Author's Preface
The next few days were uneventful. Blue spent most of his time recovering, circulating his qi and letting his body settle after the strain of the gate. When he wasn't training, he stayed close to home, spending time with Mary, enough to ease her worries, even if only a little.
BUZZ
Blue's phone vibrated in his hand. Fifteen thousand dollars has been deposited into your account via the Association. Blue stared at the screen for a moment. Money. Something he hadn't had to think about in Murim. Being an awakener really does change your life… He let out a small breath, then looked over. "Hey, Dad," Blue said. "How about we grab some T-bones and lobster for dinner? Grill them up."
David laughed immediately. "We don't have the money for that." "I do," Blue said, a faint smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. David paused, then shook his head, still smiling. "Well… alright then." The two of them slipped on their shoes and headed for the door. Blue reached for the handle and pulled it open and stopped. Three men stood on the other side. Black suits. Black ties. Professional.
"Excuse us… are you Blue of the Buckeye Guild?"
"I am," Blue said. Before he could say anything else, David stepped forward. "I'm not sure who you are," he said, his voice firm, "but you can't just show up to our house unannounced."
"Our apologies, sir," one of the men replied calmly. "But there is something of importance that needs to be discussed with your son."
Blue placed a hand on David's shoulder. "It's alright, Dad," he said. "I'll bring the steaks and lobster back once I'm done." David hesitated, then gave a small nod, though he didn't look convinced. Blue stepped forward. The men shifted immediately, opening their formation, two in front, one behind, as they moved with him toward the street. Parked at the curb sat an uparmored Humvee.
Mary had moved behind David now, her voice lower, uneasy. "Why is Blue getting into a military vehicle?" David didn't take his eyes off the scene. "I'm not sure, honey," he said quietly. "But I trust our son can handle it." He shut the door and turned around. "He's not a child anymore, we don't need to treat him like on either."
Blue didn't look back as he approached the vehicle. "So where are you taking me?" No response. Blue's eyes shifted slightly. "What's so important you had to come to my house?" Silence again. Blue exhaled slowly and sat in the back seat. As the three men got in and closed their doors Blue spoke again. "Listen, you fucking robots. I'm not fond of being called upon like I'm some fucking puppet." The man in the passenger seat turned and smiled. "Well, to be fair sir, you are an awakener. It is what you signed up for." The man turned his head toward the driver and nodded.
Blue balled his fist and gritted his teeth. The man sitting in the back next to him leaned over and whispered. "We're heading to the Association. A representative of the leader of the country wishes to speak with you."
Blue leaned back slightly in the seat, the tension easing just a bit. "A representative of the leader of the country." He thought to himself. "Wait… you mean the president?!"
"…Yes, sir," one of the men answered, a hint of hesitation in his voice.
The Humvee rolled into the Association's underground entrance, a separate access point reserved for VIPs and high-ranking personnel. People who didn't wait in lines, Or get announced. The vehicle came to a stop. The three men stepped out first, then escorted Blue inside without a word. They led him to a private elevator. No buttons. No markings. The doors shut, and it rose smoothly, uninterrupted, all the way to the top floor of the Association.
When the doors opened, they guided him down a quiet hallway and into a conference room. Floor to ceiling windows surrounded the space. On one side, a clean, beautiful view of Columbus. Just past the cityscape were ruins, and gates. The edge of what the world had become. Blue stepped forward slightly, taking it in.
SLAM.
Thick metal sheets dropped over each window in an instant, sealing the room off from the outside world. The sound echoed. Blue's eyes shifted back. "This doesn't feel good." He muttered as lights in the ceiling lit up the now dark room. One red light also lit up just above the door to the conference room. One of the men gestured toward the chair at the center of the room. "Please, have a seat."
"I hear you made a bit of a fuss on the way here, Blue." The man at the head of the table stood as he spoke. Blue's eyes shifted briefly to Aaron, who sat to his left. Aaron gave a small shake of his head, almost to tell Blue to behave. Blue looked back at the man. "I wouldn't call it a fuss, sir," he said. "I'd say you made the fuss when you sent men to my house without a proper reason or notification."
The man's expression didn't change. "I suppose you're right." A faint pause. "Seems like you'll have your hands full with this one, Titus." Blue's eyes flicked toward Titus for a moment, then back to the man. "I am Grayson," he continued. "Representative of the President of the United States of America… and the President of the Awakeners Association of America." The man paced back and forth, his srms tucked behind his back as he spoke. "First, let me say, it's an honor to meet you." Blue's gaze shifted to the windows, now sealed, the room feeling less like a conference space and more like a contained box. A cage.
Grayson noticed. "Don't fret over that, my boy," he said calmly. "It's a precaution." He gestured lightly around the room. "You see, golden gates are rare. And those who can cross them… are coveted. By every nation left on Earth." He took a slow step forward. "We've already had awakeners poached, taken by the countries who hold Golden Gates."
A faint smile touched his face. "But now… we have one of our own." Blue didn't react. "This room," Grayson continued, "functions as a Faraday cage. No signals in. No signals out. No one is listening to this conversation but us."
Blue hung his head slightly. "Im getting caught up in bullshit again." Blue thought to himself
"You are special, Blue," Grayson said. "You're the only person on Earth who resonates with the gate here in Columbus. That is… unheard of." He took a slow step forward. "So we have an offer for you. Become the voice of our president in that foreign world. You will act as our liaison, establish trade, open communication, build relations with the world you crossed into."
Grayson walked around the table until he stood behind Blue and put both his hands on Blue's shoulders. "In return… you will be compensated greatly."
