《Out of Time》 Prologue It was supposed to be the proudest achievement in my life, but as the clock struck twelve, the illusion of greatness vanished, leaving me with a woman melting on my lap. She didn''t say a word¡ªshe couldn''t, not with her mouth fusing with her chin and tearing off from her head, dropping onto the floor entirely. Her eyes screamed with pain, secreting tears, but a second later, her expression ceased, along with her eyes, having been swept away by her own tears, leaving two voids of emptiness with a mushy mass of pink¡ªher brain, peeking through the darkness. Her makeup, clothes, shoes, and accessories all came off, leaving her body bare¡ªbare enough for me to see each individual bone and organ inside of her¡ªfor her skin had peeled away along with her attire. Not even a single strand of hair remained rooted in her skull since she now had half her head left, exposing her drooping brain with each fold prominent. They almost looked like intestines bundled together, forming one contorted mass of tissue. But even that began to degrade, becoming a mush of red that slid down my thigh like a blob of slime and onto the floor, where the remnants of her skin went. All that remained on my lap was an exposed corpse, an endoskeleton with pieces of meat attached to it, hanging on from the thread-like nerves. I watched closely as her lungs melted, followed by her liver falling off from the side. Her intestines unwound like a ball of yarn until they met the same fate as her other organs. I didn''t even notice at what point her stomach disappeared. Her once-beating heart, now deprived of any sustenance, had ceased all movement and gradually reduced to particles, chipping away at all sides until it was no more. With all the meat gone, a single twitch was enough for her skeleton to break into pieces like a fragile tower of sticks. Not even a single drop of blood remained. She was gone. All that was left was a mound of a grain-like substance. Some of them still clung to my lap as if they were stuck in the fabric of my pants. No one would believe me if I told them that this was once a human being. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. I sat still, not because I was too scared to move, but because I couldn''t. Just like the woman, I, too, slowly met the same fate. My brain was already half gone, bringing my movement and emotions to a permanent halt. Suddenly, like the moon rising from the horizon, a silhouette appeared in the distance, taking shape bit by bit from the ground up. It is here. It''s the very entity responsible for everything, the one who showed me a glimpse of a prosperous future but then took it all away and reduced it into this worthless pile. Its hollow black eyes stared at me with excitement, as if its plan was coming to fruition, and its carving for a mouth shifted up and down to form a chuckle. It was tormenting me. "You are out of time," the entity spoke. Its deep murmur will be the final sound I will ever hear. I wanted to fight back, to at least come to terms with my demise in my own accord. But I didn''t even have the liberty of doing that, not even screaming in despair. My body began to crumble like the woman''s. Bit by bit, I began to slowly cease to exist. It didn''t hurt. It was more like the broken portions of my body were numb, but I could sort of feel the chill of my surroundings enveloping my now-exposed organs. I am now close to meeting the same fate. If only I hadn''t signed up for this place. The signs were already there on full display. If only I had followed the unsettling feeling in my stomach back then, I wouldn''t be in this situation. My friends, my colleagues, my family¡ªI haven''t even bid farewell to any of them. Please, I just want some more time, even a few more seconds, enough to utter one final prayer. I don''t want to die like this¡ªto be at the mercy of a monster, to pass away without gaining satisfaction from my life, to leave this world with a bundle of loose ends. I don''t want to die yet. I beg you. Please. Let me li-.......... Chapter 1 It was a hot sunny day in March, and the clocks were striking eight. I, Nathan Williams, with a spring in my step, barged inside the pristine glass doors of Insparks Corp, making it seem effortless, though it was pretty heavy in reality. The receptionist, who I first didn''t see at the side of the door, welcomed me into the next chapter of my life, with me bowing in response. Freshly hired, I was filled with optimism and excitement, ready to take on my new role as a software engineer in such a highly esteemed company specializing in robotics, in which I have absolutely no experience. Believe it or not, I got in by pure luck, flaunting my only skill¡ªperseverance, and with a lucky streak of unbefitting aspirants backing my interview. My outgoing and friendly nature, from the words of my superiors, helped me make a positive impression, which was enough to garner their interest in me, allowing for such a godsend of an accomplishment. Actually, I first thought that this place was out of my league, but as the news broke out that numerous positions had suddenly opened in the company, I saw it as the perfect time to step up and try my luck, which brought me to where I am today. After the initial tour of the building, to which I noted every detail in my head, I was finally brought up the stairs and into my second home, walking into the spacious office. As the steel doors of the office closed, creating a thud that echoed in the entire space, everyone''s gaze shifted to me. Honestly, I''m pretty excellent at public speaking. I''ve spoken a lot in the past, believe it or not, and it should be quite apparent from what I told about how I even got accepted here. But the problem now was that I didn''t prepare much. Such an essential step in the socialization of this new group, yet I dared not list out a single word to utter due to a sleepless night, haunted by the excitement of my new work. The hand of the clock ticked, adding to the awkwardness of the room. To break the silence, I opted for the simple route, which was the only approach that popped up in my head at that moment. With a deep breath, I exclaimed, "Nice to meet you, everyone. I''m Nathan Williams, a software engineer from just downtown. I''m contracted to this company for five years before my renewal, so before then, I hope that I can get along with everyone. I don''t have much in the talents department, but I assure you that I''m up for any task. Bring me any complicated work, and I''ll do it with the utmost effort. Though I may fail sometimes, I''ll never give up. I''ll be in your care." I bowed, a red glow radiating from my cheeks. Such a simple introduction, its essence no less than a high schooler''s, yet its formality did strike accurately. Nevertheless, I grew more nervous now than when I hadn''t spoken a word yet. To my absolute surprise, clapping stormed the room. I''m unsure whether it''s just a sign of formality, a grace of pity, or they genuinely applauded my statements, but the smile on my face favored the latter. Their warm welcome immediately eased my nervousness, marking in my mind that I was so lucky to be surrounded by such a friendly group of colleagues, and I grew eager to become part of it. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. I took a step forward to release my nerves, replacing my earlier anxiousness with that of positivity. But the second my foot landed on the ground, I felt a change in texture, almost seeming unstable, my feet sinking into something. I took a quick glance and was surprised at what I stepped upon. It was a small pile of sand, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, sticking out like a sore thumb in the gray carpeted floor, its brown grains almost glistening from the office lights. "Huh?" I muttered in confusion. How could such a prestigious corporation have a random spot of impurity? It really struck me as odd. Suddenly, appearing randomly in the same manner, a hand landed on my shoulder. It was my manager, the same person who stood in front of me during the interview process, the very same one who made the decision to accept me into his wing. I bowed in his large presence, offering my utmost respect. "What do you think of the place, Williams? Isn''t it great?" he said with a smile, fully confident in his management. His tone seemed to have released even more stress from my body, soothing me with his affable stature. From the outsider''s perspective, he might appear to be on the fat side, but let appearances not fool you, for the mounds in his arms are quite different from the ones on his stomach. "I like it here from the start," I replied. "But has there been some sort of mistake here?" I pointed at my feet. He took a quick glance and then immediately looked forward. "Don''t pay much mind to it. It''s been appearing here frequently. I''m not quite sure where it''s coming from. If I have to guess, the wind might be blowing it here from the nearby construction site. Or, it might be from the troublemakers that were fired recently." "People got fired recently?!" I exclaimed in surprise. He nodded. "We removed their names from the roster. We couldn''t fire them formally because they never showed up again. It''s like they just suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth one day." "Alright..." I pondered for a second but ultimately shrugged it off. His words sounded genuine, and the two explanations were both logical. But, some details were missing to fully convince me, with the significant part boggling my head was about what happened to the ex-employees. People in their proper heads wouldn''t just leave this place so suddenly. That would be an insult to the thousands of aspirants who dreamed of being here, including myself. My best guess is that they were too overwhelmed with personal expectations in working in this place, enough for them to lose confidence in themselves to leave and never return. But then, what''s the significance of the sand? He then guided me to my work desk¡ªa simple station with a high-end computer adorning the organized table. I was then briefed on the software one by one, with him explaining in great detail, which took around an hour. By the time we finished, the others were already hard at work, ushering me to do the same. "Your first task will be to continue the coding on this draft for a software," he said, handing me a USB stick. "Should be easy enough for your first task." With excitement filling my mind, I grabbed the USB from him slowly with both hands, being as respectful as I could, and then I plugged it into the CPU. "Here I go!" Chapter 2 As the day went on, difficulties arose, hindering my work on the software. I am a software engineer, but I''m not familiar with other coding schemes, including this one. Without hesitation, but with a slight nervousness in my mind, I tapped the shoulder of my colleague sitting next to me. "Sorry to interrupt. Do you know what''s causing this bug?" I asked him, pointing to the menu bar of the software. The colors were all over the place, spilling outside the borders. Raf, whose name I read from his ID, is quite tall in comparison to myself. We sat at around the same height, but you could tell from the size of his legs that they were far superior to mine, both in length and girth. Taking his mind off his own station, he crept close to my computer and examined the situation, kindly explaining to me what I might have done wrong. "That should fix it up a bit, but not entirely," Raf said after mashing on my keyboard. My mouth was wide open from astonishment¡ªa different kind, that is. He could have just said he didn''t know in the first place, but the lengths he went to left me awestruck. First, his explanation made absolutely no sense, with a lot of maybe and probably mixed in with his already jumbled instructions. He even looked more confused at what he was saying than I was. Second, not only did he search for answers on the web, but he also watched a tutorial video in full as I observed him silently. He then proceeded to do the steps mentioned in the video with a giant grin on his face, as if saying he was proud of himself. I can confidently say that the word professionalism wasn''t in his dictionary. "Well, thanks anyways, Raf. You''re a huge help," I said with a half smile. "But of course, I''m pretty confident in my skills. Come to me when you have trouble with something else," he said, pointing his thumb to his chest proudly. "Sure..." I rolled my eyes away from him. "Oh, by the way, are you new here?" he scratched his head. "Huh?" After all that interaction, and even after my not-so-proud introduction from earlier, why is he asking this now? "Nathan Williams. It''s my first day today," I said, giving him the benefit of the doubt. "Were you outside the room earlier when I introduced myself?" "Oohhh," he nodded for some reason. "No, no, I''ve been to the restroom five times already. The manager will get mad if he sees my face there again. I was just sleeping." My mind was blown by how open he was to sharing these things. "Alright..." I sighed. From this, I have reached a verdict, concluding that out of all the talented people in this room, why did I get positioned right next to this company clown? "By the way, in case that I''m asleep when you need help with something, just go to the front of the office and talk to Gabrielle, he''ll know what to do." "Who?" I tilted my head. "Gabrielle," he pointed to a direction at the front of the office, as if his vague guidance would help me locate who this Gabrielle was in the midst of the cubicle walls blocking my view. "He looks like this," he formed a circle with each of his hands and wore it over his eyes like a telescope. "Thanks... I''ll go see him now," I said, trying my hardest to not manifest disappointment on my face. I hurriedly pulled out the USB and walked away before he could do or say anything else. I strolled through the stations until I reached the front, scouring for someone whose form matched the imaginary description of Gabrielle in my mind. To my surprise, I found him immediately, his large-rimmed glasses sticking out like a sore thumb. I guess Raf''s interpretation was accurate. I cautiously approached him, asking, "Are you Gabrielle by any chance?" to which he replied with a nod. I presented him with the USB and stated the problem, glossing over Raf''s solution while he plugged it into his computer. Once he murmured, "I see..." and nodded with his hand touching his chin, I knew valuable knowledge would be imparted to me. But as he opened his mouth again to speak, I regretted my inquiry. His words flowed like a waterfall, overwhelming me with intense currents, forcing me to get swept away in a flurry of indecipherable terms. I didn''t know if I made myself clear that I was just a beginner at this, but I found it challenging to find the break in his voice to butt in. I could feel my mind overflowing from his words, most of which had already spilled out of my other ear. He was just one beat away from rapping, with the clicking of keyboards providing the music. "Did you get all that?" he asked, handing me back the USB. "Yes, I did. Much appreciate it," I said, giving him a smile, lying as casually as I could. In the end, I bowed to him, showing my appreciation but not understanding a single thing, and then went back to my station with a slight dizziness in my steps. The clock struck twelve, and with a couple of tutorial videos, I fixed the bug myself and completed my work. Raf, who had been watching me for the past couple of minutes despite having his own set of work to take care of, applauded me, clapping his hands and showering me with unwanted attention. ¡°Pretty good for your first try," he nodded his head like a proud parent, as if saying that he helped me get this far. Glancing over my schedule, I realized that it was now lunch. "Hey Raf, want to grab something to eat?" I asked him, since I''m sure someone like him is well acquainted with all the leisure spots around the company. "Maybe next time. For some reason, I still have a mountain of things to finish," he complained, finally placing his hands on his keyboard. I would have loved to say that he brought it upon himself for slacking off, but I didn''t since I do know what dignity and humility are for. I thought about asking Gabrielle, but the constant murmur of his voice echoing in the distance signaled that an unfortunate soul had triggered his informative wrath, meaning that he was just as, or even more, busy than Raf. "May your brain not explode," I put my hands together and prayed for whoever Gabrielle was teaching. I traveled to the cafeteria, walking down the stairs in my lonesome. From the guided tour, I vividly remember the structure of the hallways, allowing me to arrive at my destination without looking like a lost lamb. I sat down after purchasing a simple egg sandwich and a coffee to go with it. The murmuring was loud in the cafeteria, but I could feel everyone''s intense passion with every word they uttered. I could observe them moving their lips to form complicated terms that I hadn''t heard before while some were laughing around while they shared their meals. To be honest, I wanted to join in, to indulge myself in their fun, but a newbie couldn''t attain that benefit on just the first day. I feel a bit left out, but it is understandable. All things come with time. "Is it your first time here?" a voice approached me, tapping my shoulder. A woman sat in front of me, gorgeous in every way possible and probably of the same age as me. She held coffee in her hand and brushed her hair with the other, flowing freely with the most casual of movements, spreading the scent of her rosy shampoo. A warm feeling emanated within me, but I felt frozen at the same time. "Am I being too obvious?" I asked her, trying to play it cool. