The grand hall of the Restored Library of Alexandria now seemed like a farce. The scholars floating by, immersed in their knowledge, seemed ignorant and blissful. The soft light emanating from the shelves, which had once seemed magical, now felt cold and clinical. The notification of his victory, with its thousands of Karma Points, burned on his screen, feeling less like a reward and more like payment for a dirty job.
The vision wouldn't leave him, replaying in his mind like a horror film. The faceless doorman. The Scrap Scavenger chasing his coin. The silent librarians. They were people. People like him, who had failed too many times, whose ratings had dropped, and who had been turned into disposable tools to keep the system running. "Recycled" wasn't a metaphor. It was literal, and its efficiency was the cruelest part.
The Celestial Archivist watched him, its stardust expression unreadable. "Your task is complete, courier. You may depart."
Leo said nothing. He got on his scooter, his body moving on instinct, and headed for the golden exit portal. When he crossed the threshold and his storage room door closed behind him, the familiar smell of his office brought him no comfort. It smelled like a cell.
He looked at his smartphone, at his Karma Points balance. It was the highest it had ever been. He could buy upgrades, maybe even a better suit. But for what? To become more efficient at serving a system that turned his colleagues into scrap monsters?
He felt sick. The guilt over what he'd done to the Scrap Scavenger, tossing it the coin like an animal, was a physical weight in his chest.
He couldn't stay there. He needed answers. He needed someone who knew.
Without a second thought, he left his office and ran through the rainy streets to the alley of the "Sabor do Limiar". He didn't knock. He burst through the door.
Yuki was there, sharpening her black knife with a wet whetstone, the rhythmic sound filling the small restaurant. She looked up, and her calm expression hardened when she saw the state Leo was in. He wasn't panicking like the other times. He was pale, his eyes wide and haunted.
"Did something happen in the duel?" she asked, her voice cautious.
Leo walked to the counter and placed his smartphone on it, the description of the [Fragment of Forbidden Knowledge] on the screen.
"Recycling," Leo said, his voice hoarse. "It's not a metaphor, is it? The doormen, the scavengers... they were couriers."
Yuki stopped sharpening the knife. The silence that followed was heavy, laden with the truth Leo had just discovered. She wiped the blade slowly, methodically, before setting it down.
"So, you found out," she said finally. There was no surprise in her voice. Only a grim resignation. "It's the Syndicate's dirty secret. The foundation upon which this entire system is built."
"You knew," Leo said, not as an accusation, but as a heartbreaking realization. "You always knew."
"I know why ratings matter," she corrected, her dark eyes locking onto his. "I know why independents get crushed. Why 'Cosmic Grub' is so ruthless. It's not just business, newbie. It's survival. Keeping a high rating isn't about earning more points. It's about ensuring you get to stay... you."
The image of the Scrap Scavenger leaping to catch the Charon's Obol flooded Leo's mind. He hadn't tricked a monster. He had exploited the lost soul of a colleague, using a bauble to toss him aside. The guilt hit him like a punch to the gut.
"That's why I'm so careful," Yuki continued. "That's why I don't take missions from Persephone. That's why I warned you about Kael. Because I know what happens when you lose."
She leaned over the counter, her voice dropping to an intense whisper. "And now, you know. And that makes you more dangerous than any low-rated courier."
"What do you mean?"
"Failures are recycled. They are replaceable parts. But knowledge... knowledge like this... is a threat to the system. The Syndicate doesn't recycle threats, Leo."
His smartphone vibrated in his hand. The vibration was different. It wasn't an order. It wasn't a chat. It was a single, strong pulse.
Leo looked at the screen. A stark, black notification with the official logo of the Couriers' Syndicate—a stylized portal with a lightning bolt through it—had appeared. There were no emojis. No exclamation points. Just cold, white text.
OFFICIAL SYNDICATE NOTICE
Subject: Mandatory Performance Review
Courier Leo (SIN: 777-M-LEO-NA) is hereby summoned to appear before a Syndicate Compliance Agent.
Your presence is required. Failure to appear will be considered a breach of the Courier's Agreement and will result in immediate disciplinary action.
A summoning portal will be opened at your location shortly.
Yuki glanced at the screen, and her normally impassive face went pale.
"They know," she whispered. "They know that you know."