The woman remained silent in front of the window, her focus directed outside. She was busy observing the man brought in by Alessio. So, he is the main figure in this world he referred to? I'm curious about everything he has been through.
Knock! Knock!
The door was gently knocked, diverting her attention towards the source of the sound. As she turned, she saw a man emerging from the just-opened door. "Miss, he's here."
"I'll meet him shortly." The woman was leaving her room, accompanied by the man who had just informed her.
*
Theo fell silent, observing the building in front of him. He was puzzled as to why Alessio brought him to such a large and luxurious house. Moreover, whose house were they visiting?
"Why are we here? I thought you wanted to take me to your headquarters." Theo turned to Alessio, who was now standing beside him. Right behind them, the Infero Ravens members who were accompanying them also stood.
"We're here to meet the big boss. I've informed him about you earlier, and I promised to introduce you when I successfully brought you into the Infero Ravens."
"The big boss of the Infero Ravens?"
"Yup! And this is his residence. Now, let's go in! He'll be delighted to meet you." Alessio approached the door, followed by Theo and his other subordinates. Just as Alessio was about to knock, the door swung open, revealing a woman standing there to welcome them.
"Finally, you've arrived. I've been waiting for you since earlier."
"Hello, Miss Kate." Alessio smiled at her.
"Hi, Alessio. Long time, no see." Kate smiled before welcoming them inside. For a moment, Theo was impressed by the classic style of the interior of their big boss's house. Theo continued to walk, following Alessio and Kate—the woman who welcomed them. Alessio had already introduced Kate to him. It turns out she is one of the trusted individuals of their big boss. "I came immediately when I heard that you had a new member. Out of curiosity, I came here to meet you in person. Besides, I also received a small task from someone who sent me here."
"Someone?" Theo repeated, looking at Kate with a puzzled expression. She turned to him with a smile. "Yes, but you don't need to know who sent me here."
Kate quickened her pace, walking ahead of Alessio and Theo, who were now trying to catch up. Once they reached the elevator, they entered as soon as the doors opened. The three of them stepped in, continuing their journey to the floor, where their big boss is.
This is truly amazing; his house even has an elevator. When will I be able to have a house like this? Theo felt a bit insecure. He did have a substantial amount of money, but living in Sciencetopia required more expenses than he could imagine. Sciencetopia was one of the countries with the highest cost of living globally. Even the money he currently possesses might not cover his living expenses for the next one to two years.
Shortly after, the elevator doors opened as they reached the sixth floor, where their big boss's private space was located. Theo stepped out with Kate and Alessio by his side. As soon as the doors opened, he was stunned by the stylish presentation on the sixth floor, which differed from the first floor they had entered earlier. The display on this floor was more elegant and sophisticated, making Theo feel like he was in an entirely different place from the one he had previously entered.
The hallway leading them to their boss's private space was adorned with paintings by renowned artists with values in the hundreds of Dӱ. Not only that, but every ornament hanging on the walls also seemed as expensive as the paintings.
There were several wall decorations that Theo recognized as having prices reaching billions. Theo had seen them because these objects appeared a few years ago in the media when they were stolen, causing a sensation throughout the country. One of the most sensational pieces was the Kaleidosfera Primoria. Kaleidosfera, a wall decoration with a tempting texture, Kaleidosfera had a circular, symmetric shape resembling a cosmic spiral that captivated the eye.
Moreover, Kaleidosfera Primoria featured harmoniously blended abstract colors, creating a distinctive magical impression. The most striking attraction, however, was the ever-changing play of light, creating illusions of alternative dimensions.
Kaleidosfera Primoria was also an abstract artwork directly applied to the wall. Made from special materials that allowed lighting to play with colors and shadows, this decoration gave the impression of a window into an imaginative world. Moreover, even though it wasn't a hanging ornament, Kaleidosfera seamlessly blended with the wall, creating a unique aesthetic experience.
Upon first seeing the decoration, Theo was reminded of all the information he had read about the phenomenal Kaleidosfera Primoria. I never expected that after it was stolen and successfully retrieved from the thief's hands, the new owner of Kaleidosfera would be the big boss of Infero Ravens...
