A soft piano melody filled the space as the elevator began to ascend.

  Luca caught his reflection in the mirrored wall: a slight frown, a slightly wrinkled tie over his blue jacket. Relaxing his expression, he straightened his tie and looked away. The glass elevator offered a privileged view of the city—especially District 1, but with spots of District 4 and 7. Downtown, they called.

  He hummed. The glass greenhouses looked small in comparison to the white and blue skyscrapers that rose on the avenues. If he squinted his eyes, he could see the drones looming around the railroad tracks that spread on the air over most of the city, and perhaps even make something of the ants on the park at the feet of the library.

  It still impressed him how beautiful was this city.

  Beyond the skyscrapers, towering over them, the Pendulum monolith caught his attention. Black as the night sky, taller than the hundred-story skyscrapers, and, as some claimed, made of pure obsidian. And this was just one of nine.

  Luca swallowed hard, trying to focus on those details, not wanting to sink into doubt again.

  He was already here. Against his better judgment, he had accepted the interview. Even if a part of him whispered that he could leave, press the button, return to the first floor, and slip away. Go back to working in the greenhouse, at the two food shops, as a delivery driver on weekends…

  The reality was… he couldn’t.

  Even if... if Shawn woke up or not, he still had to pay the creditors. Victor had already shown great restraint over the past few months, but if he didn’t hurry, he’d end up in the ocean with cement shoes. But a million dollars wouldn’t be paid off with those jobs. And he’d already turned down illegal work, never had luck with lotteries… only one option remained.

  Luca straightened his shoulders, his reflection staring back at him. If he tried hard enough, he could still see traces of Shawn in his own face. Of his mother. All three of them had the same eyes—same shade of blue, same shape. One pair he’d never see again. He couldn’t give up without making sure he’d done everything he could for the second pair.

  Especially now that he had this opportunity. And even more so when he could say that, among the others, he was the only one who knew full well he was stepping into the beast’s mouth, and that he had a better chance of coming out with all his limbs intact than the rest.

  Pendulum... was even more dangerous than working for the dark world. For a very good reason, he’d tried to ignore it since waking up on this side. But at the same time, the rewards were limitless. Their conditions were unbeatable, especially the salary. It had to be said, for someone with a resume full of temporary jobs across various sectors and zero specializations, this was more than a first-class opportunity.

  More than enough to pay off the debts. More than enough to keep his brother in the hospital... even if Luca didn’t make it out alive.

  He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.

  Sixty-three seconds had passed.

  The elevator chimed softly, and a cheerful voice announced: “Sixty-third floor. Thank you for visiting us.”

  “Thanks,” Luca murmured as he stepped out. It wouldn’t be wrong to be polite, especially polite to Pendulum’s AI. Although it didn’t look like that, it was more advanced than anything else out there, including secret military centers and Pentagon 3.6. Calling it a ‘machine’ was like calling his new job ‘a bit risky’... a gross understatement bordering on absurd.

  A long hallway stretched before him, its walls paneled in warm red wood with paintings of different cities across the continent, each featuring their monoliths. At the end was a door, its polished wood gleaming under soft white lights. The gold letters engraved on its surface read: Office 010.

  Luca’s mind flashed back to an online post he’d seen: “At Pendulum, if it looks like gold, it is.” The company spared no expense, and the door seemed to confirm that. But being number one in almost every sector, they had a few zeros in their bank accounts to spend on the little details.

  As he approached, he couldn’t help but calculate some costs. How could he not? The door alone probably cost more than a year of his brother’s hospital bills. Hell, if he died on the island, his empty coffin might be worth enough to keep his little brother alive for another year.

  Well. It was the best of the worst cases, wasn’t it?

  He knocked once, softly, then pushed the door open without waiting for a response. It swung open silently, revealing a breathtaking skyline stretching endlessly beyond floor-to-ceiling windows. A massive desk dominated the room, its red wood surface polished with faint gold accents. Why wasn’t this in some old-money family’s mansion instead of a corporate office?

  Pendulum’s decor team had a particular taste, didn’t they?

  The office wasn’t empty. Around the table were ten others: five women and five men, all elegantly dressed and exuding quiet determination. Or at least pretending to. Their eyes landed on him as he entered, a flicker of curiosity quickly replaced by indifference or, in some cases, a subtle hint of curiosity. Or hostility. Or both at the same time.

  So, these are my ‘competition’ –and possible future coworkers.

  Luca closed the door as carefully as he’d opened it and chose a seat in the corner, away from the others. The table was large enough to seat sixteen, so yeah, no reason to sit next to such company.

  No one was sitting at the head of the table... the main character of the play would came in any moment.

  His eyes wandered, taking in the room. The office was sparsely decorated, but the table was a work of art: solid, thick, and undoubtedly expensive. He kept his hands in his lap, resisting the urge to scratch it. Beyond that, there wasn’t even a screen to display some kind of presentation, not even a painting adorning the dazzling white walls.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  He glanced subtly at the others and, to his surprise, a familiar face caught his attention.

  Him?

  It was impossible not to recognize one of the most celebrated boxers of the last decade, even for someone like Luca, who barely followed sports. The gym near his house had a poster of the man, and the scandal that had ended his career last year had been news for weeks. His former coworker had gone to the press conference to throw rotten tomatoes at him, which Mr. Howard had allowed her to take.

