A New Life in Eleceed

As I stood in the middle of the now eerily silent training facility, I noticed something—the shadows in the observation booth had disappeared. The spectators were gone. Tch. Typical. Not even a word of praise? At least let me bask in my own brilliance for a moment.

Then, I felt it. A sudden drop in my energy reserves.

"Ah, crap."

A tired sigh escaped my lips as I took stock of my current condition. My body felt a little sluggish, the telltale sign of overexertion. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. The one disadvantage of still being trapped in a child's body—limited stamina. Damn this small frame. I swear, if I had my fully grown body back, I'd be an unstoppable force by now.

But noooo, instead, here I am—a tiny powerhouse with an embarrassingly small fuel tank.

I let out another sigh, placing my hands on my hips as I surveyed the battlefield I had created, water was all over the place after I melted all those ice. Honestly, not bad. My control still needs refinement, but perfection takes time. No need to rush. I have years ahead of me.

Then, I noticed something else—no sweat.

I took a sniff just to confirm. Yep. No unpleasant odor either.

"Hah," I smirked. "The perks of Cryokinesis." While other awakeners probably reek like a gym locker after training, I come out fresh. A self-cooling system built-in. Who needs deodorant when your body temperature regulates itself?

Before I could revel in my superiority any further, the doors to the training facility opened.

I turned my head lazily, spotting four figures stepping inside. Their eyes widened as they scanned the now melted icy terrain. Their reactions were predictable—awe, amazement, and probably a little bit of fear. Understandable. Not every day you see a kid turning a high-tech training room into the Antarctic.

Then, one of them—a boy—broke into a sprint toward me.

I blinked. What's with this guy?

As he stopped in front of me, I took a good look at him. A bit older than me, taller too, but still a child nonetheless. His eyes were practically sparkling as he stared at me.

Then he finally spoke, his voice filled with excitement.

"Are you Rheon Lee?!"

I tilted my head, taking a moment to process.

"I'm Seongha Lee, a relative of yours!"

Seongha… Lee?

Wait. That name… sounded familiar. Then, it hit me.

Oh.

The guy from the canon—the one with the long black turtleneck that covers 'till chin, an agent of The Union.

So he's a relative, huh?

That explains his high position in the Union. Makes sense now.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I responded with my usual charm, flashing a small grin.

"That's me. Rheon Lee. Nice to meet you."

Seongha beamed. "Wow! I've heard so much about you!"

Before I could reply, the other three figures approached—two teenagers and an adult.

Ah. The elevator trio.

The adult was the first to speak, directing a stern look at Seongha.

"Seongha, don't just run off like that. You're already nine years old. Proper etiquette is expected from you."

Seongha chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. Yeah, definitely still a kid.

The adult then turned to me, offering a respectful nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rheon-nim. I am Hwan Lee. We are honored to finally meet the heir of the Lee family."

Then, to my absolute horror, he and the others bowed slightly.

I blinked. Wait. What.

"Uh—" I almost took a step back. I'll really not get used to all this formality.

I quickly waved my hands. "No need for that. We're relatives, aren't we? No need to be so stiff." Then, in an attempt to break the awkwardness, I held out my hand for a handshake.

Hwan Lee hesitated for a brief second before finally taking my hand, shaking it firmly. He gave me a small, amused smile.

"You're different from what I expected," he said.

I'll take that as a compliment.

After that, he introduced the two other children.

"This is my daughter, Ha-yoon Lee. She's twelve."

A sharp-eyed girl with neatly tied black hair gave me a polite nod, though she still looked curious.

"And this is my eldest son, Yu-jun Lee. He's fourteen."

Yu-jun looked a bit more composed, giving a calm, respectful nod yet I can notice a slight tension to his calm expression.

I extended my hand to both of them. "Nice to meet you all."

Just as they shook my hand, another presence entered the training facility.

I didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

"You've already introduced yourselves, I see."

I glanced over my shoulder to see my father walking in, his usual authoritative aura filling the room.

Hwan Lee straightened up immediately. "Brother."

Then, Father continued, "This is my younger brother, Hwan Lee. He manages our business in Busan alongside our other relatives. They're here for a visit."

I nodded slightly in understanding.

Then, Hwan spoke again, this time with a questioning look. "I wonder, Brother… why haven't you brought Rheon to any of our family events before?"

Father's expression remained unreadable. "It wasn't time yet."

Hwan hummed in thought before nodding. "I see."

Then, Father continued, "But next year, in August, Rheon will attend."

Ah. So I'm finally going to one of those gatherings, huh?

Hwan gave a knowing look, almost as if he expected that answer. "Good. It's long overdue."

