“Hello, Dominic.”
Dominic looked at the woman before him.
She’s beautiful…
But not in a way he could easily explain.
There was something about her, something unsettling, yet intentional.
The air was still yet calm, and the light didn’t wash her out; it seemed to settle on her skin instead.
It was as if she commanded stillness, yet she was ethereal, making it hard to take his eyes off her.
He struggled to stand; his knees felt weak, but he stood.
“Hi,” he said, scratching the back of his head, suddenly feeling nervous.
“Quite the awkward fellow, aren’t you?” Adrian said, appearing beside him.
Dominic turned sharply and was looked up and down by Adrian.
“You held yourself quite well, impressive.”
Dominic felt a rise of irritation as he opened his mouth to respond–
“Enough.”
The word wasn’t loud.
But it settled over the room instantly.
The air felt heavy, and Dominic froze in place.
Not because he was forced to–no.
There was something in her tone that was commanding like a general training cadets, and made continuing rather…
pointless.
He shut his mouth and slowly straightened.
From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Adrian.
Adrian looked completely indifferent, hands in his pockets, like none of this was of his concern–even though Saron was looking directly at him.
“Jason, take our guest to the infirmary for a proper checkup.
I’d like to have a private discussion with Adrian.”
Dominic had forgotten about Jason, who was standing by his right.
“Of course,” Jason replied.
“Let’s go.”
Dominic hesitated.
He wanted to stay — wanted answers from this mysterious woman.
“This is not a discussion you want to hear,” Adrian said lightly.
“Be a good boy and leave.
The adults are about to have a conversation.”
“Why you–”
“Bye.”
The last thing Dominic heard was Adrian snapping his fingers.
The world shifted.
The next second, he stumbled forward.
The room had changed; he was no longer in the office.
White walls.
Sterile air.
He grabbed onto the edge of a bed as nausea hit him like a wave.
His stomach twisted.
His head spun.
“Are you alright?” Jason asked.
Dominic swallowed hard, still gripping the bed.
“…Does he always do that?” he muttered.
“Sometimes,” Jason replied.
“It’s insane.”
“That’s Adrian for you.”
Dominic straightened slowly, a little unsteady as if he had just gotten off a rollercoaster ride.
“Not even a little warning.”
“At least he didn’t teleport you to the ceiling for an ungraceful fall,” Jason replied
“He’s insane,” Dominic said.
“Let’s start the checkup,” Jason said.
“Sit on the bed.”
Dominic complied.
“So how are you feeling?” Jason asked as he walked to a drawer and took out a stethoscope, a thermometer…
and a bracelet.
“I’m fine, surprisingly.
I had a few serious injuries I ignored, nearly died, and now I wake up with no pain…
It’s strange.” Dominic replied.
“I have to say, your awakening is by far the most violent I’ve ever encountered.”
“Nearly getting eaten?”
“Nearly exploding.
If Adrian hadn’t stepped in, it would’ve been much worse.”
“Yeah, he mentioned something about taking out half the neighbourhood,” Dominic said quietly, guilt slowly weighing over him.
An emotion he couldn’t process as he was busy asking questions and being ragebaited by Adrian.
“In a heat wave,” Jason added.
“The temperature suddenly rose by ten degrees.
People almost died from the sudden spike.”
Dominic was dumbfounded.
“He lied?”
“Not really, you did take out the neighbourhood, just not how you imagined,” Jason replied.
“Son of a–”
“Put this on,” Jason said, handing him the bracelet.
“Sure.”
Dominic slipped it onto his wrist.
“What is this anyway?”
“A resonance reader.
It does exactly what it sounds like,” Jason replied.
“Raise your arm.”
“So what do you think they are talking about?” Dominic asked as Jason placed the thermometer under his armpit.
“Probably about him getting demoted,” Jason replied.
There was a brief pause.
“Again.”
Dominic frowned.
“Why would he be getting demoted?
He stopped what could have been a major disaster.
Should he be…
I don’t know, rewarded?”
“I don’t know how to answer that.
I’m only an intern,” Jason said.
“Really?
How long?”
“Three months.”
“Then why’d you say he’s been demoted again?”
Jason sighed.
“He’s been demoted twice since I got here, and I’ve always been dragged along with his shenanigans.
It’s ridiculous how unprofessional he can be sometimes.
It feels like I’m babysitting him.”
“And you are paid for your troubles, are you not?”
Adrian appeared between them–floating upside down, a wide grin on his face.
Dominic yelped, clutching his chest, while Jason looked calm yet annoyed.
“Are you trying to kill me?!” Dominic exclaimed.
Adrian flipped upright and landed lightly.
“Sorry for the scare,” he apologises.
“It wouldn’t happen again, darling.”
“Were you demoted again?” Jason asked.
“Nah,” Adrian replied.
“She had no point to prove.
It was either I stepped in, or people died.
“Really?” Jason asked, crossing his arms.
“That checks out,” Dominic said–
Jason raised a hand, stopping him.
“I’ve been here long enough to know that even when he’s right, there’s always a punishment for disobeying orders.
And somehow, I’m always dragged into it.
So what is it?”
Adrian looked sheepish–for a moment.
“Well..”
“Spit it out.” Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
“We’re to continue monitoring him in case he has another resonance burst and–”
Jason froze.
“Wait.
Why is this a ‘we’ situation?!”
“And why am I being babysat?” Dominic added.
“Don’t think of it as babysitting,” Adrian said.
“We’re not catering to your needs.
It’s more like…
stalking.
Far more uncomfortable.”
“I don’t want to be stalked,” Dominic snapped.
“And I don’t want to stalk someone,” Jason added.
“That’s illegal.”
“We are the law, Jason,” Adrian responded calmly.
“As long as we don’t cause any physical or emotional damage, it’s perfectly legal.”
Pause.
“And we get sued.”
“Well, I will sue you,” Dominic said firmly.
“I wouldn’t blame him,” Jason agreed.
Adrian laughed softly while shaking his head.
“You can’t disagree, Jason.
It’s in your job description.”
He pointed at Dominic.
“And you won’t sue us.
You don’t have the financial capability.
No full-time job, average apartment, and you are a bad hour away from poverty–”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Then snapped his fingers.
“I just had a brilliant idea.”
Both Dominic and Jason stared at him.
Silence.
“…Well?” Dominic demanded.
“Oh, I thought you’d enjoy the suspense–”
“Just say it!” Jason snapped.
Adrian sighed exaggeratedly.
“No one appreciates a good buildup anymore…”
Je turned to Dominic, smiling.
“How would you like to work for B.O.G.S.?”
Saron sat in her office, her posture unchanged, but her expression slightly strained.
“I should have known sending him alone was a mistake,” she murmured.
Adrian was effective.
That was nvr the issue.
It was everything else.
The landline rang.
She picked it up.
“Saron speaking.”
A pause.
She listened.
“Yes…
he awakened.”
Another pause.
Her gaze lowered slightly.
“No, it didn’t go according to plan.”
Silence stretched on the line.
“No, one of my subordinates intervened.”
A longer pause this time.
Her expression hardened for a second.
“The next occurrence will not be interrupted.
You have my word.”
There was a longer pause then–
“If she is aware…
she will come.”