Chapter 4

Even if the company covered the astronomical medical bills in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, it likely wouldn't be enough to revive a body that had completely burned out.

In the end, I would only become a burden to the team.

At the very least, the project was a success now. The data looked impressive, the funding had come through, and everyone had something impressive to add to their résumés.

Steven would remain the same strategic, composed leader who was deeply loyal to his employees. And with that, I had no regrets left.

My stream of consciousness seemed to steady once I came to that conclusion. Curious, I began to drift through the banquet hall, a space that stood as a testament to our success.

There were exquisite hors d'oeuvres, expensive drinks, and faces glowing with relaxed, genuine smiles. This was the very future I used to imagine back when I was still alive, hunched over my desk and eating a sad, wilted sandwich from the convenience store next door.

I then drifted toward a small meeting room off to the side of the banquet hall. The door was left slightly ajar, revealing the remnants of the "war" we had during our last meeting the day prior.

My final marks from last night still remained on the whiteboard, along with a complex architectural diagram. Next to it was a sticky note I'd left for myself, saying, "Let's get this!"

Then, I spotted an unopened gift box on a storage shelf in the corner. It was beautifully wrapped with a note attached to it.

"Dear William, congratulations on reaching this project milestone. Consider this a small token of my appreciation. Looking forward to creating an even greater future with you.

"Your comrade, Steven."

This gift was meant for me.

A gentle warmth stirred within me as I looked at the gift. Though I couldn't physically feel it in my hands, I couldn't help imagining what might be inside. Perhaps it was an exquisite tie or even a pen engraved with my name.

I thought it would be the kind of thing I would have hesitated to actually use but would have cherished and kept safe nonetheless.

Outside the window, the city's neon lights filtered through the blinds, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the whiteboard.

And so, I simply sat there, watching. I knew now that this gift, prepared for me under the guise of a token from a "comrade", was one I would never be able to open.

Time drifted by amidst the clamor of the celebration outside the door.

Suddenly, the screen of the work phone at my former desk lit up even though nobody actually touched it. Then, a rapid succession of notifications popped up.

[Warning: Biometric monitoring indicates an anomaly. No movement detected for over 12 hours.]

[Attendance System: William Moore has failed to attend any of today's scheduled meetings.]

[Slack: William Moore, the last person to update the core module, has been offline for over 10 hours. Please investigate.]

These same alerts appeared simultaneously on Steven's personal phone as he chatted and laughed in the banquet hall.

The smile on his face faltered for a split second. Offering a quick apology to those around him, he picked up his phone and headed toward the terrace. I drifted along behind him.

He quickly dialed a number, his voice instantly shifting into a tone raspy from lack of sleep.

"Hey, Bobby from IT, right? It's me. Yeah, I'm still at the celebration, but something's bothering me… I've just received some strange system alerts about William. Has he been offline all day?"

On the other end, Bobby replied uncertainly, "I noticed it too, Mr. Swanson. The internal network monitoring at his desk shows absolutely no activity since late last night. But that can't be right. He's never like this."

"William!" Steven echoed, lowering his voice. "Could the pressure have gotten to him? Could he be taking some time off? Or maybe… Maybe he's been looking at offers from headhunters?"

"I doubt it. He sent me the final version of the document just last night, Mr. Swanson. He seemed really driven," Bobby replied, sounding a little hesitant. "Should I have someone from the admin department check his desk? Or maybe give him a call?"

"No, don't," Steven interjected immediately. "What if he's just catching up on some sleep? Tell you what—just wait until I get back. I'll handle it."

I floated weightlessly behind him, watching as he joined the investors for yet another round of toasts. He finally excused himself, saying he couldn't drink anymore, and left the event early. Then, he headed straight for the office.

As he pushed open the office's glass door, Steven glanced toward the area where my workstation was.

He saw a screen still glowing faintly in the dim light and let out a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders finally relaxing.

"The lights are still on. Maybe he just stepped away for a moment, or perhaps he was so exhausted he fell asleep right there at his desk," he muttered to himself. He then raised his voice and called out to me.

"William? Are you still wrestling with the code? You didn't even show up for the celebration. Everyone's been asking about you!"

The office area was deathly silent, save for the low hum of the server cooling fans.

"Why is he not answering while he's right here in the office?" Steven grumbled, walking more quietly as he approached my desk.

The partition wasn't very high, so he could see me slumped over the desktop, my back turned toward him.

"William?"

He stopped beside the workstation and called out again, a hint of tension creeping into his voice. "Wake up. You'll catch a cold if you sleep here."