Caspian_

I got there an hour late. The frustration in my voice made the guard at the main gates a little more hostile than he usually was. It didn’t help that he seemed a bit drunk.

“Name.” he said, indifferent to my rush.

“Caspian Flynn.”

I found them, about three hundred agents assembled in the convention hall on the fourth floor. A familiar voice could be heard from the speakers in the hall. I sighed in relief. I had almost missed his speech.

“..Great potential lies in you all, and how I wish I could take part in unlocking it. But it seems my destination lies elsewhere…”

Mr Whitlock had always been good with speeches. He had a way of not just addressing our logic, but also appealing to our hearts whenever he spoke. I couldn’t help but admire his character. But his time to retire had come.

“Mark my words, tough times lie on the horizon, but I trust that you shall endure and live on. Never forget our core values, excellence unites us, power defines us. It was a pleasure serving you all. Thank you,” he finished.

The hall was immediately filled with cheers and shouts of jubilation. I joined in celebrating the old man, although I had only known him… or rather worked at E.A for two months now.

After serving E.A for seven years, he was now stepping down. Some agents were even on the verge of bursting into tears. A testament of his great leadership.

‘Fare well, Mr Whitlock’

E.A would surely miss him.

‘Though, I don’t understand what he means by tough times lay ahead.’

“Kindly put your hands together to welcome the incoming president, Mr Corbyn Kokuren.”

A name I had never heard of. Neither had the agents around me.

He walked like the stereotypical tyrant… slow sure walk, footsteps echoing across the hall, a face that wasn’t too fond of smiling, and a pair of thin framed rectangular spectacles.

The contrast to Mr Whitlock’s soft comforting presence was otherworldly.

After tapping the mic twice and clearing his throat…

“As Mandy Hale stated, change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stitch somewhere you don’t belong. E.A is destined for greatness, far beyond what you could imagine. But this greatness cannot be achieved by sitting around and watching events unfold. It requires an unbreakable will, which is exactly what I bring to the table. All I need from every agent in this hall is your absolute cooperation. Expect change, embrace change. Thank you.”

Every single agent could feel it. The hush that befell the hall confirmed this.

“Is this guy serious?”

So did the nervous looks agents were giving each other.

“Absolute cooperation? Who does he think he is demanding things like that?”

The speech itself was off, but that wasn’t what bothered us. No, it also wasn’t the distant darkness in his eyes.

“I don’t like him,” the girl standing next to me told her friend.

It was the tone… the hint of tyranny that hung around every time his voice echoed across the hall. It created fear in the agents.

‘Yep, we’re doomed.’

Things were taking a sharp turn in E.A.

As we were walking out of the hall, only one thought occupied my mind.

‘Change is painful, and tough times lay ahead. My life just became a drama show… Great.’