The phone call was agony to watch. Mrs. Han, Han Jisoo, bit her lip, her knuckles white around the receiver. She'd clearly spent the last fifteen years avoiding this, and the sheer terror in her eyes as she dialed was almost comical, if the stakes weren't so high
Kaelan, nursing a glass of water, tried not to look too impatient. He knew this conversation, at least the gist of it he knew as he had seen his mother practiced it in the diary. This time, he just needed it to actually happen.
"Hello? Is... is Grand Elder Kwon available?" Jisoo's voice was a shaky whisper. There was a long pause, filled only with the faint static of the line. Kaelan could almost feel the judging stares from the other end. Then, Jisoo swallowed hard, her eyes finding his, a desperate plea for strength. She leaned closer to the phone, her voice dropping to a near-inaudible murmur, but Kaelan, with his enhanced senses, caught every word.
"The snow melts... to reveal the hidden root."
The silence on the other end became absolute, heavier than before. Kaelan recognized the phrase from the ancient texts his past self had devoured – a generational passphrase of the Bing Clan, used only in times of dire, life-or-death emergency. It was a desperate gamble, but Jisoo had clearly played her only card.
Finally, a deep, rumbling voice, one that carried the weight of years and authority, spoke. "Who is this? Identify your lineage, child."
Jisoo visibly flinched at the "child" but quickly rallied. "It's Han Jisoo, Grand Elder. My mother was Han Mijin, distant cousin to your... fourth son's wife." It was a convoluted connection, barely a thread, but it was there.
Another pause. Then, the voice softened, a hint of genuine surprise. "Mijin's daughter? Jisoo? My ancestors, we thought you were... lost. Your family has been searching for you for years. Where have you been?"
Jisoo's eyes welled up, a mix of shock and unexpected relief. "Searching...?" she whispered, her voice cracking, as she relayed the incidents that happened over the year carefully selecting the words to ensure that she wasn't mis-understood.
There was a long silence on the other side of the phone.
"Stay put," Grand Elder Kwon commanded, the authority back in his tone. "Do not move. A contingent will be dispatched immediately. Your family will come to get you." The line clicked dead.
Jisoo slowly lowered the phone, her hand still pressed to her ear. She looked at Kaelan, a whirlwind of emotions warring on her face. "They... they're coming."
Less than an hour later, a sleek, obsidian-black luxury sedan, a model Kaelan only recognized from high-end magazines in his past life, purred to a stop outside their humble apartment building. Two figures emerged from the back doors. The first, a man who looked barely over thirty, moved with an easy confidence, his expensive suit impeccable. Behind him, two silent, formidable bodyguards, their faces stoic, scanned the surroundings.
Kaelan watched them approach, a wry smile tugging at his lips. This was it. The first true step into the world he'd run from for decades.
The elegant man stepped into their living room, his gaze sweeping over the modest space before settling on Kaelan and Jisoo. He had sharp, intelligent eyes that missed nothing. "Han Jisoo? And this must be Kaelan."
Jisoo, ever the traditionalist despite her years in hiding, immediately bowed deeply. Kaelan, with a practiced ease that came from decades of dealing with powerful figures, executed a respectful bow as well.
"Thank you for coming, Master Lee," Jisoo murmured, using the polite address.
The man, Lee Jinwoo, offered a small, polite smile. "The Grand Elder sent me personally. We're just relieved to find you both safe." His eyes lingered on Kaelan, a flicker of curiosity. "So, Kaelan," he began, his voice smooth, "your mother mentioned... an incident. Can you tell me what happened at school?"
Kaelan felt a familiar warmth in his chest. Oh, this was the interrogation. If he were truly a scared, confused fifteen-year-old, his palms would be sweating, his voice trembling. But after living over forty years, navigating the complexities of the Awakened world in his head, these questions were like child's play. He saw the genuine concern in Jinwoo's eyes, a reassuring lack of malice. This man wasn't trying to harm him, just assess him. He'd play along.
