Alencar Daz Sant'anne

I was driving back home after an eventful day. We had just finished the acquisition of GrowingTec, the holding that owns EverIT, the biggest producer of computer hardware in the hemisphere.

"To think that just a few hours ago I signed one of the most important SPAs in history…"

I liked driving older cars. This one in particular, a revamp of the Ford Mustang '70, roared with the same noise as the one back in the day, despite being fully electric. Nowadays, it was hard to get the permit for audio pollution, but someone with my connections honestly didn't find it all that hard.

"I wonder how Louis managed to convince the CCA."

The Competition and Consumer Authority, or CCA, rarely allowed this type of centralization to occur. In this case, it involved several other countries and enterprises, so it came to me as a surprise that the negotiations had even started.

"I shouldn't have made that bet with him… Sigh. I don't even like to gamble."

I reached my villa after seeing practically no traffic. The worst part about living in a big city was exactly that, but on days like today, where I had to work until the late hours of the night, I finally had some respite.

I parked the car with practiced movements, right besides my bike and my BMW, and got inside my house. I was so tired that the Intelligent Door that always amazed me didn't even get a second glance. I quickly ate a snack and went to bed.

I checked the news very quickly, just in case the deal was leaked somehow, but thankfully there was nothing to worry about for now.

*Leticia has sent you a message* -2

*Mathew The Plotlib has sent a message on 'RedPill?'* -13

*Aisha has sent you a message* -4

*Sista has sent you a message* -2

*…*

After taking a quick scan of my personal messages, I decided to check my sister's and Aisha's.

"Good meme." My sister and I always sent each other memes, although it has become much less frequent with time.

I took one last look at a specific name on my phone before pressing on Aisha's icon. But as soon as I saw her messages, I fell asleep.

…

"Welcome to Path of Enlightenment!"

A loud voice woke me up. Somehow, I was standing in the middle of… somewhere. Everywhere I looked I saw white structures, probably made from quartz.

"You will be sent to the First Door very briefly. Please, prepare yourself."

The same neutral voice shook me out of my stupor.

"Is this a dream? What do you mean with 'prepare yourself'?" I asked up to the skies, although there was… none.

Seeing as I received no answer, I assumed it was futile to keep asking. I'd better get ready for what was to come. My mind raced with hundreds of possibilities, ranging from the trials of Hercules and death battles with demons, to the survival setting of famous TV series or films.

The only thing I am certain of is that I have been kidnapped. This might have been just a bad joke, but the probability was really small. In any case, this was certainly extremely elaborate. Anyone who might have planned this would have taken months to prepare it all. My home security was not there just for show, after all.

In my fear, weird thoughts like 'Let's ask out loud if they think it's easy to kidnap a soon-to-be billionaire!' raced through my mind.

"Shit… I have to calm down." It was easier said than done, as my heart was threatening to escape through my chest.

Seconds passed like hours, and my tensed muscles stance was starting to get tiring.

'I regret not working out after I got promoted…'

When I almost felt that nothing would happen, my sight was invaded with light.