Chapter 13: Top of the World
A steady pain throbbed behind my eyes when I awakened.
I sighed, massaging my temples. Crap. I didn't drink that much, but the fatigue from yesterday must have intensified its effects.
The room was still dark, the artificial glow from the city barely filtering through the reinforced windows. I sat up, exhaling slowly. The meeting card was still on my bedside table, right where I'd left it.
Reevaluation.
I turned the card over in my hands, reading the address again. My fingers tightened around the edges. This wasn't a request. It was practically a government order. Evaluations were how they tracked workforce efficiency, skill progression, and potential threats. If I skipped it, they'd come looking.
I had no choice.
My sole hope was that the government would support me if they found out about my SSS-rank Job title. However, that was a risk. The system had already betrayed me once-who could assure me it wouldn't happen again?
I got up and brushed away the final traces of slumber. I had to get ready.
The building loomed ahead, a massive structure of reinforced steel and darkened glass. Unlike the chaotic energy of the Hudson Bridge project, this place was cold, efficient, deliberate. No unnecessary movement. No wasted effort.
Armed guards lined the entrance, standing rigid at their posts. Surveillance drones hovered overhead, tracking every movement. People moved in and out of the building with purpose, some leaving with relieved expressions, others looking pale and shaken.
I adjusted my jacket and stepped forward.