[Please, enter your designation.]

  Luca touched the bracelet with his fingers, tapping softly on the metal as he pretended to think. A name had jumped into his mind the moment he learned which squadron he belonged to. It was familiar. He didn’t know if that was a good thing, but he knew he needed the confidence that came with it—even if the situation wasn’t exactly the same. Even if it could be a bad idea on the long run.

  "Mithras," he murmured, feeling a shiver running down his spine.

  [Greetings, Mithras.]

  This could be considered his second step on the road toward a very dark place. But for a long moment, Luca stared at the bracelet, pondering why he didn’t feel any different. Well. The thing didn’t look any different. It had accepted his designation on the first attempt—a record, considering how many people had come before him. (How many designations had been lost forever?)

  On the other hand, if he focused, he could swear that there was a faint vibration pulsing against his skin. He tapped the space between the carved lines gently, and a message popped up.

  [Profile is available.]

  [Additional services are locked until further progress.]

  The last line wasn’t a surprise. The ‘camera’ that Lacerta had talked about would only appear during missions, and as a level 0, he didn’t even have access to the inventory yet.

  “Open profile.”

  It was exactly as he expected —and as he already knew. Relaxing his shoulders with a long sigh, he rolled down his sleeve as he had seen Lacerta do earlier. With a simple thought, the text faded from his view. Covering his sleeve with his hand, feeling the pulse better than before, he stared at the air for a moment.

  Now, there was really no turning back.

  A brief smile stretched his lips upwards.

  As if I didn’t already know it…

  Shaking off the thought, he went to his luggage and dragged it to the bedroom. There was a closet half-hidden at the end of the bed, but he had no interest in ordering anything now. After rummaging through his suitcase, he finally unearthed the medallion. The screen flickered to life and he pressed the interface. There was something new in the top corner of the screen, next to the hour - a small 'P'.

  All the technology had already been intervened by Pendulum. Luckily, Luca had nothing to hide there. He had always preferred the old-fashioned way to store his thoughts.

  Letting it aside, there were a couple of hours before he had to be at Office D33. Setting an alarm, Luca put the medallion on his neck and sank onto the bed. The mattress was firm yet surprisingly comfortable, cradling him.

  Fuck. He was so tired. And this bed was the best one he had even laid on. He didn’t think he would fall asleep so quick, so easily —but the tiredness pulled him toward sleep.

  But a good rest didn’t come so easily.

  The sound of dripping water began from the start —a faint plink echoing from somewhere within the walls. At first, it didn’t matter. The lights flickered at the other side of the windows as the car moved ahead and the radio came online with an unclear song filled with static. But soon, the dripping became more noticeable.

  It wasn’t loud, but it gnawed at the edges of his awareness, refusing to fade into the background.

  And then there was the heartbeat. Not his own—no, this one thudded slower, heavier, resonating deep in his chest like a drumbeat meant for someone—or something—else.

  It felt so cold.

  Rain poured outside, sliding down across the windows.

  The song changed but Luca still was unable to understand the lyrics or even the rhythm.

  Someone —someone familiar was there, on the corner of his eyes. He didn’t know who was. No anymore. Didn’t remember. But he was almost sure that—

  What?

  Beneath it all, the relentless drip, drip, drip following him.

  When the alarm blared, dragging him to the present, Luca bolted upright with a gasp. His heart raced, adrenaline surging through his veins as he didn't felt sure if he was still dreaming. For a moment, he simply sat there, disoriented, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling while the remnants of his dream clung to him.

  Was this a nightmare? Not exactly. But calling it a simple dream…

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Luca rubbed his face, letting out a deep sigh. The only silver lining was despite the unease lingering in his gut, he felt… rested. Physically, at least. Mentally —well, he could be better. Grasping te bracelet on his wrist, he felt it humming softly, almost imperceptibly, under his fingers, his mouth twitched. It was good enough for now, considering where was him. What was of his life now.

  Shaking off the last vestiges of sleep, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Two hours had passed, and it was time to start his first day. To face the music, as some people would say.

  His stomach rumbled then.

  Alright. Whatever awaited him at Office D33 was still an hour afar —he could make time for a snack.

  Luca pulled on a simple blue jersey from his luggage and swapped his bathrobe for something more professional but comfortable. With a final glance at the place where the bracelet still clung to his wrist, he picked up a couple of things more from his luggage —a bag of sweets, a plain notebook and a pencil, before tearing a piece of paper to write a quick message.

  There had been a lot of black clouds for those who didn’t act properly with the ‘favor’ received. It cost him practically nothing to cover his back against any possible problems that might arise from this front. He could, of course, act like a real rookie —but frankly, no one would be paying attention to this excepting for the ones involved.

  So he left the bag of gummies on the desk with the ‘thank you note’ and then left his department with more ease. Now, it was unlikely he would come back to messy sheets, a clogged toilet or worms on his refrigerator.

  As he stepped into the hallway, he noticed movement from the opposite door–a figure slipping in just as quietly. A coworker. A senior, surely.

  Luca took the stairs again, descending into the lobby below. There was sign pointing the path toward downtown in front of the building. A breeze caressed his cheeks as he followed that lead towards the commercial area, thinking about what he should eat...

  G-zilla had its own gastronomy, so he should chose some of the options he had only been able to read about it before.

  After a few minutes, Luca found a small store in the first block—although the streets here seemed more open, with small green spaces between buildings— where a modest a line formed outside its glass doors. He knew they were no rookies at first glance; their expressions were someway unreadable and their postures relaxed yet somehow guarded.

  As Luca hesitated, weighing whether to join the queue or explore further for another option (There should be a cafeteria nearby, right?), a cheerful voice broke through the white noise of the murmurs.

