THE VOICE ON THE OTHER SIDE
1452 Words
The handle stopped moving.
Elena held her breath.
Adrian remained in front of her, one arm slightly extended as if he could somehow keep the door closed by standing there. The room had become unbearably quiet.
Then the voice came again.
"Elena."
It sounded exactly like her.
Same voice.
Same tone.
Even the slight tremor she sometimes heard when she was frightened was there.
"Open the door."
Elena stared at the handle.
It moved again.
Slowly.
Adrian reached behind him and switched off the light.
The room disappeared into darkness.
Elena almost protested, but he placed one finger against his lips.
They waited.
The handle turned completely.
The door opened a fraction.
Nothing came through.
A thin strip of hallway became visible.
Empty.
The voice whispered again.
"Elena, please."
It sounded frightened now.
Almost desperate.
Adrian didn't move.
Elena's chest tightened.
The voice continued.
"He's lying to you."
She looked at Adrian.
He remained still.
"Come outside."
The door opened another inch.
A shadow appeared beneath it.
Someone was standing on the other side.
Elena couldn't see their face.
The shadow shifted.
Then the voice spoke again.
"He's the reason you're here."
Adrian's eyes closed briefly.
Elena whispered, "Is it true?"
He opened his eyes.
"Don't listen."
"How do you know it's lying?"
"Because it wants you to open the door."
The shadow moved closer.
A hand appeared around the edge.
Elena recognized the sleeve.
Her own blouse.
Her breath caught.
The person outside was wearing exactly what she was wearing.
The hand slowly curled around the door.
Adrian moved forward.
The door slammed shut.
Something hit the other side.
Once.
Twice.
Then silence.
Elena stared at the door.
"What was that?"
Adrian didn't answer.
She turned toward him.
"You know what that thing is."
"I know what it wants."
"Then tell me."
"It wants you to remember."
"Remember what?"
He looked at her.
"Why you came here."
Elena shook her head.
"I came here because I got a job."
"That's what you remember."
The words chilled her.
"What does that mean?"
Adrian stepped away from the door.
"When the game ends, you'll understand."
"Will I?"
His gaze dropped.
"I hope you do."
The door suddenly unlocked.
Adrian reached for the handle.
Elena grabbed his arm.
"Wait."
He looked at her.
"What?"
"How do we know it's safe?"
"We don't."
He opened the door.
The hallway was empty.
The temperature returned to normal.
The strange room behind them looked completely ordinary now. The desk was gone. The telephone was gone.
There was only an empty office.
Elena stared.
"How?"
Adrian walked out.
"Don't worry about it."
"That's becoming your favorite sentence."
He glanced back at her.
"Maybe."
They returned to the executive floor.
The employees had gathered around Elena's desk.
Ethan stepped forward.
"What happened?"
Adrian looked at him.
"Nothing."
Ethan's eyes moved to Elena.
"Did you hear her?"
Elena frowned.
"Who?"
Ethan didn't answer.
Clara whispered something to him.
He looked away.
Elena was beginning to lose patience.
"Who are you talking about?"
Ethan sighed.
"The woman."
"The woman from the conference room?"
He nodded.
"She's been here before."
"When?"
"Years ago."
Elena looked at Adrian.
He remained silent.
Ethan continued.
"She was one of the people who disappeared."
Elena's stomach tightened.
"Disappeared?"
"During the first game."
"What first game?"
Ethan looked at Adrian.
"Tell her."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"Enough."
Ethan laughed.
"You can't keep protecting her forever."
Adrian stepped toward him.
"Leave."
"You know what happens when she remembers."
Adrian grabbed Ethan's collar.
The entire floor went silent.
"Don't."
His voice was low.
Ethan didn't fight him.
He simply stared at Adrian.
Then he smiled.
"You still care."
Adrian released him.
Ethan straightened his shirt and walked away.
Elena watched him.
"What was that about?"
Adrian looked at her.
"Nothing."
"You're lying again."
"I know."
She stared at him.
For some reason, that answer almost made her laugh.
Instead, she sat down.
The afternoon dragged on.
No one returned to normal.
The office seemed to be waiting.
Waiting for seven.
At 3:30, the lights flickered.
At 4:00, the elevators stopped working.
At 4:17, every employee received the same message.
Elena's phone vibrated.
She checked it.
GAME ONE HAS ENTERED THE FINAL STAGE.
She looked around.
Everyone had received it.
