1 Leo
Leo Wright was a light-skinned American in his mid-twenties, but already successful for someone his age. He was barely over six feet tall with his short black hair neatly combed back. He wore a navy blue tuxedo and an average-quality watch as he slept behind a desk.
Judging based on appearance alone, Leo would consider himself a six over ten. Good enough for the ladies to look his way occasionally, but not good-looking enough to render them speechless.
Leo lost his parents at a tender age. He couldn't even picture their faces in his mind anymore as the memory was vague. Raised by his grandparents in the state of Florida left him psychologically imbalanced, but even with such a setback, Leo was still the best in his class and got awarded a scholarship. High school life was tough as he lacked friends and the will to make one.
Not long after his grandad died, Leo got into law school and pushed forward without a second thought. He was someone who couldn't be considered lazy, but he wasn't the type to go the extra mile for a better result. As such, Leo only graduated with enough good grades to get a job as a Junior Associate at White Associates Law firm here in Florida.
Just two months after that, Leo's grandma died of a terminal illness.
One can't say Leo's life has been rosy considering his life experiences. Even though he had a good job, it wasn't enough to say that Leo was living the dream. What many fail to understand is that Leo had been able to get through all of this not because he was strong-willed, but because he simply didn't care anymore.
With the events he had experienced in life, both his parents' and grandparents' death as well as the bullying he went through because of the former, Leo had conditioned his mind to accept whatever comes as it is while simply doing the best he could without trying too hard at the same time.
If life is always so fickle, why dedicate so much effort and time to it?
What's the point of working so hard to make so much more money when it can be taken away all in an instant?
What is the point of having goals when you don't even have control over your life?
Leo opened his eyes lazily and frowned almost right after with a sigh. Once again, he had lost the opportunity to die peacefully in his sleep rather than in a car accident or something more gruesome.
'Ahhhh-hhaaaaaa'
He sat up while yawning, bringing the entire room into his field of vision. It was a medium-sized office room of about 150 square feet, decorated with a desk and two chairs across the desk.
Just a few feet away from the entrance were four single-seater couches neatly placed parallel to each other with a glass centre table in between.
Behind him was a massive cupboard filled with neatly packed books that Leo had been forced to read during his most boring days at work. There were also important files arranged in such a way only he can navigate through them.
There were no extra decorations in the office.
No pictures.
Nothing.
Leo has always been that type of guy.
Another boring day of work with nothing to do for junior associates like himself has come and gone. With a glance at his wristwatch, Leo silently grumbled when he realized it was still 4:11 pm.
"Fuck it." Leo said dryly as he got off his seat and began packing some documents littered on his desk into his briefcase.
He refused to wait till 5 pm before leaving office, especially on days like this when he was sure there was nothing to do.
"Fortunately, I'm practically invisible. No one will notice when I'm gone." Leo said in a sarcastic tone as he pushed in the direction of the exit.
Creak!
The door swung open and Leo swaggered out of the room and casually walked towards the elevator without bothering to give anyone a look.
From the corner of his eyes, he spotted a familiar figure, and he instantly knew who she was.
Alicia Madison, secretary to the only senior associate in this branch, Stephan Wall. Rumors of the two having an affair had long circulated, so Leo pushed her to the back of his mind. He was not going to risk his freedom for some hoe who probably doesn't even care about his existence.
Leo quickened his pace while trying not to make it obvious. At this point in his life, nothing was more important than his exit plan.
---
Leo took a cab home, not because he couldn't afford a ride. The average annual income of a junior associate in the United States is somewhere around sixty-five thousand dollars.
As a young bachelor with no family ties or close friends, Leo had all this money to himself. Yet he wasn't living an extravagant lifestyle.
Why?
Too stressful and it's also costly to maintain. This will force him to work harder than usual. Shifting the balance in his peaceful life.
Never!
Leo walked into the compound after paying for the fare and quickly walked up the stairs to his apartment is on the first floor.
As soon as he reached the first floor his eyes instinctively shifted to the door by the left.
"Maria Gracia..." He muttered in a low tone.
He was never the type to take note of his neighbors, but this one in particular caught his attention. Unfortunately, his low self-esteem has been working wonders.
Is it fear of rejection or simply lack of self-esteem, Leo lacked none. He quickly pushed his thoughts aside and pulled out his keys from his pocket.
Click!
Leo unlocked the door to his room and stepped in.
The moment Leo's leg passed the door frame and touched the ground, it felt like his head was assaulted brutally with a sledgehammer, as an intense force struck Leo knocking him out on the spot.
---
What happened?
Did I get jumped?
Why is it dark?
Leo's mind was thrown into a state of confusion, causing him to panic. He drew quick breaths and tried to move his body only to realize he wasn't bound by anything to start with.
This came as a surprise since he never entertained the possibility of getting robbed or kidnapped. He could feel the wind washing through his entire figure which led him to believe he was being moved somewhere.
With great reluctance, Leo slowly opened his eyes only to be thrown off balance by the scene.
"The fuck?" Leo muttered as a cold wind washed through his body, sending chills down his spine.
Leo's body was suspended in midair, and it seemed like a really windy day. Below was a wide canyon, larger than the Grand Canyon, with three different streams meeting at a forked road.
Ha!
Leo exhaled heavily, unable to mutter a word that could describe the scene. A refreshing yet terrifying feeling washed through him, leaving him wondering how he got here.
A moment ago he just stepped into his apartment but now, somehow he was capable of flight.
