Morgan’s car moved along a deserted road, the asphalt stretching ahead like a forgotten scar. Though still paved, the surrounding vegetation was beginning to swallow the roadway—branches and roots advancing without ceremony, as if nature were slowly reclaiming what had been taken from it.

  — In two hundred meters, turn right, — announced the GPS’s synthetic voice.

  Morgan frowned.

  — What?

  To the right, amid dense undergrowth, a dirt road appeared—nearly invisible, far too narrow to inspire any confidence.

  — Turn right, — the GPS insisted.

  Morgan slowed down and steered onto the dirt road.

  The car began to jolt immediately. Potholes littered the uneven path, and the trail was so narrow that plants and branches scraped against the bodywork, producing a harsh, continuous sound. The sensation was that of pushing forward into a place that did not want to be found.

  The road ended abruptly before an unexpected structure: a covered bridge—solid, more like an ancient building than a simple crossing. The door granting access to the bridge was closed.

  Morgan parked and stepped out of the car.

  On the other side of the bridge, nothing could be seen. A tall wall surrounded the entire area, completely blocking the view of whatever lay beyond. There were no signs, no markers, no indication of what was hidden there.

  For a moment, the silence felt absolute.

  Then the bridge door opened.

  A man stepped out and walked toward Morgan with calm, almost deliberate steps.

  — I imagine you’re Detective Jones, — he said.

  As he drew closer, he extended his hand. Morgan took it after a brief second of hesitation.

  — You can call me Morgan.

  The man smiled faintly.

  — All right, Morgan. It’s a pleasure to welcome you to our community, despite the circumstances. — He made a discreet gesture around them. — I’m Thomas, responsible for Elysium.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Morgan studied him carefully.

  — You’re the leader?

  Thomas shook his head, as if the word bothered him.

  — At Elysium, we don’t believe in hierarchies. — His voice was calm, almost instructional. — I merely guide the members. Like a father… or an older brother.

  Morgan didn’t look convinced.

  — Can you open the gate so I can drive in?

  Thomas maintained the same serene tone.

  — I’m afraid the car will have to stay here. Elysium’s rules don’t allow any kind of technology inside.

  He then gestured, inviting Morgan to follow him toward the bridge door.

  Morgan cast one last glance at the car before beginning to walk alongside Thomas.

  The interior of the bridge was not what Morgan expected.

  The moment he crossed the threshold, he found himself in a narrow, sealed room filled with technological instruments embedded in the walls. Metallic surfaces, sensors, articulated arms, and light panels formed an environment that felt far more like a laboratory than the entrance to a community that claimed to reject technology.

  Morgan glanced around.

  — I thought technology was forbidden here.

  Thomas closed the door behind them carefully before replying.

  — Unfortunately, some measures are still necessary, — he said in a restrained tone. — Security and decontamination.

  He stepped up to a wall panel and pressed a button. A metallic sound echoed through the room—locks engaging, sealing the environment completely.

  Thomas turned back to Morgan.

  — You don’t have any vital implants?

  — No.

  There was a brief silence.

  Then a mechanical voice filled the room.

  — Initiating decontamination.

  Before Morgan could react, scanners began to move around them. Beams of bluish light swept through the air in meticulous patterns, while jets of white vapor escaped from small openings in the walls, slowly enveloping both men.

  Morgan watched it all with a half-ironic smile on his lips.

  — Look at that… your computer talks.

  Thomas remained silent, clearly uncomfortable.

  As the scan continued, Morgan noticed something strange. The tiny LEDs of his implants, visible beneath the skin of his hands, began to blink… and then went completely dark.

  He frowned, but said nothing.

  After a few moments, the scanners stopped. The mist began to dissipate, revealing the metallic walls of the room once more.

  — Decontamination complete, — announced the artificial voice.

  When the air fully cleared, Morgan noticed something different. There was a faint glow in the room, almost imperceptible, as if the very air had been filtered into an artificially pure state.

  Thomas walked to the other side of the room and pressed another button. The door ahead of them opened with a soft hiss.

  — You may proceed, — he said.

  Thomas stepped out first. Morgan hesitated for a second, casting one last look at the room before following him to the other side of the bridge.

  He was finally entering Elysium.