Bennett sat at the edge of the bed, staring down at his phone, the message from his manager at Alluring Realms still glowing on the screen. The fire had left a mess, and they needed every available hand to help with cleanup and assessment. As a janitor, that meant him.

"You’re not seriously thinking about going in, are you?" Jen’s voice was tight with worry as she leaned against the bedroom doorframe, arms crossed.

"Babe, I don’t have much of a choice." Bennett sighed, rubbing at his temple. "They need me."

"They need you?" Jesse’s voice came from the hallway, edged with frustration. "There are alien ships hovering over the damn city, and they need you to mop the floors?"

Bennett exhaled sharply. "It’s more than that. They need someone to assess the damage, make sure nothing hazardous got exposed. And let’s be real, if I say no, I’m out of a job."

Jen ran a hand through her hair, pacing slightly. "I get it, I do. But what if something happens while you’re there? What if the ships do something?" She gestured out the window, where one of the looming vessels cast its eerie shadow over the skyline. "We don’t know what’s coming."

Jesse stepped forward, placing a hand on Bennett’s arm. "We need you here. With us."

Bennett swallowed hard, glancing toward the living room where their kids were watching the news in silence. The weight of responsibility pressed against his chest. He wanted to stay. He wanted to ignore the call, to bunker down with his family and wait for whatever was coming. But the reality was, they needed money. The world hadn’t stopped moving just because something unexplainable had appeared in the sky.

And then there was Dave’s trial. It was happening today. The thought twisted in his gut. He didn’t know how it would go, only that it had the potential to change everything. Would Dave be convicted? Would this trial reveal anything about what had really been going on at Alluring Realms? And how did it all tie into the fire?

"I promise I’ll be careful," he said, reaching up to squeeze Jesse’s hand. "I’ll check in as often as I can."

Jen didn’t look convinced, but she sighed, relenting slightly. "At least take the truck instead of your bike. If something goes down, I don’t want you stranded."

Bennett nodded. "Deal."

Jesse pulled him into a hug, holding on tight for a few seconds longer than usual. "Just come home, okay? No heroics."

"No heroics," Bennett echoed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before pulling away. "I’ll be back before dinner."

As he grabbed his keys and jacket, he cast one more glance at the television. The ships hadn’t moved. Not yet. But something in his gut told him they wouldn’t just sit there forever.

Stolen novel; please report.

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The drive to Alluring Realms was eerily quiet. The roads, usually buzzing with activity, felt emptier than they should have been. The looming ships had a way of making the world feel smaller, more fragile. Bennett kept his hands tight on the wheel, glancing at the radio every few minutes, listening for any new developments.

The trial was supposed to start soon. He debated calling someone to check in, but who? Dave himself? No, that was impossible. Maybe someone from work who had been paying closer attention? But with the fire, most of them were probably just as out of the loop as he was.

When he finally pulled into the parking lot, the damage to the building was worse than he expected. The fire had gutted a significant portion of the back rooms, leaving blackened walls and shattered windows. Emergency crews had already cleared the most dangerous debris, but the place still reeked of smoke and chemical residue.

His manager, Greg, was waiting near the entrance, clipboard in hand. "Glad you made it," he said, looking tired. "We need to get a full report on what’s salvageable. I’ve got you checking the maintenance corridors and server rooms."

Bennett nodded. "Got it. Has there been any word on Dave’s trial?"

Greg grimaced. "Not yet, but I doubt it’ll go well for him. Between the fire and everything else coming to light… well, let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes."

Bennett’s stomach twisted again, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he took the clipboard, squared his shoulders, and stepped into the wreckage of what used to be his workplace.

And as he did, he couldn’t shake the feeling that everything—Dave’s trial, the fire, the ships—was all connected in ways he couldn’t yet see.

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Inside, the air was thick with the stench of smoke and damp insulation. The dim emergency lights flickered, casting eerie shadows on the scorched walls. Bennett’s boots crunched over debris as he moved deeper into the maintenance corridor, clipboard in hand. Every step felt heavier, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him.

He reached the server room, pushing open the half-melted door with some effort. The equipment inside was fried, metal warped and plastic casing reduced to blackened husks. He sighed, jotting down notes—nothing salvageable here. As he moved to check the adjacent storage closet, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

A message from Jen: "Any updates? Ships still haven’t moved. Kids are restless. Love you."

Bennett exhaled and typed back quickly: "Nothing yet. It’s bad here, though. Love you too. I’ll be home soon."

As he slipped his phone back into his pocket, a faint noise caught his attention. A shuffling sound, deeper in the corridor. He froze, heart pounding. The building was supposed to be empty aside from the cleanup crew.

"Hello?" he called out, his voice echoing slightly. No response.

He hesitated, then stepped forward cautiously. The corridor stretched into darkness, parts of the ceiling collapsed, wires hanging loose. He turned on his flashlight, sweeping the beam along the wreckage.

Then he saw it—footprints in the soot-covered floor. Fresh ones. Someone had been here recently. And they weren’t part of the cleanup crew.

Bennett turned the corner and nearly jumped when he spotted a figure crouched over a control panel, wires spilling out onto the floor.

"Frank?" Bennett called out, recognizing one of the senior IT technicians.

Frank startled, then let out a breath of relief. "Bennett! Thank god. I thought I was the only one here."

"What are you doing?" Bennett asked, stepping closer.

"Trying to see if we can salvage any of the system," Frank said, wiping soot from his forehead. "The fire wrecked most of it, but there’s still a chance we can restore some of the data. If we don’t, we could lose everything."

Bennett frowned, crouching next to him. "You think the fire wasnt an accident or part of the riot?"

Frank hesitated. "I don’t know, man. But between Dave’s trial, the ships, and now this? It’s too much of a coincidence."

Bennett nodded. "Alright. Let’s figure this out together."