CHAPTER 57: PLEASE FOLLOW ME TO THE OMINOUS WHITE ROOM

I stepped through the sliding glass doors of VHC Central, the black obelisk that served as the beating heart of Valoria’s Hunter infrastructure. My old Yakuza instincts screamed at me to turn around. Walking into the headquarters of the people who controlled, monitored, and regulated every Aspect user in the country with unexplainable powers and a paper-thin backstory? Not exactly my smartest move.

Nel’s voice still echoed in my head: [Possible storyline branch detected: "Captured by the Authorities." Would you like to activate this path?]

No. Fucking. Thank you.

The Guild Pavilion opened before us like the inside of a cathedral built by corporate executives with a god complex. The ceiling vanished somewhere in the shadows above, making even Luka look small beside me. Black marble floors reflected the cold, recessed lighting, creating the illusion that we were walking on still water.

"Sweet mother of..." I muttered, taking in the space.

Digital banners larger than my entire apartment hung from the walls, displaying the logos of what had to be the "Big Four" guilds Luka had mentioned. Each projected downward like feudal standards claiming territory. The VHC emblem – a stylized gate with a sword piercing through it – dominated the central atrium, rotating slowly in mid-air, a holographic reminder of who really held the power here.

"First time’s always overwhelming," Luka said, his voice a reassuring rumble beside me. "Let’s get you oriented."

He gestured subtly to a cluster of men and women in tailored suits, all wearing the same hungry expression as they scanned the room.

"Guild recruiters. See the one with the red tie and the scar across his eyebrow? Crimson Fang. They’ll offer you twice what anyone else will, but your life insurance premium will triple." Luka chuckled darkly. "They specialize in high-risk, high-reward operations. Their casualty rate is..."

"Astronomical?" I finished.

"I was going to say ’industry-leading,’ but yours works too."

Luka pointed to another group, these in pristine white suits with golden accents.

"Celestial Sentinels. They care more about your jawline than your kill count. All their Hunters look like they just stepped off a magazine cover. Great for endorsement deals, not so great if you actually want to, you know, hunt."

I glanced around, taking in the rest of the ecosystem. Nervous teenagers clutched registration forms, their faces a mix of awe and terror. A few grizzled, scarred veterans moved with the weary confidence of people who had seen too much. Camera crews from various networks hovered like patient vultures, waiting for a story.

"What about your guild Aegis Prime?"

Luka puffed his chest out slightly. "The boring choice, if you ask the critics. We prioritize structure, stability, and survival. Less glamorous, but you tend to make it home in one piece."

Something in the atmosphere shifted. A ripple of murmurs spread through the hall, and all eyes turned toward the entrance we’d just come through. The sliding doors parted again, and a small entourage entered.

A girl no older than me stood at its center, commanding the entourage. A braid of vibrant crimson hair fell down her back, and her emerald green eyes swept the room.

"Reyna Cabana," Luka whispered, the awe evident in his voice. "Veronica Cabana’s little sister."

"The who’s what now?"

"Veronica Cabana. S-Rank Hunter. Founded Olympus Rising, the biggest Hunter-centric media company in Valoria. That’s her sister. They say Reyna’s even more talented."

The girl was flanked by what had to be PR handlers in sleek business attire, a VHC liaison with a tablet, and a camera crew documenting her every movement. She wasn’t just a Hunter prospect; she was a product, packaged and presented for public consumption.

The crowd parted before her like water. Guild recruiters straightened their ties and whispered urgently into communication devices. The hopefuls stared with naked envy and adoration. Phone flashes popped like fireflies, capturing her entrance from every angle.

"Is that normal?" I asked, nodding toward the spectacle.

Luka shook his head. "For her? Yes. The Cabanas aren’t just Hunters; they’re celebrities. Olympus Rising made sure of that."

As Reyna’s procession moved through the hall, her cool, sweeping gaze scanned the room like a queen surveying her subjects. When her eyes reached our corner, something unexpected happened.

Her gaze caught mine.

The [RIVALRY] trait in my soul flared to life like a struck match. A low, sub-audible hum seemed to vibrate in the space between us.

Her flawless mask cracked for just a microsecond. Those emerald eyes narrowed. She was a combat prodigy, her instincts honed to a razor’s edge, and she felt something from me – something that didn’t match the unremarkable clothes I wore or the zero-rank I must have appeared to be.

I didn’t look away. I met her gaze with a calm, analytical stare, topped with the faintest smirk. I wasn’t intimidated. I was assessing her, just as she was assessing me.

Her look lasted a heartbeat too long – dismissal warring with genuine, sharp-edged curiosity. Then one of her handlers touched her elbow, guiding her forward, and the connection broke.

[Interesting response detected: Target "Reyna Cabana" appears susceptible to [RIVALRY] trait influence. Note: Potential future Ensemble candidate?]

Shut up, Nel. Not now.

Reyna’s gaze finally broke away as her team hustled her toward a private, VIP evaluation wing, the media scrum following in her wake.

Luka, completely oblivious to the metaphysical confrontation that had just occurred, clapped me on the shoulder.

"See what I mean? All flash and cameras. Come on, son. Let’s go get you registered. No need for all that fuss for us regular folk."

I followed him toward the registration desk, but my eyes lingered on the corridor where Reyna had disappeared.

So that’s the competition.

"Name?" The registration attendant didn’t look up from her terminal.

"Satori Nakano."

Her fingers froze above the keyboard. Her eyes flicked up to meet mine, then darted to Luka, then back to me.

"Nakano? As in..."

"No relation." Luka cut in smoothly.

The woman’s face relaxed slightly, but there was still a curious tension in her shoulders. "Date of birth?"

"October 31st."

She input the information, then frowned at whatever appeared on her screen. "One moment, please."

She stepped away from the desk and murmured something to a supervisor, a stern-looking woman in a VHC uniform who immediately looked our way. The supervisor approached, her face professionally blank.

"Mr. Nakano, I’m Coordinator Reed. We’ll need to conduct your evaluation in one of our private assessment chambers rather than the standard registration bay."

Luka’s brow furrowed. "Is there a problem?"

"Not at all, Mr. Kuzmina. Simply a protocol for... certain categories of applicants." Her gaze flicked to me. "If you’ll follow me?"

Luka looked unsettled but nodded. As we followed Coordinator Reed toward a set of unmarked doors, I caught him giving me a curious glance.

"You didn’t tell me Kimiko registered you in the system already," he whispered.

"She didn’t," I replied, equally confused. "This is my first time here."

The doors slid open to reveal a sparse, clinical room. The walls were a sterile white, unmarked except for a large VHC emblem on one side. In the center stood a single chair, surrounded by what looked like medical equipment and scanning devices.

"Please sit," Coordinator Reed gestured to the chair. "Mr. Kuzmina, you may observe from behind that partition."

Luka hesitated, his protective instincts visibly kicking in. "I’d prefer to stay with my son."

"I understand, but regulations are clear. All observers must remain behind the partition during the initial scan phase."

I put a hand on Luka’s arm. "It’s fine. I’ve got this."