Silver Moon's Golden Offer

Time: 10:00 AM, Silver Moon Guild Headquarters, Manhattan

The Silver Moon Guild headquarters rose from the heart of Manhattan like a crystal spear piercing the sky. Forty-seven stories of gleaming glass and steel, each floor a testament to the guild's wealth and influence. Alex stood at the base of the building, craning his neck to see the top, feeling distinctly like an ant contemplating a skyscraper.

The lobby was a cathedral of marble and light, with holographic displays showcasing the guild's greatest triumphs floating in mid-air like ethereal trophies. Alex's footsteps echoed as he approached the reception desk, where a perfectly manicured woman in a silver blazer looked up with a practiced smile.

"Alex Chen for Director Hunt," he said, his voice embarrassingly small in the vast space.

"Of course. Please take the express elevator to the thirty-fifth floor. Director Hunt is expecting you."

The elevator ride was silent except for the soft whisper of perfectly calibrated machinery. Through the glass walls, Alex watched the city shrink below him, the people becoming dots, their problems and struggles reduced to microscopic specks. By the time the doors opened with a gentle chime, he felt thoroughly intimidated—which, he suspected, was exactly the point.

Director Skylar Hunt was waiting for him in a conference room that probably cost more than Alex's annual rent. She was younger than he'd expected, perhaps early thirties, with platinum blonde hair pulled back in a severe bun and eyes the color of winter ice. Her handshake was firm, professional, and just a touch too long.

"Mr. Chen. Thank you for coming." Her voice carried a slight accent—European, maybe Scandinavian. "Please, sit. Can I offer you anything? Coffee, water, something stronger?"

"Coffee's fine," Alex said, settling into a leather chair that probably cost more than his entire wardrobe.

Hunt pressed a button on the table's surface, and within moments, a server appeared with a tray bearing what looked like the most expensive coffee Alex had ever seen. The cup alone was probably worth a week's groceries.

"Let's not waste time with pleasantries," Hunt said, settling across from him with fluid grace. "You're here because you've caught our attention, and in this business, that's either very good or very dangerous. I prefer to make it very good."

She slid a tablet across the table. On its screen, Alex saw video footage from yesterday's dungeon—footage that shouldn't exist. The angle was impossible, showing him using Lightning Slash from a perspective no camera could have captured.

"How did you—"

"We have our methods." Hunt's smile was sharp as a blade. "The question isn't how we got this footage, Mr. Chen. The question is why an F-rank awakener can perform a B-rank technique with textbook precision."

Alex's mouth went dry. On the tablet, he watched himself move with Marcus's exact form, every muscle fiber contracting in perfect sequence. It was damning evidence wrapped in crystal-clear video quality.

"I can see you're processing this," Hunt continued smoothly. "Let me help with that process. According to our analysis, what you did yesterday should be impossible. F-rank awakeners simply don't have the physical capabilities to channel that level of technique. And yet..."

She gestured to the tablet where the video played on loop, each repetition making Alex feel more exposed.

"There are three possibilities," Hunt said, holding up perfectly manicured fingers. "One: You're not actually F-rank, which our preliminary investigation suggests is unlikely given your testing history. Two: You've discovered some form of technique enhancement that represents a breakthrough in awakener science. Or three..."

She paused, letting the silence stretch.

"Three?" Alex forced himself to ask.

"Three: You possess an ability so unique, so potentially revolutionary, that it could change the fundamental structure of the awakened world." Hunt leaned forward slightly. "In any of these scenarios, Mr. Chen, you need protection. You need resources. You need allies who can ensure your safety while helping you develop whatever extraordinary gift you possess."

The tablet disappeared as Hunt replaced it with a folder marked with Silver Moon's distinctive logo.

"Our offer is simple and generous. Full guild membership with special consultant status, meaning you retain operational independence while gaining our complete protection and support. Starting salary of two hundred thousand annually, with performance bonuses that could easily double that figure. Access to our training facilities, which include some of the most advanced awakener development technology in the world."

Alex's head spun. Two hundred thousand was more money than his family made in three years combined.

"We'd also provide housing—a fully secured apartment in one of Manhattan's finest buildings. Protection services for you and your family. Medical coverage that extends to awakener-specific injuries and conditions. And most importantly..." Hunt's voice dropped to an almost intimate whisper. "Complete confidentiality regarding your abilities until you decide how and when to reveal them to the world."

The offer hung in the air like a golden noose—beautiful, tempting, and potentially strangling.

"This is... a lot to consider," Alex managed.

"Of course it is. But consider this as well—yesterday's incident won't stay secret forever. Videos leak, rumors spread, and people talk. The question isn't whether the world will discover your abilities, Mr. Chen. The question is whether you'll be protected when it happens."

Hunt stood gracefully, moving to the floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a commanding view of the city.

"There are forces in this world, both within the awakened community and outside it, that view unique abilities as threats to be eliminated or assets to be controlled. Silver Moon offers you a third option—partnership between equals."

Alex joined her at the window, looking down at the sprawling metropolis below. Somewhere down there, his parents were preparing lunch service at their small restaurant, completely unaware that their son was being offered enough money to buy the entire building.

"How long do I have to decide?"

"Twenty-four hours." Hunt turned to face him, her expression serious but not unkind. "I understand this is overwhelming, but time is a luxury we may not have. Every hour you remain unprotected is an hour our competitors—and other interested parties—have to make their own moves."

She handed him an elegant business card that felt heavier than cardboard should.

"My personal number. Call anytime, day or night. And Mr. Chen? Whatever you decide, I hope you'll remember that Silver Moon sees you as a partner, not a commodity. That distinction may prove more important than you realize."

As Alex left the building, the weight of the offer pressed down on him like a physical force. Two hundred thousand dollars. Safety for his family. Protection from forces he was only beginning to understand.

But Marcus's words echoed in his mind: Remember that you have options. You always have options.

The question was whether any of those options would keep him—and the people he loved—safe from whatever storm was coming.