As the front door clicked shut behind Kenji's departing figure, Kayden shifted his considerable bulk on the sofa, arranging himself in that distinctly human-like posture that never failed to unnerve people. His piercing golden eyes—far too intelligent for any ordinary cat—tracked the man's movement until he disappeared entirely from view.
"Jiwoo." The name carried the weight of authority that had once commanded respect in the most dangerous corners of the awakened world. "Who was that man?"
"That's Kenji, my neighbor," Jiwoo replied, settling into the chair across from him with the easy familiarity of someone who'd grown accustomed to having conversations with what appeared to be an overweight house cat.
Kayden's tail gave a subtle twitch—not the idle movement of a contented feline, but the calculated gesture of someone deep in tactical analysis. "Have you known he was awakened before tonight?"
"No, I had no idea." Jiwoo's honesty was refreshing in its simplicity. "I only learned Kenji was awakened today."
Interesting. Kayden's expression grew contemplative, the look of a man who'd spent decades reading people and situations for survival. Even trapped in this ridiculous body, his mind remained as sharp as the day he'd been considered one of the world's most dangerous individuals.
"Hmm." The sound rumbled from deep within his chest, carrying years of experience in threat assessment. "I wonder what his background is in the awakened world. Someone with his level of power wouldn't normally go unnoticed. He may be from an awakened family, but who knows."
The casual revelation struck Jiwoo like a physical blow. His eyes widened with genuine alarm. "How strong is Kenji?"
Kayden regarded him with the patient expression of someone who'd made a career out of life-or-death evaluations of awakeners' capability. When he spoke, his voice carried the unshakeable confidence of expertise.
"I don't give compliments easily, kid. When I do, it speaks volumes about someone's personal power." He paused, letting that sink in. "If I had to guess, he should be on par with the top fifty worldwide. But as I said, it's just a guess."
The assessment was delivered with typical Kayden directness—no flourish, no drama, just cold professional evaluation.
"Do you know what his awakened ability is, Kayden?" Jiwoo asked, curiosity overcoming his shock.
"I do not, but he was fast." Kayden's tone shifted, becoming more serious, almost lecturing. "And I doubt he would reveal it to you anytime soon. Unlike your naive personality, that neighbor of yours grew up in the awakened world. He knows the consequences of revealing one's abilities."
Jiwoo scratched his head sheepishly, the gesture unconsciously acknowledging the truth in Kayden's blunt assessment.
"That snow-white hair of his..." Kayden continued, his voice trailing off as memory tugged at the edges of his consciousness. "I feel like I've seen it before." Though there are other people with white hair who have no connection to this Kenji. I might just be overanalyzing.
Shaking off the troubling thought, he refocused on the immediate situation. "So we're in agreement—the black cat that attacked you was awakened through forced experimentation."
Kayden gracefully leaped down from the sofa, his movements fluid despite his rotund appearance, and padded toward Jiwoo on silent paws. "Your neighbor was right about it being a big deal."
"Kenji said that forced awakening was important to a lot of people," Jiwoo said, seeking clarification.
"Because not everyone can develop awakened abilities naturally, kid." Kayden's voice took on the tone of a seasoned instructor explaining fundamental concepts. "Sure, there are some who join awakened organizations that provide force control training so they can develop abilities. But that's incredibly rare. Awakened organizations are extremely selective about who gains access to their techniques, and even then, they only provide the lowest-tier methods."
He paused, ensuring Jiwoo was following before continuing. "Even low-ranked techniques are prized in the awakened world because the majority of awakeners don't have the resources to learn proper force control."
Jiwoo's expression showed he was trying to process everything, but confusion clouded his features. "Force control? What's that?"
"Force control is what awakeners use to describe techniques that develop their abilities," Kayden explained with patience. "These techniques allow users to strengthen their powers and improve their combat effectiveness."
The explanation was clinical, precise—exactly what one would expect from someone who'd once operated at the highest levels of the awakened world.
"Don't worry about the details yet," Kayden added, his tone softening slightly. "You'll learn more about force control as you continue training."
Jiwoo nodded gratefully, appreciating Kayden's willingness to explain concepts that seemed impossibly complex.
"Now then," Kayden continued, his demeanor shifting back to serious business, "what your neighbor said was accurate. The owner could very well have some kind of power that allows them to command the cat to return—"
The Next Morning
Kenji woke to an unsettling silence, his internal clock screaming that something was wrong. The absence of his alarm's shrill cry sent immediate alarm bells through his consciousness. Still groggy, he fumbled for his phone on the nightstand, squinting at the bright screen.
8:10 AM.
"FUCK."
The curse exploded from his lips as reality crashed down around him. He'd overslept—spectacularly, catastrophically overslept—and was now officially late for the first time since his pitch triumph.
The next few minutes blurred together in a frantic rush of basic hygiene and professional necessity. Face washed, teeth brushed, formal attire assembled with the practiced efficiency of someone who'd mastered the art of the emergency morning routine. Light blue dress shirt, black slacks, polished shoes—the uniform of corporate respectability hastily arranged.
Outside, the morning air held the crisp promise of another busy day as Kenji began his carefully orchestrated journey to work. His figure vanished from his front step, reappearing a block away before disappearing again in rapid succession. Each teleportation required careful calculation—timing the jumps between moments when curious eyes might catch the impossible, scanning for any awakened presence that might detect his aether manipulation.
The paranoia wasn't unfounded. In a world where hidden powers lurked behind ordinary faces, maintaining his civilian cover required constant vigilance. Any awakened individual with sensing abilities could potentially identify him being an awakened, and exposure would bring complications he couldn't afford.
After several blocks of careful jumps, Kenji materialized in a familiar alleyway three blocks from his office building. The narrow space between two commercial buildings provided perfect cover for his final approach transition. From here, he would walk like any other late office worker rushing to salvage their morning.
The main street buzzed with typical busy work energy—streams of formally dressed professionals clutching coffee cups and checking phones, their faces wearing identical expressions of resignation mixed with caffeine-fueled determination. Kenji slipped seamlessly into the flow, just another cog in the corporate machine.
The business center loomed ahead, its glass facade reflecting the morning sun in sharp, geometric patterns. Somewhere in that tower of ambition and fluorescent lighting, his team was probably already assembled.
As he pushed through the revolving doors into the marble-floored lobby, one thought dominated his mind: At least I got my pitch accepted. Hopefully that buys me some goodwill for being late.
The irony wasn't lost on him—awakened abilities that could level city blocks, and he was still worried about corporate punctuality. Some things, apparently, transcended even the awakened world.