Asa trudged through the dim, narrow corridors of the Tower's lower levels, the air thick with the tang of recycled oxygen and the faint buzz of flickering lights. His boots scuffed against the worn metal floor, a stark contrast to the polished luxury he knew awaited him higher up.
He was a man of the 12th floor—gritty, honest, and tethered to a moral compass that felt like both a shield and a burden in this fractured world. His current assignment gnawed at him: bodyguarding Selene, the heiress of the Sunsphere Corporation.
It's just babysitting a spoiled princess, he thought, jaw tightening. I should be out there, doing something real, not trailing after someone who's never known a hard day. Still, his heart tugged at him—duty was duty, and he'd see it through.
On his way to the central lift, he passed a gaunt figure hunched against the wall, a woman with hollow cheeks clutching a tattered shawl. Her eyes flicked up, desperate. Without a second thought, Asa reached into his pack, pulling out half his daily ration—a bread-like, gray nutrient bar—and pressed it into her hands.
"Take it," he said gruffly, waving off her stammered thanks. I need this to get through the day, but damn it, she needs it more.
As he approached the lift, snippets of conversation drifted from a cluster of workers near a flickering holo-screen. "Another missing person last night," one muttered. "Syndicate's getting bold—stealing rations, raid shipment." Another spat, "They're bleeding us dry, and the elites up top don't care."
Asa's brow furrowed. The Syndicate again. It's always them. Smuggling, theft, disappearances—everything wrong in this Tower gets pinned on them. But something doesn't add up. It never does.
If I weren't stuck playing guard dog, I could hunt them down myself, he thought, fists clenching. But the lift doors hissed open, and he stepped inside, the ascent to the 198th floor a jarring shift from his reality.
The trip from the lower sectors to the highest floors of the Tower always felt like a journey between worlds.
The elevator ride was silent as he ascended to the highest level, Asa moved with steady steps, his sharp eyes scanning the pristine, polished halls that gleamed under the artificial morning light.
The air smelled cleaner here, unlike the industrial staleness of the lower levels. It was a reminder of how different life could be depending on how high one lived.
Standing before the sleek penthouse door, the private residence of Selene, the company's heiress. His assignment. His cage.
He hesitated. Every time I come here, it feels like stepping into another world. One I don't belong to. I'm here do do my job, to protect her, not to admire her.
He exhaled slowly, half-reluctant and pressed the doorbell.