Sovereign of Hearts

The morning sun over Forest City didn't just rise; it pierced the smog of the industrial sector and glittered off the polished obsidian walls of the upper districts like a laser. In the master suite of the Shaw Estate, a sprawling mansion that occupied enough prime real estate to house a small army, Leo Shaw opened his eyes. He didn't groan or smash a snooze button. He woke with the sharp, instant clarity of a man who treated sleep as a tactical necessity rather than a luxury. He sat up, the silk sheets sliding off a chest that was no longer concave and sickly, but defined by a year of grueling, self-imposed calisthenics. "One year," Leo whispered to the empty, climate-controlled room. Today marked exactly three hundred and sixty-five days since the truck on a rainy Earth street had turned his previous life into asphalt splatter. It was the anniversary of the death of Leo Shaw, the heartbreaker, and the birth of Leo Shaw, the Survivor. He walked to the floor-to-ceiling mirror, inspecting the face that still felt slightly like a mask. The "original" Leo of this world—The Grand Dominion—had been a pathetic creature. A Spoiled Scion who drowned his insecurities in expensive wine and hid behind his father’s money. He had been pale, weak, and universally despised. The reflection staring back now was different. The eyes were sharper, holding a cynicism that a teenager shouldn't possess. The jawline was firmer. He looked like money, yes, but he no longer looked like easy money. "Master Leo?" The voice came from the intercom system, polite and deferential. It was the head butler, Alfred. "Breakfast is served in the solarium. Your father is waiting. And... happy birthday, sir." "Thanks, Alfred. I'll be down in five." Leo dressed quickly, bypassing the gaudy, jeweled tunics the old Leo used to favor. He chose the standard uniform of the Spirit Martial Academy, but he wore it with a tailored precision. As he adjusted his collar, he felt a strange, dull thrumming at the base of his skull. It wasn't a headache, exactly. It felt like static on a radio channel, a faint, high-pitched frequency that hovered just on the edge of hearing. Stress, he told himself, rubbing his temples. Just pre-Awakening jitters. He left the room, his footsteps echoing on the marble staircase. The Shaw mansion was a testament to the power of commerce in a world ruled by martial strength. His father, Sam Shaw, wasn't an Awakened warrior. He was a merchant king who had cornered the market on Spirit Ore refinement. He had bought his family’s safety with billions of credits, constructing a golden cage for his only son. In the solarium, Sam Shaw sat behind a holographic newspaper, a cup of strong coffee steaming in his hand. He was a portly man with kind eyes that were currently etched with worry. "You're up early," Sam said, lowering the hologram as Leo entered. "I thought you might sleep in. It's a big day, after all." "Every day is a big day when the Awakening Ceremony is a month away, Dad," Leo replied, taking a seat. A servant immediately placed a plate of nutrient-rich Mutated Beast meat and eggs before him. Sam sighed, folding his hands on the table. "Leo... I’ve been talking to some contacts in the Capital. If... if the ceremony next month doesn't go well... if you don't awaken a combat talent..." "You mean if I'm a dud?" Leo cut in, slicing his steak with calm precision. "I mean," Sam corrected gently, "that there are other ways to live. I have enough money to set you up in the inner sanctum of the city. You could run the logistics division. You don't have to fight monsters to be a man, Leo. Your mother... she was a B-tier healer, and she still..." He trailed off, the pain of an old wound surfacing briefly. Leo stopped eating. He looked at his father—this man who had loved the original, worthless Leo unconditionally, and who had embraced the "new" Leo with a mix of awe and relief. "Dad," Leo said, his voice steady. "I spent the last year dragging my grades from the bottom of the trash heap to the top of the Nirvana Ranking. I memorized every weakness of every beast in the Bestiary. I trained this body until I puked blood." He took a sip of water, his eyes darkening. "I didn't do all that to become an accountant. I’m going to Awaken. And I’m going to be strong enough that you never have to pay a bribe for my safety again." Sam stared at his son, seeing the flash of steel in his eyes that hadn't been there a year ago. A slow, proud smile spread across his face. "You really have changed," Sam murmured. "Sometimes I wonder if you're even the same boy." Leo’s heart skipped a beat, but he masked it with a charismatic grin—the same grin that used to charm supermodels back on Earth. "I just finally grew up, Dad. Puberty hits hard." Leo finished his breakfast, wiped his mouth, and stood up. "I have to go. First period is Mutants & Monsters. May Lewis doesn't tolerate tardiness, even on birthdays." "Take the armored sedan," Sam called out as Leo walked away. "And Leo? Be careful. The atmosphere in the city is... tense. The sensors near the border are acting up." "Always am," Leo replied. As he walked out the front door toward the waiting luxury vehicle, the buzzing in his head returned. It was louder this time, accompanied by a fleeting sensation of dizziness. System boot-up? Leo thought jokingly, then scoffed at his own optimism. Yeah, right. If I had a Golden Finger, it would have shown up when I was getting beat up by Jack Lewis behind the gym six months ago. He slid into the back of the car, the leather cool against his skin. He closed his eyes, preparing for another day of high school politics in a world where the prom queen could probably incinerate him with a thought. Little did he know, the "static" in his head wasn't stress. It was a progress bar, currently sitting at 99.9%.