Age 20 - 2044
"Aiden, the Singapore deal requires your signature."
At twenty, Aiden had already taken on significant responsibilities in Luxury Enterprises. Not because his father forced him, but because he had a natural talent for business, for reading people, for understanding what they needed.
"The Singapore investors want assurances," his father's CFO explained. "They're nervous about the political climate."
Aiden reviewed the documents, his mind processing information with unusual speed. "Offer them the hedge clause we discussed, but with better terms on our end. They need this deal more than we do, but we don't need to make them feel that."
Richard Luxury watched his son with pride. "You're a natural at this."
"I learned from the best."
But even as Aiden excelled in business, that emptiness remained. He could negotiate million-dollar deals, charm investors, navigate corporate politics with ease—but none of it filled the void inside him.
"You need balance," Sophia insisted. "You're twenty years old. You should be going to parties, dating, having fun. Not spending every night in the office."
"I go to parties," Aiden protested.
"And leave after an hour, looking miserable."
Because parties felt hollow. The people there—beautiful, accomplished, interesting people—all felt like shadows compared to someone he couldn't remember but knew existed.
"Fine," he relented. "There's a charity gala next month. I'll attend, I'll socialize, I'll try to have fun."
"That's all I ask."
But as Aiden marked the gala on his calendar, he didn't know that this event would change everything. That the universe had been orchestrating this meeting for a thousand years.
That his wait—and someone else's much longer wait—was almost over.