The hyper-luxurious private lounge fell into a heavy, uneven silence. Hide remained standing, his hands loosely buried in his jacket pockets as his cold blue eyes quietly tracked the two men across the room.
With his enhanced perception and street-honed instincts, it took him less than ten seconds to dissect the reality of the room.
Sitting behind the massive black-glass desk, clad in a brown formal coat, Director Raymond looked sharp and disciplined—but his fingers were tightly interlocked, his knuckles faintly white.
There was no mana beneath his skin. He was entirely unawakened. He was a normal baseline human who had built his corporate wealth out of sheer intellectual grit, founding a specialized company that manufactured high-end communicators and electrical components used across major skyscrapers and official NEA training facilities.