  More importantly, Luca had known his name long before that.

  Something to keep in mind, he thought, his expression unchanged. Becoming a meat shield wasn’t on his wish list for this year.

  The other applicants were less recognizable, except for the curly-haired woman, who Luca noticed was barely containing her nerves. She was in good shape like the rest, but she seemed more suited to becoming the next Olympic runner than holding her own in a fight.

  Everyone there fell into one of two categories—which wasn’t surprising. The job posting had emphasized ‘good physical condition’ as a requirement, which they all met from the start. Of course, no one knew why it was so important or that it wasn’t the main requirement.

  The door opened again, and all heads turned.

  A woman entered, her presence immediately capturing their attention. She wore purple butterfly-shaped glasses with gold accents, her eyes hidden but her smile serene and well-practiced. Luca knew her, or at least knew her information.

  Roxana Santos. But that was her ‘corporate identity.’ At Pendulum’s real headquarters, she’d be known as “Mariposa”—her designation.

  “Good morning, everyone,” she said, her voice soft over the sharp click of her heels. “Thank you for accepting our company’s invitation. You may call me Miss Santos. I’ll be conducting your interview today.”

  A murmur of polite greetings followed. Luca joined in, though his stomach tightened, twisting with nervous anticipation.

  How could he not feel anything? Miss Santos was the spitting image of her forum photo. More importantly, she was the one who would lead them to their first encounter with what Pendulum had been handling: the Mysteries. And beyond that, she was one of Them. That thought made his pulse quicken slightly.

  Don’t think about that. The good thing was, she wouldn’t think anything odd if she heard his racing heart. Who wouldn’t be nervous right now?

  With the elegance of her namesake, she placed a thick red folder on the table and pulled out a stack of thinner folders. “Before we proceed, there’s a formal requirement. Due to the nature of this position, you’ll need to sign a confidentiality agreement,” she began distributing the documents. “This is standard procedure, as the role involves access to sensitive company information.”

  Like a stone thrown into a pond, a wave of unease spread through the room, but Luca didn’t change his expression much, having expected this but not wanting to stand out for this.

  “A confidentiality agreement? Already?” someone murmured, a tone of confusion and suspicion in their voice.

  “But we’re not even employees yet,” a man pointed out.

  Miss Santos remained impassive. “That’s correct. However, participation in this interview process requires compliance with company protocols. Signing is completely voluntary, but those who choose not to will not be able to continue.” She adjusted her glasses with a gentle push of her fingers. “As I’m sure you understand, Pendulum can’t risk exposing vulnerable information about its processes. The competition is cutthroat.”

  Silence settled in the room, but only for a moment. While some hesitated, others opened their folders without a second thought. Among them were the boxer, a young man who looked like he’d just graduated high school, and the curly-haired woman, who began reading with intense concentration.

  The rustle of pages filled the air.

  Alright. First things first. After a quick glance through the pages, finding nothing unusual, he signed on the last page. There you go.

  Now, there were only two ways out of this.

  “Thank you all for your cooperation and interest,” Miss Santos said, her tone warm but professional. She pressed something on the table, and with a soft mechanical sound, wooden panels slid in front of each applicant. A pair of glasses emerged, their blue metallic frames gleaming under the light.

  Murmurs of awe spread through the room.

  The glasses were sleek and glassy, with Pendulum’s logo in gold. They looked so expensive that anyone would feel a pang of anxiety. What if someone broke them? Not even selling their organs on the black market would cover the cost.

  Ha. The irony alone would kill him.

  “Go ahead, don’t be shy. Try them on,” Miss Santos encouraged. “These are the latest version of our virtual reality gear, the same model used by the gaming company we collaborate with. Number one, if I may say so.”

  Luca picked up the pair in front of him. Despite their size, they were surprisingly light, probably made from Pendulum’s own metal. After all, they’d been in the metal business for centuries, particularly due to the number of alloys they’d created.

  As he put them on, his vision was instantly enveloped in white. A simple message appeared:

  Welcome to Pendulum, Mr. Olsen.

  Judging by the murmurs around him, he wasn’t the only one with a personalized greeting. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who thought the voice was quite special. Soft and fresh, like running a hand over velvet sheets.

  “Excuse me... this job... could it be about...?” a woman’s voice asked. Though she seemed to struggle to articulate her words, the excitement in her tone was palpable.

  Luca felt a pang of pity for her.

  She doesn’t know. Well, no one did except him. And the person in charge of the test, of course.

  “I’ll explain your responsibilities later,” Miss Santos said, her tone firm but not unkind. “However, you should know that this job isn’t for the faint of heart. You’ll be walking a thin line, balancing over the open mouth of a shark at midnight.”

  Her words weren’t empty. In fact, Luca thought they didn’t go far enough. But then again, no one would believe him about the depth of the abyss unless they were pushed into it, right?

  “You’ll learn for yourselves in the Technical Test.”

  Ha. Even though he knew it, a sense of foreboding gripped him. But there was no time to dwell on that.

  Miss Santos’ voice cut through the tension.

  “Don’t lose your focus and give your all. Good luck.” Then, she said with other voice, “it begins now.”

  A sound, vaguely resembling a bell, echoed through the room, and then everything went black.