Uninvited Guest

The elegant woman with white hair sat in the corner, dressed in a gown with gold accents, carefully observing her surroundings. A few people sat with her, but it seemed as though she was the only one that mattered; everyone's attention was focused solely on her words. Her gaze slowly shifted toward the door.

Just then, the door creaked open, and a large, muscular man entered. His presence radiated like a shockwave, but only those with the Vex ability could feel it. The regular people continued dancing, laughing, and drinking, while a ripple of unease spread among the Vex-gifted. Some of them stiffened, while others nervously glanced around.

The white-haired woman scanned the man from head to toe, pursing her lips. In a low yet sharp tone, she said to those next to her, "A weakling stands before us... Letting his aura loose, how dare he?"

The man beside her, who didn't show his age, chuckled slightly at her words and shook his head. "Don't make a scene. Just ignore him," he muttered. The woman grumbled but heeded his advice.

Meanwhile, Aren and Keiran were standing by the bar, sipping their drinks. Aren was watching the crowd, while Keiran was more attuned to the energy around them. When the man with the powerful aura entered, Keiran's brow furrowed slightly, but he said nothing. Aren, on the other hand, couldn't care less about the incident. His attention was on the dancing crowd and the odd tie Keiran was wearing, which he thought looked awful.

The large man let his gaze drift across the crowd, taking a few steps that seemed to reverberate in the minds of the Vex-gifted like an echo. When he approached Aren and Keiran, his eyes locked onto the spider on Aren's back. He paused for a moment, and a mocking smile crept onto his lips.

"Are you carrying a backpack or a pet?" he asked sarcastically, his eyes fixed on Victoria perched on Aren's back. "Quite a peculiar style. Is that really a spider?"

Keiran noticed immediately. The mocking tone in the man's voice irritated him, but he didn't let the smile drop from his face. His eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to Aren. "Aren, stay calm," he whispered in a low voice. Keiran knew that Victoria wasn't just a bag; she was Aren's wife, but the man didn't know that, and it didn't matter to him. He didn't want to escalate the situation.

The anger in Aren began to rise slowly with the man's taunting words. The disrespect towards Victoria was testing his limits. Aren's vision darkened for a moment, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists as Victoria's legs twitched slightly on his back. It wasn't just the man's insulting words that provoked his rage; it was also the disregard toward Victoria, his most cherished being.

Keiran quickly sensed the shift in Aren's mood. He placed a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder, trying to have a calming effect. His voice was low but firm. "Aren, you don't need to teach anyone a lesson tonight. Let him go. He's not worth your anger."

Aren's eyes were like those of a predator ready to strike, but Keiran's words echoed in the back of his mind. He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and reluctantly pulled himself back. It was good that Keiran always intervened in moments like these. For now, Aren managed to stay calm, but the disrespect toward Victoria would not be easily forgotten.

Aren muttered softly through gritted teeth, almost to himself: "I won't forget this. There will be a time."

Keiran, knowing that his friend was still holding onto his anger, gave a slight nod. "I know, buddy," he said with a smile. "But that time is not tonight."

Aren took one last deep breath and watched the man's retreating figure with cold eyes. Even though the man had disappeared from the scene, his disrespect would not be forgotten.

As the party continued in full swing, the doors suddenly opened once again. A person wearing a simple yet mysterious mask entered, immediately drawing the crowd's attention. The figure was neither too flamboyant nor too plain, but the energy he radiated silenced the entire room. His identity was hidden behind the mask, yet every move he made was closely watched as he stepped into the room with a natural authority.

Aren and Keiran turned their attention to the newcomer. Aren, in particular, felt Victoria's legs twitch on his back, signaling that this person was not ordinary. As the masked figure moved to the front of the stage, all eyes in the room were on him. His eyes scanned the crowd from behind the mask, and then, with a voice that was both soft and commanding, he began to speak.

"My guests," the masked man said. His voice was deep and resonant, echoing through the entire room. "Tonight, you are not here for an ordinary celebration. However, we have prepared a larger hall to host you all. You are all invited to this special space where much more awaits you."

The regular people in the crowd exchanged glances, whispering in surprise. The invitation seemed quite appealing. A group of them began preparing to head toward the hall mentioned. Those with curious eyes and a thirst for more started moving toward the door. But Aren and Keiran, along with the other Vex-gifted, recognized the true meaning behind the words.

The masked man's message, while seemingly an innocent invitation on the surface, carried a different meaning for those with Vex abilities. The phrase "larger hall" was actually a signal to move the non-Vex out, away from where the real events were about to unfold. The Vex-gifted and those who were aware of them understood that they needed to stay in this room.

Keiran whispered softly to Aren, "We need to stay. This invitation isn't meant for us."

Aren narrowed his eyes at the masked figure on the stage. "Yeah, I noticed. The normal people are being misled. The real thing is happening here, in this room."

Most of the crowd, guided by the masked man's gesture, began to move toward the exit. Only those with Vex abilities and those aware of their secrets remained. The room suddenly grew quiet. The masked man now turned his attention to the remaining Vex-gifted, his gaze lingering on each of them as if he knew who they were.

"Now that the unnecessary ones have left..." he said, his tone dropping to a more serious level. "We can begin our real conversation.