Cale rode the hoverboard up the winding skyway, feeling the city change around him.
The lower tiers had been a chaotic sprawl—holographic billboards screaming for attention, food vendors shouting over the hum of engines, the constant press of mortals desperate to carve out a living. But up here? Stillness. Silence.
The noises faded. The streets widened. The air smelled… cleaner.
Ahead of him Cale saw a massive energy bridge stretched across the sky, connecting the bustling lower districts to a higher platform. Cale slowed the hoverboard as he approached. Unlike the lower city’s neon grime, this platform gleamed with immaculateness—pristine white stone inlaid with flowing silver sigils, each one softly pulsing with mana. There were no cracks, no wear, no grime. It looked untouched by time.
Cale hesitated for half a second. Then he pushed forward.
The second he crossed the energy bridge, the shift was immediate.
It was another world.
The sky opened wide, free of the thick smog and metal walkways that choked the lower districts. Towering marble statues loomed in the distance, floating serenely in the air lifted by some ornate mana device attached at the base. Trees lined the roads—actual trees—although, Cale had never seen trees quite like it. Their trunks were a deep obsidian black and the leaves a glimmering silver.
“My [Mana Sense] is being overwhelmed,” Aura said in breathless wonder. “If you just drank from a single tree, you would advance immediately to Body Tempering stage five.”
“Let’s not do anything crazy, before we know the rules better.”
“I know, I know,” Aura said and huffed. “And we must keep my abilities hidden. We can’t have you snogging up trees without a plausible explanation.”
“If someone asks, I could tell them I’m a tree massagist,” Cale suggested.
“How ridiculous!”
“This place is ridiculous,” Cale said. “But…”
He couldn’t help but to wonder. Stare at the undeniable magnificence of it all. Cale let his gaze wander from the perfect marble tiling to the immaculate, intricately sculpted topiaries that dotted the grounds with an almost arrogant elegance.
And in the center of it all—
A colossal garden, suspended in the sky.
Cale’s hoverboard glided to a slow stop at the entrance, unable to help but stare.
The garden was a masterwork of impossible beauty. Lush terraces cascaded in careful layers, streams of water flowing down from the edges, feeding into crystal-clear ponds where strange, luminescent fish swam lazily. Statues of robed and hooded figures loomed over the pathways, their hands outstretched as if holding the sky itself.
High above, pink, purple and blue petals drifted lazily from vibrant cherry trees, untouched by the wind, as if each fall was carefully orchestrated. The air itself felt richer, charged with something more than just oxygen.
Mana.
Cale inhaled. He didn’t need Aura to verify this time. It was all around him. The density of it lacing the air. If the lower city was starved for power, the grounds of the Gray Lotus bathed in it.
And there, at the garden’s heart—
A skyscraper so immense it looked like it could pierce through the very sky into space itself.
The Gray Lotus Headquarters loomed before him.
Its surface was seamless, reflective, an obsidian monolith of absolute dominance. Unlike the ostentatious garden, the building itself was almost plain, but no less impressive.
It bore no logos, no lights, no unnecessary embellishments. It was pure function. Pure power. The only marking was a single, silver emblem of the Lotus, pulsing faintly against the glass-like surface above massive double doors at the entrance.
Cale exhaled.
It felt… wrong for him to be here. He didn’t belong in his oversized dress shirt and messy, dirty demeanor.
Everything about this place radiated untouchable, effortless superiority—a stark contrast to the desperate, struggling world below. He felt it in the way cultivators walked through the garden, dressed in impeccable suits and robes, their steps light, graceful, deliberate. One of them bore a strange Integra, a set of four giant metal rings floating on each of her sides. She caught his eye lazily before stepping on a glowing platform and vanishing in a surge of mana.
No one here rushed. No one here fought for scraps.
They already had everything.
Cale glanced down at himself—crumpled shirt, dust-streaked pants, a pink hoverboard tucked under his arm. His fingers curled around the edge of the board.
He felt very acutely that he didn’t belong here.
Screw it. I will make it my business to belong. Whatever it takes.
