The fluorescent lights of Axis Goods flickered softly above the backroom as Alexis sat hunched over a modest desk littered with receipts, snack wrappers, and an encrypted laptop that hummed quietly. The shop's storage space smelled faintly of cardboard and vanilla-scented cleaning fluid—a perfect cover for the work he was truly doing.
"System," Alexis said, sipping cold coffee, "status on both businesses."
The console blinked alive.
System: "Axis Goods operating at 96% logistical efficiency. Civilian interaction minimal. Vaelore Atelier: all orders fulfilled. Rising interest in encrypted referral forums. Public awareness remains low. Elite curiosity—moderate but contained."
Alexis leaned back. "Good. No need for fireworks yet."
Nova: "Operation Threadlock is armed. All vectors mapped. Economic pressure points aligned. Dummy accounts in place."
Her voice, warm and unbothered, filled the room like silk over steel.
He smiled. "Launch it. But keep it surgical. Cut 25% of the consortium's total value. No more."
Nova: "Quarter-casualty. Calculated. Initiating."
With a series of low tones and interface pulses, Operation Threadlock began. Across the digital landscape, silent code moved through banking networks, shell companies, and proxy servers like ink in water. Ledgers began to bleed. Vaults turned into echoes. Legal fortresses cracked under the weight of precision.
Nova: "Shall we send a calling card?"
"Send them a letter," Alexis said. "Just one line, with our seal."
Nova: "Composed: 'This is your only warning. The next strike is final. – Axis'"
He nodded.
Nova: "Delivering… Now."
All across the globe, key consortium-linked terminals blinked out for five seconds. When they returned, they bore the same image—an empty circle crowned in gold. The God's Axis seal. For many of them, it was the first time they believed it existed.
---
Zurich – Offshore Account Hub A group of suited men stared as their screens froze, balances erased. One screamed into a dead phone line. Another simply sat down and muttered, "We should've stayed in pharmaceuticals."
Brazil – Black Web Logistics Group The leader of a known smuggling ring opened an encrypted laptop only to find their entire distribution ledger replaced by a crown-ring symbol. Then the device sparked and died.
Hong Kong – Hacker Collective A group of young coders tried to breach a system that, moments later, reached out to them first. Their screens flashed red:
> You touched the curtain. Step back.
Two laptops caught fire. One kid screamed. Another applauded. "That's art."
---
Back in the Axis HQ chamber, Alexis remained calm.
System: "Threadlock Phase One complete. Estimated 25.4% net loss across targeted nodes. Reinforcements mobilizing. Consortium responses pending."
Nova: "Some allies of the consortium are trying to fund an investigative task force. Also, one dark web journalist tried to sell our name to a tabloid."
"Trace him. Offer him a ring pop and a cease-and-desist."
Nova: "Sarcasm module engaged."
Alexis grinned faintly.
---
Meanwhile, in Iris's dorm…
Iris sat surrounded by half-eaten takeout boxes and digital clutter—red-thread mind maps stretched across her laptop and bedroom walls. She had just dug through the deepest part of a defunct dark web chat when she found it:
> "Axis doesn't deal in shadows. Axis builds them."
Her fingers trembled. A familiar name flickered past: Circle. Crown. Signal.
Then the post vanished. Deleted. The board went offline.
Her eyes narrowed.
"I knew it wasn't just a store…"
She slammed her laptop shut, grabbed her coat, and left without another word.
---
Axis Goods – Morning
The bell chimed lightly as Iris stepped through the front door of Axis Goods. The morning light was warm, filtered through the glass like gold.
Alexis was at the counter, restocking gum.
"You ever get tired of pretending?" she asked.
He didn't flinch.
"I pretend I like mint gum. Does that count?"
She approached, voice low. "I saw something. Your ring. The name. The symbol."
Alexis tilted his head. "Sounds like late-night conspiracy reading."
"I'm not stupid."
"I didn't say you were."
They locked eyes.
"You're not just Alexis," she said. "You're something else. Something deeper."
He slid a candy bar across the counter. "Everyone has layers."
She didn't take the candy.
"I'm going to find out what Axis is."
Alexis gave her the faintest of smiles. "Then I hope you're ready for what it means to know."
As she stepped outside, he watched her go.
System: "She's persistent."
"She's brilliant," Alexis replied. "And trouble."
---
Zurich Boardroom – Minutes Later
An entire financial sector stared at blank screens and sinking portfolios. And on one wall-sized monitor, the Axis symbol pulsed—silent, royal, inevitable.
The room went deathly quiet.
One man whispered, "We made a mistake."
Another added, "We need to shut everything down. Now."
But it was already too late.