Gathering the Pieces

Alex moved through the sleek, polished halls of Magic, Inc., his footsteps steady, but his thoughts were chaotic and unrelenting. He passed familiar faces, offering quick nods and strained smiles, but inside, the secret laboratory haunted him—twisted experiments, horrific spells, anguished cries. He couldn’t escape it. Each step felt like a slow descent into Richard Bancroft’s growing shadow.

By the time Alex reached his desk, every muscle was coiled tight, every nerve on edge. He dropped into his chair with a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples, trying to quiet the flood of memories.

His hand hovered over the scrying orb on his desk, the temptation to pull up the images again almost unbearable. Maybe if he studied them long enough, he could piece together Bancroft’s plan—find the thread that would unravel everything.

But no. Staring at those horrors again wouldn’t bring answers, only more questions. They needed a strategy, not more nightmares. And whatever their next step, they couldn’t tip Bancroft off. If they moved too soon, or in the wrong way, everything could collapse.

The morning passed in a blur, filled with busy work Alex barely registered. Forms, spell approvals, minor complaints—all irrelevant now in the face of what they’d discovered. The silence between him and his team hung heavy, like a storm cloud hovering on the horizon. They were united by purpose, but cracks were forming, fractures that hadn’t been there before.

His scrying orb pulsed softly. A message from Zoe: Lunch? Need to talk.

Alex’s stomach growled in response, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since last night. He sent a quick reply: Meet at the usual spot.

Grabbing his jacket, Alex made his way toward the elevator. His steps were steady, but inside, anxiety gnawed at him. Everything felt charged now—every glance, every shift in the air. The images from the lab played over and over in his head: twisted bodies, magic drained and reinjected, subjects pushed beyond their limits. And it was still happening, deep beneath Magic, Inc.

The elevator dinged softly as it opened to the rooftop garden. A cool breeze, laced with the scent of enchanted flowers, hit him, calming his racing heart.

The rooftop had always been their escape—far removed from the sterile office floors below. Up here, under the open sky, with sunlight filtering through ivy-covered pergolas, it almost felt like another world. A world where they didn’t have to face the creeping horror beneath their feet.

Zoe was already lounging on a bench under the canopy of vines, a paper bag beside her. When Alex approached, she tossed him a sandwich with her usual mischief, but the concern in her eyes was unmistakable. “You look like hell.”

Alex caught the sandwich, managing a weak smile. “It’s been a long morning.”

Zoe stretched, looking up at the sky. “Figured. That’s why I brought this. Thought you could use a break. And...we need to talk.”

He sank onto the bench beside her, letting out a sigh. The tension in his shoulders eased a little, though the unease still clung to him. Unwrapping the sandwich, the scent of grilled vegetables and herbs filled the air. Zoe always knew where to find the best food, even in times like this.

“So, what’s with you and Marcus?” Zoe asked, her tone casual but her eyes sharp. “Looked like you two were about to throw punches.”

Alex chewed slowly, thinking before he spoke. “It’s complicated. Marcus likes being in charge. He’s been with Magic, Inc. longer than the rest of us, and he’s used to following protocol. But this situation is different. We can’t stick to the playbook. We need to be a team, not soldiers.”

Zoe twisted the cap off her drink—a shimmering glass bottle with faint runes etched along the side. She took a slow sip before responding. “I get it. But Marcus isn’t just a hardass. He’s scared, too. He hides it behind all that discipline. You questioning his motives? It hit a nerve.”

Alex sighed, the frustration bubbling up again. “I wasn’t trying to undermine him. But we can’t afford to second-guess each other. We need to trust one another, or we’re done.”

Zoe raised an eyebrow. “Trust, huh? Honestly, weren’t you kind of second-guessing him too?”

“Stop being so rational,” Alex muttered.

“I’m just saying,” she said with a half-smirk, tapping her drink. “You’ve known Marcus long enough to know he’s on our side. The guy’s been a rock since day one. You get that, right?”

“I know. It’s just…” Alex paused, his eyes drifting toward the cityscape beyond the garden. “It feels like everything’s coming apart. Every time we dig deeper, it gets worse. And Marcus—he’s so stuck on doing things by the book, he’s missing the bigger picture.”