He pushed forward.
The main entrance loomed ahead—a pair of enormous gates, guarded by two enforcers in polished gray that made them look twice as tall and wide. It was laden with ornate patterns and sigils.
Magic power armor, huh?
Each of them seemed to be unarmed, but Cale could only guess what kinds of Integra weapons they hid. They didn’t move their heads an inch, when Cale approached, but their eyes followed him.
Cale swallowed.
“They’re both at upper Mana Circuitry,” Aura said. “I think fifth or sixth stage.”
“A little scary,” Cale muttered.
He stepped forward, walking up the long path leading to the main doors. The closer he got, the more out of place he felt. He peeked inside
Everyone inside walked with purpose.
Important and busy-looking executives walked past in sharp suits, followed by prim assistants carrying glowing glass tablets. Women wore powerful colors and fashion dresses, and men competed in how busy they looked as they power-walked through the lobby walking animatedly into an earpiece.
And then there was him in all his scruffy glory.
This was Darius’s territory, but it sure as hell wasn’t his.
Not yet. But I’ll make it mine.
One of the guards turned to Cale when he approached, a sharp-eyed man with short silver hair.
Cale kept his voice even. “I’m here to see Darius Roas.”
The guard nodded, tapping a wristpiece. A soft chime rang out, and after a brief pause, the massive doors unlocked with a low hum.
“Go straight in. Reception’s ahead.”
Cale stepped inside.
The interior of Gray Lotus HQ was just as overwhelming as the outside.
The lobby was massive, but uncluttered, lined with smooth black stone and minimalist silver inlays. Cale dodged around the power-walking busy bodies and asked the receptionist for the elevators. She looked at him up and down suspiciously, before lifting a thumb to her left. Cale followed and saw two large elevators and he walked towards them. He saw no buttons, just a single, sleek interface on the wall, glowing with a simple prompt:
STATE YOUR FLOOR.
Cale approached, voice steady.
“Two hundred and ninety-nine.”
A soft chime. A doorway slid open, revealing a perfectly silent elevator.
Cale stepped inside. Silver mirrors on each side, and the floor and ceiling made of gleaming obsidian. Simple, stylish.
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A single light pulsed as the elevator began its ascent—smooth, fast, soundless.
Cale’s fingers drummed against his hoverboard. The sense of wrongness hadn’t left him.
He realized he had entered a dangerous world.
“Hmph! These modern cultivators. Think they are something special, but they are just children compared to my creators!”
“I don’t know,” Cale said. “I think this is all pretty impressive.”
“You are just easily impressed,” Aura chided. “As evident by being charmed by that horrible, awful, specimen of a man.”
“Specimen?”
“Never mind you!” Aura quickly said. “What does he want?”
“Power, I think. Games. I think I’ll be a pawn of some sort. Or at the very least an asset to be groomed and used.”
“Pawns get sacrificed.”
“I know,” Cale said as he watched the numbers blur upwards on a small panel. “But that’s the way to get a foot in the door.”
“I see,” Aura said sagely. “So you plan on making yourself invaluable.”
“That’s right,” Cale said. “Sacrificial pawns are one thing. But nobody wants to kill the golden goose.”
“What if you are never given the chance?”
Cale frowned. “I’ll carve out a chance for myself.”
“Impressive drive. But it''s a dangerous game.”
“This whole thing is dangerous.”
“You sound like Darius already.”
“He does make good points.”
The elevator chimed, floor numbers flashing past faster than he expected.
Aura sighed dramatically. “You’re still wearing that shirt, by the way.”
Cale looked down at his rumpled, oversized, dust-streaked clothes. “They’ll get used to me.”
“Or they will eat you alive.”
Cale smirked. “Then I’ll give them indigestion.”
Aura laughed. “For all your numerous faults, you are entertaining. I am glad to have bonded with you, Cale.”
“Likewise. Would suck to face all this alone.”
The elevator slowed. A soft chime.
The doors slid open—
Cale stepped into the upper offices of the Gray Lotus.
