The meeting room at the top of Nexus Tower seemed carved from cold glass and steel. White neon lights bathed the space in a sterile glow, reflecting off the glossy conference table. Rows of synthetic leather chairs held executives in identical gray uniforms, their expressions a mix of tension and forced confidence. The walls were adorned with massive holographic screens displaying the company's growth charts, numbers dancing like prayers to a modern god named profit. In the corner, a small drone hovered, recording every movement and word—a reminder that in Nusaraya, privacy was a long-extinct luxury.
The room held its breath as the automatic sliding door opened with a soft hiss. Queen Li entered, her wheelchair gliding silently, pushed by an assistant dressed in black, their face unreadable. Her frail body looked as if it could snap under a gust of wind, her skin pale like paper left too long in the sun. But her eyes—deep, black, and abyssal—radiated a power that forced every head in the room to bow. The atmosphere shifted instantly; this grand room no longer belonged to the executives but was wholly claimed by the woman in the wheelchair.
Devara, seated in the corner, felt an odd shiver crawl up her spine. When Queen Li's gaze briefly met hers, a stab of déjà vu pierced her. She had never met this woman before, yet the look felt familiar, like a shadow from her vague, haunting dreams. She tried to shake it off, but her heart raced, and her hands, hidden beneath the table, clenched tightly. There was something behind that gaze—like a key trying to unlock a door within her that she didn't even know existed.
The meeting began with routine reports: production targets, labor efficiency, and plans for expansion into new Nusaraya districts. The executives' voices droned on, filled with meaningless corporate jargon. But the mood shifted when a senior executive, a burly man named Darmo, flashed a smug grin. His neatly trimmed mustache seemed to underscore his status. "Our Queen is tougher than she looks," he said, his tone dripping with condescension. "Still showing up, even stuck in that wheelchair. Too bad it can't roll you into bed." A filthy chuckle erupted from a few other executives, like dogs barking in loyalty to their leader.
Silence gripped the room. The air felt frozen, as if time itself had stopped. Devara's blood boiled. She knew such comments were common at Nexus Corp—crude jokes disguised as workplace banter. But something inside her refused to stay silent this time. Before she realized it, she was on her feet, clutching the tablet with the data she'd prepared for the meeting. Her voice was calm but sharp as a blade: "Unfortunately, Mr. Darmo, your comment is irrelevant. Queen Li's division posted a 327% higher profit than yours this year. So, if her wheelchair makes you underestimate her, perhaps it's you who needs an extra seat… outside this meeting."
The room ignited. Darmo's face flushed red, his eyes wide with disbelief that a mid-level employee like Devara dared challenge him. The other executives lowered their heads, some whispering, but none dared speak. Queen Li, silent until now, gave a faint smile. It was unreadable—was she impressed, or plotting something? For a moment, Devara felt like a knight defending a queen, a role that strangely felt right, though she knew it was dangerous.
The meeting ended with tension hanging in the air. The executives hurried out, avoiding Queen Li's gaze. Devara packed her tablet, trying to calm herself. She felt every eye on her, but no one approached. As she entered the elevator to return to her floor, the doors hadn't yet closed when Queen Li and her assistant stepped in. The cramped space suddenly felt smaller. The assistant stood in the corner, still as a statue, while Queen Li stared straight ahead. "You still wield justice like a sword," she said abruptly, her voice flat yet laden with subtext. "Interesting."
Devara could only nod, unsure of the conversation's direction. "I was just stating facts, ma'am," she replied cautiously, her voice nearly trembling. Queen Li didn't respond, only gazed at the elevator's reflective walls. In the reflection, Devara caught something strange—Queen Li's face seemed to shift, like a melting mask revealing something inhuman. But when she blinked, the reflection was normal again. The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and Queen Li exited without a word.
Hours later, as Devara finished a report at her cubicle, a call came through her ear implant. "Devara, the CEO wants to see you. In her private office. Now." The secretary's voice was stiff, like a military command. Devara swallowed hard. Queen Li's private office was a place visited by only a select few, and those who went never spoke of what happened there.
The CEO's office was at the top of Nexus Tower, on a floor not listed on the building's official map. A private elevator took her there, and when the doors opened, Devara felt as if she'd stepped into another world. The room was vast, its high walls adorned with ancient paintings—portraits of pale figures with hollow eyes, staring straight into her soul. A faint scent of jasmine lingered, but so did an unexplainable metallic tang. A large window at the far end showcased Nusaraya: glass towers gleaming beneath a smoggy haze, like a giant's tomb masquerading as a modern city.
Queen Li sat near the window, her wheelchair parked under the fading afternoon light. "The Night Shadows," she said abruptly, without preamble, her voice slicing through the silence like a knife. "Have you heard of them?"
Devara nodded slowly, her heart racing again. "I… saw something last night. In an alley. Faceless figures, dragging someone. But I'm not sure if it was real."
Queen Li smiled, sharper this time, like a predator spotting prey. "Real and unreal are but a thin line. People choose not to see, because seeing means responsibility. You're different, Devara. You see."
Their conversation felt like a verbal duel. Queen Li asked questions that seemed to probe Devara's soul: about her nightmares, the fears she hid, the meaning of morality in a world that had lost its light. Devara answered carefully, but each time she spoke, she felt turned inside out, like a pawn in a game whose rules she didn't understand. Queen Li led the exchange like a dancer wielding a blade, every word a test, every pause a threat.
Then came the shock. Queen Li slid a digital access card across the table before her. It was small, black, with the company logo faintly glowing. "I'm granting you access to the restricted archives," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "Don't waste it."
Devara froze, her hand hesitating as she reached for the card. The restricted archives were a place even senior directors couldn't access. Rumors claimed they held secrets that could destroy Nusaraya—or at least change how people saw the city. "Why me?" she asked, her voice hoarse.
Queen Li didn't answer immediately. She gazed out the window at the city drowning in smog. "Because you've seen the Night Shadows," she said finally. "And they've seen you."
The words hit like a blow to the chest. Devara felt pulled into a vortex she didn't yet understand, a game far bigger than herself. She wanted to ask more, but Queen Li raised a hand, signaling the conversation was over. Her assistant emerged from the shadows, pushing the wheelchair toward another door. "You may go," Queen Li said without turning.
That night, as Devara prepared to leave, a notification popped up on her phone. Not an HR email or work instruction, but a personal message. The screen displayed a brief text that froze her blood:
"Meet me in my private suite tonight. 8 p.m. Don't be late." – QL
Devara stared at the screen for a long time, her hands trembling. Her mind swirled with questions. A legendary CEO, said to be frail and confined to a wheelchair, inviting her to a private suite at night? Something was far from normal. The invitation felt both intimate and menacing, like a spider beckoning a fly caught in its web. She looked at the access card in her hand, then out the window at the city sinking into darkness. Nusaraya was no longer just a sick city—it was a labyrinth filled with shadows, and Devara had just stepped deeper into it.