return you to the throne, my princess. Believe me, I will."

Olivia smiled slightly, a smile so beautiful. "Of course, my king."

The two looked at each other at close range, then both revealed sincere smiles. Perhaps it was the influence of the atmosphere, or perhaps the effect of the surrounding lights—as I said, reason and thought seemed particularly meaningless here; pure instinct and desire were the only things that mattered.

Amidst the surrounding clamor, the two leaned toward each other. Olivia's lovely lips were close to Vito's, and just as they could almost feel each other's warmth, they were interrupted.

A man walked over from the edge of the dance floor. It was the head of security. He cleared his throat and interrupted them politely. "I am sorry to interrupt, Mr. Vito, but Mr. Philus would like to see you."

Vito smiled, then looked at Olivia with an apologetic grin. "Shall we continue when we get back?"

She smiled as well, hooking her arms around Vito's, her face wearing a smile that looked incredibly alluring in the light. "Of course. Let's handle the business first, then we can continue."

"With pleasure, my dear lady."