Andrew watched as the door slammed shut behind the young man. He was now effectively alone. 

Of course, I still have you.

Andrew scratched the puppy under the chin and rubbed its ears. He still wasn’t sure how much pressure he should use, so he tried to do it as light as possible.

It wouldn’t make sense to accidentally hurt her after taking her away, now would it?

Andrew absently shifted his attention to the large collar Julien unceremoniously threw at him a minute ago, then looked at the beagle, then back at the collar.

It couldn’t be hers.

Was it supposed to be his?

Hágale sin mente…(Don’t overthink it...)

Andrew shook his head and pulled out his phone to input Julien’s number. Then he replied to Theia’s unanswered message, his employer.

Mrs. Michaels: “Have you met him?”

Andrew: “Just now.”

Mrs. Michaels: “How did it go?”

Andrew considered the question.

Andrew: “I have entered the residence, but have yet to introduce myself.”

Theia took a while to reply.

Mrs. Michaels: “He must’ve been in a hurry.”

Andrew: “Should I have followed him?”

Mrs. Michaels: “Not today.”

Andrew waited for her to elaborate, but seeing no more messages, he turned off his phone, glanced at the collar, and then set it to the side.

He was tired after a long flight, but Julien wasn’t going to be gone long, and he had no intention of actually sitting still.

The first thing he needed to do was understand the layout of all the places Julien frequented.

Andrew stood up, causing the puppy to jump off the couch.

He fiddled with the new watch on his wrist, barely managing to open the hologram containing a map of the entire apartment complex, and another for the individual apartment Julien was staying in.

Andrew found the technology both fascinating and over-the-top. Then again, that described the whole North Central District perfectly.

It felt like stepping into a whole other world. 

Andrew looked around the empty space, mentally going over everything he’d already seen on the way and checking them off.

He was used to paying attention to those small details.

Entering the complex itself wasn’t all that difficult, considering the surrounding park was public property. 

But that wasn’t to say that security was lax.

The park was full of man-made streams and rivers, well-maintained vegetation, and gorgeous marble sculptures created by many of the world's leading designers. 

What made the unassuming park secure however, was the very layout of these waterways and the statues themselves.

The waterways cleverly limited the number of routes a person could take. And, unbelievably, the statues acted as the sentries of the complex. Human guards were still in rotation, but at night, the statues started their patrol.

He wasn’t exactly sure how they worked, but he wasn’t eager to know either.

Andrew marked the exits and entrances on his map then moved onto the building itself.

Julien’s building had much more overt security measures.

Even having been vetted by the building owner herself, he still had to go through a long process upon entering the lobby. 

They took his documents, pictures, and even his blood—excessive, sure, but effective.

Only then did he finally receive a keycard to access the main building. 

Luckily, he wouldn’t need to go through that again.

Once inside, there were 4 ways to travel up the building.

Two main stairwells flanking the center fountain—one that passed through the East Wing, and the other that passed through the West Wing—then further in was an emergency stairwell on the far right and 4 elevators in the center at the end of the lobby. 

The only floor the main stairwells didn’t reach was the penthouse, where Julien resided. 

The emergency stairwell and four elevators however, did.

What made the setup interesting, was that entry was blocked after the 50th floor for the residents of the lower levels. For those on the upper levels, all but the penthouse was still accessible, with access to the suite being restricted to a limited number of keycards.

One of which was now in his possession. 

The only way the residents of the lower floors could access the pool or restaurant on the roof was to receive permission beforehand, become a part of the cleaning staff,

Or for the building to catch on fire.

Andrew took one of the four elevators, weightlessly flying past 99 floors at a disorienting speed, only noticeable because of the window-like design of the reinforced alloy box. It didn’t seem very safe, but who was he to question the tech mecha’s of the world?

He could have done without the view though.

Andrew made note of the accessways while thinking about the strange restrictions.

Based on the building records, the changes were made roughly 5 years ago, before Julien moved in. The culprit? The owner herself, Theia.

She’s really protective.

Maybe a little too protective considering Julien’s age, but he understood as an older sibling himself.

If he even deserved to call himself that anymore.

Andrew shook his head, switching to the map of Julien’s apartment.

The apartment boasted an open floor plan, with few actual walls separating the foyer from the kitchen, the kitchen from the living room, and the living room from everything else. 

The openness would’ve felt empty, if it wasn’t for the plants, books, and furniture placed in every part of the first floor, and presumably the second. A privacy window blocked his view of most of it so he wasn’t sure.

Andrew already knew the young man had a penchant for plant care, but the amount left him feeling like it was a bit…

…Obsessive.

There was even a small tree growing beneath the stairs.

Looking away, he continued his task, footsteps quiet and light as he made sure to avoid stepping on the puppy who had started following behind him at some point.

It was a lot of space for just one person, with the main floor alone being several times larger than the barracks. 

Half of the space was as tall as the second floor’s ceiling, comprising both the living room and the kitchen. The other half was under the second floor's overhang behind the stairs, where a mahogany dining table sat in its center under an unlit crystal chandelier.

Considering how much he was being paid, he wasn’t surprised by the unnecessary displays of grandeur.

Andrew moved counterclockwise as he marked off each room on the first floor, familiarizing himself with the layout. 

From what he could see, there were a total of 6 doors that connected directly to the main area other than the front door.

The first was a set of double doors diagonal from the kitchen that led to Julien’s study. Andrew looked through the gap of the ajar doors at the cluttered wooden desk in the center and glanced at the bathroom door at the far end on the right. He considered going inside, but decided against it.