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Not really. It''s just that I haven''t seen your kind of face before," she said, forming a circle with her hand and looking through with one eye, observing my form through the circular frame. I brushed it off, not knowing if it was a flirtatious utterance or an insult. "I''m Nathan Williamas, software department. Nice to meet you," I gave a slight bow. "Laura. Same to you," she smiled in return. "Umm... What department are you assigned to?" I asked, trying my best to avoid dead air. "Room 2A, the one across the hallway on the second floor, the motion department." "Oh? Then that means we''re right next to each other." She giggled. "What a stroke of luck. I''m quite new here myself, just got in about a month ago." "What made you decide on this company then?" I asked, fully engrossed in her. This might be the moment I can gain a normal friend here. She smiled gracefully, her eyes twinkling with subtle humor. "Well, the reputation of this company certainly played a part. But, I must confess, the moment I heard that there''s free quality coffee here, I became dead set on getting in." I chuckled at her response, "So you''re one of those addicted types. Those kinds of people that down an entire jug in the morning, right?" She took a sip of her coffee first before responding, "Not really. Just five cups, not really a whole jug. Though I do know some people like that," she sipped again. "Oh, by the way, this is just my seventh one today, so I''m still pretty much on the green." "I''d say you''re on yellow, and pretty much close to red, if red meant being prone to heart attacks." She gave a slight chuckle, "Don''t worry too much. I eat healthy so there shouldn''t be a problem there." I raised an eyebrow. "Really? So where is your healthy lunch then?" She stared down at the empty table. "Umm... Dieting." I sighed, "Sure..." "Well, you on the other hand might need to start drinking some. You look a bit drained for your first day here," she pulled out a hand mirror from her pocket and held it towards me, reflecting my face. My eyebags weren''t that large but it''s still a bit noticeable. "Oh, it''s nothing. A colleague just taught me well, that''s all." "I''m guessing you mean Gabrielle, right?" "How did you know?" my eyes widened with surprise. "Everyone knows," she sighed with her eyes closed, as if she was remembering a past experience. Suddenly, I started to beatbox a quick tune, her eyes squinting with amusement. "Did you get all that?" I said in a higher pitch. She laughed out loud, clutching her stomach. "You sound just like him. Might I recommend you wear glasses for the complete fit?" People began looking at us from her boisterous laughter. I got a bit self-conscious, speaking in a softer tone. "I have another colleague to impersonate. But that would be quite unproductive of me, so how about some other day?" She brought her gaze back to me and stared intently into my eyes. "Want to meet up like this every day? It''s our first encounter, but I feel like you''re quite an interesting fellow." I gulped. Be it deliberate or not, her voice sounded provocative, and it was definitely affecting me. "Sure, but I can''t promise I''ll be punctual every single time." "That settles it then," she held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, work partner." We shook hands. A jolt of electricity crept up my head as I made contact with her soft skin, wishing this moment would last a bit longer. Out of nowhere, a man sat at our table without any warning, cutting our handshake short. "So this is where you were," he said, placing his arm around Laura''s shoulders. "Who''s this? A new fling of yours?" he looked at me, examining my form from the chest up. I couldn''t observe his expression since it was hidden away by his dark sunglasses. "Are you taken by any chance?" I asked her, glancing a suspicious look at the man. She casually moved his hand away, like brushing dust off her shoulders. "Don''t mind him, just another stalker." He placed his arm around her again. "I prefer the term admirer." "A pretty annoying admirer." She brushed his hand away again. She then stood up. "Let''s go back to work, shall we, Nathan?" she said while walking away, not even waiting a second for me to reply. I thought of chasing after her, but it would be rude to just leave this man alone so suddenly, especially now that his gaze was entirely directed at me. "So... What''s the story with you? A work husband?" he asked in a playful tone. "Just a few steps down from that. A work partner." "Oh, before that, I almost forgot my manners," he offered me his hand. "Just call me Alex. And you? " I was scared at first, but after a millisecond of deliberating, I shook his hand. "Nathan Williams, just Nathan if you want." To my surprise, the way he handled the greeting didn''t show any form of anger or jealousy, not even gripping my hand tightly like the rival love interests in romance movies. He chuckled, "Do you have any thoughts of taking those steps further?" I couldn''t help but blush, even if I''m not exactly sure of my feelings yet. I''ve never had a girlfriend, but I guess now is a good time to step up my game. "Maybe... But if you''re already first in line, then I''ll leave the picture." I said, not wanting to start a conflict. He laughed loudly this time, spraying saliva on my arm that was resting on the table. "By all means, join in if you want. The happiest of families have the largest pictures hanging on their wall." "Huh?" I uttered while wiping my arm, not understanding him. Alex sighed, and just with that, his demeanor seemed to have changed as if he was suppressing his playful aura. He then took off his sunglasses. Suddenly, I gasped openly. Not to be weird or anything, especially since he''s a man, but this was the first time I''ve ever laid upon such beauty. This man had azure gems for eyes, not literally, of course. They were so vibrant and lustrous that you could pawn them without question. Now I get why he''s wearing sunglasses indoors because if he didn''t, he''d be blinding everyone with his gaze, turning the company into his harem, with gender not being an issue. "Albino?" I asked while looking away. "Just a weird set of parents," he said while giving off a smile, which emphasized his eyes even more. "Ehem, anyways... What I mean is that I don''t care if I''m not the one she chooses. As long as I stay as someone important to her, then someone else can take her. That way, everyone is happy." "How can you be happy with a setup like that?" I tried to ponder about his words, but I just couldn''t see the benefit of it in the long run. The picture that I noticed is that he''s the type of guy who wanted to join a harem. "I don''t know. But still, whenever I see her smiling, I just can''t help but want to be close to her, but I don''t want to be possessive. Think of it like a crush." I nodded, starting to get some idea of his feelings. "I guess that''s a good way to put it." Suddenly, he placed his hand on top of mine. "Also, I''ve been watching you both from the start, and I can definitely say that you''re a nice guy, Nathan." "Thanks, Mr. Stalker..." I slowly pulled my hand away, giving him a half smile. He caught up to my hand and didn''t allow me to slither away, holding it gently. "I have a favor to ask you." I gulped, not knowing where this was going. "Please always stay by her side," he said, his eyes bursting with resolve. I didn''t need a second thought. "It''d be my pleasure... But why?" "You know she could be a little nerve-racking at times, right? Almost enough to make something rise within you." I nodded, remembering the intonation of her alluring voice. "Well, I don''t think she''s aware of this. And because of that, she unknowingly has a whole mob of guys drooling over her," he held my hand tighter. "So please, always look out for her. Don''t worry, I''ll do my part as well." I snatched my hand away and went on the offensive. This time, I was the one holding him. "You won''t regret choosing me. I''ll be her bodyguard, and maybe even your wingman," I winked, letting go of his hand. "You''re a real nice guy, Nathan," Alex chuckled. "Now move along before she gets suspicious of anything. Don''t want her to wait for you any longer." I nodded, munching the rest of my sandwich all in one go before I stood up and waved him goodbye. As I walked through the cafeteria, I was surprised that Laura was still there. She was standing next to one of those fancy office plants, blocking our vision of her from the cafeteria. "What took you so long? It''s unfair to have fun without me," she said. A nerve on my neck tingled. Alex was right about her being unnecessarily provocative. "Just exchanged some formalities with Alex." "Oh, him," she mumbled, walking away. I caught up and walked beside her. "I think he''s quite a nice guy actually. Do you have some sort of problem with him?" "Not really, I just don''t like how clingy he gets." "Will you reciprocate his feelings then? You know he likes you, right?" "I''m not sure. I don''t think I''m ready for a relationship yet," she walked a bit further ahead. "But those eyes are just too good to pass up." "Come again?" I said, not hearing what she said. "Nothing. I''ve got a lot of things to do, so this is where we part ways," she said while facing away from me. "Let''s meet up at lunch again tomorrow. Remember to not work too hard. It''s just your first day, after all. I''ll give you a reward if you do good," She took a slight peek at me and waved goodbye. She then turned the corner and disappeared from view. "I guess it''s back to work now," I said to myself. Chapter 3 At first, I didn''t think I was that dependable of a person, but when I saw the manager''s face lit up when he reviewed my finished software, I knew I had underestimated myself. I was given my next task almost immediately. The manager asked me to sort out the file cabinet of my department alphabetically. It was quite a hassle, but I''m up for any tedious challenge. "Excuse me, S-Sir Williams?" I heard a whisper. I turned my head around but was met with nothing, just the view of the busy office. Thinking I was just overhearing things in the distance, I continued juggling the folders in the cabinet. "Umm, excuse me, Sir Williams?" the voice said, louder this time. The voice, accompanied by the tugging sensation on my shirt, startled me. I turned to see where it was coming from. Again, there was nothing behind me, until I moved my gaze downwards. There was a woman, carrying a stack of paper. Her timid eyes met mine, and I was struck by how easily I had missed her presence, given her stature. "Whoa, where did you come from?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. She blushed, steering her gaze away from mine. "I-I''ve been here all along." "I''m sorry, I must have been too focused on my work. How can I assist you... Nila?" "Huh?" she hid her mouth with the papers she carried, looking everywhere except at me. "H-How do you know my name?" I casually pointed at the ID hanging on her neck. "Oh, right," she lowered the papers, revealing a nervous smile. "So, do you need help with anything?" I closed the file cabinet, prioritizing my colleague. I don''t know why, but her mannerisms remind me of a lost child. I couldn''t help but focus my gaze entirely on her, even though she found it difficult to do the same. She handed me the stack of papers she carried, the discrepancy in size between her and the papers was quite comical. The burning of her cheeks seemed to grow with every passing moment. "C-Could you please proofread this?" she said softly. "I-I''m not too sure about it. I-It''s a bit over my head... If you''re fine with it, of course." "Over your head? Literally," I couldn''t resist making the joke, raising the papers in the air at a point where she couldn''t reach, but I immediately regretted it as her cheeks exploded even more. She managed a nervous giggle. "Y-Yes, I suppose so." We huddled over the papers, the scene felt like a workout rather than work. I had to bend down to her level, literally, crouching closer to the ground with my knees bent as if in a squat. "I never thought I''d be helping someone while doing a limbo dance," I murmured to myself. "W-Well, you might need to limbo a little lower," she said while tiptoeing, her heels making her sway unstably. I sat down on the floor so she could see what I was noting down. "Sorry if I''m being too rude, Nila. Just tell me if you''re uncomfortable with it." She sat down next to me. "You''re just trying to brighten things up, right? I know that I''m really s-shy, so I appreciate what you''re doing," she said, giving off a smile. "How brave of you for coming all this way," I unconsciously thought of patting her on the head because my image of her morphed into a puppy for some reason, but I held back, giving a thumbs up instead. "Also, why exactly did you come to me? You know it''s just my first day here, right?" She fiddled with her thumbs. "I-I''m pretty new here, as well. I-I first asked the person next to me for help, but he says that you passed the G-Gabrielle initiation without even breaking a sweat. I don''t really know what he meant by this." I laughed nervously. "You''re better off not knowing." "W-Why? Was it something scary? It''s not one of those hazing situations, right?" she finally looked me in the face, with a worried look etched on her face. I chuckled. "Don''t worry, it''s only intellectually horrifying." She gulped. "Sounds rough." After a minute or so, I finished proofing her work, writing down my suggestions on the side of the text blocks. I don''t think I''m qualified to be the one to do this, but the feeling of someone relying on me is quite fulfilling. "Thank you so much for helping me, Nathan. I''ll treat you to lunch tomorrow as thanks," she said, grabbing the papers from my hand and bowing down. This might be the first time we made eye contact, but only for a second. She blushed afterward. "Could I bring some friends along? They''re nice people so I''m sure you''ll get along well with them. They''ll pay for their own lunch, of course." "That sounds good. Actually, I-I think I''ll introduce myself to them now, since I don''t have much else to do thanks to you," she said, looking down with a nervous glint in her eyes. I nodded, realizing something. Despite her shy appearance, she''s actually quite outgoing. My image of her changed. From a little puppy, she''s now still just a little puppy, but wearing a suit of armor and holding out a sword, ready for the social battlefield. "How admirable, and cute," I thought in my mind. "Well, some of them are in a different department, and I don''t really know their station number." I then took one step to the side and leaned over in the same direction, spotting the inside of my station in the distance. "And one of them is a bit... busy," I said, eyeing Raf whose face was planted on his keyboard. Sometimes I wonder if it was really Raf that helped me earlier or was it just a doppelganger? True, his help didn¡¯t equate to much, but he still helped nonetheless. Maybe the stars aligned at that time. "Looks like you have some really dependable friends," Nila said, her eyes gleaming with admiration. "I hope I can get on their level someday." "Y-Yes... I sure hope you do," I forced a smile. In reality, I actually hoped she stayed the same. For once, she''s pretty much the tamest out of the bunch. Raf is stupid and lazy, Laura is unconsciously a succubus, and Alex dreams of being a third wheel. I haven''t talked much with Gabrielle, since he''s the one doing all the talking, so I don''t know much about his personality, other than he''s the nerdy type. Now I wonder how I fit into this circus of a friend group? As I walked home after a successful first day of work, the synthesis of the events replayed in my mind, from the smile of the receptionist to waving goodbye to Raf who was punished with overtime. I skipped along the pavement. The promise of lunch tomorrow, sponsored by Nila, added a touch of anticipation to my evening. I feel bad for taking her offer, since back in college, I''m usually the one who treats everyone during snack breaks. But not accepting her whim might make things a bit awkward so this is for the best. I''m also looking forward to seeing Laura again, in a non-romantic way, of course. My feelings for her unraveled to be just of a high school crush, much like Alex but less weird. I''d be much happier cheering for Alex to get together with her, that is if he''d stop with his stalker approach and just be bold with it. With just a few turns around the block, the construction site went into view. I didn''t think much of it, but after passing by an open gap in the barricade, curiosity got the better of me, and I stole a glance inside. The dimming daylight revealed an eerie scene¡ªno workers, no machinery. Just an empty site, the perfect representation of Raf''s mind. It''s as if they''re still setting things up and haven''t started on anything yet. My eyes fixated on the cement bags piled on the corner, and the absence of one labeled as sand struck me. No mounds, no piles, not even a grain in sight. It was as if the construction site itself had swallowed every trace of it, if it did have some in the first place. