Outside the fortified meeting room, a graceful black-suited lady awaited the conclusion of the discussion between the seventh Paragon and the higher-ups of SIGIL. She straightened her posture, adjusting her attire.
With a single gesture of her pale and soft hand, she shifted her gold-tinted eyeglasses and sorted them with ease. Her name was Francine Espada, a humble secretary and the second in command of Block 7.
'I can't believe she brought an Aberrant with her. Just when I took a short vacation...' She sighed to herself and wondered if her boss had done it deliberately. 'I can't leave her alone without the world burning down.'
Regardless of that information, however. It was Francine's duty as the secretary of the seventh Paragon to assist in complex matters that may not correlate with the laws of SIGIL.
She would probably be left to handle the fallout of the incident, especially after her boss embarrassed those rigid and conservative men from Block 6 by ignoring them.
'But I'm glad that it didn't escalate.' Alastair wasn't the type to throw her weight around, bullying those weaker than her. However, as someone whose arrogance could bring forth the second sun...
Her patience was thin, especially with those who dared to obstruct her. Those men were lucky that the Paragon merely ignored them.
'Extremely lucky...' Francine exhaled, recalling moments when she was but a newbie. It was long ago when Block 7 was still in its infancy. A time when the division's only member was its Paragon.
The youngest and supposed strongest, Alastair Glass.
At first, she doubted the boss, as no one in history has been crowned strongest. The chances were almost zero, particularly due to the large numbers of Paragons, which all belonged to the first generation.
Nevertheless, an incident shifted the landscape of power and consolidated the throne of the strongest. An event that brought hope.
As the heavy steel doors of the meeting room unlatched from the fortified concrete walls, a gorgeous white-haired lady nonchalantly stepped out, her supple crimson lips arched into an arrogant and sly smirk.
"Those old geezers..." Politicians never changed, no matter what era they stood in. Even if the world were in ruins, their greasy hands would hold onto whatever authority they had through the so-called law.
Sadly, there was not much she could do about them. Even if she wanted to crush them beneath her boots, society required governance to function. She must remain patient and bide her time.
Until the new generation was ready to take the mantle.
Those stuck in the past can never build the path to the future. Otherwise, the next generation would be stuck at the same crossroads as the last one. 'The future is interesting...' Her thoughts wandered to the Aberrant.
"Miss Alastair," A refined voice disturbed her thoughts, prompting the gorgeous white-haired lady to pivot her attention forward. With a narrowed gaze, her supple crimson lips opened. "Francine..."
Crossing her arms together, Francine faced her boss with a displeased expression. "I don't appreciate the suspension of my rare vacation."
Hearing the dissatisfied tone of her secretary, Alastair chuckled and patted the shoulder of her only subordinate. "You should be delighted, Francine. After all, you finally have a junior to look after."
The secretary raised her eyebrows, understanding the meaning of the statement. "You employed an Aberrant to become a part of Block 7? Did the higher-ups even agree with your nonsense?"
Alastair tilted her head and grinned. "Is there anything they can do about it, though? Can they stop me? The only thing those old senile geezers can do is probably scheme against him."
"You're not wrong about that... So, where is this Aberrant? Is it in a containment cell?" Francile questioned as she adjusted her golden-tinted eyeglasses. The first thing to do was to see the creature for herself.
"Of course not, why would he be inside a cell? He's your junior, so treat him well, my second-in-command. Besides, our Aberrant has a name." The alluring white-haired lady waved her pale finger in rejection.
Understanding the playful and nonchalant attitude of her boss, Francine sighed and decided to entertain whatever nonsense her superior came up with. "And what is it- his name?"
"Damien... A young man who appears to have a memory of the Old World. He claims to have lost consciousness when the first black towers descended from the heavens." Alastair expounded with a conceited glee.
Without delay, the secretary's gaze narrowed as a cold glint escaped her coal-tinted irises. An aloof voice escaped her as she inquired of her boss. "Do you believe the words of the Aberrant, Miss Alastair?"
Alastair kept her proud smile, winking at her graceful and beautiful secretary. "What do you think?" Unbothered by the more than displeased subordinate.
Francine felt more than exasperation from her boss, but it was part of the job as the secretary of the seventh Paragon. She calmed her heart and decided to not jump to conclusions.
The two of them elegantly walked through the protracted hallway as the secretary was left to ponder the Aberrant she was about to meet. To think that a monster would become her junior.
Only her boss could do such a thing.
As they sauntered through the marble floor of the headquarters, words soon escaped the supple crimson lips of Alastair. "If you have doubts, you should check his identity. He should be in the archives of missing persons."
"After all, before Heaven's Fall, Damien lived in Brooklyn." The seventh Paragon wasn't foreign to doubts and deception. In the current political landscape, it was a required skill.
But her eyes never fell to pretense and falsehood. As such, she never doubted herself in her life. For the truth was as clear as glass to her.
"In any case, I want you to escort your junior to me. The third member of Block 7 deserves some celebration, don't you think?" Alastair chuckled as she waved her hand as a farewell before vanishing.
Francine was left alone, dealing with the questions that clouded her mind. She shouldn't have expected much from her superior. In the end, she was left behind to handle it.
"At least the pay is good. Perks of being the secretary of the heir of an investment company." She muttered under her breath and continued walking through the hallway.
---
Meanwhile, inside one of the private quarters, a handsome young man's sable-tinted gaze was pointed at the shifting silhouette that stood with no form. It was none other than Damien and his second summoned monster.
You have received One-Star TE Monster: Silhouette.
'This is without a doubt an interesting monster. It doesn't specifically help but gather more Terror Points, but it is versatile.' He nodded to himself, acknowledging the capabilities of the monster.
"I expected this kind of monster to be in the Paranormal Banner." Pondering about what divided the two banners was a waste of energy, so he checked the status window beside the notification.
The reason he considered it versatile was because of its skill.
---
| Monster Gacha System |
-| Boss Title : [ Oberon ] |
-| Monster(s) : One-Star EX Monster: Eclipse(Fragment), One-Star TE Monster: Silhouette |
-| Skill Index : Raptured Blink(Eclipse), Psychic Operation(Silhouette) |
-| Command Seal(s): [ 2/5 ] |
---
Psychic Operation, the ability to become his clone and be remotely controlled by him.