EPISODE ONE: The Interview
The rain came down in shimmering sheets, drenching the sidewalks of Virelia City like the sky itself had cracked open. Taxi horns blared, lights blinked red and green through foggy air, and crowds pushed forward, unfazed by the storm. But inside the black-glass monolith of Drakon Industries, time stood still.
Aurelia Thorne wiped her clammy palms against the sides of her thrift-store blazer as she stared up at the colossal building. Sixty-eight floors of power, wealth, and secrets. She’d rehearsed this moment a hundred times. But now that she stood in front of it, with her one-shot resume trembling in her purse, she felt impossibly small.
This is just an interview, she reminded herself, stepping through the glass doors into the marble foyer. You’ve got this.
The lobby was silent except for the soft clicks of her heels and the sound of distant water features hidden in the stone walls. No cheesy corporate music. No front desk clutter. Just sleek surfaces, silver accents, and a colossal obsidian dragon sculpture coiled around the central pillar. Its emerald eyes seemed to follow her every step.
She barely had time to stare when a woman appeared beside her—tall, polished, perfect. Not a hair out of place beneath her sharp bun.
“You’re Aurelia Thorne?” she asked in a voice clipped and cool. Not a question, really. A confirmation.
“Yes. I—uh, for the 9 a.m. interview with Mr. Vale?” She cleared her throat.
The woman raised a brow, then turned smoothly on her heel. “Follow me.”
They rode a private elevator in silence. Aurelia glanced at the screen above the doors. Floor 12… 23… 37…
“I thought the tech department was on floor 24,” she said, trying to sound casual.
“It is.” The woman didn’t look at her. “You’ve been rescheduled. Mr. Vale is unavailable.”
“Oh.” Her throat tightened. “So, should I come back another time?”
“No. Mr. Drakon will see you now.”
Aurelia blinked. Mr. Drakon? As in... Lucian Drakon? The man who owned the company—and about half the city?
Before she could question it, the elevator stopped at floor 60. The doors slid open with a hiss.
The woman stepped out. “He’s waiting.”
Aurelia entered a corridor lined with floor-to-ceiling windows that revealed a panoramic view of the city below—gray and blurred by rain. At the end stood a tall, closed door made of dark wood and etched metal.
She hesitated only a second before pushing it open.
The office inside was massive—more like a lounge than a workspace. Leather chairs, abstract paintings, another dragon sculpture, this one carved into the fireplace mantle. And behind a sleek desk of black glass stood Lucian Drakon.
He turned as she entered, and for a split second, Aurelia forgot how to breathe.
He wasn’t what she expected.
Lucian Drakon was young—maybe mid-thirties—with ink-black hair swept back, a tailored suit that fit like it had been stitched straight onto him, and eyes… oh god, those eyes. They were a molten gold, sharp and unblinking, like he could see through her.
“Aurelia Thorne,” he said. His voice was deep, smooth, and laced with something she couldn’t name.
“Yes, sir,” she said, suddenly unsure whether to approach or bow or kneel or run.
He nodded to the seat across from him. “Sit.”
She did, spine straight, hands folded to hide the nervous twitch in her fingers.
“I reviewed your portfolio.” He tapped a sleek tablet with one long finger. “Unusual. Unpolished. But there’s brilliance in it.”
“I… thank you.”
“You graduated top of your class, but haven’t held a job longer than six months.” His gaze pinned her. “Why?”
Aurelia swallowed. “Most companies didn’t… feel like the right fit.”
“You mean they didn’t recognize your talent.”
She hesitated. “Maybe.”
Lucian leaned forward slightly. “Tell me, Miss Thorne. Why do you want to work for me?”
A hundred safe answers flashed through her mind. Career growth. Opportunity. Passion for innovation. Instead, she said what felt true.
“Because I think something’s missing in me. And I think I’ll find it here.”
His expression didn’t change, but the air in the room seemed to shift. Darker. Heavier.
“You’re not afraid of dragons, are you?” he asked, almost idly.
She blinked. “Dragons?”
“Metaphorically speaking.” He smiled—slow and unreadable. “Power. Heat. Fire. Control.”
“I’m not afraid,” she said, pulse racing.
He stared at her for one long moment. Then he stood.
“You start Monday.”
She stared. “I—what?”
“You’ll report directly to me.” He walked past her to the window, hands clasped behind his back. “There’s a project I want you on. Sensitive. Confidential.”
She rose slowly, heart pounding.
Lucian Drakon turned his head just enough for her to see his profile. “You should be careful, Miss Thorne. This company has teeth.”
Then he smiled again.
And for a moment—just a breath—his pupils shifted. Slitted. Reptilian.
Aurelia blinked.
And they were gone.
---