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. A chill ran down my spine. I found the juxtaposition of the site being void of any sand and its inexplicable presence in our office unsettling. "Could it really be just a prank?" I pondered, questioning the source of the sand that filled our workspace. The reality of it being some sort of sabotage orchestrated by the alleged troublemakers did seem plausible at first, but wouldn''t just smashing everyone''s computers be the easiest way to do so? I sighed, shrugging off this uneasy feeling. I convinced myself that the sand in our office must be coming from a different source, perhaps unrelated to any of the aforementioned. But something kept bugging me. I''m pretty sure the manager knows more than he''s telling us since he has the authority to view the CCTV footage. Maybe it''s something he can''t tell us yet. "Good morning everyone!" I exclaimed, walking through the aisle. I wasn''t anticipating someone to greet me back, it''s more of a sign of formality. However, I did form a smile when I saw a few people''s minimal waves. It''s just my second day here but I already feel like I fit in, as if I now have my own cog in the machine. I was about to greet Raf, who was playing Solitaire on his computer in the first hour of the workday, but something caught my attention. Turning my gaze to the station next to ours, I noticed an empty chair, the most concerning part being the sand piled on it. I walked closer to inspect it further and my eyes widened when I saw the complete mess there was. Sand was literally everywhere¡ªon the desk, on the stationery, and even piled on the keyboard. Not to mention the monitor was still turned on, left on a tab containing a project proposal of some sort. "Raf, what happened here? And where''s Mr. Afton?" Concern etched on my face as I inquired about my rowmate''s whereabouts. Raf, seemingly lost in his own world, shrugged off my question. "No idea, man. It was already like that when I clocked in. Also, his name is Afton? The guy next to us? Pretty cool name." I sat down and got to work despite the questions plaguing my mind. I suppose the sand really is a prank or some sort of sabotage since it caused damage this time around. I''m sure things will resolve themselves once the manager comes. Mister Afton might be looking for him now. The morning pressed on, and the prospect of a group lunch brought a mix of anticipation and unease since I hadn''t seen any trace of Mr. Afton yet. The manager''s secretary called in saying the manager was at the parent branch of the company discussing details about a project. The company still flowed smoothly, even without the presence of Mr. Afton, really showing how the people here are at the top of their class. Everyone was hard at work, well... except for one. "Be honest everyone, does pineapple belong on pizza?" Raf asked, shoving a handful of chips in his mouth afterward. Gabrielle took a deep breath in. "Well, for starters, the double acidity of the pineapple and tomato sauce increases its acidity levels by-" "To summarize?" said Raf while his mouth was full. Gabrielle sighed. "If the pineapple is sour, no. But if it''s pretty sweet, it''s passable." "Umm, I think p-pineapple tastes great with it, especially when it''s j-juicy," said Nila. Raf nodded. "I appreciate your input, but I kindly disagree." "It''s not that bad," said Alex. "I know someone who really likes pineapples. She made me appreciate having them on my pizza." "The brainwashing is getting to you," said Raf. "Also, who''s she?" Alex bit into his hotdog sandwich, pretending not to hear a word. "Raf, it''s not appropriate to judge others'' preferences when you''re the one who has it the worst," said Gabrielle. "A massive influx of salt from your chips and that sugary cola bombards your brain with too much glucose, affecting your motivation. That''s why the manager always calls you out for being so unproductive." Raf chuckled. "I''m just saving my energy for more important things." "And what''s more important than work?" Raf eyed Gabrielle, his eyes narrowing with confusion. "Sleep, of course. You should try some next time." We all sighed in our heads. Lunch had finally come after hours of listening to tapping sounds on the keyboard. I''ve done a lot, quite possibly ten times more than the people next to me, with Raf doing nothing out of choice, and Mr. Afton still nowhere to be found. For once, I witnessed Raf motivated to do something. When the alarm on his phone rang, he jumped from his chair and dashed outside the room, screaming "Lunch time!" He even forgot to bring his phone, nor stop the alarm. We now sat in the company cafeteria. The first meeting of a newly formed friend group, save for Laura. I did see her walking through the hallway towards us, but once she caught sight of the person next to me, she quickly turned back and disappeared. For the most part, things were great. Everyone was getting along with only a few moments of silence in between. Nila was able to fit in, even commenting on some of Raf''s jokes while also telling some of her own. Alex, with his charismatic nature, helped in setting the mood and easing everyone into a friendly banter. But he did seem preoccupied, looking back and forth, trying to find a particular someone. I first thought Gabrielle would be a bit distant, especially when he''s known for being the company Einstein and for being extremely busy, but he''s actually pretty normal. Gabrielle easily joined in the middle of conversations and even let out jokes of his own, though some were a bit too intellectual to be understood. He actually has a good dynamic with Raf, being the straight man in the comedy duo. Conversations flowed and laughter came with it, but it didn''t take long for that topic to be brought up. Alex, after sipping through the last of his tea, dropped a bombshell. "Someone tasted it, you know. They said it''s a bit metallic." The table fell into a hush as everyone looked at Alex with a glint of curiosity. "What are you referring to?" I asked. "You know, the sand. The one that''s been appearing recently." "I don''t think it''s recent," Gabrielle said. "Out of everyone in this table, I''m the one who''s worked here the longest, and I''ve heard rumors about that even before the company was mainstream. Also, there''s a rumor that it started when the previous manager got fired." "Why did he get fired?" I asked. "Well... That''s the thing, it''s a bit mysterious. They say he just disappeared suddenly and never set foot in the company again. Management tried to reach him, but it was as if he just fell off the earth one day. Not even his family has an idea of where he is. He''s still missing even today." In the corner of my eye, I saw Nila''s hands tremble for a second. A sweat slid down her neck as she looked down. "Maybe he just wanted to live a new life, defect into another country or something," I said, trying to end the topic. Gabrielle nodded, taking into account my made-up hypothesis. I formed a thought in my mind. "A previous manager that got fired and disappeared without a trace, sand mysteriously appearing in the company despite the tight security, and the current manager not disclosing what he knows. Wait... What if the previous manager is-" "Who cares about that stuff," Raf said, breaking my thought process. "More importantly, why would someone eat sand? And doesn''t sand normally taste metallic?" Gabrielle, the resident intellect, attempted to enlighten us. "No, it''s more like salt, but it doesn''t taste like anything when it''s clean. It''s more of a texture thing. And as to why they''d taste it, ask them yourself." "Wait, why do you know the taste of sand?" Raf pressed, his eyes fixed on Gabrielle. A deep sigh escaped from Gabrielle''s lips. "For starters, sand is just a heterogeneous mixture of various materials from eroded rocks and¡ª" "To summarize?" Raf interjected. Gabrielle sighed even deeper. "Common sense, obviously." Raf leaned forward, eyeing Gabrielle while letting out a long hum, dissatisfied with his answer. "...And that I''ve had a mouthful of it when I slipped on the beach," Gabrielle said with his face flushed, pushing Raf''s amused grin away. We all exchanged a quick chuckle. Then afterward, Nila chimed in. "I-I heard others saying that when you p-pour water on it, it becomes a red liquid." "That''s something new," Alex said. "That sand stuff appears in my department the most. I''m in the prototyping department by the way. But I haven''t heard of anyone actually messing around with that stuff. We just mostly sweep them up and don''t care." "Why does it turn red?" Raf asked. Suddenly, his face lit up and he stood up, smashing his hands on the table. "Is it like magical sand or something? Will it make me a millionaire if I just quit working and sell it off as magic?" Everyone ignored him. "M-Maybe there''s something in it?" speculated Nila. "It could have an e-element that dyes water red or s-something..." She glanced over at Gabrielle, hoping for him to continue her idea. "You might be onto something," said Gabrielle. "The most common element that can dye water into a brown or a red hue is iron. That could explain the observation for it tasting a bit metallic." Nila smiled, happy to have helped in solving the case. "But there is still a possibility that it might be something else," said Alex. "Why would iron look like sand? If it''s just mixed in there, then we should be able to see a few dots of gray, but no, it''s completely brown." For some reason, I felt a chill go up my spine from what Alex said. If it''s not what Nila and Gabrielle said, then what exactly is it? A few more speculations danced around the table, but nothing conclusive emerged. The mystery of the sand remained unsolved. "Whatever it is, for a mainstream company, they should really investigate this more thoroughly," Alex said. "It''s already destroying appliances and other things. It''ll only be a matter of time until an accident happens because of it. I don''t want Lau- lots of my friends to be involved with these things." Raf tried to poke fun. "Are you scared?" "Of course I''m scared! I don''t know what I''ll do if something happens to her- ehem, hertha¡ªmy lovely computer. A keyboard did get ruined, right?" he laughed nervously. Raf had a disgusted impression on his face. "You named your computer? Remind me to get away from you sometimes." We all laughed it off and finished our lunch. But even as I went up the stairs and went back to work mode, what Alex said still stuck to me. Maybe... just maybe, what if these pranks start to harm more than just our electronics. Chapter 4 "God, this sucks!" yelled Raf. "I want to go home and never wake up until Christmas next year!" he spun on his chair, refusing to even touch his keyboard. "We don''t have a choice, Raf. Bear with it," I said, typing as fast as I could. "I''ll promise you two gifts this Christmas if you complete your part. I''ll even buy you dinner tonight... if we have time to eat, that is." Suddenly, flames lit up in Raf''s eyes. He quickly sprung up and mashed on his keyboard like a child destroying a piano, with me not knowing if he was actually doing something or just pressing random keys. But what I do know is that bribing him with food is the only way to start his engine. I sighed, my eyes fixated on my screen. The dim glow of the office lights created a surreal atmosphere, and the rhythm of the keyboards was trying to usher me to sleep, but I couldn''t, not now. It was still the middle of the day, but my energy level was low, even after two bars of Snickers. I had three but Raf ate one accidentally. The urgent project loomed over us like a daunting shadow, and the ticking of the clock steadily upped my anxiety. Even now, the sudden announcement of our manager, Mr. Robert, echoed in my mind. Three hours earlier "Sorry, folks. Looks like we won''t be getting any sleep tonight," Robert said. "Sir, what''s going on?" one of my colleagues asked, confusion etched on his face, and so was everyone else. "Well... We were assigned a new project by the parent company." "And what''s this project about?" Robert gulped. "We need to complete a brand new prototype, complete with a working code and a software manuscript." Gabrielle stood up from his chair. "Sounds easy enough." He raised his hand. "I volunteer to help out, Sir. What''s our time frame?" A sweat slid down Robert''s forehead. "Umm... by midnight." Gabrielle didn''t say anything, his face just remained still¡ªfilled with shock. Protests and complaints filled the room, whirling a sandstorm of noise. Robert sighed. "Look, folks. I tried to negotiate with them, but the parent company won''t tolerate any delays. They''ll shut down the company if this isn''t finished by daylight tomorrow." "I''m out," exclaimed the person next to Gabrielle. He turned around and continued to work. Many others did the same, refusing to even work overtime to do a seemingly impossible task. "Please, everyone! I don''t know if this will make up for it, but I''ll double the salary of those who will help." Some of them stopped and froze for a second, but ultimately, they brushed it off, sacrificing wealth for health. Even with the dire consequence of failure, they know someone else will do the work for them. I don''t know why but our manager''s desperate plea for cooperation resonated with me. I could see in his eyes how much he cared for the company and the well-being of his subordinates. Any other manager would have forced us to do it. I stood up and raised my hand. "I''ll help out, Sir. I''ll do my best for the company," I exclaimed, sacrificing a night''s sleep, not for money, but to genuinely help out. Robert nodded with a wide smile adorning his face. "Thank you, Mr Williams. Any others?" "Nah, forget that," said Raf. "I have an appointment with my bed tonight. I think it''ll bring me to Disneyland again in my dreams." "Oh also, Raf. You''ve been appointed to this project beforehand," said Robert. "What?!" "The parent company reviewed everyone''s records and yours stood out particularly for being too empty. They''ll fire you if you don''t help out." Raf planted his face on the keyboard, not saying a word. His shoulders slumped in defeat. I slid a Snickers bar next to him, one that I''d been hiding this entire time. "Don''t worry everyone, I''ll handle all the logistics. Just focus on completing the task at hand. Please approach me or my secretary if anyone else would like to volunteer. I''ll be asking the other departments as well," he left the room. And with that, we all went back to work... except for one. With a collective sigh, both me and Raf leaned back on our chairs to rest, submerged in the sea of lines of codes and intricate designs, tired and couldn''t process another thought. For once, Raf had done some work, it''s quite commendable but it was nowhere near the productivity of everyone else''s. Time blurred as I covered my eyes with my arm, and the distant hum of the air conditioning became a relentless reminder of our impending deadline. "I''m so gonna file for a paid vacation," said Raf. "Actually, I wouldn''t mind going with you." "It''s a date then." Raf raised his hands expecting a high five. Because my eyes were covered, I saw this a second too late and Raf was already awkwardly lowering his arm. I chuckled subtly. "You better ready your wallet, ''cause I''m not the one prepaying for the plane tickets," said Raf. "Where do you want to go anyways?" I asked, thinking of the places on my bucket list. "Purobaburi Jappan," Raf said in a weird Japanese accent, his voice coming from his diaphragm. "Don''t you know the paperwork there sucks? You''ll spend hours in the airport before setting foot on Japanese soil," I argued, basing it on what I see in videos. "Where to then?" Raf spun in his chair. "How about Italy? I know you''ll like their piz-" "Pasta?!" Raf interrupted. "Sure, that as well." I then sighed. "If only we can finish this in time." We rested for around ten minutes or so. "Don''t kill yourself over work now, everyone! Goodnight!" one of our colleagues yelled before he left the room. My mind was so tired I couldn''t even look back at who it was. Instead, I raised my arm and gave a thumbs up, while my other hand continued to type. The sound of the office bell ringing still echoed in my ears. It was just a few minutes ago, but it felt to me like an hour had already passed. Just from the light coming into my peripheral, I could guess that the moon was about to reach its peak, while we were still here, looking at our screens all day long. As the clock ticked past dinner hours, we were still typing away. The only sustenance fueling us were chocolate and tiny candies we had randomly stashed in our desks. At some point, Raf had left his station and plundered everyone else''s stations, going low into the ground and walking in a crouch like a thief, but actually looked more like a crab. I have no clue what he has on his mind. He didn''t even need to sneak around because there was no one to hide from¡ªif you disregard me, Gabrielle, and Nila. From the usual crowded space, it now turned into a ghost town¡ªa dark one, since lights need to be turned off after office hours. Many people did agree to help out, and they did contribute a bit to the overall project, but then they all disappeared after hitting the seven o''clock mark, sacrificing only an hour to reap the overtime benefits our manager promised. I''m not mad in the slightest, I''d do the same if I wasn''t feeling up to it, I just basically disappointed myself by expecting more out of them. In total, four sets of typing sounds continuously echoed in the room. In the distance, near the front, an almost waterfall-sounding typing can be heard. Like the continuity of the noise from a heavy storm. I know of only one person who is capable of that, and the way he explains things is certainly in the same manner. Mine and Nila''s typing was average, but it felt quite embarrassing when our sounds were trying to compete with Gabrielle''s. I knew it was Nila from Raf telling me when he was scouring the office for candy. And then there''s Raf, whose head was glued to the desk. The way he types, if you can still even call it typing, is reminiscent of me when I failed to enter my phone password for the second time. When compared to Raf, I felt quite good about myself, but then not really because it''s him. