Project Enigma

Alex left Marcus’s office, the weight of their discovery bearing down on him like a shroud that refused to lift. This wasn’t just about magical violations or bureaucratic mishaps anymore. They were staring into the maw of something much darker, and the deeper they went, the less clear the path forward became. Each step felt heavier than the last, each decision pulling him further into a tangled web of secrets.

His scrying orb buzzed softly, pulling him from his spiraling thoughts. A single message flashed across the glowing surface: It was from Zoe. "Got some info. Meet me in the break room."

Alex made his way back through the maze of cubicles, each one a reminder of how mundane everything seemed on the surface. But beneath that ordinary façade, something rotted at Magic, Inc.—and they were getting closer to exposing it.

Zoe was already in the break room, lounging casually at one of the tables. Her posture was relaxed, her lips curved into a smirk, but Alex could sense the seriousness in her eyes—a sharpness that cut through the usual playful exterior.

“What did you dig up?” Alex asked, sliding into the chair across from her. The usual hum of office chatter seemed to fade as he leaned in, the weight of their conversation creating an invisible boundary around them.

Zoe’s voice dropped into a low whisper. “I’ve been poking around, talking to my contacts in Entertainment and Marketing. There’s a lot of buzz, but one name kept coming up: Project Enigma.”

The name hit Alex like a punch to the gut. He repeated it, testing the words. “Project Enigma?”

Zoe’s smirk widened, though her eyes gleamed with intrigue. “Yeah. Nobody knows exactly what it is, but it's big. Highly classified. Top execs only—hush-hush, need-to-know level.”

“And who’s behind it?” Alex asked, already suspecting the answer but needing confirmation.

“Richard Bancroft.” Zoe’s tone hardened as she said the name. “Highest-level exec. He’s got his hands deep in all the dark corners of this place—secretive, ruthless. Word is, if something shady’s going down, he’s involved.”

Bancroft. The name was already on Marcus’s radar, and this only confirmed their suspicions. A cold knot of dread tightened in Alex’s chest. “This could be the break we need to blow the whole thing open.”

Zoe leaned back, her playful demeanor sliding back into place like a well-worn mask. “Happy to help. Just keep me in the loop. Things are getting... interesting.”

Back at his desk, Alex struggled to focus. The usual sounds of the office around him felt almost surreal—like he was moving through a dream where everything seemed normal, but shadows lurked just beneath the surface. Everyone else carried on with their work, oblivious to the storm brewing around them. But Alex couldn’t shake the feeling that every shadow in the building was watching him, waiting for him to slip.

His scrying orb pinged again. He almost ignored it, expecting another routine notification, but he noticed it came through a secure obscured channel.

As he opened the message, a chill ran down his spine. Files. Detailed reports, diagrams, and documents unfolded before his eyes, revealing a project so dark, so twisted, that it made his stomach churn. Project Enigma wasn’t just another corporate initiative—it was illegal experiments being conducted on employees without their knowledge.

Names, dates, and details of the experiments filled the screen—horrific descriptions of magical tests, each one more grotesque than the last. Manipulation of minds, forced spellcasting, and magical conditioning... Alex’s hands trembled as he scrolled through the files. This wasn’t just a case of corporate overreach—it was a violation on the most fundamental level. Magic, Inc. was using its employees as test subjects.

The weight of it all pressed down on him. This was a ticking time bomb, and if it went off, it wouldn’t just take down Magic, Inc.—it would shake the magical community to its core.

He needed his team.

Without wasting a moment, Alex hurried to print the documents. Each page that slid from the printer felt like a step closer to exposing the truth—and a step deeper into danger. He had to be fast. Every second felt like it was slipping through his fingers, and the shadows in the corridors seemed to press in around him.

The hallways stretched ahead of him, each turn dragging him further into the web that was Magic, Inc. Where was everyone? He passed empty cubicles, his pulse quickening with every unoccupied desk he encountered.

The R&D break room was empty. He spun on his heel, heading for the R&D labs, but Lila was nowhere to be found. The scent of burnt herbs lingered in the air, a small trace of her presence, but she was gone.

“Have you seen Lila?” Alex asked a technician who was bent over a cauldron, their focus locked on the swirling liquid.

“She was here earlier,” the technician replied without looking up.

Frustration gnawed at him. Everything was slipping.

As he passed the Entertainment and Marketing Division, Zoe caught his eye. She was in the middle of a conversation with a group of illusionists, her laugh echoing through the hall, but it faded the moment she saw his expression.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Zoe said, her playful grin fading.

“Not here,” Alex said, his voice tight. “Come with me.”

Zoe didn’t argue. The tension in Alex’s tone was enough to wipe away any trace of humor. They moved quickly, as they passed the E&M break room, Alex noticed Lila scurring across the room.

“Lila,” Alex said, his voice sharp, “we need to talk. Now.”

