The stage itself was a sleek obsidian platform, raised high above the masses. A single podium stood at its center, a minimalist masterpiece of chrome and glass, the Y/L/N Industries logo etched into its surface.

And there, standing behind it, was you. The youngest recipient of the Global Innovation Award in history. The genius who'd built a particle accelerator in her childhood bedroom.

A faint, almost imperceptible hum emanated from beneath your tailored blazer. The skin around your collarbone prickled, a familiar, unwelcome sensation. The chemical imbalance in your reactor, the one you'd been chasing for years, chose this exact moment to flare up.