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Suddenly, Laura entered the room. She walked to the desk beside me, wiped the leftover sand from Mr. Afton''s disappearance, and set up her laptop. "You agreed to help?" I asked her. "Found this new fancy restaurant recently. I''ll be needing more funds if I want to indulge," she said while connecting a charger to the port. "But... I wouldn''t mind if you took me out instead. Saves me the trouble of working." I gulped. Raf kicked the floor and rolled his chair over to us, getting right into the middle. "Hey there, got any food on ya?" he asked Laura. "Nope," she said after scanning her breast pocket. "Bummer," he said, rolling back into his station. The door swung open and another familiar face entered. Upon seeing this, Laura ducked her head and typed on her laptop, pretending to be just another character in the sideline. "Woah there, what a coincidence," Alex said, instantly noticing her. "Didn''t know you signed up for this as well, how dedicated you are." Alex reached out his hand to pat Laura on the shoulder, but suddenly, she got up. "Sorry, I have to get this phone call real quick. Be right back." She then left the room, leaving Alex frozen in the same reaching motion. Raf then rolled back next to us. "Got any food on ya?" he asked Alex. Back into motion, Alex patted his pants. "Don''t got any, sorry." "But what''s that bump on your shirt pocket?" he pointed. "It looks a bit too round to be anything else but candy." "Sorry, not for you. It''s already reserved for someone." "Bummer," Raf said, rolling back. "So... How''s work treating you?" Alex asked. "Not too good. There''s some progress here and there, but if we go at this rate, we might be an hour late for the deadline." "Sucks to be us then." Suddenly, I felt a sensation crawl down my chest. From being too drawn in on my computer, I was taken aback when I saw Alex reaching into my shirt pocket. I calmly waited for him to pull out. I took a look inside and saw two small balls of wrapped-up chocolate. "Mind giving it to her when you get the chance?" Alex whispered. "The other one''s for you." I nodded in quiet agreement. Then, Gabrielle appeared, sat on the station behind ours and set up his devices there without saying a word. Raf, being ever so cheeky, or that he''s trying to find every moment he can to ditch work, rolled his chair around the station and parked next to Gabrielle. "Why''d ya come here only now? Did you feel lonely?" Raf said with a mischievous grin. Gabrielle coughed. "Based on a study conducted in 1997, it states that working in close proximity to your colleagues boosts productivity." "Yeah yeah sure.. but, were you lonely?" "O-Of course not. Now get back to work before I ask the manager to withdraw your overtime benefits." Raf rolled away, but then suddenly, he went back to Gabrielle. "Also, got any food on ya?" Gabrielle didn''t even look at him. He simply waved his hand like shooing a stray dog while typing with his other. "Bummer." Raf finally came back to our side. And to complete the gang, Nila suddenly appeared from behind, like a ghost phasing in out of nowhere. As usual, Raf welcomed her with his antics. "How about you, why''d ya come here now? Lonely?" I nudged his elbow. "Stop that, Raf." Nila, unfazed, admitted, "W-Well, yes." Raf sighed, "I really thought you were the type to be like umm ehr ah emm and then run away from embarrassment." From Raf making things awkward, I took matters into my own hands, rolling up a stack of paper and hitting him on the head baseball style. "Ouch!" he cried out. Nila chuckled. "A-Actually... I was like that in college." Laura came up to her and patted her on the head. "But you''ve managed to overcome it. How admirable," she praised her. "Actually, I was like that during college too," Alex chimed in, giving a wink to Laura. Laura sighed, "How... admirable you are as well." But that wasn''t enough for him. Alex pointed to his head and winked again, his playful smile spilling out. Laura reached her hand towards Alex''s head. He suddenly exclaimed, "Ouch!" "You had a white sticking out," she showed a strand of dead hair to him. "Thanks, you can keep it if you want." Laura gave off a weird face before tucking it into Alex''s polo pocket. She then took charge, reminding everyone, "We''re running out of time here, people. Let''s get to work." We all responded with a collective "Yes, ma''am!" and continued the grind. Raf, still not finished with his antics, approached Nila. "By the way, Nila, I have a question." She nodded, as if saying "Go ahead." "Got any food on ya?" Nila looked around in confusion. "Y-You already asked me that.. a while ago." "Oh," Raf sighed. "B-But yes I do have some more candy." "Yippee!" Raf jumped from his chair and raised his hand forming a fist of victory. I sighed as I listened in on them from the side. "He''s such a child," I muttered in my head. An hour must have passed when the clicking of the keyboards finally got to me. In these moments, I realized that I could have been either enjoying listening to Lofi music while I struggled to fall asleep, or I was already fast asleep on my bed. I stopped typing and leaned back with a sigh escaping my mouth. I wasn''t just about to give up, but I did want a minute or two to take a rest. Because I''m no longer focusing, I realized something. The room was noisy, but it wasn''t as noisy. I''m not talking about Raf, I mean that something else had changed, and as I pinpointed it in my mind, it was the sound of the keyboards. Its speed was average, too average considering one of the people here. I rolled over to the station behind me, the same way Raf rolled his chair like a seated skateboard. "Hey, Gabrielle. How are you holding up the''re?" I asked him, noticing that he hadn''t been typing as fast as his usual self. Gabrielle looked towards me while continuing with his work, his eyes almost seeming to slowly retract into his head, not to mention the bags under his eyes. "What made you ask that?" Even his voice sounded tired. "Just because," I answered, not wanting to point it out. Gabrielle stopped typing. "Fine, I admit, I didn''t sleep yesterday. It''s because the secretary asked me to help in fixing a newbie''s document while I was busy with my own work." I pointed to myself with a confused look. "No, not you. A different department," he said, then he continued typing. "Gabrielle, this isn''t healthy. You know you can take a break right? Why don''t you go grab a coffee and unwind a bit? We''ll keep things in order." "I can''t afford to do that right now," Gabrielle said, his posture slouching. "We''re running out of time." Suddenly, Raf chimed in, "You guys talking about coffee? I want one." He then stood up and announced, "Gabrielle''s gonna get coffee, does anyone else want a cup?!" "I could use one," said Laura. "I''ll have one, thanks," said Alex. "M-Me too," Nila raised her hand. I winked at Gabrielle. "Well, it seems you''re in too deep at this point." Gabrielle sighed and stood up. "Fine, but make sure Raf does twice what he usually outputs. I won''t give him his coffee otherwise." Raf gave a thumbs and I glanced a look at him, fully confident that he was not up for the task. Zero times two is still zero. Gabrielle then walked away and left the room. "Is my coffee here yet?" Raf grumbled, spinning a pen while a sheet of paper covered his face. Minutes turned into an eternity, and concern began to grip my consciousness. Where was Gabrielle? What''s taking him so long? I don''t think the others notice because they''re too consumed by work, but it''s already been over an hour since Gabrielle left. Be it brewed or instant, it''s still an absurd amount of time just to grab six cups of coffee and a ten minute power nap. "Wait, Gabrielle isn''t back yet?" Alex finally noticed. "Maybe he fell asleep... or fell on the stairs," Raf said. I stood up, a mix of concern and confusion etched on my face. Raf''s remark definitely added to my concerns. "C''mon, Raf. Let''s go look for him." Without a second thought, Raf stood and agreed, trying to get out of working. "It''s adventure time!" We searched every nook and cranny of the building but to no avail, there wasn''t any sign of Gabrielle. Raf even flipped plants and tables expecting Gabrielle to be playing some silly game of hide and seek. We couldn''t waste any more time. Only two hours remained on the clock until the deadline for submission. We called out Gabrielle''s name, the echoes bouncing off the empty walls. But there was no response, only the lingering silence that seemed to absorb our anxieties, well... mine at least. Raf was more or less enjoying this. One detail stood out to me during our search. When I went to the cafeteria, the place I expected Gabrielle to be, I found sand that wasn''t there before, just right in front of the coffee machine. It was quite odd. There was even a cup of spilled coffee on the floor, but no Gabrielle. It''s like he suddenly disappeared during the middle of pouring. Maybe, just maybe, he couldn''t take it anymore and went home to sleep, but knowing Gabrielle, he wasn''t the type to do that. Looking at the spilled coffee right next to the sand, my curiosity grew. I swept the liquid with my shoe just enough for it to make contact with the sand, and when it did, the sand dissolved, dyeing the black liquid with a hint of red, like adding food coloring to a mixture. But I didn''t stop there. I don''t know why but the next thing I knew, I was down on my knee, dipping my pinky in the liquid and giving it a quick lick. It sounds disgusting, I know, but I just felt this unsettling feeling within me that if I don''t do it, it''ll bother me for the rest of the night. Once it hit my taste buds, the bitter flavor of the coffee overwhelmed my tongue. It''s pretty normal, but just like Alex''s coworker said, there''s a hint of a metallic taste, similar to when you suck on a wound. Our search also brought us near to the manager''s office. I was about to walk past it when I heard a sort of sloshing sound coming from inside. I was confused since the lights were off and I remember the manager saying that he''ll work from his home. I knocked on the door. "Good evening sir, are you in there?" There was no response, but the faint sounds continued. Hearing it again, it kind of sounds like sand being moved. With just that single thought, I concluded that there must be sand in the manager''s office as well and a rat or some vermin is rolling around on it. Not entirely sure but I can''t be wasting any more time on this. Resigned to the absence of answers, we returned to our workstations, haunted by the unresolved questions that lingered in the air. Where was Gabrielle? And what''s the deal with the sand? The clock continued its merciless march toward the deadline, and the once familiar office space transformed into a maze of shadows, secrets, and an ominous sense of impending doom. Chapter 5 "I want to go home!" Raf groaned. He''s been spinning on his chair for the past ten minutes, sometimes hitting the corner of the desk. "Stop that, Raf. It''s distracting. You can do that after we finish." "That''s if we finish and not be dead by the end of it," he slumped further, completely giving up on working. "Why don''t we all just go home and call it a day? I''m sure the parent company wouldn''t mind a few hours of delay. Just tell them the wifi was weak and it wouldn''t let us send the file or something." "I do like the sound of that," chimed Alex. "But I doubt it. Even the manager looked stressed." "Just keep working," I said while trying to speed up my pace. "I don''t want to be fired on my first week here." We were all tired, especially since our productivity took a huge cut when Gabrielle left. With all my might, I tried to make up for it, but it''s draining my energy by a lot. No wonder Gabrielle left, he must have turned his mind into mush from all the work he did. I do want him back but at the same time, I don''t want him to suffer any further. My eyes were already watering from staring at pixels all day. I feel that forcing them open with a clothespin wouldn''t be enough. Every second that passed, I could feel my eyelids grow heavier and the urge to lay on a warm bed became stronger. As of now, probably seventy percent of the work has been done. The manager did keep his word, sending a chunk of the proposal just in time before our morale dropped to its lowest. I would have made more progress, but I was stuck correcting all my spelling mistakes from my sloppy typing, further deterred by a lack of sleep. "Ahhh! I''ve had it!" Raf screamed. "Goodnight everyone!" He went under his desk and brought out a pillow I didn''t know he was hiding. He rested his head on it and curled up like an armadillo. Then a second later, snores were already flooding the room, competing with the sounds of our keyboards. I would have sighed at this point but I was too tired to even complain. The room had been silent ever since, but not the normal kind of quiet. The clatter of keyboards and the occasional sighs of exhaustion had been so monotonous that it became the new silence. I don''t know if it''s just me going insane, but I find joy whenever our typing becomes synchronized for even a second, becoming a rhythmic tune. All of a sudden, the silence that had been maintained for the past couple of minutes had been shattered. A primal scream pierced the monotony. I was jolted awake even though my eyes were open the whole time. I didn''t know what was going on since my mind was too focused on the screen in front of me. My initial instinct was to ignore it because I realized it was just Raf. After all, his dramatic tendencies were nothing new, even with the short time of knowing him. I continued to type but an unsettling feeling loomed within me. Why did Raf suddenly scream? I know it''s scary to think that we''re still working this late but I don''t think it is worth screaming about. Well, I could just look to my right and ask him myself, but I couldn''t generate the energy to do it. Laura had a different approach. It seems that she''s had enough of Raf''s antics. I could hear the crash of her chair hitting the stall behind her, followed by the sounds of her footsteps blazing through the office. I know it''s her from the distinct steps of her heels. Her voice resounded in a scolding tone, much like an angry mother. "Raf! Can''t you just shut your mouth for a few minutes, please?! I''ve already been messing up a bunch and I don''t need your yelling breaking my concentration any further. If you''ve got nothing better to do, just stay asleep or lea-" She screamed. Immediately, I burst out from my chair and looked towards them. From the split second of rotating my head, I saw the blur of Alex''s figure rushing this way. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. A thud echoed in the room. The next thing I knew, Laura was on the floor. This was the first time I saw that kind of expression on her face, actually, I''ve never seen this emotion in general. Only in movies could someone make that face. Her eyes were wide open despite the lack of sleep, and her mouth twitched as if words wanted to come out but couldn''t. The feeling was similar to encountering the great unknown, a frightening darkness. All she could do was raise her shaking hand and point. On the other side of Laura''s finger lies Raf. A gasp caught in my throat as I saw his distress. The expression on Raf''s face was twice as bad as Laura''s, much like he''d been woken up from a nightmare, one where he''d seen death in the flesh. He sat there, still as a statue, but his position screamed that he wanted to run. He was looking down the entire time, and from my confusion, I did the same. I closed my eyes, opened them, and repeated. I wasn''t dreaming. This is reality. The horror. The absolute horror I am witnessing... it was too unreal. Raf''s hand, once flesh and bone, now crumbled bit by bit into tiny particles. His hand dissolved like a crumbling statue. It was sand. The realization sent shivers down my spine. In my peripheral, Alex was also frozen, and so was Nila, peeking from the side with her tiny hands covering her agape mouth. I wanted to do something, to help in this bizarre situation, but the very scene clawed at the edges of my rationality. His hand completely crumbled, spreading sand on his keyboard, desk, chair¡ªeverything. But it didn''t stop there. I could see the individual nerves from where his wrist should have been, even a bone that should never be seen from someone alive is in full display in the gaps of the flowing sand. Blood began to ooze in combination with the sand, but even as red as it was when it came out, only the brown color of the sand remained once it fell on the floor. The crumbling raced up his arm, turning him into a human sandglass, and he was slowly running out of time. Amid my shock, fragments of understanding began to coalesce in my mind. It is definitely sand, I''m dead sure about it. And as much as I pray for this to be a dream, it is unfortunately reality. The sand, people missing, Raf crumbling... threads were getting untied in my mind. It was all coming together but in a horrifying light. Before I could articulate my thoughts I felt my body sway vigorously. Alex was shaking me, unfreezing me from my terror. "We need to find help, now!" he yelled. His words cut through the paralysis, making me stand up and we both ran out the room. I took a look back just before the door had closed, and from the gap, I saw Raf. He still sat frozen like a statue, slowly losing his body, but a different image stuck in mind. He was crying. Tears dropped from his eyes while looking down on himself slowly disappearing. I felt my heart drop. I couldn''t imagine Raf, the easy-going lazybones idiot, to ever make that expression. Some sanity returned to my mind as we ran, but we were still not thinking straight. No matter what we did, there was no helping him. No doctor could possibly stop that. The unknown can''t be dealt with, for reality''s barriers have already crumbled at this point. I knew unconsciously that we weren''t rushing to find help, but instead help ourselves escape from thinking about Raf''s situation, making our adrenaline do all the thinking. As we ran, the office didn''t feel like home anymore. It was now a maze that was slowly suffocating us. The shadows laughed at our futile efforts. I couldn''t hear our footsteps. Instead, the ticking of the clock in the background echoed in my mind, synchronizing with my heartbeat. Both were growing faster. We hurried back with a first aid kit. While I was searching for it, Alex was contacting the manager, but the call wouldn''t go through. He even tried to contact hospitals but it''s as if we were disconnected from the world. There wasn''t any signal. Alex pushed open the door. A sudden chill went up my spine as I saw Nila sitting on the floor