[Timeline: Time skip (Years 5–14)]
Time was a cruel master. To the slave, it crawled. To the dying, it sprinted.
But to the Spider sitting in the center of the web, time was simply a resource to be spent.
Seasons turned into years. Kings died and were replaced by their sons. Wars were fought over borders that shifted like sand dunes in a storm.
But underneath the surface noise of history, a new current was flowing. It was a current of gold, steel, and blood, guided by invisible hands.
…....…
[Year 6: The Golden Coin Guild – The Public Launch]
The main square of the Trade Capital was packed. Thousands of nobles, merchants, and commoners pushed against the velvet ropes.
In the center of the square, covered by a silk tarp, sat a machine.
Isabelle stood on the podium. At thirty-six, she was already known as the "Iron Mistress" of the East.