Blue's eyes shifted to Aaron, looking for something, anything. Aaron's expression didn't change. Blank. Blue looked back at Grayson. "No." The word landed clean.
Grayson removed his hands and took a step back. "…Excuse me?"
"No," Blue repeated, steady.
Grayson let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "My apologies," he said. "I seem to have given you the impression this was a request." His expression shifted. "No… this is an order. From the president of this country and from the Association." His voice hardened. "And 'no' is not an option, son."
Blue stood. "With all due respect…"
"Sit down." Titus was on his feet now, his voice cutting through the room, and cutting Blue off. "You've gone too far this time, Grayson."
Grayson turned slowly, his expression calm again, but colder. "And what exactly do you mean, Titus? I'm simply relaying orders… from your President as well."
Titus took a step forward. "You're the mouthpiece of a man who handed himself those titles in the shadows after the former President was murdered... while this country was collapsing, someone who cares more for titles than anything," he said. "I won't let you control people under my command."
Grayson's gaze sharpened slightly. "Titus, you are here because you are the Midwest Association leader. Nothing more." A brief pause. "It is out of courtesy that you were allowed to attend this meeting. Do not confuse your title with his authority."
Titus didn't back down. "I'll tell you what, Grayson," he said. "If he wants this young man to spend his time traveling between worlds on his behalf, giving up whatever life he intends to live, then he can come here himself and give that order." A faint pause. "But we both know he won't." Titus' eyes didn't leave him. "So I suggest we end this meeting now. The boy answered you." He gestured slightly toward Blue. "And that's that."
Grayson exhaled and shook his head. "I suppose this meeting is done, then." He looked at Blue. "I do hope you'll reconsider. It would be in your best interest not to follow too closely in Titus' shadow. He may be number one in this country… but the true strength of this nation lies in D.C." With that, Grayson turned. His men followed without a word. They stepped out of the room, and a moment later, the metal sheets covering the windows lifted, letting the light back in.
Aaron let out a long breath. "God… I hate that man with a passion," he muttered. Then he glanced at Blue, a faint grin breaking through. "Kid, you've got balls of steel." He let out a short laugh.
Titus didn't. He stepped forward, stopping in front of Blue. For a moment, he just looked at him, measuring, weighing. Then he placed a hand on Blue's shoulder. "You're involved now," he said. "So become stronger." That was all. Titus turned and walked off.
Aaron stood and looked at Blue. "Our world runs on the cooperation from other worlds. Tech, resources. Seeing as you are the only one who can resonant with that gate. I would heed his warning. This won't be the last time they come knocking. Especially, if they think there is something to gain from Murim." Aaron stood and walked out of the conference room.
Blue sat there for a moment in silence. "They wouldn't believe me even if i told them Murim doesn’t have things to give us." Blue stood. "This is going to become troublesome. The fucking president knows me. Titus doesn't seem to be a fan of that Grayson guy, or the President." Blue pushed his chair in and left the Association more confused than when he entered. He had declined a ride from Aaron. He needed time to process what had just happened. He sat on a nearby bench, leaning forward slightly. Titus… the strongest man in the country. At odds with the president. Then Grayson. "That man…" Blue muttered under his breath. "He didn't seem intimidated at all. Not by Titus. Not by anyone. Even Aaron had been reserved around him."
Blue exhaled slowly. "His offer wasn't bad… but something about him felt… off." His hand drifted toward his abdomen. "My dantian… it felt like it was twisting every time he spoke." As if in response it twisted again. Sharp. Sudden. Blue tensed. Then someone sat down beside him. Blue's head snapped to the side. "Grayson?!" He blinked once, then let out a short breath. "Holy shit… you're a sneaky one, huh?"
Grayson chuckled softly. "You're an amusing one," he said. "Defiant… yet you have your own resolve. I like that."
He leaned back slightly, relaxed. One leg propped atop the other. "So instead of being our liaison… how about you come work for me?"
"I'll pass," Blue said immediately, his voice firm. His hand pressed lightly against his abdomen, trying to steady his dantian. Grayson's smile didn't fade. "I'm not one who enjoys hearing 'no.'" A brief pause. "Be wary of Titus. He may seem like he has your best interests at heart… but he only seeks strength to rebel." His gaze shifted forward. "Our country needs unity. And Titus is the forerunner of preventing that." Grayson stood. "I'll be in Columbus for the foreseeable future. So… I suppose I'll be seeing you around, Blue." And just like that he was gone. Blue watched him leave, his dantian slowly settling back to normal.
"What the hell…" he muttered. "That feeling… my dantian… it's never reacted like that before." A thought surfaced. Blue opened his system.
Rank: Two-Star Grandmaster (B-Rank)
Dantian: 100 years of qi
Dantian: Divine Energy Accumulated
Blue stared at it. He hadn't even realized it. He had ranked up during the promotion raid. "Divine energy, Is that what I felt…?" he murmured. "Must have been clashing with my qi?" Blue stood "fuck, I can't think straight. I have no idea what's going on. Divine energy, the pendant, now Grayson." Blue started to walk home. The thoughts lingered as he began walking home. He stopped at a nearby store, picking up the steaks and lobster like he had promised David, but his mind never settled. Not on Titus. Not on the Association. And definitely not on Grayson. Right now there was only one person he trusted. Eve. Blue exhaled slowly as he stepped back outside from the grocery store. He stopped and looked up at the sun and thought. Just focus on ranking up. It was the only thought that made sense. Right there he made his decision. No more distractions. No more politics if he can avoid it. He would focus on one thing. Becoming stronger like Titus said and building his own guild.