The afternoon was so bright and slightly dry. Birds circled above the roof of this blue planet, their voices like a small choir hanging in the air.
Humans passed by living their lives; the streets were full of cars carrying people in suits, buildings pierced high into the sky, and smoke from the shops billowed like the breath of a city that never sleeps.
This is the city where I live now—crowded, busy, filled with people from all over the world. Among them, there is one being who isn’t even from this world.
It's me.
Christopher Manjalev.
An alien, at least that’s the definition I understand when something is not from Earth.
“Oy! Manjalev! Are you awake? Open the door! Or I’ll break it down!”
“Yes, yes. Just a second!”
The familiar rough voice echoed from behind the door, accompanied by a strong thud that made the frame vibrate. I opened the door, and a bright red face immediately filled my vision. His eyes glared at me as if he wanted to devour me.
That was Paykiter Jindan. Friend. Partner. Source of noise every morning.
“What is it, man? I just opened my eyes and you’re already threatening my ears.” I stared at him blankly.
“Oy, you should already be at work! What are you doing here?” His jaw tightened and his face reddened a bit.
“I’m leaving now…”
“Hurry up! Our boss said some… unpleasant things.”
“Alright, alright. I’m getting ready.”
“Please be quick. I’ve been waiting here for a long time.”
I frowned. “Wait… why did you come here if you were already at the office?”
He took a deep breath. “I already told you. The boss said unpleasant things. And they were directed at you.”
“Hah… troublesome.”
I quickly cleaned myself up: washed my face, changed my shirt into a suit, then brushed my hair as best as I could.
When I closed the apartment door, Jindan was pacing back and forth in front of it while checking his watch, sighing repeatedly as he always did. We left using his car.
The road was only slightly jammed. I spent the time chewing on bread while chatting. From the window, I saw a man running in panic, chased by a woman. The man tripped over someone’s foot, then got beaten up badly by the woman. Before I could see the end of their story, the car had driven away.
After seeing the man beaten by the woman on the sidewalk, our car continued until the building where we worked appeared in the distance. The building was tall, towering, making anyone who wanted to see its peak have to tilt their head past the point of comfort.
From the outside, it looked like any other fancy office building, shiny glass, metallic walls, automatic doors that always seemed busy welcoming guests. Nothing truly special. No signs that inside it held things the public must never know.
Its “ordinary” appearance was exactly what was most misleading.
Jindan parked the car right in front of the entrance. We got out, and the receptionist greeted us briefly when we entered. A white hallway lined with awards welcomed us as if trying to convince anyone who entered that this was just a normal professional office.
Even though both of us knew very well… nothing inside was “normal.”
We entered the elevator. Jindan pressed several numbers, and the elevator shot upward at an uncomfortable speed—faster than a regular elevator.
When the doors opened, a row of people was already waiting outside. They stepped aside as we walked past.
Gray corridors with glowing blue lines greeted us, long as if they had no end.
Eventually we arrived at a room marked A1. Jindan opened the door, and I stepped inside first.
Inside, many people were already seated at a long metal table. The atmosphere was different—silent, but not a soft silence. This was a heavy silence, like the air itself was holding its breath.
Several pairs of eyes glanced at me briefly then quickly looked away. Some straightened their posture, some suddenly rearranged papers for no reason.
My steps felt heavier.
Jindan’s footsteps behind me echoed, cutting through the silence like a hammer striking an empty room. The blue light from the wall lines reflected off the metal table, creating long shadows that shifted with every step I took.
The air here was colder. Not just from the AC—more like the cold that comes from someone staring at you.
At the end of the table, a sturdy man was looking at me. His gaze was sharp, silent, unblinking, as if measuring something I couldn’t see. His aura was heavy, almost pressing against my chest.
I recognized that gaze.
A gaze that meant trouble.
And that trouble had something to do with me.
When I stopped before them, the room fell completely silent. Only the faint hum of machines behind the walls could be heard.
Please sign in to leave a comment.