CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE - THE NEW ASSIGNMENT

  Nia wiped the sweat from her brow as she finished polishing the expansive marble lobby of Colossius Tech. The afternoon sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across the gleaming floor. She stepped back to admire her work, a sense of pride swelling in her chest despite the menial nature of the task. "Nia!" a gruff voice called out. She turned to see Old Man Barnaby shuffling towards her, his weathered face creased with concern. "What's up, Barnaby?" Nia asked, setting aside her cleaning supplies. Barnaby ran a hand through his thinning gray hair. "Mr. Harlow's called an emergency meeting in the break room. Says it's urgent." Nia frowned. "Emergency meeting? That doesn't sound good." "No, it doesn't," Barnaby agreed, shaking his head. "Better hurry. He wants everyone there pronto." Together, they made their way to the small break room tucked away in the back of the building. As they approached, Nia could hear the murmur of voices and the scrapin