Cael stumbled as the security guards dragged him down the hallway, away from the stage where his life had crumbled.
The bright lights of ArcanTech Industries' recording hall faded, replaced by the cold glow of fluorescent bulbs in the corridor.
His arms, gripped tightly by the guards, ached, but not as much as the humiliation burning in his chest.
The stares of passing employees and assistants pierced him.
Some looked at him with contempt, others let out mocking laughs, and a few whispered to each other, pointing.
"Look at that fool," a woman with an ID badge said, covering her mouth to hide a giggle. "What was he trying to do? Some cheap magic trick?"
"What a waste of time," a suited man grumbled, adjusting his tie. "He ruined the show's premiere. They should ban him for life."
Cael kept his head down, each word hitting like a blow.
What should have been the grand launch of the Innovation Event, the first chapter of a show promising to change the world, had turned into an utter failure.
The sphere—his dream, his ticket to a better life for him and Yuna—had exploded in front of everyone.
Now, in their eyes, he was just a weirdo chasing clout, a nobody who'd dared to dream too big.
The guards hauled him to a small room tucked in a remote corner of the corporate complex.
The metal door slammed shut with a clang behind him, the sound echoing in the empty space.
It was a cramped room with gray walls, a metal table bolted to the floor, and a single chair.
No windows, just a flickering bulb on the ceiling.
It felt like a cell, a place meant to hold those not allowed to leave without permission.
Cael slumped into the chair, hands shaking.
"Please, I just want to apologize," he said, looking at the guards. "Let me talk to someone, explain what happened."
One guard, a burly man with a scar on his cheek, let out a dry laugh.
"Explain, huh? Explain how you're gonna pay for the mess you made."
Without another word, he and his partner left, the door closing with another clang.
The silence that filled the room was heavy, oppressive.
Cael rested his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands.
'What went wrong?' he thought, replaying every detail in his mind.
He'd checked the sphere a thousand times, tweaked the circuits, tested every connection.
It worked in his apartment, in the room with Lena.
Why did it fail now?
Guilt consumed him.
He'd been so arrogant, so sure his invention would change the world.
But he wasn't ready.
He hadn't refined it enough, and now his reputation was shattered.
Worse, they'd probably saddle him with a debt he could never repay.
His dream was dead, buried under the shards of blue crystal scattered across the stage.
Lena's words echoed in his head, but so did the janitor Ramón's, warning him to be careful with her.
At the time, he'd brushed it off, but now, trapped in this cell, a knot formed in his stomach.
Lena wasn't on stage when everything fell apart.
Where was she?
Why had she abandoned him?
Doubt gnawed at him, but his situation was so bleak he could barely think straight.
He slid off the chair and lay on the cold floor, defeated, closing his eyes and wishing it were all a nightmare.
…
Hours passed.
Time crawled, marked only by the buzz of the bulb.
Cael lost track of how long he'd been there, caught between exhaustion and despair.
Finally, the door creaked open with a screech.
Cael sat up, blinking against the light spilling from the hallway.
Two figures entered: Victor Kade and Darius Holt, two of the show's executives.
Their pristine suits contrasted sharply with Cael's disheveled state—wrinkled shirt, mussed hair.
Kade smirked, adjusting his glasses.
"Satisfied with your minute of fame, Blackwood?" he said, crossing his arms. "You made history, though not the way you wanted."
Holt, with his white beard and a look of disdain, let out a deep chuckle.
"An epic disaster. Congratulations, boy. No one's forgetting your name… for all the wrong reasons."
Cael stood, legs shaky.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice hoarse. "I didn't mean for this to happen. The sphere worked before, I don't know what went wrong. Please, let me expl—"
Kade cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"Too late for apologies," he snapped. He pulled a document from his briefcase and tossed it to the floor near Cael.
The pages scattered with a faint rustle.
"Sign it."
Cael crouched and gathered the document, hands trembling.
It was a contract, packed with legal jargon he barely understood.
Skimming it, his heart sank.
It stated he'd work for ArcanTech indefinitely, without a fixed salary, and any ideas or inventions he developed would belong to the company.
There was also a clause binding him to the corporate complex until he paid off the damages.
Cael frowned, confused.
"Why are you offering me this?" he asked, looking at Kade and Holt. "My idea failed. Why would you want me to work for you?"
Holt laughed, a deep, cruel sound.
"You think you get to ask questions?" he said, leaning toward him. "Sign it, or we'll break your legs. Or maybe something worse."
Cael felt a chill.
The two men stared at him, clearly enjoying his fear. He clutched the contract, but he couldn't sign.
Something inside screamed not to.
"No," he said, his voice shaky but firm. "I'd rather turn myself in to the authorities. I want to call a family member."
Kade burst out laughing, shaking his head.
"Authorities? A family member?" he mocked. "Who do you think you are, Blackwood? After the disaster you caused, you think anyone's coming to save you?"
Holt stepped forward, and before Cael could react, shoved him against the wall.
Thud!
The impact knocked the air out of him, and Cael slid to the floor, gasping.
"Sign the damn contract," Holt growled, pointing at the scattered pages.
Cael stayed on the floor, chest heaving.
The pain in his back was sharp, but the fear was worse.
"This is illegal," he said, glaring at the men. "You're threatening me. This is… torture."
Kade chuckled, adjusting his glasses.
"Illegal, he says," he remarked, glancing at Holt. "Did you hear that? The kid thinks anyone cares about him."
He leaned toward Cael, his smile icy.
"You're trending online, Blackwood. Everyone's talking about your failure. But trust me, no one cares what happens to you."
Cael felt the air drain from him.
He thought of Yuna, how she must be watching this from home.
But then, a spark of hope made him speak.
"Lena will care," he said, sitting up slightly. "She'll get me out of here. She won't abandon me."
The two men exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter.
Holt wiped a tear from his eye, as if he'd heard the best joke ever.
"Lena?" he said, his tone mocking. "You don't even know who she really is, do you?"
A chill ran down Cael's spine. He swallowed hard, his voice trembling.
"What do you mean?" he asked, looking from Kade to Holt. "Tell me what that means."
Kade smiled, leaning closer.
"Sign the contract," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "And maybe we'll tell you."
Cael clenched his fists, a mix of fear and anger surging inside him.
He didn't understand what was happening, but their words, Lena's absence—everything screamed that something was deeply wrong.
He glanced at the contract on the floor, its text blurry under the flickering light.
Signing meant surrendering his life, his ideas, everything he was.
But refusing… what would they do then?
"I won't sign," Cael said, his voice cracking but resolute. "Not until you tell me what's going on."
Holt stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.
"Last chance, kid," he said, his smile not reaching his eyes. "Don't make us force you."
Cael closed his eyes, bracing for the worst.
But in his mind, all he could think of was Lena.