This was it. The moment of truth.
Parker stepped forward with the kind of confidence that came from being the Prince of Existence but knowing when to show respect to those who'd earned it.
"Pleased to meet you, sir," Parker said, his voice carrying genuine warmth. "I've heard a lot about you from Tessa."
The old man's presence hit him like a physical force.
Grandfather Wilder had spent decades around Bishop, whose Eternal Tier power gave him a presence that most humans found overwhelming. But this young man went far beyond anything the old man had experienced.
This wasn't just power. This was authority that existed on levels most beings couldn't even perceive.
Bishop's own presence recoiled instinctively as Parker's gaze met his, and the bodyguard took a step back without conscious thought. It wasn't fear—it was recognition. One apex predator acknowledging another who existed in an entirely different weight class.
But the old man saw something else entirely.
