---
The system's interface pulsed softly above Adam's desk, glowing lines of gold against a dark background. A flick of his fingers summoned the latest report.
> System: "Current gold reserves now valued at $32.4 million. Storage secure. Smuggling route remains uncompromised."
"So," Adam muttered, scribbling idly in his notebook, "we're quietly becoming dragon-level rich."
> "You are advised not to attempt hoarding styles common to mythical lizards."
He chuckled and flipped the notebook to a fresh page.
PROJECT: VAELORE
Below the title, he began sketching. The lines were quick at first — a sleek pendant, a ring with layered gold bands, a nameplate that gleamed with deliberate ambiguity. Then came the branding concepts: elegant typography, subtle crown motifs, packaging ideas in obsidian and crimson.
"Luxury jewelry brand," he whispered. "Silent influence, public legitimacy."
> System: "Would this function as a front operation for gold movement and high-profile client observation?"
"Exactly. And if we make it desirable enough, people will pay us to wear our smuggling routes."
> "Sinister. Strategic. Statistically promising."
He circled the title with a flourish and flipped the page.
---
Later, as the kettle hissed in the corner, the system pinged again.
> System: "Agent Nova has submitted 17 civilian dossiers for review."
"Let's see them."
Seventeen detailed profiles flicked across the interface. Each came with photos, digital credentials, behavioral scans, and a loyalty-risk index. Adam scrolled slowly, occasionally raising a brow.
Camille Vossa – Legal Advisor
Formerly at a Swiss private bank. Fired after she started investigating her own clients. Loyalty risk: Low.
Linh Tran – Web Architect
Anonymously runs a cluster of darknet forums. Specializes in encryption and hidden architecture. Loyalty risk: Minimal.
Marco Di Volterra – Artisan Jeweler
Florentine metalsmith with family ties to nobility. Known for ceremonial crafting. Loyalty risk: Moderate.
"Interesting," Adam murmured. "Too talented to ignore."
He made notes in the notebook:
Camille: Axis legal foundation?
Linh: Rebuild Axis web infrastructure?
Marco: Possible lead for Vaelore?
> System: "Shall I initiate first-wave contact? Soft recruitment. Non-disclosure aware."
"Only to those I starred. Nothing direct."
> "Confirmed. Contact sequence initiated under alias protocols."
---
The university campus hadn't changed, but Alexis's footsteps carried differently now. More composed. Measured.
"Prince!" Jordan waved him down. "Okay, is it just me or are you... taller? Or richer? Is that a new jacket?"
"Clean laundry," Alexis said flatly.
"You always do laundry. Are you, like, in a secret society or something?"
"Wouldn't that defeat the point of secret?"
Iris, seated two rows ahead in the lecture hall, shot a glance his way. Her eyes narrowed slightly, like she was trying to read a riddle she hadn't written.
"He walks like he's mapping exits," she muttered under her breath.
---
That evening, Adam sat back at his desk, the page still titled PROJECT: VAEOLORE catching the desk lamp's light.
He refined the notes:
Launch timeline: Unscheduled
Initial inventory: Custom artisan pieces
Location: Undecided. Keep local or go international?
Legal shell: Pending Camille's review.
> System: "Would you like to begin licensing under ghost corporation protocols?"
"No," Adam said. "Not until I can breathe life into the idea. This stays ink on paper for now."
He paused, then opened the system overlay and checked the candidate list again.
Four names marked. The first bricklayers of something massive.
A luxury brand. A clean front. An empire built on whispers.
All of it from a quiet room, above a modest shop, hidden beneath a normal life.
---
.