There was no need, and he wasn’t here to antagonize the young man so rifling through his things at the first chance he got would be… counterproductive. If anything, it’d be better in the long run if they got along.

The second door, connected to a wall between the foyer and kitchen, led into a rather sizable pantry. It was dimly lit by a warm purely aesthetic glow around its edges with white shelves stretching from floor to ceiling.

Considering it was mostly empty, save for half a loaf of bread, a box of forgotten cereal, and an empty cooler, Julien was either not much of an eater, or preferred to eat out.

It’s not like cost would’ve been an issue.

The remaining doors were behind the stairs, below the floor above. From right to left, there were:

The third and fourth doors, both of which led to unused rooms full of all sorts of miscellaneous junk and unopened boxes had eggshell white walls, as though they’d been left to collect dust since the day Julien moved in. 

The fifth door led to a bathroom, which connected to the cornermost room by a door on the right wall.

The final door led to another bedroom—this one the complete opposite of the rest of Julien’s warm toned and plant-covered apartment. It was fully decorated, with cool, dark colors and elegant furniture. But Andrew had no intention of looking around. He already knew who the room belonged to: Theia’s, for when she visited.

He closed the door behind him. Completing the loop, his steps hesitated at the foot of the stairs.

He needed to check the roof access but he didn’t exactly want to enter Julien’s space either.

And the entire second floor was ‘his space.’

Sighing, Andrew glanced at the time and took a firm step forward.

He just had to be as non-invasive as possible.

Once at the top of the stairs, he avoided looking to his right—where Julien’s room was—and immediately turned to his left, sneaking a glance at the first floor below. Walking towards the leftmost window, he opened it and a cloud of dust hit his face. 

Coughing, he watched as the small pup ran back downstairs.

His mouth twitched downward.

When was the last time this was opened?

As his coughing fit subsided, he stepped onto the platform and looked down.

He suddenly wished he had a parachute.

Not that he was planning on jumping off, but he would’ve felt a bit more… secure.

Ignoring those dubious thoughts, he climbed the small metal stairway to the roof and gave the area a cursory once over.

The roof access stairwell led him directly to the pool level, with the only other thing being the storage shed on the far right wall.

A second set of stairs further away led to the elevators, a rooftop restaurant-bar, and the showers.

The sublevel between the two was a relatively small cutout with a dome shaped glass structure that could be accessed by ladders from either level.

Julien’s greenhouse.

He called it ‘small,’  but it was still twice the size of his old apartment.

He really loves plants.

Andrew filled out the last of his map before closing the hologram. 

Glancing at the time in the bottom right corner of the fancy watch, he turned around and went downstairs.

Julien was late.

Andrew found the young beagle, scooped her up, then pulled out his phone as he walked towards the living room.

He decided to send a message, a simple message, just in case the young man forgot he was there.

Andrew: “I’m hungry.”

Andrew circled the recliner and sat down, soothingly massaging the beagle’s head with his other hand.

Mr. Rubane: “Who’s this?”

Andrew considered his answer. His first instinct was to say his name, but he had yet to introduce himself so that wouldn’t really work.

He decided a visual approach was best. 

Andrew opened his camera and took a clumsy picture of himself with the puppy sitting on top of his chest, then thought about it, and moved the collar into frame for good measure. 

After another once over, he sent it.

A few seconds of silence later, Julien replied.

Mr. Rubane: “Eat something, check the fridge.”

Andrew stood up, carrying himself—and the beagle—to the kitchen. Looking in the fridge, he wasn’t surprised to see it was about as empty as the pantry.

If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought Julien was on a liquid diet, given that only mineral water, sodas, and other drinks were lining the shelves.

Andrew: “It’s empty.”

Mr. Rubane: “What about the cabinets next to it?”

Andrew reluctantly lowered the puppy to the kitchen floor and flicked through the cabinets.

Andrew: “Also empty.”

Mr. Rubane: “Pantry?”

Andrew: “…What do you think?”

Andrew considered leaving the apartment and getting something for himself, but unfortunately, he had neither the key nor the pincode to get back in.

He didn’t want to leave the young pup by herself either.

Reluctantly, he sent his request.

Andrew: “Buy something.”

Andrew waited patiently for the reply, then his phone chimed.

Mr. Rubane: “Wait.”

Satisfied knowing the young man would be back soon, Andrew went back to his designated seat and sat down.

He waited silently for a while, a little uncomfortable now that he wasn’t doing anything. Drumming his fingers on his leg, he let his gaze follow the beagles' tiny footsteps up the stairs and sighed at the sight of her malnourished frame.

It’s already been a few days.

He should’ve gotten her food first. That thought bothered him more than it should have.

Turning away, he distracted himself by picking up the large collar and inspecting it, tracing the ridges with his thumb.

It was real leather, so it definitely wasn’t cheap.

If it wasn’t for him, he wasn’t sure who or what else it could be for.

Curious, he lifted it up, unclasped it, and put it around his neck. 

He stood up and headed towards the closest mirror, the one hanging over the shoe rack at the front door.

Using the reflection as a guide, he fastened it.

It was a perfect fit.

Maybe too perfect.

Surprisingly comfortable.

Curiosity satisfied, he was about to take the collar off when he noticed a gold piece of metal dangling from the front of it.

He leaned forward a bit and focused.

Is that…?

Just then, he heard the door open and shut beside him.

Julien froze mid-step, bags of food hanging limply at his sides, his eyes shooting straight towards Andrew’s neck.

Andrew froze as well. After a few long seconds, he leaned back and stiffly walked the short distance to the kitchen stools, pretending as though nothing was wrong.

That was quick.

Julien followed behind him in a daze, eyes still glued to his neck.