The restaurant Serena chose sat near the edge of the commercial district where the lighting remained decent enough to discourage casual trouble without attracting the attention of richer clientele. It wasn't crowded either. A few workers occupied the outer tables while muted conversations drifted through the room beneath the sound of utensils and old ventilation fans struggling overhead.
Serena arrived exactly on time. Riven noticed immediately that she came alone.
That alone told him enough about her personality. Careful, but confident enough not to drag subordinates into every uncertain meeting. Most small squad leaders overcompensated for paranoia by surrounding themselves with visible muscle whenever business became ambiguous.
Serena simply sat down across from him and rested one arm along the table.
"You've been difficult to track recently," she said.
Riven glanced toward the server approaching their table before answering. "That sounds more like a compliment than a complaint."
"Depends on the context."
The conversation paused briefly while they placed orders. Serena waited until the server disappeared fully before speaking again.
"You asked specifically for me instead of my squad," she said. "That usually means one of two things. Either the job's too sensitive for extra people or too dangerous."
"Both." Riven answered plainly.
Selena laughed a little at that.
"At least you're honest about it."
Riven studied her quietly for a moment. Serena looked younger than most independent operators surviving at her level, though the way she carried herself made it obvious she had experience handling unstable work. Her squad had maintained independence longer than most small groups managed in this city. That alone required competence.
"You've heard about the recent situation in the market districts?" he asked.
"Hard not to." Serena leaned back slightly. "Everybody's hearing about it now. Business on the streets is getting disrupted, the couriers are on edge and not travelling alone anymore. Entire sectors turned against each other in just a couple of days."
"And what do you think is gonna happen next?"
She didn't answer immediately. Instead, Serena picked up the glass of water sitting near her side of the table and took a slow sip while considering the question seriously.
"The larger groups push harder until somebody goes down first," she said eventually. "Smaller operators either get absorbed into the conflict or disappear trying to avoid it."
Riven nodded once, "That's the usual outcome."
Her eyes narrowed slightly after hearing that response.
"Are you expecting something else then?"
"For a matter of fact, I do," he replied.
Serena stayed quiet afterward, waiting for him to continue instead of interrupting prematurely. Another point in her favor.
"The city's underworld runs on organized chaos," Riven said. "Controlled clientele, predictable exchanges, predetermined control over territory and business done in that territory. Right now all of that's under pressure."
"Are you saying an all out war is gonna break out?" She widened her eyes.
"I'm saying the underworld is at a critical point. It's been saturated for too long, and it's gonna break anytime soon."
Serena rested her elbow lightly against the table and closed her eyes. "I guess small groups like ours don't stand a chance anymore, huh?"
"Not necessarily, there's always a way to climb through the conflict. And the height you reach at times like these is much higher than you can imagine."
The server returned briefly with drinks before leaving again. Neither of them touched the conversation again until the footsteps disappeared fully into the background noise of the restaurant.
Riven continued once the area settled.
"The larger organizations are focused on each other right now. That creates blind spots for us but only temporary ones."
"And how exactly do you plan on exploiting them?" She asked with a keen look.
"I already am."
That answer finally shifted Serena's attention properly. She studied him more carefully now, reassessing the conversation from the beginning. That was too fast to already be in this mess even before she barely noticed it.
"Are you involved in this somehow?" That was the only conclusion she could come up with.
Riven didn't confirm it directly.
"You run a squad built around flexibility," he said instead. "Small enough to move quietly. Experienced enough to operate without attracting unnecessary attention. That kind of setup becomes valuable during unstable periods."
"And you want to hire us."
"Not exactly." He smiled.
Serena raised an eyebrow. Riven leaned slightly forward.
"I'm building something," he said. "Slowly for now. Information networks, market access, independent movement inside the city. The conflict happening right now creates room for expansion if I make the right moves in the early stages."
The food arrived before Serena could answer. Neither of them spoke while the server remained nearby arranging plates across the table. Serena waited until they were alone again before finally responding.
"You're aiming too big."
"I'm not waiting for someone like you to come knocking at my door every time I do something bare minimum to survive. Aiming big is the only way for me to make that happen," Riven replied seriously.
She let out a quiet breath through her nose, somewhere between amusement and disbelief.
"You're talking like someone already sitting at the top while recruiting operators from a restaurant booth."
"I'm talking like someone planning ahead."
Serena looked unconvinced, though not dismissive.
"Do you even understand what you're stepping into?" she asked. "The people fighting over that market aren't random thugs. Some of them control enough money and manpower to erase smaller towns entirely."
"I know." He replied resolutely.
"And that doesn't concern you?"
"It concerns me so much that I want to prepare properly instead of waiting for them to notice me first."
That answer earned silence from her for several seconds. She finally picked up her fork and started eating while thinking through everything he had said so far. Riven left the pause alone instead of pushing the conversation unnecessarily. People usually revealed more while processing than while arguing.
"You still haven't explained where we fit into this," she said eventually.
Riven had expected that question.
"Your squad works contracts," he said. "Dungeon support, escort work, recovery operations and such. Whatever pays enough to stay independent, right?"
"That's how business works." She said still eating the chicken Infront of her.
"And how stable has that business been recently?"
Her expression shifted slightly. It was subtle, but Riven noticed it immediately since that confirmation was exactly what he wanted. The conflict had already started affecting independent operators too. Less available work because the larger organizations started tightening the noose around the dungeons to monopolize the resource. Every single skill and credit from those dungeons can decide who ends up at the top after all the conflict has passed.
Exactly as he expected.
"I'm offering stability," Riven continued. "But it's going to take a lot work and patience."
Serena gave him a long look after hearing that.
"You already know what you want to do."
"Yes," he said.
"And what exactly are you expecting from me in return?"
"What I actually want is your loyalty, but I can settle for cooperation for now."
That answer actually made her laugh properly this time. The statement was too arrogant to even feel insulting, it was just funny. Only, he wasn't trying to be funny.
"You say things very confidently for someone who barely looks older than my newest recruit."
"I'm not asking you to trust empty words," Riven replied calmly. "You'll get to see the results soon enough if you decide to work for me."
The conversation slowed after that, though the atmosphere around the table had changed noticeably. Serena no longer looked at him like an unusually ambitious freelancer trying to sound important. She was evaluating him properly now. She was interested to say the least.
Several minutes later, Serena finally pushed her empty plate aside and leaned on the table looking directly into his eyes.
"I'll need time to consult my team, I can't decide on this right away," she said.
"I didn't expect you to," he replied.
"But I am positive this is gonna work."
Riven nodded once.
"Then I look forward to working with you," He finished.
Serena studied him one final time before standing from the table.
"You know," she said while adjusting her coat, "most people trying to build organizations start with money or manpower."
Riven looked up at her calmly. Waiting for her to continue.
Her eyes lingered on him for a second longer.
"But you are starting with timing. You are one lucky son of a bitch." She said raising her collar against the wind.
'If only she knew,' Riven thought with one corner of his mouth raising.
After saying that, Serena turned and disappeared into the evening crowd outside the restaurant.
Riven remained seated for several moments afterward while the city moved beyond the windows around him. The underworld conflict continued tightening beneath the surface every day. Groups were becoming desperate. Meeting points and timings were changing constantly. Smaller operators were starting to look for stability before the violence spread further.
The conditions were aligning faster than he initially predicted. And for the first time in a while, Riven was glad his original prediction had been wrong. The faster the underworld breaks around him, the sooner he can rise through it. And finally all the pieces he wanted were on the board, all he needed to do now was play the game.