Then, Father sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I have another meeting after this. Hwan, you can take Rheon with you for lunch. I'll inform my wife as well—she'll join you all."

"I see," Hwan said, nodding. "So, you'll be having lunch with the executives, then?"

Father let out a tired exhale. "Unfortunately."

I snorted. Even my father gets exhausted dealing with bureaucracy.

Then, he placed a hand on my head, ruffling my hair slightly. "Behave, Rheon."

I huffed. "I always do."

That earned me a chuckle from Hwan. "We'll take care of him, don't worry."

Father gave me one last glance before turning away, already walking toward the exit.

I looked at my newfound relatives and sighed.

"Alright, then," I said, stretching my arms. "What's for lunch?"

Seongha grinned. "We know a great place!"

And with that, my day took an unexpected turn.

-----

The hum of the private jet filled the cabin, a constant white noise as we cruised through the sky. We were on our way back to Busan after an unexpectedly eventful day—lunch with Rheon and Aunt So-hee. I stared out the window, watching the clouds pass by, but my mind wasn't on the view.

It was on him.

Rheon Lee.

The first time I saw him was in the elevator. Just a kid, small, unassuming—nothing about him stood out. I barely gave him a second glance. At the time, I had no idea that he was the rumored prodigal son of Chairman Lee.

The child who awakened at five years old.

Five.

Far earlier than the usual awakening age of ten.

When I first heard about it, I didn't believe it. How could I? It sounded ridiculous. A political stunt, a fabricated tale meant to further solidify Chairman Lee's iron grip over the Union. That's what I told myself. A story. A carefully orchestrated ploy to elevate the prestige of his bloodline.

But I was wrong.

So, wrong.

I realized it the moment we arrived at the Union's training facility. At first, we were only there to train a little, to test out the high-grade technology and equipment. But then we saw him.

The same kid from the elevator.

Rheon Lee stood alone in the middle of the frozen battlefield he created, exuding a quiet confidence that didn't belong to a seven-year-old.

And we watched.

At first, we assumed he was a close-combat fighter. The way he molded ice around his limbs, reinforcing his strikes with cryokinetis, boosting his movements with precise bursts of frozen air—it was something I had never seen before. He wasn't just fighting. He was weaving his abilities seamlessly into his physical combat, integrating it as if his ice was an extension of his own body.

And he was good.

His footwork, his timing—flawless. He wasn't just powerful; he was efficient. There were no wasted movements, no unnecessary flourishes. Every motion had purpose.

Then he switched to ranged attacks.

And that's when I realized.

His cryokinesis—it was different.

Darker. Colder. More potent than anything I had ever seen before.

It wasn't just cryokinesis. It was something else.

I watched, unable to look away, as the temperature in the training facility plummeted.

I saw how he controlled the frost—not just creating ice but commanding it. As if it belonged to him. As if he was born to rule over it.

He made it look so natural.

Something I did not possess.

And he was only seven years old.

A bitter taste settled in my mouth.

For years, I thought—no, I believed—that I had a shot at the chairmanship position in the future. That one day, I could rise to the top of the Union, take control, shape it with my own hands. I wasn't the best, but I was talented enough and that I would grow strong enough.

Or so I thought.

But then he appeared.

The moment I saw his power, the moment I witnessed his control—I knew.

He was on a completely different level.

I clenched my fist tightly, nails digging into my palm.

A futile act of frustration.

Why…?

Why does someone like him exist?

Why was he given that kind of talent?

Why was he—at seven years old—already standing so high above the rest of us?

"…Yu-jun."

My father's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. I turned to him, my expression carefully neutral.

He, of course, saw right through it.

"You need to tread carefully," he said, voice calm but firm. "Do not let your thoughts be clouded by ambition."

I stiffened.

"I—"

"And stop listening to your mother."

That made me freeze.

My father's gaze remained steady, unwavering.

"She is trying to force her ambitions onto you," he continued, his voice measured but laced with finality. "Don't be a pawn for her schemes."

I looked away.

I knew that. Of course, I knew that.

My mother had always been clear about her intentions. Ever since I was a child, she made sure I understood—that I had a responsibility. That I had to rise.

That I have the talent to rise, to become The Union's next chairman.

But now…

Now, I wasn't even sure if that was possible.

Because he existed.

And there was nothing I could do to change that.

As I sat in silence, staring at my clenched fists, I came to a quiet realization.

Rheon Lee…

He wasn't just another awakener.

He was a monster in the making. My father also agrees and many of the higher ups from The Union too.

And one day, the world would have no choice but to recognize him as such.