**Chapter 6 — Morning Protocol**
The sun didn't ask permission.
It pushed through the curtains in long golden fingers, landing across my face like a verdict. I blinked once, twice, then lay still for a moment listening to the silence of a house that wasn't mine.
Camilla's breathing was slow and steady beside me, her chestnut hair fanned across the pillow like something out of a painting.
I slipped out carefully, pulled on my jeans and stepped through the glass door onto the balcony.
The morning air hit me clean and sharp.
Below, Sycamore Drive was just waking up. A man walked his dog. A sprinkler hissed across a perfect lawn. Somewhere a car engine turned over and faded into distance.
I leaned on the railing and exhaled.
*System online. Good morning, Operator.*
I almost smiled. "Morning."
*Current Status: 1 Quest Completed. XP: 200. Aerial Specialist Badge — Unlocked. Awaiting next directive.*
I drummed my fingers on the railing. "What if I told you the next directive isn't a router or a bug fix?"
*Clarify objective.*
"I want to build something. Not just fix what's already broken." I stared at the skyline, the city beginning to hum in the distance. "I want a name. Something people respect. Something that lasts."
A pause. Longer than usual.
*Processing.*
Then:
*New Parameter Detected: Legacy Protocol.*
*Objective: Establish independent tech enterprise.*
*Difficulty Rating: Extreme.*
*Estimated Timeline: Variable.*
*Quest Chain Initiated — Phase 1: Identity. Build reputation. Acquire first three clients independently. No system assistance on outreach.*
I frowned. "No assistance on outreach? Why?"
*Because reputation built on borrowed strength is borrowed reputation. You earn this one yourself, Operator.*
That landed somewhere deep.
I thought about the dusty laptop. The missed deadlines. The blazer that used to mean something. Stella's voice — *you were never the only one* — still echoing like a bad signal.
Then I thought about last night. The router fixed in minutes. The system guiding my hands like I was always meant to do this.
"And if I fail?"
*Then we recalibrate. Failure is data, not verdict.*
A slow breath left me. The city spread out beyond the rooftops, indifferent and enormous and full of problems nobody had fixed yet.
*That's where you come in,* the system added, almost like it read the thought.
I stood straight, shoulders back. The sun was fully up now, no longer creeping — blazing.
"Alright," I said quietly. "Let's build something."
*Logging objective. Legacy Protocol — Active.*
The glass door slid open behind me.
"Brandon." Camilla's voice, soft and unhurried, carried the warmth of someone who'd slept well for the first time in a while. "Breakfast is ready. Get in here before it gets cold."
I glanced back at her — wrapped in a robe, leaning against the doorframe, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips.
"Coming," I said.
But my eyes stayed on the city one moment longer.
*First client won't find you on a balcony,* the system noted.
"I know." I pushed off the railing. "Give me five minutes."
*Logged.*
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