Lila barely glanced up. “Alex, perfect timing. Do you know where the fire extinguisher is?”

A small flame licked at the edge of the counter. Without missing a beat, Alex grabbed the extinguisher from the hallway and doused the fire, his pulse racing. “Lila, this is serious. I found something—something big.”

Her posture stiffened. The fire forgotten, she set down the potion and met his gaze, her expression shifting to match the tension in his voice. “What is it?”

“We need the others.”

It didn’t take long to track down Marcus. They found him near the entrance, his sharp eyes scanning the area as he finished a security sweep. The moment Alex explained the urgency, Marcus fell in step beside them, his demeanor grave.

Their last stop was Nina. She had just returned to her desk, a cup of coffee steaming in her hand. One look at Alex’s face, and she set it down without a word.

Within half an hour, Alex, Lila, Marcus, Zoe, and Nina were huddled in an old abandoned meeting room in a secluded corner of the building. Alex spread the documents in front of them on the large wooden table. Each page felt like a hammer blow—evidence of Magic, Inc.'s darkest secrets.

“This is what I found,” Alex said, his voice low and taut. “Project Enigma. Secret labs. Illegal experiments. Magic, Inc. is manipulating us—using surveillance spells and conducting tests on employees without their knowledge.”

Zoe’s eyes widened, her voice barely a whisper. “Holy crap.”

“Who sent this?” Marcus asked, suspicion flashing across his face.

“I don’t know,” Alex admitted. “It was anonymous. But this... this is real.”

Nina’s jaw clenched, her hands curling into fists as she scanned the documents. “We need to move fast. But we can’t go in blind. If they find out we know...”

“They’ll come after us,” Marcus finished, his expression grim. The tension in his voice mirrored the weight in Alex’s chest.

Lila looked at Alex, her gaze steady and unflinching. “What’s the plan?”

Alex hesitated for only a moment before the answer came. “We can’t go to the authorities—not yet. They might be compromised. We gather more evidence—something undeniable. Then we expose them.”

Marcus gave a sharp nod. “I know a few places to dig. But we have to be careful. If we screw this up...”

“We won’t,” Alex said, his voice steady. “We go quiet, collect everything, and when we have enough, we blow it wide open.

Alex turned to Nina. “We’ll need access to the surveillance logs. Can you hack in?”

Nina’s lips pressed into a thin line. “It won’t be easy, but I’ll do my best.”

“Zoe, we’ll need illusions to get into restricted areas. Think you’re up for it?”

Zoe’s grin returned, though it was tempered with determination. “Piece of cake.”

“Lila, we’ll need potions. Detection, escape—anything that can give us an edge. Proven potions. No shortcuts.”

“No shortcuts,” Lila agreed, giving a sharp nod. “I’ll get to work.”

“And I’ll keep digging through these files,” Alex said. “We need to know exactly who’s behind this and how deep it goes.”

The group fell into a tense silence, each of them absorbing the enormity of what they were about to undertake. This was no longer just a job; it was a fight against something far bigger and more sinister than any of them had anticipated. But together, they had a shot.

Zoe grinned and put her hand in the middle of the group as if to do a team cheer. The others looked at her, eyebrows raised.

"What are you doing?" Marcus asked, his arms crossed over this large chest.

"Come on, guys. Team spirit!" Zoe said, wiggling her fingers encouragingly.

Lila chuckled and placed her hand on top of Zoe’s. “Why not? We’re in this together, right?”

Marcus sighed, rolling his eyes. After a moment, he uncrossed his arms and laid his hand over hers. “For justice,” he said with a serious nod.

Nina hesitated, her gaze flicking between them before she let out a resigned sigh. “This better not blow up in our faces,” she muttered, finally placing her hand with the others.

Alex looked at their hands stacked together. He added his hand to the mix, his voice steady. “Let’s make them pay.”

“Go team!” Zoe said with a wink. "No? Really? No one else is going to say it?"

The others shook their heads, smiling despite themselves. “Go team,” they mumbled in unison. A shared, reluctant laugh echoed through the group, a moment of levity in the midst of the tension.

"We should totally come up with a team name," Zoe said as they began to disperse.

"I'm not doing that," Marcus said, already heading out of the room.

Lila laughed. "Come on, it could be fun!"

Nina rolled her eyes, a smirk on her lips. "Focus, guys. We have a lot of work to do."

As Alex walked away, his steps quickened, fueled by fear and exhilaration. This was more than he had ever imagined, more dangerous and more important. He was no hero, but for the first time, he believed he could be.

Magic, Inc. was about to face a reckoning, and Alex Turner was ready to lead the charge. The days of playing it safe were over. It was time to fight back, uncover the truth, and bring justice to those who had been wronged.

Need something to read while you wait?! Check out these other entries! ⬇ Links below ⬇