The hallway was silent, polished, almost eerily empty. A long stretch of smooth onyx floors and matte silver walls, lined with thin vertical strips of light that pulsed gently with an unseen rhythm.
People were rushing about back and forth here as well. Each of them either talking with each other as they walked or into an earpiece. Cale listened to the conversations as he observed the floor.
“No. Tell him if he wants a contract, he’ll pay triple.”
“It’s an experimental Integra. Killed two who tried to attune to it. RnD wants either the tech or my ass. I don’t care who has it currently, get it. Hire the Whispers.”
“We should have killed him when we had the chance. He’ll sell it to the Gilded Gear.”
The words weren’t whispered. Just stated. Casual. Cale clenched his jaw and kept moving.
Cale wandered around the obsidian walls and large glass offices. Some people cast a curious glance at him, but they were too busy with their own business. Eventually Cale saw a corner office with large letters etched on the door.
Darius Roas, Executive Operator
Before Cale could walk in, he was interjected with a sharp voice from his left.
“And where do you think you are going?”
Cale turned midstep to see a blonde young woman getting up from her chair behind a black marble desk. She was wearing a stylish blue blouse, a gray pencil skirt and a mirthless smile with eyes fixed like a hawk on Cale.
“I’m here to see Darius,” Cale said.
“You’re here to wait for Darius.”
Cale raised his hands up and wandered towards the closest couch, and sat on it.
“Hey!” she snapped. “Who told you you could sit down?”
Cale froze and almost instinctively got up, before he forced himself to relax.
Power games… Even with the damn secretary.
The secretary smirked, watching him flinch. “Cute. I’ll give you three out of five for that performance.”
Cale rolled his eyes. “And what do I call my judge?”
She leaned back, as if amused. “Fiara.”
“Aren’t you supposed to make me comfortable while I wait for your boss, Fiara?”
“Maybe,” Fiara said nonchalantly. “If you’re someone important. You don’t look important.”
“Yet,” Cale said.
She smiled at that. A genuine one this time. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Cale. Darius’s new disciple.”
“Huh, too bad,” Fiara said. “I thought you’d be taller.”
“I thought you’d be less of a pain in my ass, but you don’t see me complaining.”
“Quick with the mouth,” she said, looking Cale up and down. “I think they’ll eat you alive here.”
“Good,” Cale said and gave her a shit eating grin. “Means I won’t be stuck with you.”
“Ooh, puppy got bark,” she said and smirked. “We’ll see if you got the bite to match it.”
“Hey,” Darius said, striding past the desk towards his office, umbrella swinging with every step. “Quit flirting with my secretary and come to my office.”
“I wasn’t—”
Fiara turned back to her monitor, the blue glare flickering in her eyes. If Cale hadn’t been watching closely, he might’ve missed the way her lips pressed together—just for a second, just enough to hide the hint of a smile.
“Such a goddamn pleasure to meet you,” Cale said and gave her a smile that didn’t reach the eyes. She stuck her tongue out and Cale followed Darius.
Once Cale placed his hoverboard down, Darius closed the door.
“I can’t believe you got one of those,” Darius muttered and looked at the pink hoverboard.
“I wouldn’t have needed one if my mentor hadn’t ditched my ass.”
Darius laughed. “What did you learn?”
Cale thought for a moment. “Mortals have it rough.”
“Sure,” Darius said as he set his suit jacket on a gilded coat hanger. “What else?”
Cale looked back. The monolithic skyscraper. The ridiculously ostentatious gardens. The grandstanding of a secretary. It all had the same tune to it. It wasn’t ‘look at me’. It was more like ‘That’s right.’
“Posturing. Everyone is trying to look impressive.”
You’re not completely hopeless kid,” Darius said and opened the portal from his wrist Integra. “Speaking of which…”
He rummaged through the portable warehouse and grabbed a bag and tossed it to Cale. He opened it and found two pairs of pants, shirts and shoes, as well as two black leather belts. All the clothes were neatly pressed and high quality fabric. Gray pants, white shirt, black shoes.
“Your uniform. It’s standard issue. There’s some basic sigils woven in for minor protection. And dirt rejection, which you definitely need. Don’t ever let me see you dressed like this again.”