motionless, her back was turned away from the door. "Raf?" I muttered walking over to Nila. I saw Laura curled up in a random station, her face completely blank. But Raf was nowhere to be seen. Alex automatically rushed towards her. "What happened?!" he asked. He didn''t get a reply. "Nila?!" I tapped her shoulder. She slowly turned her head towards me. She was smashed from her sobbing. "Where''s Raf?!" She tried to speak, but her anguished tears prevented her from muttering anything comprehensible. I shook her again and again, trying to snap her back to normal, but my attempts to fathom the situation were met with fragmented responses, her words drowned in a sea of inconsolable grief. "Please, Nila! Where is Raf?!" I yelled. Suddenly, Laura''s shaking voice intervened. She slowly pointed in our direction. "Raf is right there. He''s... just below you." I gulped. I suddenly felt like I was drowning. How... how didn''t I notice it immediately? Slowly, I turned my gaze downwards, and there I saw Raf, or more accurately, what had become of Raf. In the middle of the room, Nila and I were sitting over a mound of formless sand. Raf is gone. Chapter 6 "Just what in the world is happening?" Laura said without any life in her voice, almost whispering to herself. "This isn''t real." "How could a person just turn into sand?" Alex asked himself. "I mean, I''m not dreaming right?" Silence answered their questions. I didn''t know what to do. I don''t even know if I can accept what happened. Just like the two, I pondered if this was all just a dream, but a single pinch on my arm answered my question, or was it also part of the illusion? Nila was still silent, her hands still trembled. She sat underneath a desk, her eyes glued to what Raf had become. She was terrified. I couldn''t blame her. She and Laura must have seen something truly gruesome. Seeing your friend disintegrate into sand bit by bit, it''s not a good sight to watch, especially since there isn''t anything you can do. All that''s left is to cry as you watch your co-worker slowly die. Grief had already enveloped her like a suffocating cloud, and that very cold cloud was sending shivers down her spine, repeatedly until she was reduced to this traumatic state. I couldn''t offer any words of encouragement. Not even a simple "It''s alright." I mean, I am depressed as well. Raf is the very first friend I made in this new stage of my life. He''s the type of person who will stick with you even after retirement, but now all he can stick to are my clothes. The very thought that these particles of sand latched on the fibers of my pants were once a living breathing human darkens my vision. I want to puke so badly but I don''t want to trouble the others. Putting up a strong front is for the best. I sat next to Nila, ducking under the desk. I rubbed her back and continued to do so indefinitely until she calmed down, attempting to provide a semblance of comfort. It''s only wishful thinking but I don''t know what else there is to do. In the silence, my eyes were drawn towards the sand. Every second I look at it, the more I want to take my gaze off it, but I can''t. Raf... he didn''t deserve this. As we huddled in the dark, I could feel Nila''s tear-streaked face pressed against my shoulder. "Everything will be fine, right?" she asked, her voice a bit horse. "I..." All of a sudden, the image of Raf''s face materialized in my mind. A tear slid down my cheek. "It''s going to be alright." I said, sniffling afterward. This is so unfair. He''s been nothing but trouble and hasn''t even done anything that he promised. What about his work? What about the vacation we planned? Who''s going to Italy with me now? Who''s going to help with finishing this project? Even until the end, he hasn''t done anything of significance. Heck, I''ll probably be a bit amused if he got his paycheck cut or got demoted to a janitor for his tardiness. But even so... I didn''t want things to end this way. Raf, with all his flaws¡ªlazy, dim-witted, and frustratingly unproductive¡ªdidn''t deserve such a gruesome fate. I once thought he was worthless, and I still probably do, but now that he''s literally worthless sand, I''m beginning to regret every bad thing I thought about him. I began to feel nauseous. It''s as if a hollow pit formed in my stomach and sucked away all the vitality in me. I could feel the weight of reality sinking into its depths, and my mind may soon follow afterward. In some way or another, Nila must have noticed this. Despite her cowering state, she patted me on the head. I could feel that her hands were still shaking with every stroke. "Live up to what you said," Nila whispered. "You said everything is going to be alright. Let''s make it true." My tears began to fall, and I couldn''t stop it¡ªI didn''t want to stop it. I wanted to be strong, but it looks like I''m the weakest one here. With this I also realized something. The sand in front of the coffee machine, it''s definitely Gabrielle. And all the other sand appearing in the office, those are people as well, right? Again, I want to puke my brains out from the realization, especially with Gabrielle since he''s one of the people I grew a bit close with. We couldn''t even witness his final moments, nor everyone else. It''s unreal. It''s unfair. But as of now, I''ve shut my mind. I want to rest for a bit. "Raf... Gabrielle... Please come back to us." I was woken up by something, and as my ears adjusted to my fatigue, I realized it was Nila''s screams. I quickly got out from under the desk and stood up. I was probably asleep for around half an hour or so. Nila stood leaning at a desk, her hand scrambling for anything it could reach, while the other pointed at the front of the room, at the complete darkness. She was shaking. "What''s going on?" I asked in confusion, grief still lingered in my voice. She grabbed a stapler from the desk and threw it across the room to where she pointed. Oddly enough, I didn''t hear it crash on the ground. Instead, there was this sort of rain-like grumbling. "T-There''s s-something there," she said. The shaking of her voice was far worse than her body. I couldn''t see anything. I squinted to adjust my eyes to the darkness. I finally saw it. It was just its silhouette but I''m sure there''s something there¡ªsomething not from this world. It''s as if the darkness walked. Black voids for eyes peered through and stared at us. Even with the dark room, its eyes were too dark and stood out, much like a hole poked through the fabric of reality. "The sands are shifting," A guttural voice resonated from the creature. Its voice was deep, almost beyond recognition. "What the hell is that!" yelled Laura, pointing at the thing as well. She saw it too. He and Alex were in the very back of the room. They must have gone there to go as far away from Raf''s remains as possible, trying to escape reality in their own way. Alex was speechless. He could only stand there with his mouth agape while holding Laura''s hand. Laura took the initiative, running out the door while pulling Alex along. I tugged on Nila''s arm. "We need to leave, now!" I exclaimed. She didn''t move. Her gaze was set on the creature as if it had frozen her in place. She was sweating all over, and her arm was shivering cold. The rain-like noise continued, growing stronger. It was approaching us. A chill went down my spine. I could feel why Nila was too scared to move. No one would know what to do in the presence of such an unknown. I took a breath in and slapped my cheeks to calm myself. Without a second choice, I pulled Nila''s arm like it was a game of tug of war and forcefully dragged her out the door. She finally regained her senses and ran by herself. We eventually caught up to Alex and Laura. "What do we do?!" exclaimed Alex. "We don''t! We just keep running!" yelled Laura. It was a good plan, the only one applicable in this situation. No way in hell we were doing anything else¡ªfight it? no way! "Everyone... please... wait.." I heard a cry from behind. I turned to look back and saw that Nila had fallen behind. Her feet jittered as she ran. It was clear that her body wasn''t built for a chase. "Hurry up!" yelled Alex. "I can hear it coming!" He was right. The sound was coming closer, probably just a turn from the corner away. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "We can''t stop! Just keep running to the exit!" Laura yelled. I don''t know if they noticed Nila''s struggle. I get that realistically, it was best to leave behind those who can''t keep up, to give the others an opportunity to escape. But I won''t allow this. I''ve already lost enough friends. I''m not leaving behind anyone else. We''ll all survive this. "Guys, listen! I have a plan!" Cornered and gasping for breath, we barricaded ourselves in the storage room. It was still a ways off from the exit, but it was the best place to get some rest. "Just what the hell was tha-!" Laura quickly covered Alex''s mouth with her hand. "Shhh!" she hissed, placing her finger parallel to her lips. Alex took a quick sniff of her hand and immediately calmed down. His muffled voice sounded beneath the cover, "Smells nice." She quickly retracted her hand and pinched Alex''s cheek. "Now''s not the time for that," she said. Ignoring their banter, I scavenged the room for anything that could serve as a weapon. "Take this," I said to Alex, handing him two objects. "What do I do with these?" "Take a guess." He took another look at the objects in his hand and I saw the moment it clicked in his mind. "Holy... This is going to be awesome!" he exclaimed. I also handed a few things to Nila and Laura who also got the assignment. I caught the moment a sweat slid down Laura''s forehead. "I get what you''re thinking of but this means that we''ll-" "Fight it? Yes," I finished her sentence. Nila gulped. "No! We can''t possibly fight that thing!" she exclaimed. "Shhh!" I whispered. I held out my hand and showed it to them. It was shaking. "I''m scared as well. But... we can''t stay here for any longer. We don''t know what that thing is capable of. And it''ll only be a matter of time until it finds us. "How can you be sure it will find us? If we just barricade the door and keep our mouths shut then we''ll be fine, right?" she argued. "That''s thinking too positively. It might work, but would you either run to safety and risk yourself for a couple of moments or spend God knows how much time here while our anxiety builds up every second from not knowing if we''re truly safe or not?" She didn''t reply. The room grew silent. Just from looking at everyone''s eyes, I know they agree with my reasoning, but the fear of going out of this room is pushing them to hesitate. Alex sighed. "Fine, let''s do it." Nila tugged on Alex''s shirt, shaking her head, scared of going through with the idea. He brushed her hair and smiled at her. "But on one condition," he said. "Go on." "No one else will die. Promise me that." I smiled and nodded at him. "I promise." "3... 2... 1..." I counted down. "Go!" Alex swung open the door and dashed outside. "Shit!" he suddenly yelled when he looked at the hallway. There, just a few feet away, stood the creature. Its black eyes peered through the darkness, glaring straight at us. It''s as if it already knew and had waited for us to come out, blocking our path to the exit. Nila saw the creature''s form and took a step back, almost collapsing on the ground. "Don''t falter!" I yelled. "Do it!" Alex ran to the monster, yelling. His voice was breaking from the fear. I could feel that every step had hesitation in them. He was marching straight into the unknown, to confront danger head-on, but even so, he continued to run forward. Once close, he held out the two objects I gave him earlier¡ªan aerosol can and a lighter. He quickly flicked the lighter, producing a small flame. Then he pointed the aerosol can nozzle on the flame. With just a click, the lighter''s flame ignited the gas coming out from the can. The fire spread out, rushing forward from where the can was pointing to. It was now a flamethrower. Alex approached the creature further with the fire still spewing forward. The hot flame had made contact with the creature. Without wasting another moment, we all threw everything at it¡ªmatches, alcohol, sanitizer, and everything we found in the storage room that could ignite. The plan was simple, burn the hell out of that thing. The objects flew across the hallway and made contact with the flamethrower''s fire. Some exploded into fireworks of flames almost immediately while some landed on the creature before exploding into a burning fury. The creature groaned as if screaming for its life. Alex continued, mercilessly torching it. Then, little by little, the creature became quiet. "Did we get it?" said Alex, his voice elated. He stopped pressing on the can''s head, stopping the flame. An air of silence blew through the hallway as we waited for the result. The dark eyes that peered out weren''t there anymore, and the rain-like sounds that accompanied the creature had ceased as well. Alex breathed for a bit. "Looks like it worked." He turned around and walked towards us but suddenly... a deep chuckling echoed in the hallway. Again, like black holes appearing in the darkness, the monster appeared. It was laughing at us. Our plan had failed. Nila''s knees completely gave out and she fell to the floor, shaking while stopping her mouth from screaming. Laura, desperate, threw the leftover bottles of hand sanitizers at it. Alex saw the bottles before they made contact with the creature and in quick response, reignited the flame and blasted the makeshift flamethrower. Suddenly, the flame quickly subsided. From a rampage of fire, it had turned into a tiny ember until it lit up no longer. The can was now empty. Worst of all, the sanitizers didn''t ignite. From the flame dying, I was able to see a glimpse of what the monster was. It was completely brown. A human-shaped mass of sand. And the sanitizers... those were sticking out of its body as if sinking into the creature. Parts of the bottles that hadn''t sunk were crumbling to sand while the fluid inside of them was already gone. This creature, I''m sure of it now. It''s the reason for everyone''s death. Suddenly, I saw the creature''s hand reach out from the darkness. Then, its finger latched onto Alex''s shoulder. He couldn''t react in time to dodge it. All of a sudden, the area where the creature had touched him crumbled. It started with his clothes, then... his skin, then... his flesh. Alex didn''t scream, but he did look on with horror, frozen from the fear. His shoulder bone was already exposed, but even that turned into sand in just a second. Ultimately, his arm completely fell to the floor. Blood oozed from it. A second later, the blood turned to sand as well, with the arm continuing to crumble. Laura screamed, sending an ear-piercing noise across the hallway. Nila closed her eyes, blocking her view from the nightmare that was occurring. All I could do was stand there and watch. Alex, having watched a part of him disappear, didn''t even flinch. Instead, he turned his head towards us. The image of his face was forever etched into my mind. "A-Alex... you have to r-run..." The crumbling crept up his shoulder and now moved on to his chest and back, exposing his ribcage with all his organs in full display, some of them twitching and beating. He shook his head as if telling me, "It''s already too late." He turned away from me and took a deep breath. I could see the back of his lungs expanding as he breathed. "It''s up to you now. Please... protect them for me." Then, Alex screamed. His final war cry echoed in the entire building. He took a step forward and swung his remaining arm, punching the creature. It was futile. It didn''t even budge, as if he punched a wall. He couldn''t retract his fist, it now began to sink into the creature''s body. But Alex didn''t stop there, he wasn''t done. He walked forward, pushing his fist deeper into the creature, yelling from the top of his exposed lungs. He continued to walk forward and the creature moved with him. He was pushing it. Alex, in his last-ditch attempt, chose to push the creature out of the way so we could escape. I wanted to help him, but one touch from that monster would mean death. I know, I''m a coward who could only watch as his friend suffered until his very last moment. I couldn''t imagine how much pain he was feeling, to have your body disappear bit by bit. All I could do was shed a tear while hoping for the best, cheering him on in my mind. Alex continued, taking step after step. The creature finally retaliated, pushing Alex back and touching him on his arm and head, turning them into sand. Even with his brain slowly being exposed and without any arms, he kept moving forward. He slammed his face into the creature and pushed with his entire body. In one final surge of strength, Alex pushed the creature out of the hallway and into the cafeteria. Then, he kicked the floor, sending him and the creature off balance. I could hear the creature groan as it fell to the side, followed by the sound of sand raining on the floor. Without a second to waste, I grabbed both Nila and Laura''s arms and ran across the hallway, utilizing the exit that Alex sacrificed his life for. Once we were out, we didn''t even look at what had happened to Alex or the creature¡ªwe didn''t have the guts to see what our friend had become. All I could do was run like a coward and remember his face... his words. My tears began to fall but I stopped myself from crying any further. This time, I''ll be strong, just like him. Because in Alex''s final moments, he was smiling. "I promise, I''ll protect them!" Chapter 7 We rushed to the exit, ignoring everything in our path. It feels like the office has become so much larger due to the darkness enveloping us from all angles. Not even the stars illuminated the windows. As much as I didn''t want to point it out in my mind, there was sand everywhere. Every corner, every room¡ªthere was a concentration of sand. Some were only a small mound, while some covered a majority of the floor. Nevertheless, we