Monday morning arrived with the relentless efficiency of a corporate machine. After a weekend of playing warden to a disgraced goddess and a bratty aristocrat, Chase found the quiet hum of OmniCorp's lobby almost therapeutic.
He had spent the morning scrubbing the residual "divine dividends" off his digital accounts, though a few of his stocks still pulsed with a faint, annoying gold light. He was exhausted, but his Essence was perfectly calibrated, thanks to Rixsa's surprisingly disciplined "therapeutic proximity" over the weekend.
The Lore department was abuzz. Usually, the arrival of a new contractor was met with predatory curiosity, but today the air felt different—heavier, more respectful.
"Chase! You're just in time," Marcus called out, looking up from a stack of concept art. "Lilith's new hire just arrived. He's a specialist. Character design and environmental aesthetics. Apparently, he's a legend in the underground art scene."
Chase adjusted his tie. "A human?"
"Supposedly," Elara whispered, leaning in. "But he smells... old. Not 'senior citizen' old, but ancient old. Like stone and dry parchment. You know what I mean?"
Chase walked toward the main conference room. Through the glass, he saw Lilith standing near the head of the table. Beside her stood a man who looked to be in his late thirties, of Chinese descent, with sharp, refined features and eyes that held a depth suggesting a much longer timeline. He wore a perfectly tailored, charcoal-colored three-piece suit that screamed old-world elegance. His dark hair was swept back neatly, though a few silver strands at the temples betrayed his experience.
This was Vee.
As Chase entered, Lilith's head snapped up. Her eyes softened instantly, a flicker of that Friday-night submission warming her gaze before she masked it with executive steel.
"Chase, come in," Lilith purred. "I'd like you to meet our new Lead Visual Consultant. This is Vee. Vee, this is Chase Vance, my Lead Lore Strategist and... personal advisor."
Vee turned. He didn't look at Chase's face first. His gaze dropped to Chase's hands, then his chest, and finally his eyes. It wasn't a predatory look; it was an analytical one. He was reading Chase's Essence signatures like a master restorer examining a forged painting.
"Chase Vance," Vee said. His voice was a smooth, resonant baritone. He extended a hand. "I've heard a great deal about your 'consistency'."
The moment their hands met, Chase felt it. A faint, dormant spark of Awakened energy. It was thin, like an ember buried under layers of ash, but it was unmistakable. He was like Chase—or what Chase would have become if he had stayed retired for another fifty years.
"A pleasure, Vee," Chase replied, his voice steady.
"Vee has worked with some of the largest... estates in the old world," Lilith added, stepping closer to Chase, her shoulder brushing his in a subtle claim. "He'll be helping us visualize the Essence-Lattice physics you discovered."
"It's a fascinating project," Vee said, his eyes flitting to Lilith, then back to Chase. He lingered on the faint, violet-tinted Alpha scent clinging to Chase's collar—a scent that shouted possession.
Vee's lips perked into a knowing, slightly tragic smile. "I see you've been busy, Mr. Vance. It takes a certain kind of man to manage such... high-intensity assets."
"I do my best to keep things within contractual bounds," Chase said, a warning note in his voice.
"Of course," Vee replied, adjusting his cufflinks. "Contracts are everything in this world. Though, in my experience, the fine print is where the real soul-work happens."
Lilith frowned slightly, sensing a subtext she couldn't quite grasp. "I'll leave you two to coordinate the initial sketches. Chase, show Vee the Resonance data from Wednesday. I expect a preliminary style guide by the end of the day."
As Lilith swept out of the room, her heels clicking a rhythmic, satisfied beat, the atmosphere changed. The corporate mask dropped.
Vee walked over to the windows, looking out at the city. "She's a powerful one, isn't she? A bit impulsive, but her devotion to you is... impressive. I haven't seen an Alpha that thoroughly tethered in centuries."
Chase didn't flinch. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Vee turned, leaning against the glass, the light catching the sharp angle of his jaw. "Don't bother. I know the smell of a 'Warrior's Wake.' You aren't just her strategist, Chase. You're her anchor. And by the look of those marks on your neck you're trying to hide with concealer, you're currently drowning in her Essence."
He walked back to the table and tapped a blank tablet with a stylus. "I'm retired, Chase. I'm not here to steal your prize or report you to the Council. I just want to draw and stay out of the wars. But word of advice from someone who's been the 'favourite resource' before: don't let her get too used to the Fourth Method. Alphas are like fire—they're beautiful to watch, but they don't realize when they're burning the house down just to keep warm."
Chase stared at him, finally relaxing his shoulders. "How long were you Awakened?"
"Long enough to see empires rise and fall based on who was sleeping with whom," Vee sighed, looking down at his tablet. "Now, show me this 'lattice' you've been building. If I'm going to draw your soul-work, I'd at least like to make sure the proportions are right."
Chase sat down, opening his files. For the first time in weeks, he felt like he was talking to a peer. But as Vee began to sketch with practiced, elegant strokes, Chase couldn't help but wonder: if a retired human could see the truth so easily, how much longer could he keep the rest of the world from noticing that the Alpha of OmniCorp was no longer the one in charge?