Cale shook his head, but he got the point. Portrayal of power. He had to look the part.
“When do I get a jacket?”
“You get to Core Formation,” Darius said and poured himself a drink. “You get a vest and a tie when you reach Mana Circuitry. How about we focus on that first?”
“Fair enough,” Cale said. “So what’s the takeaway from posturing?”
“What do you think?”
“I think it’s a bunch of bullshit. Why should I care what others think?”
“Because it matters,” Darius said in a tone that said the discussion was over. He slammed the drink down on a table. “You need to get this to your head, or you’re dead before you even start.”
“I don’t learn from just you telling me to do this or that. You have to explain it to me.”
“I need another drink…” Darius said, slammed the amber liquid down his gullet and got up to get another one. “See, the way people perceive you defines how they treat you. So if you’re looking to ask how you want people to treat you, you have to ask how they perceive you. You want your allies to adore you and your enemies to fear you. And being formidable is the first step to getting what you want in this world. So you need to dress and convey yourself like it. Don’t play the game with half a deck. Stack it to work for you.”
“Sounds manipulative,” Cale said.
“Doesn’t have to be. You’re going to act one way or another, so might as well make that work for you. Doesn’t mean you have to be an unrepentant bastard, but sure wouldn’t hurt for you to try that approach.”
“Cause it worked so well for you?” Cale asked and killed the flow of the conversation.
Darius grew silent for a while. He observed Cale over the rim of his glass and flashed him a thin smile. “Touche.”
Darius let the heavy silence linger for a bit as he took a drink, his sharp eyes never leaving Cale’s. Cale swallowed, and even though every instinct told him to look away, he kept his head high. Darius relaxed his gaze and put down his drink.
“So let me see if you learned the lesson,” he said. “Why do appearance matter? Why do I dress like this, and the Gray Lotus projects wealth?”
Cale considered the question. It was a good one. He looked at Darius’s perfect haircut, flawless pinstripe suit and shining shoes. His eyes were as relaxed as his smile and his posture was a challenge unto itself.
“I don’t know how powerful you are exactly,” Cale said. “But I don’t want to try my chances. Perception of power is power.”
“Good. You said you wanted power,” Darius said and sat down on one of the black leather sofas in the center of the room. “This is one part of it. Power isn’t just how hard you can punch another guy. It’s how they perceive you. Think about card games. It’s not just about having a good hand. It’s about leveraging the hand. And for that you need to look the part, say the right things, know the right people. This takes time to develop. But the first step is simple. Look formidable. Look like you know what you’re doing.”
Cale had to admit to himself, it was all distasteful, but he could see how it was part of the game.
If I want to get strong, I need to eat my broccoli. I can’t only play the game when it’s convenient for me.
But Cale wondered as he watched Darius in all of his dapper glory. He wondered just how far this life would eventually push him. Would he be able to live with the person that stood at the end of this road?
Darius got up from the sofa, the drink half finished. “You wanted to play the game, kid. There’s a lot of rules in the adult table. I’ll leave you with this. Power ain’t free. Power ain’t cheap. But if you can pay the fiddler, then let the music play."
“I think I understand,” Cale said thoughtfully. “But I don’t think this part is going to be as easy for me as fighting murderbots.”
Darius peeled his cuff to reveal the blue wrist-Integra. “Speaking of parts that are not going to be easy… You’re about to meet my boss, Ravia Wren.”
Cale raised an eyebrow. "That supposed to scare me?"
"No." Darius grabbed his umbrella, slung his jacket over his shoulder, and strode toward the door. "If you had any sense, it would."
Cale exhaled. He adjusted the collar of his new shirt, suddenly feeling how stiff and formal it was. Wearing Darius’s clothes had been pretense. This? This was real. He was now really in the game.
Following Darius’s lessons in formidability, Cale buttoned his sleeves and straightened them.
Alright. Game on.
Darius was already at the door. He glanced back once and gave a curt nod of approval at Cale’s efforts.
“Let’s go.”