  “Hey, new face! Are you looking for lunch?”

  Luca turned to find a man standing beside him, grinning broadly. He was of average height, with ruffled black hair and an easygoing demeanor that might have seemed friendly in another context. An agent, at least.

  “Yes,” Luca replied, meeting the man’s gaze without flinching.

  “Then let me give you a hand,” the stranger said, extending his own. “You may call me Mars.”

  The designation sent a pang of recognition through Luca’s mind, but he kept his expression carefully neutral. Still, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled as he shook the offered hand. Mars’s grip was icy, colder than any human skin had a right to be. However, it was better than the other agents he had met before. Schooling his features into polite indifference wasn’t difficult.

  His level should be lower than Michael or Lacerta.

  “Mithras,” Luca replied simply, offering his chosen designation.

  Mars tilted his head slightly, studying him with a certain intensity. “Oh? What a choice.” His grin widened further, revealing teeth that looked just a fraction too sharp. Before Luca could respond, the man gestured toward the store with a flourish. “Shall we?”

  Luca gave a curt nod and followed Mars toward the growing line. As they joined the queue, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being evaluated—not by Mars alone, but by almost everyone around them. It wasn't paranoia. He could see the others glancing at him briefly, their eyes lingering just long enough to make him uncomfortable before returning to their hushed conversations as if nothing had happened.

  Someone weaker might have grown tense under such scrutiny. Perhaps even annoyed. Or worse, they might have let themselves be pushed away entirely. But Luca wasn’t weak, and had quite a long experience. He kept his expression neutral and his body relaxed, refusing to give anything away.

  “So, what brings you to Pendulum?” Mars asked casually, walking next to him with an ease that felt almost like they were already friends.

  Another one with a good level of charisma, huh?

  “Needed a change,” Luca replied, his voice calm and his response deliberately vague. Then he gave Mars a brief smile. “Heard the pay’s good.”

  Mars chuckled, a rumbling sound with its own peculiar cadence. “Oh, you won’t be disappointed with any of that. It’s… different, sure. Maybe even overwhelming, especially at first. But the numbers at the end of the month? They can make it all worthwhile.” His grin widened, a flash of blinding white teeth. “You’ll see soon enough.” If you survive, it seemed to linger.

  Luca didn’t reply beyond a simple nod, focusing instead on the menu board above the counter. "Do yo u have some recommendation? I'll have my first mission in two hours, as much."

  Mars tilted his head, pensative. "You should ask for the Surprise Box."

  Luca nodded at him, and followed with it. That had been one of his initial ideas. But —now he knew Mars wasn't trying to fuck with him. At least not now. He added three sweets to his orden, only one for himself.

  At the front of the line, Luca swiped his wrist over the sleek scanner embedded in the counter. A soft beep confirmed the transaction, deducting 0.1 points, and he moved to collect his order.

  “We can find a place around the corner,” Mars suggested.

  Luca didn’t respond, simply following Mars to the back of the store where a small seating area had been set up. Tables were scattered haphazardly, some occupied by tiny groups of people chatting amongst themselves in low voices, others left conspicuously empty.

  The air was thick with the mingling scents of food and something faintly unfamiliar. Yet, the warm red leaves swayed in the breeze, and laughter broke out from time to time, softening the otherwise off atmosphere.

  As they sat down, Luca handed the second sweet to Mars without ceremony with a calm expression. Surprise flickered across the man’s face for just a moment before his grin softened, becoming less predatory and more genuine—or at least, as close to genuine as someone like a veteran could manage.

  “Well,” Mars said, accepting the treat with a slight nod, “I won't say no to free sugar.”

  Tearing open the box, Luca studied Mars with a quick glance, noting the way the man’s fingers curled possessively around the sweet. He must be stronger than I assumed, Luca thought, turning his attention at the food —a sandwich and fries. Well. It looked like this at least.

  He picked up the sandwich and took his first bite. Flavor and freshness exploded on his tongue, and he had to resist the urge to moan. This was, without a doubt, the best sandwich of his life. Unable to help himself, he picked up a fry and felt as though he’d discovered a second reason to live right then and there.

  They ate in silence.

  “You’ve got a good head,” Mars finally said, glancing at him. “Sharing goes a long way around here. Not everyone figures that out so early.”

  Luca met his gaze evenly, refusing to flinch or look away. “Being thankful is proper manners, isn't it?"

  Mars laughed again, louder this time. But it was a shark laught. It felt like that.

  “You’re going to need that mindset here.” He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice further, ensuring their conversation remained private despite the hum of chatter around them. “Delta isn’t so bad—at least, not compared to Gamma or Beta. We're lucky."His grin faltered for a split second, something colder and darker flickering in his expression. "But that doesn't mean there are no troubles lurking around. Keeping yourself out of the spotline is the best option."

  Luca nodded at his words. It was a shame that he couldn't follow them —going up quickler as possible was the only way to kept his little brother with him, after all.

  “You’ve got a new name now,” Mars said abruptly, breaking the silence again. “Make sure to use it.”

  Luca hummed in agreement, his mouth still full of fries.

  Mars' mouth twiched and he didn't say anything more. Luckily for Luca, because he had no extra sweets to give to him. He was saving the last one for the next hour.

  When Luca finished eating, he stood without a word, gathering the box, and looked at the man. Mars watched him intently, the sweet now completely consumed, its wrapper crumpled carelessly in his hand.

  “See you around, Mithras.”

  It was the island’s version of 'good luck.' After all, the dead, the bound, and the enslaved didn’t come back.

  How could he not understand it?

  Luca smiled. “See you around, Mars.”