Just like that, the room became quiet again.
Caesar and Marcus didn’t know what Gray was thinking at the moment. However, they had no choice but to trust him on this one after agreeing to his words earlier.
The clock on the wall ticked lowly amidst the silence.
Gray leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on the door. He was calm on the outside, but inside, he was feeling a sort of emotion.
Thankfully, their wait wasn’t long.
Just under twenty minutes later, there was a soft knock at the door.
Ms. Lopez opened it, and Clarisse stepped inside.
She looked composed, but it was obvious how she rushed to come back. Sweat slid down her forehead, and her perfectly ironed clothes now had a few creases on them.
"Good afternoon again," she said politely, bowing slightly. "I hope I didn’t make you wait for too long."
"Not at all," Gray replied, standing. "Thank you for coming back."
She nodded, but her eyes flicked subtly around the room, landing on the open folders on the table, then back to Gray. Her expression shifted to confusion, but the question on her brain was obvious.
’Why am I here?’
’Am I about to get hired?’
’Ha! Did my plan work?’
Before Clarisse could step further into the room, another knock sounded.
Joel stepped in behind Ms. Lopez with a genuine smile. He was slightly more casual than before but still respectful. More than that, it was obvious how happy he was to get called back.
’Good thing I was just nearby,’ he muttered to himself.
He glanced at Clarisse and gave her a polite nod, however, Clarisse just looked at him.
’Oh?’ Joel was embarrassed by it.
"You may sit now."
They both sat down across the table again, in their earlier positions, but the energy was different now.
Joel leaned back just slightly, trying to look relaxed, but the way he tapped his thumb against his knee betrayed him. He was happy to be here, but he was also nervous at the same time.
Clarisse folded her hands neatly in her lap. However, it was certain how confident she was by the way she glanced around.
Gray looked between the two of them.
"I know this is a little unconventional," he said after a moment. "But I didn’t call you both back to test you. This isn’t an interview. It’s just... a conversation."
He paused for a moment, letting the words settle between them.
"I wanted to see you both again. That’s all."
Clarisse blinked. Her mouth opened slightly, like she wasn’t sure if she should thank him or ask if that was supposed to reassure her.
Joel, meanwhile, scratched the side of his neck.
"I’m not gonna lie... that makes me more nervous, sir."
Gray chuckled under his breath. "Sorry about that."
Caesar leaned forward with an amused look on his face. "You two are the final candidates," he said bluntly. "We’re down to the deciding. That’s why you’re here."
Clarisse and Joel both straightened a bit at that.
Gray watched their reactions carefully.
Neither of them smiled. Neither looked smug. Clarisse’s brows pulled together, and Joel’s eyes darted downward briefly before he nodded once, processing.
"I’ll keep it simple," Gray said. "I’ve already seen your skills. I’ve read your files. But what I want to understand now is... what kind of person you are."
He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table.
"This won’t take long. I just want to ask you one last thing."
Clarisse’s hands tightened slightly together. Joel stopped tapping his thumb to focus on it.
Gray looked at them both. He didn’t raise his voice.
"If you don’t get this job... what will you do next?"
The question lingered in the air after Gray asked it.
Clarisse and Joel both paused.
Across the table, Caesar raised a brow.
’We called them back... just for this?’ His eyes briefly flicked to Marcus, who shifted slightly in his seat.
Marcus didn’t speak, but his brows twitched as he scribbled something into his notes.
’He really just wants to ask that?’
Still, neither of them interrupted. It was Gray’s call, and as unusual as it was, they agreed to trust him. Now all they could do was listen to their answers and judge.
Gray, meanwhile, leaned back slightly. His face was unreadable, but inside, his mind was sharp and focused.
’Now...’
[Activating Skill: Eye of the Beholder.]
A faint ring echoed in his head as a subtle pulse of pressure spread behind his eyes. It wasn’t painful, but it was uncomfortable. He could feel his vision turning blurry for a second before returning to normal.
The moment the skill triggered, the atmosphere around him shifted.
Colors around the candidates grew slightly more vivid. There were subtle halos outlining their bodies, like thin layers of tinted smoke.
’Damn...’
Gray was speechless as he looked at it.
The smoke coming from Joel’s body flickered faintly in a warm, soft amber color with hints of dull gold.
Clarisse, on the other hand, shimmered with a cooler glow. The smoke was also in amber; however, there was a hint of darkness on it.
Gray felt his heart becoming heavy as his vision continued to process both of them.
Still, he didn’t know the meaning of the smokes.
[Ding!]
[White smoke means that the person has a good personality, Host.]
’So that means they’re both good people? But what about the different color to it?’
Gray’s gaze shifted subtly between the two. He was waiting for the system to answer, but he didn’t speak further.
Gray sighed. As he closed his eyes to collect his thoughts, he was surprised to feel his head starting to ache. His body was getting heavier.
’So this is what the skill meant about draining his stamina...’ he quickly realized. The fatigue was settling in now, draining him from the inside out.
Despite feeling tired, Gray held it in. He kept his eyes in front when they started answering.