ignored it all and hastened our dash. We were close, very close. Once we turn the corner, the front glass door of the building will be in view, and so will the sight of the outside¡ªthe image of safety. I continued to hold on to Nila''s hand, pulling her forward whenever she started to fall behind. I do feel bad whenever I drag her over, especially with my tight grip. I know it''s hurting her, but it will hurt more if she crumbles into sand, and it will hurt us more if she dies. Laura seems to be doing fine despite what had happened to Alex. I do get that their relationship is sort of complicated. A few hours ago, she wouldn''t dare to stand close to him. But after Raf''s demise, it seems like they had grown closer thanks to grief. But now all that development went down the drain with Alex dead on the floor, in millions of pieces. We turned the corner, and there I saw the door. "No..." I muttered. "Everyone, this way!" I led them both to another hallway instead of heading straight to the front door, pulling both their hands so that they were forced to follow me. "Wasn''t the exit that way?!" Laura pointed behind her. "Yes... yes, it was, but... there is no exit." "What do you mean?! The door was right there! We could have gotten out by now!" she complained. Nila didn''t join in. She just kept on running, mindlessly tailing me from behind. "We can''t go out. There was nothing there." "What?" I took a deep breath as we kept on running, visualizing the scene I saw. "It was black... completely black. There was nothing outside. It was like there was a curtain of darkness blocking us. I know it''s dark and there are barely any stars tonight but normally the convenience store in front of our building should still be visible, right? Plus, they''re open 24/7 so their lights should have been on. I don''t know how to explain it but I feel like trying to go outside will be impossible." "S-So we''re... trapped here?!" Nila asked, gasping for breath. I didn''t want to admit it. As the lone guy left, it was my duty to be the source of their strength, but I couldn''t lie to them. I nodded slightly. "I''m afraid so." "Then what now?!" Laura yelled. "We keep going up! There has to be something that can stop that monster!" "There! Hurry, quick!" I exclaimed, pointing to the foot of the stairs. We had ran around the office in a complete circle, passing through offices and then the cafeteria again until we were near to where we had started. Somewhere along the way, the rain-like crashing of sand sounded from behind us. The creature was back, which meant that Alex was no more. No matter how fast we ran, no matter how far we got, that creature was still chasing us. We began to climb the stairs when suddenly, Nila tripped. I was a second too late to catch her but just in time to witness her face hitting a step on the stairs. Painful as it looked, we didn''t have time to console her. "Hurry! Get up!" I yelled, pulling on Nila''s arm. If this was anywhere but here, I would have been able to pull her with ease, but because of the incline of the stairs, I was having trouble. "Nathan, just leave her! I can see it!" exclaimed Laura, tugging on my sleeve. "Please, Nila! Stand up already!" "P-Please... don''t leave me behind," pleaded Nila, her voice shaking along with her body. "I-I can''t move." Laura went down a few steps and crouched next to Nila, trying to stand her up. Even with the two of us, pulling her up was difficult. Nila''s shaking was too intense. It''s as if her legs couldn''t support her weight anymore. From the distance, I could see the creature approaching as well. Its large frame further added to the darkness, while its dark eyes peered through, looking straight at us. "Watch out!" I yelled. In a split second, I saw a blur of brown rocketing this way. Laura jumped up and was able to dodge it. Nila yelled. I had covered my eyes before the impact, and when I opened them, I saw that it was sand. The creature had hurled sand at us. Almost the entire lower portion of the stairwell had been covered, as well as Nila''s lower half. "What was that for?!" exclaimed Laura, spinning her gaze around herself to check if sand had gotten on her. All of a sudden, the answer to her question emerged. The stairs began to turn to sand. Little by little. Bit by bit. The steps gradually sunk, turning into a slope, while the affected railings crumbled as well, with some of the metal railing beams falling to the ground, crashing with a loud clang. As the metal noise sounded out, my body shook from a realization. I turned my gaze to Nila, and my realization was correct. She was turning to sand. Her jeans began to crumble and her shoes were already gone. Slowly, her flesh peeled off bit by bit like it was being erased or rubbed out by sandpaper. She screamed, pulling on my hand. "I don''t want to die! Please, Nathan! Help me!" I was speechless, I didn''t know what to do. Instead of running away or helping her up, I looked down at my clothes if the sand had gotten me. After seeing that I was fine, I immediately slapped myself. It''s as if my mind and body weren''t in accordance. I began to curse myself in my mind. My friend, who''s right in front of me, is slowly dying while I had the nerve to check if I was alright first. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I''m... I''m so selfish. How could I protect anyone like this? It should have been Alex who survived. "Leave her! It''s too late!" yelled Laura, pulling my arm. "No... not yet," I muttered. With a deep breath, I gathered all my strength and pulled Nila up the stairs, dragging her step by step. As every second passed, I could feel that she was getting lighter. It should have been easier for me to pull her up because of this, but in reality, it had become harder. The lighter she got, the cloudier my mind became, and my tears slowly flooded my eyes. I know it''s too late. I know she''s dying, and there''s nothing to stop it. But... I still chose to help her. It was my way of admitting defeat. To at least show that I''m trying, and I won''t leave anyone behind, even with all my downfalls. "I''m so sorry..." I mumbled. As we reached the second floor, I turned to look back at Nila. I was ready to say "We made it," to her. I wanted to say it with a smile on my face, to comfort her one last time. Nila was looking straight at me with her usual shy smile. But there was pain behind that smile. She didn''t have a body anymore. All that was left was her head, arms, and the necessary parts that connected them. The rest of her were spread out on the stairs, forming a trail of sand. "Thank you... for not leaving me behind," Nila said, closing her eyes and forming the happiest expression that I''ve ever seen from her. Instead of me comforting her in her final moments, she comforted me instead. Then, her face turned to sand from all sides, slowly consuming her smile. All that was left was her arm which still held my hand. Despite hearing the creature close by, its storming ambiance heading up the stairs, I chose to stay still, watching Nila''s final piece crumble. Her arm, her hand, her finger, her nails... they''re now gone. My tears fell and mixed with the sand in my hand. "Moments are dwindling," the deep voice of the creature echoed from the foot of the stairs. I closed my fist and grasped her final grains. I stood up and yelled, letting out all my frustrations, grief, and anger¡ªshaking the entire building. Then, I collapsed to the floor and sobbed with my head curled down. "I... I can''t... take this anymore," I mumbled, my voice barely coming out. I felt as if something was suffocating me, tightening my throat. To have the urge to yell again but not have the willpower left to do so. I just want to disappear at this moment, to no longer feel all these emotions. I promised Alex that I''d protect them, but not even an hour later... I''ve already broken that promise. "I promised him..." I muttered to myself, my voice trembling with the burden of guilt. "But look at what I''ve done... I... I couldn''t save anyone." I glanced at my closed fist, now seeping with the remnants of Nila. The once shy smile etched on her face haunted my thoughts, a painful reminder of my inability to protect her. If I just had the strength to pull her up a few inches, if I didn''t waste a single millisecond in saving her, if only I shielded her at the last second¡ªthen things could have gone differently. Why didn''t I just sacrifice myself? If I knew I was this useless, then saving her would have been the most useful thing I''ve done. Instead, I prioritized myself and checked my own safety while she crumbled away. I''m a coward. I continued to berate myself in my mind, the weight of my shortcomings pushing me further into a pit of despair. The stairwell shook with the creature''s advancing presence, the sound of shifting sands echoing up to the top. I could see its human-like form approaching where the stairs turned around, pretty much the halfway mark. Danger was only a few steps away and yet I didn''t move. I felt as if the darkness had seeped into my soul, suffocating any semblance of strength or courage that remained. "Just end it all," I whispered, looking straight at the approaching creature, my voice barely audible amidst the rising chaos. Just a few minutes ago, I was so full of hope, but now, I long to disappear, to escape the crushing weight of responsibility that now bore down on me. As I stood still, engulfed in the darkness that surrounded me, a sudden sharp sting across my face shattered my frozen state. The sound of the impact echoed through the hallway, and I turned slowly, stunned, to see Laura standing beside me, her hand still posed mid-air. She had slapped me back to my senses. I thought at this point, she had already run away without me. "Get a hold of yourself, Nathan!" she yelled, her eyes ablaze with a mix of concern and grief. "We don''t have time for this. Move on already, it''s almost here!" The sting on my cheek brought upon the wake-up call I desperately needed. I blinked away my tears. Laura''s words echoed in my ears as I shook off the paralysis. The creature''s sounds grew louder, a reminder that time was running out. Its black eyes now faced me from the stairs and its brown grainy hue was now visible. I wiped away the tears with the back of my hand and then clenched my fist. "I''m fine now," I said, my voice still wavering but with a newfound determination shining through. "Let''s go." I turned my back away from the remnants of Nila but I took a second to give one final glance at her. Laura touched my shoulder and gave a silent nod. Her expression was flat, yet I could feel the emotions coursing in her. We continued our dash, the hallway seemingly never-ending, each step accompanied by the haunting sounds of the creature following from behind. We sat on the floor, huddled in our office. Our backs leaned against the barricade of desks and shelves that we blocked the door with. With nothing to do except to cower, I began to think. How could we possibly beat that creature? It clearly has some intelligence and I doubt it''ll just wander off on its own. It can also turn anything that touches it to sand. Is there even a way to stop that? I peered deeper into my memories, from when Nila first pointed to it in the shadows, then to Alex bravely tackling it, to it now cornering us in our office. All of a sudden, I realized something crucial. "Listen, Laura," I said, the urgency evident in my voice. "I think I''ve figured something out. Gears turned in my mind. So far, that creature has spoken twice: the sands are shifting and moments are dwindling. There seems to be a theme going on. "I''m not sure, but I think time has something to do with it." Laura raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched on her face. "Time? What are you talking about?" I took a deep breath, trying to articulate my thoughts. With everything going on, I can only think of one thing that has something to do with time. I looked Laura straight in the eyes. "Remember the deadline for the project? I think there''s a connection." Laura''s eyes narrowed, and she shook her head. "Nathan, we don''t have time to be working right now. How is our project deadline connected to any of this?!" "That''s exactly it¡ªtime! What if... the monster is pointing out the time we have left to finish the project?" I glanced over at the wall clock above us. The shorthand was already pointing straight up, while the long hand was directly opposite it. "Thirty minutes..." I muttered. Laura didn''t say a word, but I could see the confusion etched on her face. Frustration gnawed at me as I struggled to make her understand. "Please trust me on this, Laura. I don''t know of any other connection." Laura''s disbelief persisted, and she sighed. "Nathan, just please stop. We''re trapped, and you''re talking about working? We should be focusing on surviving, not on theorizing about a hunch." I get where Laura is coming from. If I was in her position, I''d definitely put survival first¡ªthe realistic kind of survival. But what I needed to get through to Laura was that there isn''t anything realistic about a creature that can turn people to sand. Unrealistic dangers should be handled in unrealistic ways. I needed Laura to trust me, to see the potential link between the creature and our unfinished project. But time was running out, just like the sand in an hourglass, and arguing with her wouldn''t help. As a last resort, I reached into my shirt pocket, retrieving the chocolate Alex had given me. I held it towards her in my open palm, giving it to her. Suddenly, Laura slapped it away, her confusion still visible. "Just a second ago, you were a wreck. How could you be so calm now?!" she yelled, not even paying attention to the chocolate. Undeterred, I picked up the chocolate. "Please trust me. We''ll live through this, for them," I said, grabbing hold of Laura''s hand and placing the chocolate on her palm, then closing it tight. We both exchanged glances for what had seemed to be a minute. Reluctantly, Laura sighed, calming down and accepting Alex''s gift. I grabbed the other one Alex had given me, and we both ripped the wrapper, eating it at the same time. We both stood up, flames of determination blazing in our eyes. Finally, we have a way to survive. If I''m right about this, we can beat that creature and avenge everyone. Without a second to waste, we sat on our stations, and in the eerie glow of our computer screens, we plunged back into work, the haunting presence of the creature lingering just beyond the barricade. I can hear it. Twenty-seven minutes left. It is now a race against time. Chapter 8 Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap¡ªthat''s all we could hear. The sounds of our rushed typing coming from our shaking fingers were the only noises occupying the room, with the imaginary sound of a ticking clock echoing in my mind. Just a few minutes ago, I could have sworn the creature lingered beyond the door of our office, beyond the barricade, but after around five minutes, or who knows how much time had passed, it suddenly ceased. Were we on the right track? Was I right in thinking that there''s a connection between the project deadline and the creature? Who knows. What matters is that we''re safe... for now. I was supposed to feel relieved at this moment since the creature was gone, but that wasn''t the case. Its disappearance just opened a whole lot of possibilities. What if it suddenly appears inside the room like last time? What if it''s just tricking us to have a false sense of security? What if we''re already in its trap? I couldn''t relax for even a second. Every time the digits of the clock on the bottom of my screen move, another sweat slides down my forehead. Despite the room being cold from the air conditioner, combined with the chill creeping up my spine, sweat was still seeping from every crevice of my body. I''m terrified. A warm pressure weighed on my side. I glanced for a second and saw Laura''s hand rubbing my shoulder, while her other hand continued to type. "I''m fine, thanks," I said, giving a quick smile. I would have loved to do the same, to comfort her like how she comforted me, but I couldn''t waste any more time. Looking away again or taking my hands off the keyboard would break my momentum, and I couldn''t risk slowing down now. Another minute passed. I finished typing in a code and I switched to my mouse, but it wasn''t there. Instead of a mouse, what my hand landed on was a pile of rough textured grains, and when I glanced down, to my absolute horror, it was sand. We weren''t out of the woods just yet. The creature''s abilities were still at work. Without wasting time in reacting to this, I quickly stood up and scavenged the station next to me for a mouse. I found one and immediately pulled it out from the CPU and plugged it into mine. I got back to work, sweeping the sand away with my hand. "What happened?" asked Laura, her eyes still glued to her screen. She must have not seen what happened. "Don''t mind it," I replied. I didn''t want to think about anything else but the project. Another minute passed. Gradually, I felt my vision becoming low. I adjusted my seating position thinking that I was just slouching, but I was wrong. Immediately, I fell out of my chair and my butt smashed on the ground. A second after the impact, Laura screamed. The dust had scattered everywhere, creating a storm of brown around us. I immediately looked around and saw that Laura was on the ground as well, and I realized that our chairs had disappeared. Seeing the pattern, I knew that it wasn''t dust. Looking down on the floor confirmed it. Our chairs had turned to sand. I was just about to shrug it off, prioritizing work rather than reacting to the creature''s torments. But instead, panic set in when I realized that it wasn''t just the mice or our chairs¡ªthe entire office was crumbling around us. The walls, floor, stalls, decor¡ªeverything. I knew that this would happen eventually, especially when midnight comes near, but the thing that horrified me was what was beyond the crumbling boundaries. Nothing. Beyond the walls was a mass of pitch-black, just like the scene I saw when we were running to the exit. I didn''t want to think about it, but deep in my mind, I knew that we were trapped here. There was no way we could escape through that wall of darkness. I don''t actually know what will happen if we approach it. Is it a wall that will block our path? Is there really nothing and we''ll just fall off into the dark void? Or is it some kind of black hole that will suck us up? All I know is that if we don''t hurry up with finishing the project, we''ll soon learn the horrors of what''s beyond that darkness. That or we crumble to sand just like everything else. I managed to stand up with my wavering legs and checked the clock on my screen. Five minutes remained. I gasped, realizing that I''d wasted at least two minutes recovering from the fall. "Hurry! Continue!" I yelled, powering through the fear and continuing with work while standing up despite everything around us crumbling bit by bit. Laura seemed to have mustered enough courage to stand back up and continue with her work but I noticed that in her face, fear was etched permanently. I couldn''t blame her for being scared. Even I want to close my eyes and hide from everything. But I couldn''t do that. Not after what everyone has entrusted to us. The clock in my mind ticked louder. I feel as though I could hear it as every second goes by. The anxiety welling up in me was killing me. Tick, tock, tick, tock. Another minute passed. The monster was here again. I can hear its sounds. But it wasn''t like last time. I can hear it, but I don''t know where. It''s as if it''s coming from all directions at once. But worse of all, it''s growing louder. That rain-like sound... I''m so sick of it. I''d rather be deaf than have it continuously torment me. Every time I hear it, visions of my friends'' crumbling forms pop up in my mind. Please, just let us work in peace. The room grew colder, but my body began sweating harder. It''d gone as far as dripping from the tips of my fingers. This caused me to mess up on my typing, especially when coupled with my shaking hands. Another minute passed. I managed to keep myself together and fix my errors, but I wasted time in the process. The amount of stress weighing down on me could have crushed me at this point, even enough to turn my hair white and make me bald in an instant. I really want to rest. I feel as if my brain had become mush despite not even turning into sand yet, with only finishing this work as the only thought occupying it. My eyes were tired but I couldn''t look away from the bright screen, heck, even blinking is a luxury I couldn''t afford. Another minute passed. