Dorian Kael sat in his office, his sharp eyes fixed on the antique clock mounted on the wooden wall. Ten minutes to go.

  He exhaled slowly, fingers drumming against the polished desk. He had almost given up hope that the man would come. Almost. But a nagging instinct told him to wait—one that had rarely failed him before.

  His office was no ordinary workspace. It was a hidden retreat, nestled within the towering structure known as The Forrest Within—an architectural marvel that loomed over the city. Unlike the steel-and-glass giants surrounding it, this building was alive. The uppermost floors were an untamed jungle, a sprawling canopy of trees and thick vines, untouched by modern hands.

  Dorian had designed it himself.

  His cabin sat at the very heart of this suspended wilderness, hidden from the world below. A place where nature had reclaimed steel, where birds nested in skyscraper rafters, and where—when the city’s chaos became too much—Dorian would pick up his air rifle and disappear into the artificial wild.

  The clock struck the hour.

  Just as Dorian rose from his chair, the phone on his desk rang.

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  “Sir, a man is here to see you.” The receptionist’s voice was calm, professional.

  Dorian’s lips curled slightly upwards. So, he came after all.

  “Send him in,” he said, before hanging up.

  A faint rush of relief coursed through him. His eyes focussed toward the door just as it opened.

  A man stepped inside. His movements were cautious, but his eyes—sharp and alert—took in everything.

  Dorian studied him for a long moment before speaking. “I thought you’d never change your mind.”

  The man exhaled. “So did I.”

  Without another word, Dorian turned, pressing a concealed switch beneath his desk. A panel of wood slid open behind his chair, revealing a narrow passage hidden within the cabin walls. Without hesitation, he stepped inside, and the man followed.

  As they emerged into the lush, untamed rooftop jungle, the man’s breath caught in his throat.

  “This…” His voice trailed off as his gaze swept over the scene before him. Towering trees stretched toward the artificial sky, their leaves rustling under a manufactured breeze. A wooden bridge arched over a glimmering waterfall that cascaded down into a hidden lagoon. It was a world above the city—wild, untouched, unreal.

  “I’d only read about this in the papers,” the man murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

  Dorian smirked. “Seeing is different, isn’t it?”

  Before the man could respond, the distant rustling of leaves caught his attention.

  Something moved in the undergrowth. Fast.

  Dorian reached for his rifle.

  “Stay sharp,” he said as he took aim.

  A creature burst from the foliage, charging straight at them.