Felix is stuck in a never-ending cycle of job applications, rejection letters, and the crushing weight of existential dread. When a job offer magically appears in his inbox with a salary so ridiculously high it could pay off his student loans and bu...
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The world snapped back into focus with a jolt. One second, Felix was enveloped in a swirl of light and shadow, and the next, he was standing in a completely different location. The shift was so sudden that it took him a moment to find his balance, and .
"Okay, what the actual—" he started, but the words died on his lips as he took in his surroundings.
He was in the middle of a grand courtyard, easily three times the size of the one he'd just left. The architecture was a strange mix of classical and modern—towering columns lined the edges of the space, supporting a series of archways draped in ivy. The floor beneath his feet was smooth stone, etched with intricate patterns that looked like they might mean something if he cared enough to figure it out. The air smelled like earth and greenery, a stark contrast to the city street's usual blend of exhaust and street food.
Felix glanced around, half-expecting to see more mysterious cloaked figures lurking in the shadows, but the courtyard was eerily empty. The only movement came from the gentle sway of the ivy in the breeze and a few birds flitting between the columns.
"Well, at least the scenery's nice," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. He could feel his future hair loss. Bye-bye, gorgeous red locks. "But seriously, where am I?"
He spun around, trying to get his bearings, but the place seemed to stretch on forever, each archway leading to more columns, more greenery, more pathways that disappeared into the distance. It was disorienting, like walking through an endless maze that didn't want him to leave.
"Great. First, I got hired by a shadowy organization, and now I'm in an episode of Lost," he quipped, though the humor didn't quite ease the knot in his stomach.
As he wandered down one of the paths, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. He glanced up, half-expecting to see that same creepy bird from before, but there was nothing but the open sky. The silence was heavy, pressing in on him from all sides.
"Okay, this is getting old fast," he said, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "If there's anyone here, now would be a great time to, I don't know, show up?"
'Please, show up??'
No answer. Just the rustling of leaves and the faintest whisper of wind. Felix sighed and kept walking, his footsteps the only sound in the otherwise empty space.
It wasn't until he reached the edge of what looked like a garden—complete with meticulously trimmed hedges and a small pond—that he finally spotted movement. A flash of white feathers caught his eye, and he turned just in time to see a large bird swoop down from one of the archways, landing gracefully on the edge of the pond.
Felix narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look at it. It wasn't the same bird as before; this one was all white, with striking blue eyes that locked onto him the moment it landed.
