Elder Presence was the youngest of the Chosen Elders, but he was still an old man. The wrinkles on his face seemed to get deeper every passing day, and his black hair was starting to thin. He was a tall, older gentleman, still handsome despite his advanced age. He had never been married, but he did have a daughter. She was the same age as Miss Planner and lived in Grandebelle with her husband. The happy couple had a child on the way, which meant Elder Presence was going to be a grandfather.

Elder Presence was starting to think about taking a step back from the day-to-day operations of the Tower of the Chosen. He was responsible for overseeing the security division, and his job was becoming more and more difficult to do. He needed to pick someone to take over, but he couldn't decide who. Thankfully, he had someone he trusted implicitly to help him with this difficult decision.

"Hello, this is Miss Planner speaking."
"This is Elder Presence. Miss Planner, do you have a moment?"
"Of course, Elder Presence. How can I help you?"
"Can you come down to my office? I need your help with something."
"Certainly. I'm on my way."

The great Elder was standing at a window overlooking the streets of Grandebelle, watching the world outside. The sun was shining brightly in his room, but the sight didn't bring him any joy. He was worried about what was going to happen next. The last thing he wanted was to leave the security division, but he was getting too old to keep up with everything that was happening in the organization.

Presence looked at the clock. It was already past noon. If he took too long here, he'd miss lunch with his daughter. He sighed. Miss Planner was on her way. He knew she was smart, but sometimes her plans made no sense to him.

There was a knock at the door. Elder Presence called out, "Enter!"

Miss Planner opened the door, revealing herself. She was dressed simply in a white blouse and gray skirt, and she was holding a small bag. Her blonde hair was tied up nicely in a ponytail with elegant black lace.

"Good afternoon, Elder Presence," Miss Planner said cheerfully, stepping into the room.
"Thank you for coming," responded Presence politely. He offered his hand to greet her.

Miss Planner shook it, then sat down.

"So sorry for being late, Elder Presence. There was a bit of a problem with one of our new recruits. How may I assist you today?"

Elder Presence looked at the tiny Miss Planner sternly, communicating that this was a situation worthy of some gravitas.

"I want you to help me decide who to promote into the position of head of security. I'm not as young as I once was, and with my granddaughter on the way, I need to start thinking about how I want to spend the rest of my life. This is a very important decision, but I don't know where to begin. I need someone I can trust. You know how important this is, right?"

Elder Presence spoke in a slow, measured tone. His voice carried a hint of sadness like he was trying to convince himself that what he was saying wasn't true. Miss Planner nodded, looking serious. She needed to show the Elder the respect he deserved, even though this was the best news she'd heard in weeks. Elder Presence was a strong and reliable man, but he tended to micromanage the security division's employees like they were his personal servants. The division would be better off with a different leader.

"Of course, sir. I'll do my best to help you decide. Did you have any candidates in mind? Are we talking about someone specific?"

"I have three people I'm considering. I want you to tell me which one you think would be the best choice."

He slid three files across the table to her. Miss Planner picked them up and skimmed through the pages.

"Well, let's see..." she said.

She looked at the first picture. A short, muscular man with a buzz cut stared blankly at her. She looked at the next one- an older man with silver hair and a clean-shaven face. She flipped the page and- a young man, around her age, with closely-cropped black hair and thick-framed glasses. She read the first page of each file.

"Donovan... forty-five, worked for you for fifteen years," she read from the first file. "He's a good soldier and he's very familiar with our day-to-day operations. Psychic power... to modify his own thought patterns and memories. It's very rare. His subordinates respect him and he treats them well. Unfortunately, he also tends to get too attached to his people and it gets in the way of his ability to manage."

She moved on to the next one.

"Hugo..." she said, looking at the older man, "fifty-six, worked for you for twenty-eight years. Again, he's a good soldier and very familiar with how we do things. Psychic power... to read the minds of others. Very useful. Enthusiastic, devoted to the Chosen, and his subordinates love him. He has no weaknesses as far as I can tell, other than his tendency to overreact when something goes wrong."

The last person was the young man with closely cropped black hair. He wore a suit, and his eyes were cold, hard, and calculating.

"And finally, there's Daniel. Twenty-eight, worked for you for eight years. A rising star in our organization. He's a skilled assassin and a highly rated soldier. Psychic power... mental blasts powerful enough to destroy metal. That's some strength there. Great potential. Sadly, he doesn't have much experience as a leader. We'd have to train him up on the job. Also, I've heard rumors that he isn't exactly loyal to us."

Elder Presence looked at Miss Planner with concern. The three men were all strong candidates, but if they promoted the wrong person, the entire organization could be in danger.

"I hate to say it, Elder Presence, but none of these candidates are qualified to lead the security division quite yet. It'll take at least six months before any of them are truly ready to step into your shoes," said Miss Planner sympathetically. "They're not bad people, just lacking in some areas."

Elder Presence was quiet.

"That being the case, I think Donovan is the best choice out of these three. He aligns most strongly with our core values as a people-first organization. He needs some training in leadership skills, but he's a great cultural fit. And his loyalty to the Tower and its mission will never waver. I can design a training program and see how he does. If he grows to meet expectations, then we promote him. If he fails, then we'll find someone else to fill the position."

"What about Hugo?" asked Elder Presence. "He has seniority, and his powers are a natural fit for the security division. I like him too."

"Sir, I don't know what you want me to tell you. Hugo's personality isn't a good match for the position. He lets his emotions get in the way of making the right decisions. And his psychic power doesn't have much flexibility. He's good at managing grunts, and that's what we've got him doing now. There's nothing wrong with using mind-reading to keep track of who's where and when, but it limits how far he can go. As a leader, you need more than that."

"Daniel? He's young and ambitious, and he's an excellent fighter," said Elder Presence defensively. "He has the potential to be a very powerful leader. Why would you choose Donovan over him?"

Miss Planner sighed heavily. She hated disappointing the man she respected so much.

"I've seen him in action, and he's very talented. His abilities are impressive, no doubt about that. And there doesn't appear to be any truth to the rumor that he's some kind of traitor. Unfortunately, his character is lacking. He lacks the empathy needed to be an effective leader. You should see the way he treats people- it's awful. I'm sorry, sir."

Elder Presence closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew she was telling the truth.
"Thank you, Miss Planner," said Elder Presence quietly. "I appreciate your honesty."

He looked down at the files on his desk.

"There are no perfect choices, I suppose," said Miss Planner. "Now, if there's anything else I can help you with..."
"No, thank you, Miss Planner. You're wise beyond your years."

She smiled politely and stood up.
"You can always count on me, sir. I am your loyal servant!"

Elder Presence watched her leave with a sad expression. The old man sat in silence for a few minutes, deep in thought. He reached into his desk and picked out a file folder, then opened it on the table. He was met by a picture of a young woman smiling brightly. Her perfect blonde hair fell across her face, hiding part of her smile. Miss Planner looked confident, happy, and full of life. She had the look of someone who could handle whatever came her way.

The old man studied the photo for a while. Who knew she would accomplish so much in such a short amount of time? He couldn't even imagine how much pressure she must be under. And yet, she still managed to make everything seem effortless. It made him proud to know that he'd helped shape her into a great leader.