Zoe leaned back, crossing her arms as she watched him. “And you think he’s going to crack under the pressure?”

Alex rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe. Or worse—he’ll drag us all down by sticking to rules that don’t work anymore. We’re not dealing with a standard situation here. That requires…I don’t know, more flexibility.”

Zoe didn’t respond immediately. She took another sip of her drink, watching Alex closely. Finally, she shrugged. “I get that. But you know Marcus isn’t gonna bend easily. He's a soldier through and through. He believes in structure. If you want him to see things your way, you’re gonna have to show him that the rules don’t work here. And that means…” She raised an eyebrow, leaving the implication hanging.

Alex frowned, already knowing where she was going. “You mean we have to break the rules to show him that the rules don’t work?”

“Exactly,” Zoe said, her tone casual but pointed. “It’s a bit ironic, don’t you think? But it might be the only way to shake him out of his command mode.”

Alex leaned back against the bench, chewing on that thought. Breaking the rules—how far were they willing to go? They had already uncovered things that would destroy Bancroft, but they couldn’t just reveal them yet. Bancroft had ears everywhere. They needed to move carefully.

“So, what’s the plan?” Zoe asked again, brushing crumbs from her hands. “How do we fix this? How do we get Marcus to stop being a stickler for the rules and get him to see we’re not in the academy anymore?”

The question hung in the air between them as they finished their food. Alex wiped his hands on a napkin. Marcus’s rigidity was a problem, but not as big as what they were up against.

“We get everything out in the open,” Alex said after a long pause. “All of it.”

Zoe raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin creeping back onto her face. “What, like trust falls and team-building exercises?”

Alex chuckled despite himself, though the weight of their situation remained. “Maybe. But seriously, we need to stop half-assing this. I know I’ve been guilty of it too. We’ve all been holding back. If we’re taking on Bancroft, we need a united front.”

Zoe swirled her drink, watching the shimmer ripple through the liquid. “Yeah, I get it. This whole thing feels wrong. Like, I always knew there was shady stuff going on, but this? Surveillance spells, experimenting on employees? It’s like we’ve stepped into a bad dystopian novel.”

“Exactly,” Alex said, relieved she understood. “We need to form a real alliance. If we’re taking down Bancroft, we need everyone fully committed. No more following the company line. If Marcus wants to hold us to the rules, fine. But we need to show him that sometimes, breaking them is the only way to protect the people who matter.”

Zoe’s carefree edge softened, her playful expression giving way to something more serious. “You’re right. And I think the others know it too. They’re just waiting for you to make the first move. Everyone’s scared, Alex. Everyone knows this is bigger than us. But you? You’re the one they look to when things get messy.”

Alex’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t want to be a leader.”

Zoe snorted. “Too late for that, babe. Whether you like it or not, we're all following your lead.”

He stared out over the garden, letting her words sink in. The scent of blooming flowers, the cool breeze, and the warmth of the sun felt too serene for the gravity of the conversation. It was hard to reconcile the peace around him with the chaos waiting below. But Zoe was right. Whether he liked it or not, he was the one everyone looked to. He was the one who had to make the hard decisions.

And if that meant pushing Marcus—hell, even breaking the rules—then so be it.

“Thanks,” Alex finally said, meeting her gaze. “For always being the voice of reason. Even when I don’t want to hear it.”

She grinned, the tension between them easing slightly. “Well, somebody’s gotta keep you in check. Can’t let you brood your way into making stupid choices.”

He smirked. “Yeah, because you never make reckless decisions.”

They sat in silence for a moment longer, letting the quiet envelope them. But even in the peacefulness of the garden, Alex’s mind was already turning back to the task at hand. Marcus. The team. Bancroft.

When Zoe stood to leave, she gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “Get the others. Let’s do this.”

“I will,” Alex promised, standing with her.

She flashed him one last grin. “And remember—show Marcus. Don’t just tell him. He’s a soldier. He’ll follow the mission, but he needs to believe in it first.”

Alex nodded, watching her walk away, her confidence infectious. Once Zoe disappeared from view, he turned back to his scrying orb and sent the message: Meet at the Mystic Bean at 4 PM. We need to talk.