"Ma'am, the documents have been sorted according to urgency and relevance," Christie informed Celeste in her usual crisp, efficient tone.
Celeste gave a slight nod, reaching for the top batch—operational reports. She began flipping through them, her eyes quickly settling on the section marked Innovation and R&D Updates. Among the highlighted developments, one in particular caught her attention:
Virenex—a Neuromodulatory Stabilizer designed to prevent burnout and neurological backlash from the excessive use of awakened abilities.
The summary had been rewritten in layman's terms for executive review:
"Temporarily regulates the energy-feedback loop in high-tier awakeners to reduce strain on the brain and nervous system."
She raised a brow in mild surprise as she read the accompanying trial status:
Phase II Trials – Extremely effective, with rare cases of neural dependency.
"Well," she murmured to herself, "it's good that Virenex made it past Phase II. If it succeeds in Phase III, it'll be a breakthrough not just for us, but for the entire awakened community." Her tone was pleased, but measured—Celeste Lancaster was not one to celebrate prematurely.
After finishing the operational reports, she reached for the next batch of paperwork—and sighed.
These were the financial audits, inter-departmental assessments, personnel updates, and a number of pending diplomatic correspondences. All necessary, all tedious.
Time passed.
Eventually, she checked the clock on her desk—6:00 PM. Her eyes swept over the now-organized stack of signed and reviewed documents.
She leaned back and exhaled deeply.
"I really shouldn't let the paperwork pile up like that again," she muttered. Then, with a glance at Christie, added with a rare smile, "What would I do without you?"
Christie responded with a small, warm grin. "Well, it is my job to make your workload lighter, ma'am."
Celeste gave a faint chuckle, but before she could respond, Christie's professional tone returned.
"Ma'am, the Kingsleigh family has extended an invitation. They're hosting a party and have invited your family to attend."
Celeste's smile faded into a neutral expression. "Who else is going?"
"Your parents won't be attending—they're going to Switzerland to enroll Elias Lancaster to the World Awakeners' Academy. Miss Vivienne said she's occupied with consortium matters," Christie reported succinctly.
Celeste closed the folder she had been skimming. "Fine. Notify Ren that we'll be leaving for the Kingsleigh Company in thirty minutes. I'll cultivate my force control first."
"Understood" Christie said with a polite nod, already turning to carry out the instruction.
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Ren drove the car steadily toward the Kingsleigh Company high-rise building. They are also a conglomerate.
As expected, they were stopped at a security checkpoint just before the entrance.
Celeste rolled down her window and spoke clearly, "Celeste Lancaster."
The moment her name registered, the guards visibly stiffened, their posture straightening with a mix of respect and alarm. Within seconds, the barrier lifted.
"My apologies, Miss Lancaster. We didn't mean to keep you waiting," one of the guards said hastily.
Though the Kingsleighs were a family of high standing, they still fell short of the prestige wielded by the Lancaster family. The Lancasters, after all, were an old dynasty that had cemented their foothold in Los Angeles as early as the 1600s—a revelation that had once surprised Ren, considering how much earlier America had been founded in this world compared to his past life.
The Solari Consortium, helmed by the Lancaster family, was a vast conglomerate that had influence in every major industry across not just America but also globally—technology, pharmaceuticals, energy, media, defense, bio-research—far surpassing the Kingsleigh Company in reach and power. To top it off, Alaric Lancaster, Celeste's father, was known as one of the top five strongest awakeners in California where power matters the most in the world of awakeners.
Ren pulled into the driveway and parked near the grand entrance. Stepping out, he walked briskly to the passenger side and opened the door for Celeste. Christie, her executive assistant, exited from the other side. Ren handed the car keys to the valet before falling into step behind them, flanking the two women.
The three entered the banquet hall, where the party was already underway. Celeste was immediately greeted by Sebastian Kingsleigh, patriarch of the family, and his wife, Dahlia.
"It's good to see you again, Celeste," Sebastian said warmly. "You've grown more beautiful with every passing year."
"Indeed, dear," Dahlia added with a graceful nod.
"Thank you for inviting us," Celeste replied politely. "Please forgive my parents for not attending tonight—and my sister Vivienne as well."
"That's quite alright," Sebastian waved it off. "Your parents are busy people. I heard they're flying to Switzerland soon to enroll Elias."
"Oh, my children have arrived," Dahlia interrupted cheerfully. "Celeste, you already know Lucien and Liam, but I believe you haven't met our youngest—Rowena. She's ten."
Celeste greeted Lucien, who was twelve years her senior, with familiar ease, and then Liam, who was closer to her age. Both brothers had graduated from the America Awakeners' Academy. Finally, she bent down slightly to greet Rowena, cooing to her in a lighthearted tone.
