Veyne Mansion
The study was a portrait of refined, old-world intellect. Kael Veyne sat not behind the desk, but in a high-backed armchair facing it, a book open in his lap. He wore a simple, dark sweater and trousers—the image of a scholarly young heir, not a prominent. He looked every bit the 15-year-old boy he was, save for the eyes. They were the calm, ancient gray of a gathering storm.
He didn't need to sense the energy. He heard the precise, expensive purr of a luxury car engine as it came to a halt on the gravel drive outside. A car door opened and closed with a weighty thunk. Footsteps approached the front door. Confident and Measured. Owning the space he walked into.
Kael didn't move. He listened to the distant chime of the doorbell, the murmur of the housekeeper, and then the firm, deliberate footsteps echoing on the hardwood floor of the hall, growing closer until they stopped at the study's open doorway.
Vlad Masters stood there, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, a faint, patronizing smile on his face. He took in the room, the boy, the scene of quiet academia, and his smile widened. It was all so small. So manageable.
"Kael Veyne," Vlad said, his voice a smooth, practiced baritone filled with false warmth. "It has been too long. I apologize for the intrusion, but after seeing your paper, as a fellow researcher, I couldn't sit still anymore. I felt compelled to visit. To offer my support."
Kael slowly closed his book, marking his page with a finger. He looked up, his expression one of polite, slightly weary curiosity. "Mr. Masters. The billionaire philanthropist. My parents spoke of you. I recall they found your business tactics to be rather aggressive."
The smile on Vlad's face tightened almost imperceptibly. The boy was not the grieving, vulnerable orphan he'd expected.
"A misunderstanding, I assure you," Vlad waved a dismissive hand, stepping fully into the room. "The world of business is often misconstrued. Which is precisely why I'm here. To clear the air. I've read your paper. 'On the Stabilization of Transdimensional Energy Signatures.' A remarkable work for someone your age. Truly groundbreaking."
"Thank you," Kael said, his tone flat. "It was a interesting problem to solve."
"Indeed." Vlad's eyes gleamed. He had him now. The hook was set. "It's a tragedy that such a mind is buried out here, working in isolation. The scientific community should be beating a path to your door. I can make that happen. Research Funding. A state-of-the-art lab. My full backing. No more anonymous publications. The name 'Veyne' would be at the forefront of a new energy revolution."
He let the offer hang in the air, rich and seductive.
Kael didn't even blink. "I have a lab. My parent's and my ancestor's inheritance is enough for me to squander a lifetime Mr. Masters. And I'm not interested in a revolution, I'm rather interested in stability."
Vlad's patience began to thin. The boy was being obtuse. "Stability requires resources. Protection. The world can be unforgiving to those who hold valuable secrets alone. There are those who would take your work by force."
"Is that what you're hoping of doing Mr Masters?" Kael asked, his head tilting slightly. "Taking it by force?"
"I am offering you a partnership," Vlad said, his voice losing some of its warmth, gaining an edge. "A chance to stand with a power who can shield you from the wolves. The alternative is loneliness in the scientific and business world. You know Kael, money or rich inheritance doesn't gurantee absolute safety. You need reliable mentor and guidance to survive in the field and thrive to do that. I can promise you all those. But, if you chose to deny me. You might stumble you're your way. And eventually face failure."
Kael finally stood up. He was taller than Vlad remembered. He didn't approach; he simply went to the window, looking out at the grounds. "You misunderstand me. I'm not alone. I have my parent's legacy and their ingenuity with me. I have friends and my kin to see in my bad days. I have other scientist to explore and work with, who aren't solely interested in occupying other's possesion."
"You're a fool," Vlad hissed, dropping all pretense. "You think a title of being a prodigy can save you? I will burn all your hope and resources to the ground to get what I want."
"Will you?" Kael's voice was quiet, but it filled the room. " You came here to offer me a gilded cage, Mr.Vlad. I'm refusing. And I'm offering you a warning instead."
He took a single step forward. The air in the room grew still and heavy.
"Leave the city right now. Amity Park and Elmerton are under my protection. Your business is not welcome here. Not as Vlad Masters. And certainly not as Vlad Plasmius."
The name hung in the air, sucking all the sound from the room. Vlad's face went pale, then flushed with a rage so profound it was silent. His human façade flickered, and for a split second, the crimson glow of Plasmius burned in his eyes. The boy knew. He knew his identity. He's made mockery of his visit here today.
The confrontation was over. Vlad had come to intimidate a child and instead found himself staring at a rival who had already checkmated him on the human board. He had no leverage here. Only threats, which the boy had just proven were meaningless.
"This is not over," Vlad whispered, the words a venomous promise.
"It never is," Kael replied, his tone dismissive, already turning back to his chair and his book as if Vlad were a dismissed servant. "See yourself out Mr. Masters."
Vlad stood rigid for a moment longer, utterly defeated in the one arena he never expected to lose in: his own human world. Then, with a sound of pure fury, he stormed out, his footsteps echoing his humiliation.
Kael didn't watch him go. He sat down, reopened his book, and began to read. The quiet, decisive victory in the study was far more satisfying than any battle in the sky. The stage was set. He knew he will have a visitor in the night. That would be his main battle and he will let Vlad see his determination to make a point.