CHAPTER 11: AWAKENING DAY [2]

Lucius landed on the marble walkway of the Aurelion Awakening Center and well... there was chaos.

Reporters surged forward, enchanted mics glowing, drones buzzing like a swarm of insects desperate to bite.

But the instant they tried to get close, they froze mid-step.

An invisible wall pressed them back.

No matter how they strained, their bodies refused to cross.

One man collided with it so hard his mic flew from his grip, clattering on the stone.

Lucius stood tall at the center of it all, his black coat rippling in the wind.

His violet eyes gleamed with contempt as his voice, sharp and casual, rolled over the hushed mob.

"I haven’t given you permission to step forward yet," he said.

His tone wasn’t raised, yet every syllable sank into their bones. "Do you wish to defy my wishes?"

The crowd flinched.

Murmurs died.

Lucius’s lips curved. As it should be.

...

He glanced down at the girl in his arms — Luna Keller.

She stared up at him, lavender hair tumbling across her shoulders, her glasses reflecting the glowing drones.

Her mouth hung slightly open.

She looked as though her entire world had just been rewritten.

Lucius tilted his head, studying her as though she were an artifact.

’Like every regression and reincarnation story I’ve ever read... the rule is simple. Gather the pieces before the so-called "hero" can touch them.’

Luna Keller.

A minor background heroine.

A nobody in noble society.

And yet, in time, she would become a billionaire streamer and inventor, her platforms rivaling the guild networks themselves.

’In the other timeline, you wasted your devotion on Elliot, didn’t you? Tch. Foolish girl. This time, your brilliance will not be his to claim.’

Lucius’s grin turned sharp.

’It will be mine. No — ours. OUR BILLIONS!’

His shoulders trembled as he stifled manic laughter.

"So." His voice dropped low, deliberate. "Do you need time to think about it?"

Luna’s drone captured his face perfectly, his violet eyes gleaming like amethysts.

The live chat exploded across her glasses:

[@LunaFan89: OMG he’s gorgeous up close]

[@SpicyMoth: HE’S LETTING HER STREAM??]

[@VelvetQueen: Girl if you say no, I swear...]

[@LordSloth: This is the deal of a lifetime. TAKE IT]

[@SunsetRogue: Noble privilege stream exclusive??? historic moment]

Luna’s breath hitched.

She hadn’t even realized her hands were trembling.

"I-I accept," she blurted, bowing her head. "I’ll be honored to be the only one allowed to stream your Awakening."

Lucius’s smirk deepened. "Good."

And then, without warning, he released her.

Luna gasped — but instead of crashing, her body drifted downward, landing gently on the marble as if weightless.

[Ding!]

[Viewers: 20,000]

[10,000 people have subscribed to your Stitch channel!]

Her jaw dropped.

She had clawed her way for several years just to hit 2,000 followers.

Now, in an instant, she had quintupled it.

The chat went berserk:

[@SkyLancer: TEN K IN SECONDS HOLY]

[@StreamerAnon: This man is a goldmine]

[@PrettyPixie: You’re living the dream Luna 😭😭😭]

[@DarkAle: Billionaire arc loading...]

Lucius folded his arms, satisfied.

’Perfect.’

He turned his glare back to the crowd of reporters.

"Do not crowd me. Ask your questions one at a time. I am already late for my Awakening."

The invisible pressure thickened. Even the enchanted mics vibrated nervously.

[@CatnipWizard: He’s literally treating the press like pests lmao]

[@ShyViper: No hesitation. King behavior.]

[@MoonlightSip: I’d kneel ngl]

The first reporter, a pale woman in a blue blazer, forced herself forward.

Her hands shook as her mic hovered.

"M-May I ask the first question, Sir Lucius?"

Lucius gave her a slow once-over. "You may."

She swallowed. "Were you truly... flying in the sky just now?"

Lucius raised a brow. "What did it look like? That I was dangling from strings?"

The crowd chuckled nervously.

The chat blew up again.

[@IronJoker: LMFAO savage]

[@BunnyEars: He actually clapped back]

[@Cinderwolf: Nah this guy’s comedy gold]

The woman blushed furiously.

With a flick of his hand, Lucius shoved her back with invisible force.

She stumbled into her colleagues.

"Next question."

A man in a stiff tie stumbled forward, face pale.

"S-Sir Lucius, what are your thoughts on your disownment... and the online rumors saying you’ll awaken nothing of value today?"

Lucius stroked his chin as though pondering. Then he chuckled.

"My thoughts on being disowned?" He tilted his head. "Considering it happened while I was in a coma... I’d say that’s rather impressive, don’t you think?"

A ripple of shocked laughter broke from the commoners in the back.

"As for online rumors..." Lucius’s smirk turned razor-sharp. "Why should I care? I am just a poorer-than-poor commoner who happens to still carry the name Hohenberg. And yet, look at you all still obsessed with me. I should be honored, really."

The man’s face drained of color.

He scurried back.

[@EternalChad: THIS DUDE HAS ZERO FEAR😭😭😭]

[@LilBlossom: He called himself ’poorer than poor’ 😭😭]

[@EdgeKnight: He’s so arrogant it loops back into cool]

A third reporter, sharp-faced and hungry-eyed, stepped forward.

"Mr. Hohenberg," she pressed, "what are your thoughts on your former fiancée, Lady Lily, now being engaged to Elliot Runenforscher? Rumors say you once loved her dearly."

The crowd leaned in.

Lucius yawned. "Am I supposed to care?"

The woman blinked. "W-What?"

"A woman is a woman at the end of the day," Lucius said bluntly. "Noble, princess, maid — it makes no difference. Am I supposed to declare war on another clan over her? I’m not stupid."

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

The reporter pressed harder. "B-But the public remembers your romance—"

Lucius’s eyes flashed with contempt. "Then tell your so-called public to zip their mouths. I couldn’t give a flying fuck if that whore hops from one bed to another. I asked for good questions, not drivel."

The force of his words blasted her backward, sending her crashing into her peers.

The mob froze.

[@VoidFox: HOLY SHIT HE SAID IT]

[@RosePetal: DID HE JUST CALL HIS EX A WHORE??]

[@StreamerStan: This is not PR safe 💀]

[@KitsuneQueen: I can’t tell if I hate him or love him]

Lucius dusted his gloves, bored.

"Enough. We’re done here." He turned, extending a hand to Luna.

"Come. Let’s enter. My Awakening won’t wait."

Luna’s throat tightened.

His grip was strong as he pulled her along, dragging her into the marble halls with him.

Her chat exploded louder than ever:

[@GlassHeart: HE HELD HER HAND]

[@WolfDrink: LUNA YOU’RE LIVING THE DREAM]

[@NekoMuse: First stream exclusive + handholding???]

[@DragonFang: This ship sails itself]

[Ding!]

[Viewers: 100,000]

[Congratulations! You have crossed a milestone: 50,000 subscribers!]

Luna’s breath hitched.

A hundred thousand people... watching her right now?

Her knees felt weak.

Just who exactly is this man?

[Author’s Note]

This is a fairly futuristic world so I decided to include streaming hehe, it feels really nice to write it.

Hehe time to bet, 50 Power stones by tomorrow and I’ll mass release 3 Chapters.