The air around him felt thinner. It was as if oxygen had been sucked out of the room. The sounds from the surroundings were still distant and muffled as lights seemed dimmer. Vale was confused and couldn't comprehend what he had just gotten himself into. The taste of disbelief laced his mouth as he wiped his lips with the back of his palm.
They hadn't even given him an option. His mind flashed back to when the man slipped the phone into his pocket.
The threatening prompt was still displayed on the screen as he glared at it unconsciously. He read it over and over till he watched the phone glitch and display a pitch black screen.
Vale Holmes let out a peal of nervous laughter. He had tried to sound bold to himself -- and perhaps the people at the other end of the device-- but had failed woefully.
"Scare tactics, huh?" he asked with a smirk that didn't get to his eyes which mirrored the dread he felt within. "Okay then, you've got my attention. Not bad," Vale agreed, forcing himself to ease into the situation at hand.
"Let's see what else you're hiding."
It was as if he was speaking to a real person. Vale didn't care if he was talking to a phone. What did he stand to lose at that point?
Now, there was an icon that blinked slowly on the screen of the phone. Nothing else. Vale tapped it with his forefinger and waited for what would happen next.
Nothing happened. The screen darkened again and this time, the phone seemed to have obeyed him. A voice came out of the phone -- a voice that seemed desperate to sound like a human -- and a polite one for that matter.
'Face scan initializing'
"What face scan?" Vale retorted quickly, suddenly feeling defensive.
The light from the phone became brighter -- not the kind of brightness one would expect from a small device but it filled the entire space between itself and Holmes. It formed a grid that encompassed his face. Vale stumbled backward.
'Vale Holmes: Confirmed. Vale Rykard: Inherited'
'System Online. Host Recognized'
He felt it. The heat that went from the light, through his hands and down his fingers. A jolt of static that traveled down his legs. An image that flickered through his mind. The confusion as to if the message was for him dissipated as he heard his name, yet again. But the other name the phone called was strange to him. However, Vale pushed that to the back of his mind as he focused on the 'inheritance' word he'd been reading on the device.
"If this has something to do with money..." Vale thought as his interest piqued a little.
It was an image of a man -- an old man seated on a regal leather chair. He had the same distinct eye color as Vale.
'If you're seeing this... I'm dead.'
Then it was gone. At that point, Vale couldn't tell if that had been a thought or a projection from the device which was now in his hand. His mouth and throat felt parched and Vale couldn't tell if his heart was still beating or not. It had gone through many shocks and twists that he was surprised he was still conscious.
The phone vibrated.
'Inheritance protocol initiated'
'Welcome to Level One'
'Directive One: Reclaim Perception'
'Objective: Rewrite Your Narrative In Public'
'Location: Zari Tower Gala - 21:00 tonight'
Vale's gaze flew to the aesthetic wall clock. 20:12
"Tonight?!" he hissed with a frown on his face.
The phone vibrated again.
'Sub directive: Disguise yourself. Do not be seen as Vale Holmes'
'Assume control: Deploy Interface. Disrupt. Leave no trace'
The screen glitched again. Everything on the screen vanished. Seconds later, a chilling line replaced the black screen.
'Are you ready to activate your birthright?'
'YES' 'NO'
Vale stared at the message. A siren sound from outside was so loud that it brought Vale Holmes out of the shock and reverie he was in. He was in a loop of wonder -- pondering on what his next move would be. Already, it had been made clear to him that he couldn't refuse the orders. But birthright? What birthright?
He stilled himself and silence filled him within. There was nothing that was lower than where he was at that moment. He had lost everything. The worst things had already happened to him. Shame. Disgrace. Rejection. Public refusal. Bankruptcy. It had all happened to him.
What did he stand to lose if he tapped the 'Yes' button?