Cael stepped out of the elevator on the 12th floor of ArcanTech Industries, clutching the tape-wrapped blue sphere in one hand and the cardboard box in the other.
The hallway was wide, with glass walls revealing offices packed with employees working at computers and holographic screens.
Everyone was dressed in pristine suits, perfectly pressed shirts, and ties that probably cost more than Cael's entire wardrobe.
A few glanced at him sideways, noting his wrinkled suit and cardboard box, but no one said a word.
Cael tried to ignore them, focusing on the sign pointing to "Conference Room B" at the end of the hall.
When he arrived, he was hit with a surprise. A line of at least fifteen people stretched in front of the conference room door.
Men and women, some young like him, others older, all in formal attire.
Many pushed carts with devices draped in cloth or carried sleek metal cases, while others held smaller prototypes in their hands.
The air buzzed with excited murmurs, and Cael caught snippets of conversation as he joined the back of the line.
"If my energy stabilizer passes the test, ArcanTech could mass-produce it," a man with glasses said, tweaking a square device on his cart.
"I heard they're livestreaming the event," a young woman beside him added, reviewing notes on her tablet. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime shot. If we impress the panel, we could land investors."
Cael frowned, a knot forming in his stomach.
'A public event?' he thought, gripping the sphere tighter.
Lena hadn't mentioned this would be a massive presentation.
He'd expected a private meeting, maybe with a couple of executives, not some kind of competition where he'd have to speak in front of an audience.
Cael hated public speaking. He'd told Lena a thousand times how nervous it made him—how his voice shook and his hands got sweaty.
She knew that, so why hadn't she warned him?
'This is insane,' he thought, scanning the people in line. They all seemed confident, rehearsing their pitches under their breath or fiddling with their devices.
Some laughed, others looked serious, but they all shared an energy Cael didn't feel.
He just wanted to show off the sphere, prove it worked, and change his life—not compete in a spectacle.
For a moment, Cael considered turning around and bolting.
The thought of presenting his invention to a crowd, with cameras rolling and strangers judging him, filled him with dread.
And though the odds were slim, there was always a chance the sphere could fail.
It had worked, but what if something went wrong now?
What if the core destabilized or didn't respond?
Failing in front of all these people, after everything he'd sacrificed, would be unbearable.
'No,' he told himself, shaking his head. 'I can't give up now. Not after all this.'
Cael clenched his jaw and forced himself to stay in line, though his hands trembled slightly.
The sphere was his ticket to a better life—for him and Yuna. He couldn't let fear stop him.
Suddenly, a familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Cael!"
He turned and saw Lena striding toward him. Her green hair shimmered under the hallway lights, falling in perfect waves over her shoulders. Her emerald eyes locked onto him with relief and something else Cael couldn't quite read.
Lena wore a fitted black suit with a white blouse that hugged her figure, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor.
She was the picture of an ArcanTech professional, and Cael felt a twinge of pride seeing her.
Lena smiled and hurried over, opening her arms to hug him.
"You're here!" she said, wrapping him in an awkward embrace since Cael was still holding the box and sphere.
The hug was warm but brief, and when she pulled back, her brow furrowed.
"You're an idiot, you know that? Seriously, sending me your location before you left was such a simple thing. Why didn't you do it?"
Cael let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand.
"I forgot, Lena. I didn't sleep at all last night—I was working on the sphere till dawn. My head was all over the place."
Lena rolled her eyes, but her expression softened slightly.
"You always have an excuse," she said, crossing her arms. Then she glanced at the box and sphere in his hands. "And what's all this? Is this your invention?"
Cael nodded, straightening with pride.
"Yeah, this is the core and the tools I need to show how it works. It's what I told you, Lena. I did it!"
Lena raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. But before she could respond, Cael noticed something on her neck. Just below her blouse's collar, there was a reddish mark, like a hickey.
He frowned, a knot tightening in his chest.
"What's that on your neck?" he asked, nodding toward it.
Lena blinked, caught off guard, and quickly covered the mark with her hand.
"Oh, this… I hurt myself," she said, forcing a laugh. "Banged into the closet door this morning. I'm a mess, you know."
Cael stared at her, doubtful.
The explanation felt flimsy, and something about the way she avoided his eyes made him uneasy.
But before he could press, Lena changed the subject, reaching for the tape-wrapped sphere.
"Hey, this looks interesting," she said, snatching it from his hands with a quick motion. "What is it? Looks like a giant egg wrapped in tape."
Cael tensed.
"Careful, Lena, it's fragile," he said, reaching to take it back. "Under the tape is the sphere. The real core. I wrapped it so it wouldn't draw attention on the way here."
Lena blinked, surprised.
"Why didn't you lead with that?" she said, laughing. Without asking, she started peeling off the brown tape, piece by piece, until the blue sphere was exposed.
It was the size of a fist, its smooth surface glowing softly, like it was alive.
Lena held it in her hands, eyes wide.
"Wow… it's beautiful. How does it work?"
Cael glanced around, noticing a few people in line watching them curiously.
He lowered his voice, leaning closer.
"It's a core that manipulates mana," he whispered. "It can let anyone—even someone without talent—use magic like a mage."
Lena froze, the sphere in her hands.
For a second, her face was pure shock, like she couldn't believe what she'd heard. Then she frowned, looking at him skeptically.
"Are you sure about that, Cael? That's… insane. No one's ever done this."
"I'm sure," Cael said, his voice steady. "I tested it last night. It works, Lena. I can show you right now if you want."
Lena stared at him, as if weighing whether he was serious. Then she sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"Okay, but not here," she said, glancing at the people in line. "We need somewhere private. I don't want all these nosy people seeing your invention before the presentation."
Cael nodded, relieved she was taking him seriously.
"Perfect. Can you get us a room or something? I want to make sure everything's set before ten."
Lena looked at him for a few seconds, her expression unreadable. Then she nodded slowly.
"Alright, but this thing better work, Cael. Don't make me look bad in front of my bosses."
Cael smiled, though the knot in his stomach lingered.
The mark on Lena's neck, her dodgy reaction to his question—it all made him uneasy.
But there was no time to dwell on it now. The presentation came first.