After meeting with Ash at yesterday night, Mark felt very much freshened the next morning. As his birthday at the Valentines Day on the year 3047 was tomorrow, he would have to meet the elders of his family at his home. So, he prepared to go to his stepbrother's Art & Craft Institution for the first time.
While preparing, he started missing his parents. He kept looking at the pistol for a long time. He somewhat regretted his decision back then to listen his stepmom's order to visit at his cousin's place at that night. Otherwise, he hoped that horrible event wouldn't happen at the first place. When he came at the next morning of that event, he couldn't find his stepparents and his dearest stepbrother Azrael. After thousands of requests to his elders, he finally came to know after almost six months of their disappearances that, they betrayed the 'Voidryn' family and fled from there. He first of all couldn't believe that statements. But, unfortunately, he had nothing to prove that wrong. So, he kinda had come to believe slowly.
However, the sudden phone call and the encounter of an unknown person linked to his long lost stepbrother at the past night, changed everything. So, now he had decided to uncover the actual hidden truth behind all lies he had heard for the past couple of months. But for that, he had to cooperate with that unknown person, so that he could find Azrael's body. Only then, they could do anything about that.
He wore a black suit, a black pants, and the conical hat on his head. With that pistol in his pocket, he set out for Azrael's institution. After half an hours, he reached at that place.
Upon reaching there, Mark was amazed to see the grand expanse of the institution. Each floor, rooftop, and wall was made with glass. Many walls were decorated with various intricate craftings, carvings, and paintings. While noticing those beautiful decorations, he gradually reached at the reception.
"May I help you, sir?" From the reception, a lady spoke.
Mark didn't say anything. He just put that pistol on the reception table.
"Oh god, Lana come here, quick!" As the lady noticed that pistol, she instantly stood up from her chair. Without thinking anything, she immediately called another office coworker.
"What happened, Susanne?" Lana, that another office coworker rushed at the reception and asked the receptionist, Susanne.
After that, Susanne told Mark to wait there for sometimes and dragged Lana inside. After some serious murmuring discussions, both of them came back at the reception.
"Director told us yesterday about you. Sorry for your waiting. Come with us. We will give you a tour of this office. And then, you will take the director's position during his absence..." Susanne told him with a gentle tone.
After that, Susanne and Lana gave a tour of the office to Mark. Mark silently witnessed the entire office. He gradually became astonished to see the grandeur and elegance of the beauty of the interface and infrastructure of the office.
After taking the tour for an hour, he finally entered Azrael's cabin with both of the ladies. By that time, already all the coworkers were present there. Before Mark, everyone bowed down with respect.
"As per our ex director's direction, from now on, you will be our new president, director, and the CEO of this institution. We all great to have you in the team. We all will be looking forward to your rightful guidance for further development of this company..." Lana came forward and spoke on behalf of everyone.
Mark took his conical black hat off his head and greeted them with a proper ecstasy with decency. After that, everyone left the cabin.
Mark was not as proficient in crafting as his stepbrother and stepmother, rather he was mainly proficient in artistry and wall paintings. From his childhood, he was praised even from the elders as well for his artistic creativity. So, he thought he would be fit in that institution smoothly with his quality in arts.
After fiddling around all the Azrael's papers, Mark gradually learned how that company worked, its economics states, multiple various deals, various art styles used in the institution's various activities, its influences over the city, etc. He was shocked to realized the fact that, directly and indirectly from the institution, millions of gold coins and gold bars, named as 'Dolar' had been donated in multiple charities across the city. On the other hand, even though from the outside, that institution looked like a completely ordinary art & craft company, but it had actually a respected reputations and influences among a lot big hidden powers. He was even shocked to notice in many papers that, the 'Caesar' family actually was donating millions of gold bars secretly in the funds of the company. That's why, even after all the donations to the charities, the company's revenue was still in millions.
At that very moment, Mark's eyes went on a yellowish paper hidden within the stack of confidential papers. Mainly its yellowish color attracted his eyes. That paper was covered with pale yellowish color, as if it seemed to give off a rotten and ancient vibe.
With utmost curiosity, he gradually took out that paper and opened. With an instant, the cabin was filled with a rotten smell. However, the paper was shockingly blank completely. Only he could see the yellowish color across the paper.
Mark kept looking at that paper for a few minutes. He was thinking about the papers and the activities of company. Multiple complex thoughts came crashing into his mind.
"Where have I ended up? I thought this company will be normal as others, but guess what, now I'm stuck in such complex web of corporate world... Now I can totally feel the real pressure of my father and my brother. From outside this looks like a normal company. But in backend, my brother had actually handled such hidden influences, while retaining its normal act in front of outside world. So brilliant act of deception..." He spoke in his mind.
At that very moment, suddenly something hit upon his mind. He gradually put the paper over a candlelight. Within a few seconds, some symbols became visible on the paper. A joyous smile flashed on his face. He could clearly remember, in his childhood he and Azrael had played an encrypt-decrypt game, where such tricks had used to decode various puzzles.
"13TH FEBRUARY, 3047... 10PM AT NIGHT... BIRMINGHAM CASTLE..."
Reading these words, Mark became scared. He immediately called the manager into his cabin. As the manager entered, he straight showed that writings to the manager. The manager was completely clueless.
"I don't know what this all meant, sir. Only I know that two days prior, our ex-manager insisted our ex-director onto one thing, but he didn't listen her requests. We hoped it was regarding some kind of picnic gatherings. Other than that, I don't know anything about it..." The manager spoke in solemn tone.
Hearing that, Mark became suspicious about the source of the paper and finally decided to go at that place at that time, written on the paper.
At that moment, suddenly his mobile rang out a loud sound...