The elevator let out a soft ding as it reached the ground floor.
Vial stepped out into the lobby. The lighting was low and warm—designed to soothe—but his presence carried weight, tilting the atmosphere into something… charged. A few staff members moved quietly behind the reception desk, and a security drone buzzed lazily near the entrance. It was calm—until he walked closer to the front doors.
On one of the plush couches, a girl sat curled sideways, tablet in hand, one leg dangling lazily off the side. She wore a baggy cardigan and shorts, earbuds half-hanging, brows furrowed at something on the screen.
Then she looked up.
The tablet slipped from her fingers with a soft thud onto the carpet.
Her jaw dropped.
She blinked once. Twice. Her eyes widened as if she'd just witnessed a mythical creature climb out of the elevator.
Vial slowed.
"…Uh. Hey," he offered, unsure whether to stop or keep walking.
The girl shot to her feet, nearly tripping over the edge of the couch. "You're—" She caught her breath. "You're a guy."
Her voice trembled like she was saying something forbidden. Her eyes darted across his frame, taking him in as though committing every detail to memory.
"I've never… seen one before. Like, in person. Not even during public broadcasts. And you just—" she laughed, a little unhinged, "—you just walked out of the elevator."
"Yeah. I guess I did," Vial said, voice cautious. He stepped back instinctively.
The girl leaned forward a bit, eyes wide, mouth open, no filter to stop her next thought from leaping out:
"Does it really look like a dangling banana or more like… a meat popsicle?"
Vial blinked.
His brain short-circuited.
"…What?"
She gasped, eyes going wide. "Oh my god—I mean—sorry! I didn't mean to say that out loud!" She slapped both hands over her face. "It's just—God, this is my first time seeing one of you, and there's so much curiosity and zero information, and we have all these memes and urban myths, and I thought you were, like, a prank or a hologram at first—"
Vial was still frozen.
"Okay, okay," she exhaled, trying to reset herself. "I didn't mean to offend you. I'm just—" she pointed to herself—"a university student with zero filter and a lifelong ban on asking real questions. Sorry."
He let out a breath. "No offense taken… just surprised."
She gave a sheepish smile. "You're definitely real. I knew it the second I saw your build."
He raised an eyebrow. "My build?"
"Yeah," she said, circling a finger in the air at him. "The way you stand. The broader shoulders. The leaner neck. Women here—well, most—are built super graceful. You're… different. Not in a bad way. Just… obviously not one of us."
Vial wasn't sure whether to feel complimented or studied.
She extended a hand with a grin. "Name's Kaelene. But people just call me Kael. You probably don't care, but I figured I'd introduce myself before you vanish or get carted off by… y'know, drones or guards or something."
He took her hand slowly. "Vial. Nice to meet you."
Their hands barely separated before—
Headlights poured through the glass doors, flooding the lobby in stark white.
Engines hummed.
Three black vehicles pulled up outside with unnatural precision. The doors opened in eerie sync. Women in sleek black suits emerged in unison, like a live-action security protocol.
Kael's eyes widened. "Oh, sh*t."
Vial's heart dropped.
The front doors hissed open.
"Vial Hosen?" the lead woman called, stepping inside. Her voice was calm, confident, and official. "I am Officer Lyn Rael, Coordination Bureau of Civil Harmony. You've been flagged walking outside your assigned residential zone without a security detail."
Vial blinked. "Wait—what? I was just in my hotel room. I came down to check—"
"We understand," she interrupted gently but firmly, holding up a sleek badge embossed with a silver emblem. "You're not in trouble. But for your safety—and the public's—we're requesting your cooperation. Male citizens are not permitted to move freely in public-access zones without registered accompaniment."
Another agent stepped up beside her, slightly shorter, with a softer gaze. "We're here to escort you, not arrest you," she said. "Please. Come with us. It's protocol."
Vial turned to Kael, who looked like she was watching a sci-fi arrest play out in real time. Her mouth opened, then shut again. Her hands fidgeted at her sides.
"I didn't mean to get you in trouble," she whispered. "I—I didn't even call anyone."
"I know," Vial said.
He turned back to the agents. "What happens if I say no?"
Rael's eyes didn't waver. "Then we'll have to notify the district caretaker assigned to your identity. At that point, it becomes a containment issue. You will not be harmed—but the process will be considerably… less pleasant."
Kael stiffened. "Whoa, that sounds dystopian as hell."
"Standard civil harmony measures," Rael replied coolly.
Vial sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. I'll come."
Rael gave a single nod. "Thank you. You made the right call."
As the agents began to move, flanking him with quiet precision, Kael blurted, "Hey—uh—Vial, right?"
He paused, already halfway toward the door.
Kael stepped forward, then hesitated. "I… I hope they're not putting you in some white-room government cell or whatever. And I'm really sorry if my question earlier was, like, over the line. I just… I genuinely didn't know better. You were the first one I've ever seen, and I guess I panicked and blurted out my brain."
Vial gave her a tired but amused smile. "You definitely made it memorable."
She grinned faintly. "Hope I didn't ruin your day."
"You didn't."
Then she lowered her voice and added, "If you ever get the chance… message me or something. I have, like, five hundred more questions. All slightly less inappropriate."
Before he could answer, the doors slid open, and the night air poured in—cool, sterile, and humming with quiet threat.
The suited women guided him out to the center vehicle. One opened the door. He gave Kael one last glance.
She stood in the middle of the lobby, arms folded tightly around herself, watching him like she wanted to run after the car but didn't dare.
Then he stepped inside.
The door shut with a cold click behind him.
The vehicle pulled away, smooth and silent, toward a system that already had rules for what a man was allowed to be.