Sebastian smiled. "Please, enjoy the party, Celeste. Lucien, Rowena—come, we have other guests to greet." With that, he and Dahlia moved along.
As they left, Liam turned to Celeste, gesturing toward Ren. "And who's this?"
"That's Ren—my personal bodyguard," Celeste replied flatly.
"Is he new? I don't remember seeing him before."
"Yes, he is. My father personally assigned him to me," Celeste answered.
Liam's expression shifted in surprise. "Your father did?"
"What do you want, Liam?" Celeste asked, irritation evident in her voice.
"Come on, Celeste," Liam said, stepping closer with a disarming smile. "It's been two years since we last saw each other."
Before he could close the distance further, Ren subtly stepped in, positioning himself between Liam and Celeste. At six-foot-four, Ren had a clear physical advantage over Liam, who was six feet even.
"Step aside," Liam ordered sharply.
"It's okay, Ren. You can step back," Celeste said calmly.
Then, her voice dropped low and cold. "If I were you, Liam, I'd stop right there. My patience isn't infinite."
Her eyes narrowed. "You think wooing me would somehow make you the next Kingsleigh patriarch? You're a fool."
Liam's face twisted in anger. "You dare—"
"Yes, I dare," Celeste cut him off, her voice tinged with psychic resonance as she used her echokinesis subtly—just enough to intimidate.
"I think you forget who I am," she said sharply. "And if you don't back off, I might just remind your father what you did two years ago. I wonder if he'd disown you."
Liam blanched, all color draining from his face. Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Ren glanced at Celeste, mildly curious. "What was that about?"
Celeste smirked. "That fool asked for my hand in marriage two years ago. At first, I thought he was joking. When I told him to back off, he didn't take it well. So—I beat the shit out of him."
"I didn't know the Kingsleigh's second son was an idiot," Christie commented dryly.
Celeste chuckled. "Now you do."
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Sebastian Kingsleigh approached the podium, his expression a polished mask of pride and composure. The murmuring in the banquet hall quieted as the spotlight turned toward him. He adjusted the mic and began to speak, his voice calm yet firm, practiced for moments like this.
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests, and dear friends," Sebastian began, "it is always a pleasure to stand before our peers and partners, especially in times of prosperity. The Kingsleigh Corporation has seen exponential growth this past fiscal year, expanding our presence not only in domestic markets but solidifying our footprint in the global biotech and logistics sectors."
Polite applause followed. He waited a beat before continuing.
"And I am proud to announce tonight a breakthrough in one of our most ambitious ventures yet—Project Noctis. This initiative is aimed at developing a next-generation Cognitive Accelerant—a neuro-chemical enhancer designed for awakeners who operate in high-pressure environments. Unlike existing stimulants, Noctis is designed for clean, adaptive neural enhancement without the residual crashes or long-term degradation."
There was a stir of interest from the audience, whispers of curiosity spreading among executives and awakeners alike.
Sebastian's eyes gleamed. "Currently in early prototype testing, Noctis has shown remarkable promise in elevating processing speed, memory retention, and real-time combat cognition. We believe this will redefine what awakened capability truly means in our time—"
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion rocked the entire high-rise. The chandeliers above trembled violently, wine glasses shattered, screams erupted from startled guests, and the very floor beneath them groaned. The walls quaked. Dust fell from the ceiling like ash.
Ren instinctively moved, shielding Celeste and Christie with his body. His eyes swept the room, scanning for threats, exits, and possible structural damage.
An armed Kingsleigh agent bolted toward the podium, dodging stunned guests. He reached Sebastian and leaned in, whispering urgently into his ear.
Sebastian's composed expression twisted into a scowl. He gripped the microphone again, his voice clipped with fury.
"This event is under attack," he announced grimly. "My agents are already engaging hostile forces within the perimeter. I ask all guests to remain calm and follow emergency protocols. You will be escorted—"
Another rumble coursed through the building, lighter this time, but more focused—localized combat, perhaps.
Ren turned to Celeste, voice firm. "I have to get you to safety. I've already memorized the building's emergency exits. We leave—now."
Celeste nodded immediately, her mind already calculating risk.
They began to move quickly toward the eastern hallway, the one Ren had earlier identified as the least exposed. Christie stayed close behind.
But just as they reached the wide entrance of the banquet hall, a voice echoed sharply across the now-chaotic space.
"Well, well, well… what do we have here?"
A man stood in the blown-open threshold, framed by smoke and debris, a cruel grin stretched across his face. His eyes locked onto Celeste.
"We've got ourselves a big fish," he said, his tone mocking.
And behind him, shadowy figures began to emerge from the smoke.