The email came just before noon.
Aidan sat on the couch, his phone still warm from the morning's idle scrolling, when the notification flashed.
Subject: Mazon Corporation – Formal Offer of Employment.
He opened it.
The message was concise and professional, but the words were heavy with finality:
We are pleased to formally welcome you to Mazon Corporation as the newest member of our strategic development team. Your role will commence this coming Monday.
For a moment, he simply stared at the screen. This was it—the door he'd been circling for years, now wide open. The decision had been made long before today, but there was something about reading the words in black and white that sent a ripple through his chest.
He leaned back, phone resting on his knee, and allowed himself one quiet exhale. "So, it's official."
That afternoon, he made the call.
"Yes, I accept," he told the Mazon representative. "I'll be there Monday." His voice was calm, deliberate. He didn't ask for more time to think—there was no need.
The representative congratulated him, spoke briefly about onboarding, and then hung up.
For a moment, the room was still. Then, as if on cue, his phone began to vibrate.
⸻
By evening, the news had already slipped into the wild, and the internet did what it always did—it took sides.
On a fan forum dedicated to the Zonic Group, someone posted:
ADIAN Leaves Zonic for Mazon – Loyalty or Betrayal?
The thread exploded.
LoyalFan92: Good for him! The Zonic Group has been holding him back for years. He deserves the resources and recognition Mazon can offer.
OldSchoolZonic: Holding him back? They made him! Without Zonic, he'd still be some unknown fighting for scraps. And this is how he repays them?
VisionaryMind: This is business, not a charity. People move on when better opportunities appear. You think Zonic wouldn't drop him if they found someone better?
On another platform, hashtags began to trend:
#ADIANMovesOn
#BetrayalOrBusiness
Some users flooded comment sections with messages of congratulations:
"Mazon's lucky to have you."
"Finally! The king is moving to a bigger throne."
Others spat accusations:
"A snake in a suit."
"Some people forget where they came from."
It wasn't just about Aidan anymore. Somewhere in the chaos, another revelation sparked a second wave of uproar—Cian Lance had also accepted a position at Mazon.
That connection drew even sharper opinions.
Linker101: So… Aidan and Cian under the same roof now? This is going to be very interesting.
SkepticalSoul: Oh, please. Coincidence. Mazon's just hiring talent left and right—it doesn't mean anything.
FanGirlAce: If this means we'll see more of them working together, I'm all for it. My heart's not ready!
And of course, the conspiracy theories followed.
Some insisted the two moves were coordinated—a secret alliance formed long before the announcements. Others claimed Mazon was deliberately poaching talent from Zonic and Jason group to cripple them.
The noise was deafening. Aidan didn't reply to any of it.
⸻
That night, Ivan called.
"Seen the news?" he asked, though his tone already carried the answer.
"I've seen it," Cian replied.
"It's wild out there. People are fighting in the comments like it's a national debate."
"I'm not surprised," Cian said, his voice low and unbothered. "Everyone thinks they know the whole story. They don't."
"You going to say anything?"
"No. The more I explain the more they twist. The work will speak for us."
Ivan chuckled. "That's very unlike you."
⸻
The weekend crawled forward, each hour bringing fresh waves of online chatter.
Some journalists reached out for statements, but Aidan declined them all. Mazon's PR team sent a polite note suggesting he keep things professional and low-profile until his official debut.
By Sunday evening, he stood by his apartment window, watching the streetlights flicker on. Somewhere far below, the city was alive with weekend laughter, traffic horns, and the hum of a thousand private dramas.
His phone buzzed again—another notification, another opinion piece dissecting his decision. He didn't bother opening it.
Monday would come soon enough. And when it did, the noise would either fade or turn into something much louder.
Either way, he was ready.
⸻
The storm had already begun—but Aidan had no intention of waiting for it to pass. He was walking straight into it.