The city was restless with the early autumn wind, and Aiden had spent weeks observing, calculating, and waiting. The opportunity had finally appeared: a shipment of rare silks intended for the Veyra estate had been delayed by storms, and the merchants were scrambling to cover their loss.
Aiden saw a chance—not to take, but to insert himself cleverly. He approached one of the minor merchants involved, offering an alternative delivery route that only he knew, using contacts in the slums and near the docks. In exchange, he requested nothing but acknowledgment to the Veyra steward that the boy from the lower city had ensured the silks arrived intact.
The plan was precise. He coordinated his boys, guided the merchant, and oversaw the delivery from the shadows, ensuring no misstep. By the time the shipment reached the estate, the silks were pristine, arriving exactly when they were needed.
Lady Selene, present in the receiving hall, raised her eyebrows in subtle surprise. "The shipment arrived perfectly… ahead of any correction. Who orchestrated this?" she asked softly.
The steward hesitated, then, as instructed in a small note left by Aiden, merely replied, "A clever boy from the city markets, my lady. He ensured everything was handled without error."
Selene's lips curved faintly. Clever. Efficient. Unseen, yet decisive. Her curiosity deepened, and she made a mental note to learn more about this boy whose influence spread like invisible threads.
Back in the slums, Aiden counted the subtle victories, not gold this time, but the acknowledgment he had orchestrated. His boys watched, eyes wide.
"She saw you," one whispered.
Aiden smiled faintly, touching the pendant. "Not fully. Not yet. But she knows I exist. Influence begins quietly, and recognition is earned. The ladder is growing taller, and soon the hill will feel the weight of the ghost's steps."
The city had noticed him. Lady Selene had noticed him. And Aiden knew the game was accelerating.
The ghost of the slums was no longer merely surviving. He was rising.
And the first rung of the hill had been firmly secured.