Another message appeared.
AT SEVEN, THE BOSS WILL CHOOSE.
A third followed.
IF HE CHOOSES HER, THE EMPLOYEES WILL PAY.
Elena looked at Adrian.
He was reading the message on his phone.
His face was expressionless.
But his hands were clenched.
"What does it mean?"
He put the phone down.
"Nothing."
"Adrian."
He looked at her.
"Go home."
She laughed bitterly.
"The doors are locked."
"I'll get you out."
"How?"
"I'll find a way."
"You said that before."
"This time I mean it."
Elena stood.
"Then tell me why they hate me."
He didn't answer.
"Tell me why everyone looks at me like I'm responsible for something."
Silence.
"Tell me why I was here sixteen years ago."
His eyes shifted.
"Tell me why you look exactly the same as you did in that photograph."
Adrian stared at her.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then he said quietly, "Because some things don't change."
"What things?"
"The things that aren't supposed to."
Elena's frustration grew.
"That's not an answer."
"No."
"Then what is?"
He stepped closer.
"You."
She stared at him.
"What about me?"
"You're not supposed to remember this place."
The words settled between them.
Elena felt cold.
"What happened to me?"
Adrian looked away.
"I don't know."
"You keep saying that."
"Because it's true."
A loud crash came from the lobby.
Everyone turned.
Marcus rushed toward the staircase.
"What happened?"
Nobody answered.
Another crash.
Then screaming.
Adrian grabbed Elena's hand.
"Stay with me."
They hurried downstairs.
The lobby was empty.
A security monitor had fallen from the wall.
Its screen flickered.
Marcus stood beside it.
"Nobody touched it."
The monitor turned on.
Static filled the screen.
Then an image appeared.
The executive floor.
Live footage.
Elena watched herself standing beside Adrian.
She looked at the monitor.
Then at herself.
Something was wrong.
The version of Elena on the screen was smiling.
Elena wasn't.
She stepped closer.
The image showed the executive floor from a camera angle that shouldn't exist.
Behind the Elena on the screen stood the woman in the red coat.
She placed a hand on Elena's shoulder.
Elena on the screen turned around.
The real Elena stared.
The woman leaned close to the screen version of her.
Then whispered something.
The monitor's audio crackled.
"Seven."
The screen went black.
Elena stepped backward.
Adrian caught her.
"What did she say?"
"Seven."
He looked at the clock.
5:12 p.m.
Less than two hours.
Marcus suddenly spoke.
"You can't let him choose you."
Elena turned.
"What?"
Marcus looked frightened.
"If he chooses you, we're all dead."
Adrian's expression became cold.
"Marcus."
"I'm sorry."
Marcus walked away.
Elena stared after him.
"What did he mean?"
Adrian didn't answer.
She pulled her hand from his.
"Stop."
He looked at her.
"I'm done being kept in the dark."
"Elena."
"No."
She stepped back.
"If I'm going to be trapped in this building, I deserve to know what I'm trapped in."
Adrian's face softened.
"You're trapped in something that started long before you walked through those doors."
"Then help me understand."
He looked at the clock.
5:15.
Then back at her.
"All right."
Elena waited.
Adrian took a slow breath.
"Sixteen years ago, Vespera held its first game."
Elena's stomach tightened.
"People died."
She swallowed.
"How many?"
He didn't answer.
"Adrian."
"Enough."
"Why?"
"Because someone wanted to see what people would do when the rules became more important than their lives."
Elena stared at him.
"And you?"
"I was part of it."
The admission shocked her.
"You created the game?"
"No."
"Then what did you do?"
Adrian's eyes met hers.
"I survived it."
The clock ticked.
5:16.
Elena suddenly noticed something behind him.
The photograph from the lobby.
The old photograph of Adrian and the executives.
The little girl was standing in the corner.
Only now, there was something different.
She wasn't holding anyone's hand.
She was holding a black card.
Elena stepped toward it.
On the card was a single word.
BOSS.
She looked at Adrian.
"What does that mean?"
He followed her gaze.
His expression changed.
Then every light in the building went out.
A voice came through the darkness.
Not from a phone.
Not from a speaker.
From everywhere.
"Five minutes until the choice."
The emergency lights came on.
The clock above the reception desk had changed.
It no longer showed 5:16.
It showed 6:55.
Elena stared.
Adrian looked at her.
The building began to shake.
And somewhere upstairs, the first employee screamed.
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