Chapter 4 — Introducing Caleb

Caleb Hart

Caleb Hart adjusted the strap of his leather satchel and stepped into the gleaming lobby of Vanguard Innovations Headquarters. The air was cool and sharp, carrying with it the faint scent of polished marble and freshly brewed coffee. Employees in tailored suits moved with purpose, their clipped conversations woven into the rhythmic tapping of shoes against the marble floor. It was a world of precision and ambition, and Caleb felt the weight of it pressing against him. His scuffed hiking boots and well-worn satchel marked him as an outsider, a contrast he was keenly aware of but didn’t let bother him. He wasn’t here to fit in. He was here to observe.