The first signs were subtle.
A delivery truck parked too long outside the warehouse. A man buying three straws but asking too many questions. A pair of teenagers with phones lingering nearby, pretending to scroll while their cameras pointed toward the crates.
Rafael noticed them all. And the Codex confirmed it.
[Warning: External surveillance detected.]Estimated source: Private sector, unknown identity.Threat level: Low → Escalating.
Rafael's gut tightened. He had been careful—no advertising, no company name, just word-of-mouth sales. Yet somehow, someone had noticed.
He whispered under his breath, "Too fast. I moved too fast."
The Codex's cold reply echoed in his mind:
"Correct. Host is advised to create layers of separation between self and product. Suggested action: Establish front company. Recruit intermediaries."
A front company? The idea alone felt overwhelming. Rafael was just a man with borrowed space, paying three neighbors daily wages. But the Codex was relentless.
That evening, as Rafael walked home, the feeling of being watched clung to him like a shadow. He took three detours, passing through crowded alleys, before finally ducking into a 24-hour eatery.
He ordered tapsilog he barely tasted, keeping his eyes on the glass door.
At 11 p.m., the Codex whispered again:
"Pursuer detected. Two individuals. Approaching slowly."
Rafael's pulse spiked. He slipped out the back, weaving through dimly lit alleys. His cheap sneakers splashed in puddles, his breath ragged. The Codex guided him with clinical precision—turn left, climb the fence, duck into the tricycle terminal.
By the time he reached his boarding room, sweat clung to his back. He locked the door, heart pounding.
Hours later, unable to sleep, Rafael sat staring at the crude prototype battery hidden under cloth. If people were already chasing after his water straws, what would happen if anyone discovered this?
He clenched his fists.
"I need to disappear. Not as Rafael, the broke nobody. But as something else."
The Codex seemed almost approving.
"Correct. Identity shielding required. Host must construct legal and corporate barriers. Suggested cover identity: Tech startup founder."
Rafael leaned back, laughing bitterly. "A startup founder with no money, no contacts, no idea how to play that game?"
But the Codex had already projected business registries, fake company structures, and names. One name glowed brighter than the rest:
"AquaPure Technologies."
Rafael whispered it aloud. The sound gave him chills.
For the first time, his empire had a face.
And with that face, he would fight back against the shadows.