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. This time, it felt like an instant and an eternity at the same time. In the beginning, the keyboard had become my battlefield, and every keystroke felt like lifting a heavy burden. Every code pressed in was one less enemy to think about. But now, no matter how many keys I mash, it feels like I''m getting nowhere. The thought of each second goes by without me making any progress etched lines of stress and despair on my tired face. My own sweat was my enemy at this point, making my fingers slip and misclicking, while the ones dripping from my forehead slid down into my eyes and blocked my vision, causing the code on my screen to morph into elusive phantoms. I just want to get this over with, but nothing seems to be going right. I''m so tired. Suddenly, as if hearing my own thoughts, Laura spoke out, breaking the tense air in the room. "I''m sending my file over to you! I''m done on my end!" I nodded. If I ever get the chance, I''d like to thank her. Knowing that she was doing a better job than I was despite the horrors she saw really lit a fire in me. Her timing couldn''t be more perfect. A second later and my resolve would have wavered completely. She had passed the torch over to me. Now, it''s my turn to shine. I''ll bring an end to all of this. With swift precision, I tinkered with the files she sent over, merging them with mine. "I''m almost done!" I announced. Laura, whose fists were clenched with anticipation, silently watched over from behind my shoulder. Just a while ago, her face was molded by despair, but now, her eyes were ablaze with hope. She couldn''t do anything else to help. Now that all the necessary files are on my computer, it''s now a one-man job. But even so, I could feel her helping me just by being beside me. Her trust that I could finish this strengthened my resolve, guiding my hands to move without error. It was just her behind me but I feel as though they were there too. Gabrielle... Raf... Alex... Nila... please watch over us. Another minute passed. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. Another minute passed. One minute left. The seconds started to countdown in my head, with the roaring sound of the creature around us growing in volume. Portions of the office were reduced to sand, with the darkness peeking through the holes. My breathing became heavy again, but I wasn''t losing focus. I feel as though I might have broken some typing world records at the pace I was going at. Even so, I couldn''t falter for even a second. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. Worry stormed within me every frame of a second of my eyes landing on my digital clock. 11:59 pm. Oh, how I wish I could freeze time at this point. The next time the clock moves, it''ll determine our fate. Even without a sign from the clock, I knew 30 seconds remained. "I''m done!" I yelled, a smile breaking through from my tired expression. "I''m saving it now!" I clicked the save button, and at last, it was done. Or so we thought. Instead of the save complete prompt, what popped up instead was something devastating, something everyone hates. In the middle of the screen, a loading icon appeared. My eyes suddenly widened the second I saw the dots spinning in a circular motion. Its white and gray hue tormented us, sucking up our colorful optimism and morphing it into the colorless void of despair. I clenched my teeth and fists, wanting to break out into a roar from the anticipation. We didn''t have much time left. But despite our silent wishes of desperation, the loading icon kept spinning mercilessly. "Why now of all times!" I yelled, grasping the edges of my computer. At this moment, I wanted to throw the screen, to bash it on the ground and shatter it into pieces, but that wouldn''t change anything, it would only make it worse. Laura placed her hand on my shoulder again. I turned to her. Despite the situation, Laura''s face didn''t show any emotion, not even a glint of nervousness or desperation. It''s as if she''s already accepted the situation and now awaits her fate, be it good or bad. I let go of the screen and interlocked my fingers together, much like forming a prayer. "I beg you..." Ten seconds remained. The sounds of the creature grew much louder, shaking the entire building. With our fates out of our hands and now at the mercy of my computer processor, we sat there frozen in place. The countdown echoed in our minds. Five... Four... Three¡­ We closed our eyes. I could feel her body lean into mine, chasing comfort in our final moments. All we could do now was hope for the best. Two... One¡­ The sounds disappeared. Silence enveloped the room. I opened my eyes. I couldn''t believe it. I stood up and pushed my chair back, letting it crash on the ground. I raised my shaking hands and covered my agape mouth. I didn''t know what to say. My entire body was still weak, and I couldn''t even muster the strength to yell out anymore. On the bright display of the screen, two words are shown. They were just two simple words but were enough to make my tears burst out. "Save successful..." I read it out. Quickly, I turned my gaze down to the bottom of the screen. The clock moved. The phones on our desks simultaneously turned on, activating the alarms we had set. Too bad they were on silent. It would have been the perfect celebratory tune. Because just now, it had only turned midnight. We had completed the project on time. I looked at my hands and slowly made a fist. I raised it as if raising the flag of victory. Then, I smashed my fist on my desk, echoing a loud thud. I raised my fist again and smashed it on the table, again, and again. I couldn''t take it anymore. I wanted to yell out in celebration, to scream to the entire world that we had survived. We bested the creature and avenged our friends. I couldn''t help but let out a teary smile as I smashed my desk. This was my form of celebration. Every time I raised my fist, I honored my fallen comrades, and when I smashed it on the desk, I imagined my fist hitting the creature, and its deep voice groaning in pain. Even with my hands now bloody red, I couldn''t feel a thing. Nothing could stop me now. We''ve won. All my stress, anxiety, despair, and everything else was released. I collapsed on the sandy floor, tired, but with a smile on my face. I breathed in and out, trying to calm my racing heart. "What now?" I muttered to myself, still breathing heavily. "Raf... I guess I''ll avail that vacation plan of yours," I said out loud while staring at the cracked ceiling, reminiscing on the banters I had with Raf when everything was still peaceful. "It''s quite a shame that it won''t be you accompanying me in Italy, but I guess you''ll still be with me in spirit. Not just you, I''ll bring everyone with me. It''s because of everyone''s efforts and sacrifices that we were able to get here, to be alive and well." I grabbed a handful of sand and raised it up, slowly letting it flow out of my hand and pile on my chest, like a waterfall. Everyone''s happy faces flashed in my head. "Gabrielle, If it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t have had a good headstart on the project''s progress. You were the one who taught everyone the ropes. Alex, it''s because of your sacrifice that we were able to power through. You were up against a literal monster, but not only did you bravely sacrifice your life to fight it, you also saved us. Nila, despite your weaknesses and fears, you were still able to keep up with us. Even with how terrifying things have gotten, you still tried to carry on, and seeing that really gave me the strength to try and become strong. And Raf... despite everything... despite all your many many faults... no matter how lazy and unproductive you were... you''ll always be my first and best colleague. Even with the short time we''ve known each other, you already know what you are to me. You''ll always be my best friend." The sand flowing from my hand ran out. I laid my hand on the formed mound on my chest and took a deep breath in and out, smiling afterward. "Don''t worry, I''ll build you all some nice graves with the extra pay I''ll get for this. As a newcomer to the company, it''ll be my treat." I turned my head, "Oh, but you''ll split the cost with me, right?" I froze. Laura should have been right beside me because she had been watching me work on the last part of the project. I got up into a crossed-legged sitting position and looked around the room. "Laura?" My eyes landed on something, and I felt as though the world had crashed. "Laura..." On the floor... despite our chairs and everything else littering the floor with sand from crumbling, I was immediately able to tell it apart. There was... another mound of sand. Chapter 9 I sat in place, paralyzed, staring at the remnants of Laura. Just seconds ago, she stood behind me, alive and well. Now, all her encouragement and warmth became just but a mere memory, with her final moments not even fortunate enough to be witnessed. I didn''t know how to react, more accurately, I couldn''t. It was as if every nerve in my body had disconnected, leaving me in a state of immovable shock. My thoughts wanted to swirl in my head, to jumble up and burst, but I couldn''t even process a single sentence in my mind, not with the horror before me. My hands moved on their own, trembling, they scooped up a handful of the sand. Laura, her body, her will, her warmth¡ªthey were now all in my hands. Slowly, grain by grain, I stared at her slipping through my fingers. I continued to sit there, not having moved an inch. Most of her had already fallen out of my hands, but my eyes refused to wander off, staring intently at the remaining grains left behind. Her white skin is blessed by the grace of doves, her black hair like a luscious flowing stream, her body as immaculate as the likeness of gods, and her vibrant smile around which the world revolves¡ªthey''re all gone¡­ "It''s up to you now. Please... protect them for me." Alex''s final message echoed in my head, the very first thought I conjured. "I''m... sorry..." I whispered. I had betrayed my promise to him even after everything he sacrificed for us. He placed all his hopes and dreams on me but now his dreams had become nothing but sand. "Why?" I muttered. We had finished the task in time, but why did she still die? Did we make some sort of mistake? Were our efforts not enough? I thought back to everything we''ve done, remembering everyone''s contributions and sacrifices. If it had been someone else, anyone but me, would she have survived? "It shouldn''t have been me." The weight of the situation finally sank in. This feeling... it was crushing me. I felt as though my insides were being pulled downwards, and I had trouble breathing. I clenched the remaining sand in my fist, bringing it close to my chest. The crushing sensation didn''t just affect my insides, it had weighed down on my entire being. I couldn''t fight it. I collapsed onto the floor, my head hit the ground first, echoing a thud. With the strength I could muster, I rolled onto my side, all the while my eyes wide open, rarely blinking, unable to fathom how I could move on with the events that happened in just this single day, if I will live through today that is. I''m not even sure if this is real, a dream, or I''m already dead and everything that happened is just some sort of torment, a punishment before being dropped down into purgatory. A minute must have passed before I managed to move any part of my body. My mouth jittered and twitched, my teeth ground, and after all of those, tears finally cascaded from my eyes. I didn''t know when it started but at this moment, I could hear my voice yelling. I wasn''t consciously doing it, it sort of came out on its own. I didn''t stop it. My scream kept going, bouncing off every crumbling wall, filling the room with my frustrations... my weakness. I slammed my fist on the ground, trying to contain my emotions, but it wasn''t enough. Be it self-decency, respect for myself as an adult, or any form of control¡ªI had lost it all. My arms flailed, hitting anything they could reach, my feet stomping on the ground, kicking, not caring for how much they were throbbing from the countless collisions, my body rolled around like some sort of infant, like a worm struggling for dear life, and my voice cracking from my repeated screams, all the while tears flowed out of my bloodshot eyes, all their moisture being sucked out of me¡ªmy tears just wouldn''t stop. I punched, I kicked, I rolled, I wept, but nothing... nothing could stop the pain swelling in my heart, not even the blood dripping out from my hands and feet from the repeated bashings. I was a mess. My clothes were now torn, my shoes had lost their soles, my pants ripped on the seams, but even then, I knew that I was the most broken one here. I stood up, fury still boiling in me. I swept away everything on the desks¡ªpencils, keyboards, computers¡ªeverything. I raised my bloody fist, ready to smash anything unlucky enough to be in its path when suddenly, I froze. In front of me was a computer, one that was right beside my desk. It was Raf''s computer. I lowered my hand slowly, realizing what I had done. Just this realization was enough to calm me down, to get the gears in my head back into place, but even so, they still weren''t spinning in the right direction. