Owen stares at his AI who had spoken, his eyes unfocused and expression faltering.
"What was that? The thing with his eyes?"
His AI settles in the chair and replies. "The gods simply spoke through his mouth. They want you to know they are with you. Afterall, the gods never fail."
Owen would have loved to sit and mull over what had just happened. If his eyes were playing tricks on him or if he really saw what he saw. And his AI wasnt helping matter with her weird quotes that makes one want to rethink their life decisions. He didnt get to ask his AI anything when he heard a knock on the door.
Adjusting his emotions, he walks back to his desk and repsonds. "Come in."
Ophelia peeps in, her small face tinted with a little blush and her lips painted in pink gloss. "When are we heading out?"
He checks his wrist wrach and almost cried. Owen quickly grabs his phone and the portfolio he had prepared for Ophelia. Giving Ophelia an apologetic smile, they didnt bother sayinf a word to Joy before leaving.
"You can take the elevator, i will take the stairs."
She stared at him for some seconds before agreeing with him. Owen frowns thinking she would take the stairs along with him.
"Guess Opheloa doesn't like you as much as you think she does." His AI taunts hopping away from his side.
He decided to ignore her and quickly rushed down the stairs. Ophelia was already waiting by his car, her face protected by sun glasses and her pouty lips giving her small framed face a more pronounced look.
He unlocks his car and signals for her to get in. The ride to Star Model was smooth and quiet. Eerily quiet. Except for his AI who had made a comment, reminding him how Opehlia didn't really like him as much he thought she did, nobody else said a word.
When they got to Star Model, he gave his car keys to valet and they both walk into the building. If he wasn't aware that Opehlia was with him, Owen might have actually taken the elevator.
It is safe to say his buidling has given him some sort or trauma towards elevator. But since the elevator was empty here, could rest easy. He pressed the floor he had been told in the appointment he made and glanced at Ophelia. Perhaps the young lady is a bit nervous, he couldn't tell. It reminded him of when he had to go to a job interview. He almost ran back home.
"Rosa told me about this young lady on the seventh floor. A little paranoid." He begins hoping it would distract her a bit and make her less nervous if she was any nervous.
Opehlia turned her gaze to him. "You know Rosa?"
He nods his head surprised she had a surprised look on her face. "Yes. I gave her a ride yesterday. And we met this morning as well. She claims their plants haven been dying."
This piqued Ophelias interest but she calms herself and questions. "Did she say any reason as to why their plants have been dying?" She only knows Rosa from when she used to go to cafeteria. The woman is like a smiley face and a light bulb, she easily made friends but it also made Opehlia to not like her. She felt like she was simply being am hypocrite.
"Not at all." He responded already out of words to say to her.
"That must be Beth. A seventh founding family young lady that owns the law floor above Rosas floor. She is delusional and paranoid." Ophelia informs.
"You know her too?" It was his turn to be surprised now. How does he...or the real Owen Duurm not know these people? "Rosa tells me…" he stops when he say a flashing red sign from his system. He glanced at his AI who was supposed o be by his side but was now gone. He had thought it was another strange magic and was preparing his mind to lose all his energy when he saw something even more surprising.
'SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN.'
It was quick and without prior notice too. He wasn't even addressed before the system shut itself down. Few seconds after the shutting down was complete and Owen felt something lift off his shoulders but also felt incredibly tired for the first few seconds. Then he felt normal again. Except that he knew something was off and something in him was missing.
"Is everything fine?" Ophelia asks seeing the worried look on his face.
Owen stares at the young lady for some seconds before nodding his head indicating that all was fine. The elevator was stopped by someone when they got to the fifth floor and he turns his head to ask Opehlia, his voice a bit low.
"Do you have a system?"
She sakes her head, a hint of smile on her face. "Are you about to rub it in my face?"
He quickly shakes his head. "Not at all. Have you ever heard of systems shutting down?"
She frowns, her gaze moving around as if trying to think if such had ever happened. "I don't think so. Not that I have heard of it before. Why?"
Owen waved it off as the elevator door opens and a man steps in. "Nothing. I was just slightly curious."
The man that had just gotten in nods his head at them in greeting and they both did the same. The elevator closed and continued to move up. The man glanced at Owen and Ophelia and frowns a little.
"Something wrong sir?" Ooehlia asked being the always concerned one.
The man tilts his head to the side and lands his gaze on Owen before landing it on Ophelia again. "Nothing." He gave her a tight smile and stood straight, a frown still on his face. He could have sworn he heard danger signs coming from this elevator. His system has never been wrong and he was definitely sure he had smelt an illegal somewhere around.
"What did Rosa tell you about Beth?" Ophelia questions.
Owen shrugs his shoulders still surprised that his system seem to have shut down. Could it be because he is about to complete a mission?
"Nothing much. Except that she thinks our buidling is haunted and has stopped taking the elevator as well."