Dr. Umar's POV.
"Alright, I've got this. It's just a stupid meeting. Move in, report and dash out quickly." I assured myself.
I exhaled and ran a hand through my hair.
The massive administrative building loomed before me, its mirrors reflecting the sky above.
Then I opened the door. A blast of cool air washed over me, a product of air conditioners and purifiers. The lobby was spotless, humming with the low chatter of officials going about their business, their shoes clicking against the polished floor.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Umar." A woman greeted her as she passed.
"It's Lyra." I corrected.
"Hard to catch sight of your doctor. What official business brings you here?" Another man asked.
"I'm here for the boss, Phil. Confidential matters." I said, not bothering to slow down.
The elevator carried me to the fiftieth floor. When the door opened, what followed was silence. I lingered at an office door for a moment...then kicked it open.
The office had a simple setup. A bookshelf filled with books, two glistening wooden doors, a window that spilled light, a desk, and a chair.
Behind the chair was the boss.
"Hey there, boss." I said, dropping into the chair opposite. I threw my legs on the table, knocking over a neat stack of files on purpose.
There was no response. This man was such a headache. I knew what he wanted. I turned to the three figures standing silently against the office wall.
The first figure was a bald muscular man, his build threatening to rip his suit. The second was a lady in a lab coat, her black bob-cut hair covering her face as she ran her fingers through her laptop, probably something medical-related. The third was a mystery, one who hardly spoke.
"Good afternoon to you lots," I said, waving lazily.
The bald man, Alec, bristled immediately.
"How unsightly. To come in here and disrespect the boss like this, you deserve a punishment."
My grin widened.
"Says a dog who can't bark without permission. Who wants to punish me? You? You're welcome to try... again."
"You arog—"
"You're early again, Umar." Boss cuts in at last. His voice was smooth and melodic, his expression as unreadable as ever. He dropped the file that had been covering his face.
He always had a bad habit of holding them at unusual angles.
"What can I say, boss? I've always been punctual." I slid my legs back on the ground.
"Your report." he demanded.
I exhaled. Straight to business then, no small talk. One of the things I despised about him.
"Well," I said, unwrapping a lollipop and popping it into my mouth. "For starters, the exams went just as you had predicted. More interesting than I thought."
"I heard your candidate challenged you. It was a draw, right?"
I wasn't surprised. Boss has a way of prediction through calculations.
"Yeap, a stalemate." I admitted. "Take out the variables and—well, who can say."
He leaned closer, his white hair dancing to an unknown wind. Handsome. He was extremely so. A dangerous beauty. He adjusts the glasses at his nose tip.
"Explain these... variables." He prompted.
I leaned back on my chair, twirling the lollipop from one side of my mouth to the other. I guess I picked his full attention now.
"That kid has more pride than any of us. The restrictions were supposed to affect only instructors, but somehow, they affected him too, if only a little. I wonder why that is."
For a split second, I saw his eyes sharpen to something else before becoming unreadable again.
"I'll investigate that. Anything else?"
"When we fought, he didn't block nor evade my attacks; that madman took them on." I let out a slow breath. "I'm fairly sure he fought with his weaker hand too."
The boss smiled, faint but brilliant."
"Someone," he lingered a little. "Has a bad habit of underestimating people and subconsciously holding back, Umar. Still vital information."
His voice dropped, low and commanding.
"Everyone, sit."
The ticking of the wall clock grew louder and louder. I wish I could've skipped this meeting, but I couldn't; I was stuck. I slouched deeper into my chair. I needed him to know how little I cared.
"The real reason I called you all here is because, a lead to the Akashic Records has been found, and an inevitable war between sinborn and virtueborn is fast approaching." He observed us before continuing.
"Humanity is going down a dark path. Should this war break out, the damage will be irreversible. Here's what I want each of you to do."
****
"Finally, the damn meeting is over." I said as I stretched.
If it wasn't for the salary, I wouldn't encourage even my enemies to seek employment here.
I flipped a coin idly, then inserted it into the vending machine.
I took my drink and cracked it open.
"You know, an instructor shouldn't be drinking alcohol, especially when on duty." Nora, the woman in the lab coat, advised.
"About that," I said, foam spilling over my hand, "with how tedious my workload is about to be, I won't have the luxury of drinking one for a long while."
Pssssttt.
"Look what you did. I spilled my drink." I wasn't going to enjoy the drink now anyway. Nora's remark had taken the thrill from it, it wasn't going to taste good.
"So?" I asked. "You didn't just come to spoil my drink now, did you? Need something?"
"Nothing in particular" she crack open a coffee can. "Here, I've found useful information on her."
I took her tablet and scrolled through. Indeed, what I saw was pleasing.
"After so many year. Now this changes everything."