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. I knelt on the floor, and my sobs still flowed. "What would they think if they saw me now?" I turned to look back at Laura. Even with the sand being just her remains, I still wanted to be by her side. But when I looked back, she wasn''t there, more accurately, she was everywhere. "Laura..." I muttered. I crawled, glancing over each individual grain of sand. From my outburst, I didn''t notice that I had swept away the sands around me, swirling them, destroying the unity of their original forms, and scattered them everywhere. I couldn''t tell which was which anymore. No matter which sand pile I grabbed, there was no telling which one she was. "Laura... where are you..." I sobbed further. A chill went down my spine as the sound of the creature rang out again. I glanced around me, frantic, finding that it wasn''t actually the creature, but everything around me instead. When we had finished the project, I thought that the crumbling would stop, and it actually did, but only momentarily. The walls continued their degradation into sand, parts of it that hadn''t turned yet hung on from literally nothing, floating in space as if defying gravity. The more things turned to sand, the more darkness surrounded the office. Nothing was left untouched¡ªthe plants by the corner, the ceiling fans, the stationeries that I threw around¡ªthey were all turning into sand. But with all the chaos around me, I couldn''t help but bring my gaze back to Laura, to whichever she was in this sea of sand. Nothing mattered to me now except for her and my friends. Even with the clock having passed its countdown to our demise, its sound still played in my head, like a never-ending chain. "Why?" I wept, my tears falling onto the sand, turning the bits they splashed on into a crimson liquid. My mind echoed with so many questions that I couldn''t even count. Why is this happening? Why did she die? Why did everyone die? Why am I the only one left? Why did we have to go through so much pain? Why has nothing gone right despite everyone''s sacrifices? Why¡­ "Everyone... I''m sorry. I... I failed you all," I whispered amidst my overwhelming grief. While I cried and did nothing, I felt an odd sensation creeping up my battered feet. It was as if it was slowly growing numb bit by bit. I tried to move my toes but it seemed as if they were frozen in place. I glanced down. My feet weren''t there. From where my feet were, a pile of sand had replaced it. I was now turning into sand as well. Slowly, I watched myself crumble into a million pieces, the transformation now climbing up my legs. I didn''t scream, nor did I cry. Weird enough, I looked at my disintegration with a strange sense of relief, knowing that I was not the exception, that my suffering would finally cease, and that I would join my friends soon. "It doesn''t hurt," I sniffled, recalling the haunting memories of my friends when they were turning into sand. "Thank goodness, they didn''t suffer." Sand began to rain from the ceiling, prompting me to brush out the ones that got in my hair and then look up at where they came from. "What?" I muttered. The ceiling was crumbling as well and I had thought that beyond it was darkness just like the walls but instead, there was something else. I peered through the hole forming from above, carefully observing the circular flat structure floating in the distance. It was quite large, massive enough to double, or maybe even triple, the diameter of the entire building. It''s situated maybe 100 feet above our office. A portion of the floor next to me crumbled as well, sucking down the sand around it. Slowly, I peeked through the hole. Again, there was darkness all around but this time, maybe around twice as far as the one above, there was another brown circular plane. "What are those?" My question was answered when the crumbling began to speed up, stripping the office of its walls and ceiling. The only things that remained were some of the station walls, electronics, some stationeries, and half of the floor. Mine and Laura''s computer as well as the office lamps were the only sources of light in the room. Without them, I would have been completely surrounded by darkness, a pitch-black void of any stars, just a complete expanse of nothing. "Wait... there''s something there," I unconsciously spoke my mind out, crawling towards the edge of the remaining floor. My legs were still turning to sand but for some reason, the rate became slower. Around a few dozen feet away in the darkness, there was some sort of reflection, like it was bouncing back the light coming from the office. It''s quite difficult to see but once I noticed it, I couldn''t unsee it. There was some kind of see-through wall separating me from the dark void. I looked around and my assumption was correct. This wall... it was all around me. I inspected it for another minute and found out that it connected to the circumference of both the brown platforms. "Brown platforms, see-through walls, and sand..." I thought out loud, connecting the dots in my head. "Could this be... a sandglass?" Chapter 10 Suddenly, in the peripheral of my eye, I saw the darkness shift. A giant chill went up my spine as two circular voids of black, darker than the nothingness that surrounded them, peered through. Just from first glance, I knew it was back, but something was different¡ªlargely different. Its brown flowing figure moved forward, making its entirety visible. This is the first time I got a good look at the creature. Its form shifting and undulating, Its body, an assemblage of swirling grains, giving off a never-ending sound of roaring sand, and its eyes, deep voids within the sandy mass, gleamed with an unnatural darkness that seemed to devour all light. In the very first encounter, the creature was just the size of a regular person, maybe slightly larger, but now... it''s as if a mountain walked. As my heart sank further, bombarded by the fear and despair that haunted me in this moment, the creature''s gigantic hands stretched towards me, casting elongated shadows that overpowered the remaining light in our crumbling office. I wasn''t supposed to be scared, I had made up my mind that no matter what, nothing would be worse than the feeling of losing all my friends, but this... this was beyond reality. As the creature grabbed hold of the sandglass that encased me, my surroundings grew even darker. Some of the office lamps began to crumble as well, cutting off my remaining lights one by one. I could feel my breaths growing shorter. The creature stared at me through the glass, its carving for a mouth in a crescent smile. As I turned my head, looking anywhere else to escape the dread of seeing the creature, finally, it sunk in that escape was futile. "Time''s up," the creature''s deep voice echoed through the barren expanse, a dissonant roar of grinding sand, resonating with a malevolence that defied comprehension. I could feel that it was both trying to frighten and mock me at the same time¡ªand it was working. Paralyzed, I could feel the fear coursing through my veins. Each syllable, each letter it spoke¡ªI could feel my insides twitch, my heart beating louder in response. I wanted to say something back, to not just stand here and crumble away without trying anything, but every time I saw those deep black eyes, I saw the abyss staring back at me as if they were voids that swallowed all my hope and exhaled despair back into me. "B-But... we finished the project, right?" I argued, my voice sheepish in comparison to the creature''s. "W-Why is this s-still happening to us? W-Why did my friends die for nothing?" The creature responded in the worst possible way. It laughed. The office shook in response to each sound, comparable to an earthquake. The sand on the floor shifted around, slipping through the holes and falling to the bottom platform. I could feel my mind slowly slipping away. The remaining hope I had left was close to none. This creature... was it just toying with us this whole time? Treating us like dolls in a dollhouse? No matter what it was, I couldn''t get angry. I was too clouded with despair to feel anything else. "Friends?" the creature uttered. "M-My friends..." I muttered, taken back by what it had said. "What about them?" It didn''t respond. Instead, it stared at me silently, its crescent smile growing larger. As I sat there confused while slowly turning into sand, memories began to flood my mind. When everything was once peaceful, though our moments together were not that abundant, the fun we had together was unmatched. Every moment, every banter, every word exchanged with each and every one of them, I felt as though I wanted those moments to last longer, and I eagerly wished for it to continue when we came to work the next day. One memory stood out vividly. I can never forget that time we shared a meal under the noisy roof of the cafeteria, though one of you wasn''t there, it was still one of the best memories I had with you all. Despite the awkwardness of first meetings, I felt like I was sharing a meal with my siblings, a happy family bantering as they shared a meal. Even when this tragedy hadn''t happened yet, when we were just grinding away in the first few hours of doing this project, I still had fun. In the midst of our wearied eyes and burdened minds, there were still moments that I''ll forever cherish. With you all, it was no longer just a company building, it became my second home. "Friends?" I could hear the creature''s remark again in my mind. Why would he say that all of a sudden? Was he doubting our bonds? I admit, I do like each and every one of them, but I''m not too sure if they could say the same thing about one another. I continued to ponder and slowly, I came to a haunting realization. Maybe... our friendship isn''t real. Forget about all the surface-level things, did I really know anything about them? Their family, their friends outside work, their favorite food, their hobbies¡ªanything? Raf may seem like the jokester and we all roll our eyes around him whenever he does dumb stuff but did we ever find the reason why he was like that? We may have laughed at some of his jokes and sighed at his complaints and idiotic tendencies but is that really all there is to him? Whenever we had trouble with something, Gabrielle was always there, but has anyone helped him out with something in return? Even just in the form of a juice can? He is the smartest and the hardest worker out of all of us but did we even ask what his dreams were? What''s his motivation for becoming so knowledgeable? Was this company his goal in the first place? Alex, I may have labeled you as a creep in our first encounter, and I''m sorry for that. I know how much you adored Laura, even to the point of sacrificing yourself for her, but I never knew why you fell for her in the first place. When Laura''s out of the equation, there is barely anything I know about you. Did I ever try to get to know you better? Or did I immediately assume that we were already friends from a mutual connection with Laura? The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. My feelings are still not clear when it comes to Laura but I don''t even know her thoughts about romance. With her pushing away Alex''s advances, I thought that she was trying to avoid relationships, but was that really true? I do find her attractive, but if I list off her beauty and allure, is there anything else about her that I find interesting? Or was my infatuation for her just because of the things my eyes could see? Nila, you may be the least talkative of the bunch, but to me, you were shining the brightest. I really respect you for trying to be more social and trying to fit in, but did I ever ask why? Were you doing it to become a better person? Or was there a different motivation for it? The creature was right, we weren''t really friends, just some strangers who got along a bit better than the rest. I want to know them better, to share information that is beyond the surface level, and to truly have a deep relationship. But I can''t do that anymore. They''re all gone. Even with their deaths, did I even cry for them? Did I ever think that this would be a huge loss in my life? Even if we were running away from the creature or whatnot, did I even struggle to stand up and walk away from their remains? I may have mourned some of them, but that''s just the common reaction when seeing a corpse, right? Were my feelings truly real, or just a facade brought upon by the heat of the moment? "Were we really... friends?" I muttered, my head hanging low. The creature laughed once again, chuckling, shaking the building with each breath. Its laughter grew louder, laughing at the sorry excuse for a person that I was. Seconds passed with the creature''s loud cackles, but in my head, everything was completely silent. I sat there with my body completely still, memories of them still running through my mind. All the happy moments, all the terrifying moments, the feelings we felt along the way... they were all real, right? I couldn''t decide, with me accomplishing nothing and failing them all, it wasn''t for me to decide, but now that everyone is gone, no one would be able to answer it. I raised my head, my face completely void of expression. "Just answer me this... why did you have to torment us with this impossible task? If you wanted to kill us, you could have just done it quickly and be over with it." The creature ceased its laughter. Its crescent smile turned, the ends now pointing down. It tilted its gigantic head and put up a confused expression. "Impossible? No. You had a chance." "Chance? Do you mean that measly time limit? Yes, we did overcome that but why... Why did Laura still die?" I said. I wanted to be angry, to shout these words to the creature, but my voice remained flat the entire time. Memories of us working flashed in my mind. "All of us worked hard. We didn''t even get a single minute of sleep. We conceptualized it... planned it... programmed it... saved it... and-" "And?" the creature exclaimed, its smile now returned. All of a sudden, I realized what had gone wrong. The one crucial step that could have saved us from our fate. My sweat grew colder and my eyebrows raised beyond their normal limit. I felt as though I had lost consciousness for a second. "I-I didn''t... send the file..." "Correct!" In a regular company, a project wouldn''t be deemed as complete as long as the manager hasn''t seen or approved it. We had saved the file but it''s only on my computer. We still needed to transfer it to our manager. But that would have been impossible given the time... wait... no, we could have done it. We just needed to paste it into the company folder. It would have only taken ten¡ªno, five seconds. If only we had realized it while waiting for the file to save. We could have still made it, we definitely could. But, this would mean that¡­ "If I had sent the file and actually completed the project, would you have brought everyone back?" The creature remained silent but as I gazed into the abyss of its eyes, I already knew the answer. "So this is all my fault..." I turned my head down one last time, admitting defeat. All thoughts of the project were now out of my head. I didn''t want to think about it anymore. All I know is that we failed and it''s all my fault. The only thing that I could think about now is regret. Regret for being stupid, regret for being useless, regret for failing my friends, regret for being the one to live the longest, and regret for signing up for this company. "Just end it all," I whispered in despair, looking down at my crumbling body. My lower half was completely gone, the crumbling now moved up to my lower abdomen. "What a disappointment," the creature sighed. I could sense the condescending tone in its deep voice, but that didn''t matter to me anymore. Faint shifting noises came from the monster. "Look here and listen," the creature commanded. With nothing to do but to await my slow demise, I obeyed it, raising my head to face the formless face of the creature. But I was mistaken, it wasn''t formless anymore. Instead of its featureless face, voids for eyes, and carving for a mouth, it now had a face. A face that we were all very familiar with. Those kind eyes and chubby cheeks, there was no mistaking it... Mr Robert, our manager. "Good to see you face to face one last time Williams," the creature said, its voice exactly like the manager''s. I still have doubts whether it was really him or not. The creature''s face then began to shift. Its white skin fell off piece by piece, turning back to sand as they fell off, while its eyes and other features sank back into its body. It was now back to its usual form. Its crescent smile moved, mouthing words that only I could hear. Every sentence, every word, every letter¡ªI listened to them all down to the very last sound. My mind couldn''t believe what it was saying, it was absurd, but somehow, it made sense. As it uttered its final message, a thought clicked in my mind. I froze for a moment. "So that''s how it is." I began to chuckle, then, it turned into laughter, gradually growing louder and deranged. The echoes reverberated within the confines of the sandglass, filling it with my dying voice. The crumbling grew faster, slowly eating away at my being. My hands and my stomach were now gone, reduced to useless sand. It now traveled up to my arms, shoulders, and chest, all the while the creature looked at me with a smile. Nothing mattered anymore. All I could do was laugh. My neck had crumbled completely, leaving me as a severed head on top of a heap of sand. Finally, my face crumbled, starting from the sides. I could feel my brain fading away, slowly losing the ability to think, my eyes were now gone, unable to see nothing but complete darkness, my mouth crumbled away next, ceasing my laughter, and then¡­ Everything turned to sand. Not a single impurity was left. "In the end, all your efforts, your sacrifices, your time... will all fade away... and become as useless and insignificant as sand." The sand slowly trickled through the sandglass. Everything was now at the bottom. There was no way to tell which was which. "You are out of time." The creature faded into the darkness. All that was left was silence. Epilogue It was a hot sunny day in April, and the clocks were striking eight. I, Justine Lee, with a newfound hope in my career, walked inside the glimmering glass doors of Insparks Corp. The receptionist greeted me almost immediately, welcoming me into my new life, one where I could follow my dreams and reap the fruits of my efforts. I bowed in response, looking forward to seeing her, and every single one of my colleagues who I hadn''t met yet, every day whenever I go to work. Truth be told, I had never thought that I''d be able to join such a prestigious company. Heck, not even in my dreams could I step into the building. All I could dream about were about my failures and all the misfortunes I had in the past. But now, the wind is blowing in a different direction. I actually applied here a week ago but was distraught to find out that all the spots were already filled so I was put on a waiting list. Surprise, surprise! A week later, I got a call from the secretary telling me that many spots were now vacant, meaning that I was hired. What an incredible stroke of luck! If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. In the distance, I spotted a person that I was familiar with from the interview portion of my application. He stood larger than me and was quite on the chubby side but don''t let looks fool you. He''s a very kind and soft fellow who eased my nervousness during my interview. I walked toward him with a bright smile on my face. I could already see his gentle smile as I approached him. I bowed, showing my gratitude. "Good day to you, Mr Robert. Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. I promise to dedicate everything to this company." Mr Robert chuckled. "Everything?" "Yes sir, everything!" Mr Robert''s smile grew larger. He placed his hand on my shoulder. "Nice to meet you again, Lee. Come, let me show you around." END