Waking Of A World Chapter 6: Chapter 6: The Nexus Association.

Read chapter 6 of Waking Of A World by Victor_WIlliam on NovelPedia.

Seo Jun drove alone through the streets of Veston. Without Marie nearby, a faint unease settled in his chest, like a string pulled too tight, not yet snapped but always trembling. It started the way it always did, a faint itch beneath the skin of his left hand, somewhere between skin and bone. He shifted his grip on the steering wheel and pressed his fingers harder against the leather, trying to smother it. The itch didn’t go away. Veston blurred past the windows, kids chasing each other across a crosswalk, laughing and shouting; two old men hunched over a board game outside a tea shop, arguing in low voices, vendors calling out from carts, the smell of grilled meat and fried dough drifting through the cracked window. The city was loud and chaotic, with dozens of cultures pressed together in one place, mixing, clashing, and moving alongside one another like currents in a river. Seo Jun watched it all with quiet eyes. He liked this city. Or at least, he thought he did. He was still figuring out what liking something actually felt like. At a red light, his fingers twitched again. Beneath the skin, one of his knuckles shifted, bone pushing outward, stretching, ready to break through for just a second before he forced it back into place with deliberate calm. He breathed slowly through his nose and kept the soft smile fixed on his face. “Not now.” The feeling was always there, like wearing clothes that were one size too small. Not painful, exactly, just tight. Constant pressure. His skin stretched over something that didn’t quite fit inside it anymore. Holding this shape, this face, this body, this voice, was a choice he made every second of every day. But he did it anyway. The Nexus Association building rose ahead, made of tall, dark glass and pale stone. People moved in and out of the entrance in a steady stream: Fixers in tactical gear, clerks carrying folders, and couriers rushing past. Seo Jun eased the car into a parking spot near the curb. He turned off the engine and sat for a moment, checking his reflection in the rearview mirror. Same face. Same calm smile. Everything looked normal. He exhaled once, quietly, then stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance like any other person. ****** Meanwhile, inside the Nexus Association headquarters in Veston, a young man in a neat white uniform sat at his desk, his fingers moving steadily across the keyboard. He was processing another batch of incoming requests, handing out assignments to Fixer Offices that needed work to stay afloat. Just then, a hand landed firmly on his shoulder. “Wah!” John jumped in his chair, nearly knocking over his water bottle. He spun around to find his boss standing there, a tall man in the same crisp white uniform, a steaming coffee mug in one hand and a lazy chuckle on his face. “B… boss, don’t startle me like that,” John said quickly, his cheeks flushing. The boss just shrugged and took a casual sip of coffee. “Oh, come on, don’t be like that. I’m just checking in on you, John. You’re still a newbie, remember?” John let out a long sigh and turned back to his monitor, trying to refocus. “Still… you don’t have to worry about me.” He paused, scrolling through the request log. “By the way, doesn’t the number of requests we’ve gotten this month seem… lacking?” The boss leaned against the edge of the desk, his mug cradled in both hands. “Well, there isn’t much we can do about it. The S.E.C.T. has been handling most of the city’s problems lately. It’s only natural that the request volume drops when they’re out there cleaning the house.” John raised an eyebrow. “I thought the Nexus Association was working closely with the S.E.C.T.” Another co-worker at the next desk, a woman with short hair and a headset half-pushed off one ear, chimed in without looking away from her screen. “Haven’t you heard? There’s a rumor going around that the Big Four are investing heavily in the S.E.C.T. branch here in Veston.” The boss nodded slowly, his expression turning a