Aiden looked up and saw a man climbing onto a podium that had been set up near the main staircase. He was in his twenties, wearing a formal Hunter Association uniform with rank insignia that marked him as an A-rank official. His presence radiated authority even before he opened his mouth.
"Hello," the man said, his voice projecting across the lobby.
Nobody stopped talking. The roar of conversation continued unchanged, hundreds of people too focused on their own discussions to notice one more person speaking.
The man's expression didn't change. "Hello," he repeated, louder this time.
Still nothing. Maybe a few people near the podium glanced up, but the overall noise level stayed the same.
The man took a breath, and Aiden felt the shift in the air a heartbeat before it happened.
Power flooded into the man's voice, spiritual energy amplifying the sound until it hit like a physical force.
"HELLO!"
The word crashed through the lobby like a thunderclap.
