Chapter 4 - The Mirror in the Screen
The old man pulled the grey wool blanket closer around his chest, staring at the teenage bellhop. The bruised swelling on his cheek stood out in stark relief against his weathered skin under the warm chandelier light.
"You knew this could cost your job?" the old man asked softly, his raspy tone laced with deep concern.
Toby looked down at his green uniform jacket, then back at the old man with absolute clarity. "You were freezing," he answered simply.
Before Julian could call security, the old man slowly reached into the inner pocket of his filthy, worn brown coat. He did not pull out spare change or a crumpled bus ticket. Instead, his dirt-stained fingers produced a sleek, ultra-thin smartphone made of dark matte titanium—a state-of-the-art prototype not yet available to the public.
He unlocked the device with a thumbprint scan, dialed a single number, and held the phone to his ear.
May you like
"I've seen enough," the old man said into the speaker, his voice losing every trace of raspy weakness, transforming into the crisp, commanding tone of an executive. "Tell the committee I found my candidate."
Julian froze in place, his face draining of color as he stared at the smartphone. Toby blinked in complete bewilderment.