"We've arrived!" That statement immediately diverted his attention from the decorations along the walls. Theo shifted his focus to a door in front of them.
"So, this is the big boss's room?" Theo muttered.
"In a moment, you'll meet Zayn. Please mind your manners; he's not in good condition right now," Kate warned. Theo simply nodded as a sign that he understood.
Kate then knocked on the door before pushing it open after receiving permission from the man inside. The door opened, and Theo could see the figure of an elderly man sitting in one of the chairs inside the room.
Theo fell silent. He was truly surprised when he saw that the person Alessio referred to as the big boss was actually an elderly man, well into his seventies. He was seated there, accompanied by a man standing beside him, presumably his assistant.
This is beyond my imagination. I thought the big boss Alessio mentioned would be a man in his forties, but it turns out he's older than I expected. Theo continued to observe Zayn.
"You've come; come in and have a seat!" Zayn motioned with his hand, welcoming Theo and the others to enter. The three of them took seats on the available sofa. Right after they sat down, Zayn asked his assistant to fetch drinks for them.
"Boss, this is the person I told you about!" Alessio introduced Theo to Zayn.
"My name is Theo."
Zayn fell silent, carefully observing him. "Finally, you've come. I've heard your story from Alessio for a long time, and every time he talks about you, I'm always curious about your figure," he said before extending his hand for a handshake with Theo. "I'm Zayn."
The man smiled, and his smile left Theo speechless again. For some reason, Theo felt familiar with his face. Somehow, he only realized it after seeing Zayn smile. Where have I seen him before?
"I heard you've finally decided to join us. I'm delighted to hear that."
*
Theo was lost in thought. His mind had been disturbed by the image of Zayn for the past few days, and for some reason, the man felt so familiar. Theo felt like he had seen him before, but he couldn't quite pinpoint where they might have crossed paths. Zayn's smile truly reminded me of someone. I feel acquainted with that smile. But where have I met him before? Could it be that I've seen him before?
The man kept himself busy wiping the table. The patrons in their club had already left, and as usual, Theo and the other staff were getting ready to close the club. Since his encounter with Zayn, Theo has officially become a member of the Infero Ravens. Strangely, everything remained the same.
Zayn asked him to focus on his work at the club and only come when ordered. Theo truly didn't understand the concept they were applying. Nevertheless, he tried to go along with it, following every instruction given.
Occasionally, Theo felt that perhaps Zayn was testing his obedience, or maybe Zayn was forming an evaluation of him. One thing was for sure: since then, Infero Ravens have returned to their usual routine. They started visiting their club more frequently. Unfortunately, Theo rarely met Alessio. Instead of Alessio, Infero Ravens often came with Kate. She seemed to have taken on a more active role in their group.
I just realized that today, Infero Ravens hasn't visited at all. Where are they? Do they not have time to come? Theo just noticed that throughout the day, he hasn't seen any members of the Infero Ravens coming to their place.
Just as Theo realized this, the door suddenly opened, and they appeared with Kate standing at the forefront. "Sorry, but we're already closed," Berta said as soon as she saw them suddenly appear.
System detects a potential threat!> Theo's attention was drawn to the system screen in front of him. Upon reading the display, Theo immediately raised an eyebrow. He was genuinely confused by what was written there. This is strange... "We're here to meet with—" Crash! The window near Theo suddenly shattered, and glass shards flew in his direction. Everyone who heard the sound was genuinely startled. As the glass broke, Theo could see a large rock lying not far from where he was. All eyes focused on the window near Theo. Anxiously, everyone moved closer to him to ensure his condition. "Are you okay?" Everyone asked the same question with concerned expressions. Theo remained silent, trying to process what had just happened. He was still very shocked by the incident. What just happened? Who broke the window? Theo tried to stay calm. However, the rock lying not far from him caught his attention. His eyes widened as he read a message on a piece of paper tied to the stone. Is this all the work of the Bloodhound Cartel? ***