The room greeted him with silence, the kind that pressed against the skin and made every breath sound louder than it should. He stepped inside and closed the door slowly, the latch catching with a dull click that seemed to seal him off from the rest of the world. He wasn't looking at this like a punishment anymore, not since the auction and not now. This went beyond his own honor and his house. This was about Naboo and its safety, and if there was secrets and deception within its ranks. He would seek them out and destroy them. He took a deep breath as he looked around with a grim expression on his face.
The office was bare...too bare. The single desk, the lamp, the standard issue filing cabinet in the corner. It all looked arranged, sterile, like someone had scrubbed the space of style before handing it over. He moved forward, towards the desk his fingers resting on the chair ever so lightly. The blinds were drawn, but the faintest sliver of light cut across the floor. First, he walked the room as he checked the angles of the walls, the faint smudge near the vent, the misplaced scuff on the tile near the filing cabinet. Small things, maybe nothing. Or maybe something that was waiting to tell a bigger story.
He sat at last, the chair giving a long, creaking protest as if the room itself disapproved of his presence. The silence deepened as he leaned back in the chair, letting the room breathe around him. That hum in the vents that seemingly spoke, it wasn't quite even. Not the usual rhythm of an building's circulation system. He angled his head, listening harder. A faint buzz, almost unnatural.
It was unnatural and elusive to him, whatever the feeling he had. Something seemed out of place....
He forced a slow exhale, masking the strange chill that creeped up his spine. There was a knock at the door, he was summoned to the Directors Office.
The office was bare...too bare. The single desk, the lamp, the standard issue filing cabinet in the corner. It all looked arranged, sterile, like someone had scrubbed the space of style before handing it over. He moved forward, towards the desk his fingers resting on the chair ever so lightly. The blinds were drawn, but the faintest sliver of light cut across the floor. First, he walked the room as he checked the angles of the walls, the faint smudge near the vent, the misplaced scuff on the tile near the filing cabinet. Small things, maybe nothing. Or maybe something that was waiting to tell a bigger story.
He sat at last, the chair giving a long, creaking protest as if the room itself disapproved of his presence. The silence deepened as he leaned back in the chair, letting the room breathe around him. That hum in the vents that seemingly spoke, it wasn't quite even. Not the usual rhythm of an building's circulation system. He angled his head, listening harder. A faint buzz, almost unnatural.
It was unnatural and elusive to him, whatever the feeling he had. Something seemed out of place....
He forced a slow exhale, masking the strange chill that creeped up his spine. There was a knock at the door, he was summoned to the Directors Office.
