Cael sat in the back of the luxury car, his heart still pounding.
The tape-wrapped blue sphere rested in his lap, his hands gripping it tightly.
He was trying to stay calm, but the run-in with the police had rattled him.
The officer at the rear window, a young guy with a bored expression, asked them to roll down the glass.
Cael, pulse racing, hid his nerves and carefully let the sphere slip to the car floor, nudging it under the seat with his foot. Then he straightened up, forcing a relaxed posture, though inside he was screaming.
The mustached officer talking to Mrs. Elena suddenly looked at Aria and grinned.
"Excuse me, are you Aria Valen?" he asked, his tone warmer.
Aria, who'd been staring out the window with a look of annoyance, turned her head.
"Yes, that's me," she replied, her voice flat but polite.
The officer's face lit up.
"Well, I'll be! My daughter's a huge fan of your music. Could you… maybe sign an autograph for her? It'd mean the world."
He pulled a small notebook and pen from his belt, holding them out to Aria with an almost childlike grin.
Aria sighed but nodded.
"Sure, no problem," she said, grabbing the notebook. She scribbled her signature with a quick flourish and handed it back to the officer, who looked thrilled.
Meanwhile, another officer inspecting the trunk approached Mrs. Elena's window.
"Ma'am, what's with all those wires and metal parts in that cardboard box?" he asked, frowning as he held a flashlight.
Cael felt the air drain from his lungs.
'This is it, I'm done,' he thought, clenching his teeth.
But before he could even think of an excuse, Mrs. Elena answered with astonishing calm.
"Oh, that," she said, chuckling softly. "It's part of a project for a new song my granddaughter's working on. You know, artist stuff."
The officer holding Aria's notebook widened his eyes, impressed.
"Is that true?" he asked, looking at Aria. "I thought you were taking a break from music. Read something about it in a magazine."
Aria blinked, clearly caught off guard by her grandmother's lie, but she recovered fast.
"Uh… yeah, well, gotta keep the fans on their toes, right?" she said, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.
Mrs. Elena nodded, her expression mischievous.
"Exactly. But please, don't tell anyone, okay? It's a secret project."
She winked at the officer, who seemed delighted to be in on a celebrity's secret.
The officer at the trunk slammed it shut with a thud.
"Sorry for poking through your things, Miss Valen," he said, tipping his head toward Aria. "Didn't know it was important stuff. Thanks for cooperating."
The mustached officer nodded, tucking away the signed notebook.
"You're free to go. Have a good day."
Cael shot a quick glance at the younger officer, who eyed him for a second before waving them off.
Mr. Torres started the car, and the soft hum of the engine filled the silence as they pulled away from the checkpoint.
Cael let out a massive sigh, feeling his lungs empty.
'I'm safe…' he thought, leaning down to carefully retrieve the sphere from the floor. He clutched it to his chest, relieved no one had spotted it.
But when he looked up, he caught Aria staring at him, one eyebrow raised.
"Grandma, why'd you use me as a shield?" Aria asked, crossing her arms.
Mrs. Elena burst out laughing from the front passenger seat.
"Oh, dear, I didn't want to waste time with those officers. Besides, you owed me after making me clean up your kitchen mess last week."
She shot Aria a wink through the rearview mirror.
Aria rolled her eyes.
"That's not fair," she muttered, but didn't push it.
Then she turned back to Cael, pointing at the sphere in his hands.
"Seriously, what is that? Don't just say it's important. Nobody carries something wrapped in duct tape like it's a treasure unless it's something weird."
Cael hesitated. He remembered Yuna's warning—don't tell anyone what you're carrying—but also how Mrs. Elena had smoothly covered for him with that quick lie.
If it weren't for her, the cops might be grilling him right now.
He decided he could trust them, at least a little.
"It's… the core of my project," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I'm presenting it at ArcanTech Industries."
The name of the company made both Aria and Mrs. Elena whip their heads around.
Even Mr. Torres, silent until now, flicked a quick glance through the rearview mirror.
ArcanTech Industries was infamous for producing top-tier security systems and weapons, tech only the most powerful mages could wield.
Just dropping the name carried weight.
"ArcanTech?" Aria said, eyes wide. "Seriously? That's… wow."
Then she frowned, studying the sphere more closely.
"Is that thing some kind of… I don't know, bomb?"
Cael's jaw dropped.
"What? No, it's not a bomb!" he exclaimed, shaking his head.
Mrs. Elena let out another laugh.
"A bomb, Aria? Really? You scared, dear?" she teased, turning to smirk at her granddaughter.
Aria flushed, crossing her arms tighter.
"It's not fear! I'm just saying, Grandma, look at him. He's going to a pitch at ArcanTech with a round thing wrapped in tape. It could be anything!"
She paused, lowering her voice.
"Plus, these days, tons of people without powers are trying to level the playing field with mages. But beating someone who can summon a barrier that stops bullets or explosions… that's not easy."
Cael's stomach twisted.
Aria wasn't entirely wrong. The gap between those with mana talent and those without was massive.
That's why he'd poured everything into the sphere. But he didn't want them thinking he was building a weapon.
"It's not a bomb," he said firmly. "It's a core. A core that can manipulate mana."
The silence that followed was so thick Cael could hear the engine's hum.
Aria stared at him, mouth slightly agape, like she wasn't sure she'd heard right.
Mrs. Elena turned slowly, her face etched with disbelief.
Even Mr. Torres, who barely spoke, let out a quiet "Huh" from the driver's seat.
"A core that manipulates mana?" Aria repeated, leaning toward him. "You're saying that thing can let someone without talent use mana? Like a mage?"
Cael nodded, suddenly feeling exposed.
'I screwed up,' he thought, gripping the sphere tighter.
He'd just spilled the biggest secret of his life to three strangers. But he couldn't help it. He was thrilled.
After months of failures, blackouts, and sleepless nights, he'd created something that could change the world.
He wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
In fact, he remembered how he'd wanted to call Lena to tell her he'd done it.
But Yuna had stopped him, smacking his arm and telling him to wait until he was at the company in person.
"Don't be an idiot, Cael! This is too big to say over the phone!" she'd said.
Aria broke the silence first.
"You're joking, right?" she asked, skeptical but with a hint of excitement. "You're not messing with us?"
Cael shook his head.
"No, it's not a joke. It's real. That's why I'm going to ArcanTech. If I can get them to accept the project, it'll change everything."
He paused, looking at the three of them.
"But… please, don't tell anyone. Not until it's official."
Aria leaned closer, her eyes gleaming.
"How'd you do it?" she asked, almost breathless. "How'd you pull off something nobody's done? Scientists have tried for years, and they've all failed. Even dragons are the only beings besides humans who can use mana!"
Mrs. Elena raised a hand.
"Aria, settle down," she said, her tone firm but warm. "Don't overwhelm the boy. It's not polite."
Aria sank back, her cheeks pink.
"Sorry," she mumbled, looking away. "I didn't mean… I'm just shocked, okay? I'm tired, and this is… a lot."
Cael couldn't help but smile.
The way Aria stumbled over her apology, tripping on her words, was kind of funny.
For a moment, he forgot the stress of the police encounter and the pressure of the meeting.
But then he thought of Lena, his girlfriend, and a pang of guilt hit him.
He was about to clarify that he had a partner, to draw a clear line, but Mrs. Elena spoke first.
"Kid," she said, turning to him with a smile. "If for some reason ArcanTech doesn't buy into your project… could you give me your contact info? An invention like that shouldn't go to waste."
Cael blinked, caught off guard.
"My number?" he repeated, unsure how to respond.