He recounted a carefully curated version of events – the bullying, the raw surge of anger, the boy getting hurt – omitting the lightning bolt tearing through the roof, and the fact that he'd just mentally calculated Jinwoo's clan affiliation from his subtle mannerisms.
Jinwoo listened intently, occasionally interjecting with a calm, probing question about how Kaelan felt, about the "sparks," about his reactions. Kaelan answered honestly about the feelings, letting his genuine frustration from his past life fuel his performance, but carefully managed the details.
After about fifteen minutes, Jinwoo nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Remarkable. To have such a strong manifestation so young, and to intuit its nature without guidance..." He turned to Jisoo. "Grand Elder Kwon wishes you to know, Jisoo, that you and Kaelan are under the full protection of the Bing Clan now. We will arrange your move to our main compound immediately." He looked back at Kaelan, a slight smile playing on his lips. "And for you, Kaelan, our first step will be to truly understand the strength of your attribute."
The Bing Clan compound was less a building and more a fortress disguised as a sprawling, traditional Korean estate, nestled discreetly amidst a bustling Seoul district. Within its ancient walls, technology and tradition merged seamlessly. Kaelan was led by Jinwoo to a section he immediately recognized from the book: the clan's attribute measurement chamber.
This wasn't just a room; it was a sanctuary of power. The walls were inlaid with shimmering mother-of-pearl, depicting intricate celestial maps. The floor was polished black obsidian, reflecting the soft, ethereal glow from a massive crystalline pillar that dominated the center. It pulsed with a faint, inner light, humming with barely contained energy. This was the legendary "Nexus Stone," passed down through countless Bing generations, its purpose to measure and categorize Awakened attributes.
"Place your hand on the crystal, Kaelan," Jinwoo instructed, his voice low, almost reverent. "Focus on your inner energy. Let it flow."
Kaelan took a deep breath, the sheer elegance of the room doing little to calm the tremor of anticipation that ran through him. He reached out, his fingers brushing the cool, smooth surface of the Nexus Stone. As his palm settled, a warmth spread, quickly turning into a powerful thrum.
The pillar responded instantly. The faint inner light intensified, blooming from a soft, inviting yellow to a vibrant, forest green. Then, with astonishing speed, it surged to a fiery orange, deepening into a majestic purple. The hum grew louder, a deep resonance that vibrated through the floor. A gasp escaped Jinwoo's lips as the purple light intensified, then exploded into a searing, undeniable red.
But it didn't stop there. The red pulsed, fought, then deepened, consuming all other colors, becoming an abyss of pure, overwhelming black. The Nexus Stone itself seemed to absorb the light of the room, growing darker, more profound, a swirling void. Kaelan felt the crystal under his hand beginning to grow warm, then hot, the energy trying to push through it, beyond it. The pillar continued to vibrate, straining, as if desperate to rise higher, to show a level that didn't exist on its ancient scale.
"Enough!" Master Jinwoo yelled, his eyes wide with a mix of awe and genuine panic. He rushed forward, roughly pulling Kaelan's hand away from the overheating crystal. The black light slowly receded, eventually returning to its quiet, pulsing yellow.
Jinwoo stared at Kaelan, then at the glowing pillar, a bewildered laugh bubbling up from his chest. "Well, that was... unexpected. Even if I wanted to know the exact strength you possess, Kaelan, we certainly can't have you breaking the clan's most precious heirloom! That crystal has been passed down for generations!"
Kaelan felt a blush creep up his neck. Embarrassed, he muttered, "Sorry. I didn't mean to."
Jinwoo shook his head, still chuckling. "Don't apologize. That was... truly something. It's clear you're far, far beyond an SSS attribute, boy. A raw force." He paused, his expression turning serious. "However, for your safety, and to ensure secrecy, your official Bing Clan record will list you as an S-level Awakened. They are unique, powerful, but not so much as to alarm every other clan and paint a target on your back. This... potential will remain a secret between us, for now."
Kaelan nodded, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. Good. One less thing to worry about.
The game was on.