Of course. Of course Kael would ask about Crest. He's exactly the kind of rising star that market merchants would be watching.
He had to be very, very careful here.
"Avoid him," Rei said flatly. "He's ambitious, well-connected, and utterly ruthless. He'll use anyone who gets close to him and discard them the moment they're no longer useful. Working with him means becoming his tool, and tools get thrown away."
"That's not exactly analysis," Kael pointed out. "That's personal opinion."
"You asked if you should work with him. I'm telling you no. He's going to rise, yes. He's going to accumulate power and wealth. But everyone who helped him get there will be left with nothing but debts and regrets."
Kael studied him with those sharp amber eyes. "You sound like you know him personally."
"I know his type." Rei held the gaze steady. "And his type destroys everything they touch."
The merchant was silent for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright. Three predictions, one warning. We'll see how accurate you are." He pulled out a small card, actual paper, not digital, the way underground networks operated, and scribbled an address. "This is Mira Castell. She runs a legitimate trading operation out of the warehouse district. Mid-tier, respectable, connected enough to matter. Tell her Kael sent you. Don't embarrass me by being stupid."
Rei took the card carefully. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. If you waste her time, she'll blacklist you from every merchant circle in the city." Kael's smile was sharp again. "But if you impress her... well. Maybe you're not as insane as you seem."
Rei pocketed the card and turned to leave.
"Hey, boy."
He looked back.
Kael's expression was serious now, the merchant's mask dropped for just a moment. "Word of advice: The game you're trying to play? It's older than you, meaner than you, and it doesn't forgive mistakes. If you're going to do this, you better be ready to become someone you're not sure you'll recognize in the mirror."
Rei thought of the broken, hollow man he'd been in his previous life. Thought of the cold, calculating strategist he was becoming. Thought of the Count he planned to be.
"I'm already someone I don't recognize," he replied quietly. "Might as well make him count for something."
He left Kael staring after him, the merchant's expression unreadable.
The address led to a warehouse in the industrial district, legitimate territory, where actual registered businesses operated alongside the gray markets. The building was well-maintained, guards at the entrance checking credentials, proper signage declaring it Castell Trading Company.
Rei approached the guards, trying to project confidence he didn't quite feel.
"I'm here to see Mira Castell. Kael Venrik sent me."
The guards exchanged glances, one that said they knew exactly who Kael was and weren't entirely sure that was a recommendation.
"Wait here," one of them said, disappearing inside.
Rei waited, very aware of the second guard's assessing stare, very aware that he was an eighteen-year-old nobody trying to walk into a legitimate merchant's office based on a black market dealer's introduction.
This could go very badly very quickly.
The guard returned five minutes later. "She'll see you. Third floor, office at the end of the hall. Don't touch anything, don't wander, don't waste her time."
Rei nodded and entered.
The warehouse interior was organized chaos, crates being moved, manifests being checked, workers shouting numbers and destinations. Real business. Real money flowing through real channels.
He climbed the stairs to the third floor, found the office, and knocked.
"Enter."
The voice was female, crisp, businesslike.
Rei opened the door and stepped into an office that was surprisingly elegant for a warehouse building, polished wood desk, organized shelves, windows overlooking the loading docks below.
And behind the desk sat a woman who looked like she could command armies with a raised eyebrow.
Mira Castell was perhaps thirty-five, with sharp features, dark hair pulled back in a severe bun, and eyes that assessed him completely in the three seconds it took him to cross the threshold.
"You're younger than I expected," she said without preamble. "Kael sends me someone every few months. Usually desperate scavengers or small-time operators looking for legitimacy. You don't look desperate. Which makes you either ambitious or stupid."
"Ambitious," Rei replied, standing straighter. "With hopefully enough intelligence to back it up."
A slight smile touched her lips. "We'll see. Kael's note said you have 'interesting insights into market movements.' Care to elaborate?"
This was it. The moment where he either made an impression or got thrown out.
Rei took a breath and began.
"Merchant Hadrian is about to overextend himself going after a military contract from Aurelia. If he succeeds, he becomes major competition. If he fails, his assets will be available cheap. Either way, positioning yourself to either partner with him or acquire his infrastructure is strategically sound."
Mira's expression didn't change, but her eyes sharpened slightly.
"Iron Ridge Mining Company is undervalued right now because everyone thinks they're failing. They're about to find a significant new deposit. Investing in them before that becomes public knowledge would yield substantial returns."
"And?" Mira prompted. "Those are decent observations. Not groundbreaking."
Rei hesitated, then decided to take the risk.
"The Awakening Ceremony is in four weeks. When it happens, when people start manifesting powers, the entire economic landscape is going to shift. Certain industries will become exponentially more valuable, mining, construction, security, medical. Others will become obsolete. The merchants who position themselves now, before the shift, will control the new economy. The ones who wait will spend years catching up."
The office went very quiet.
Mira stood slowly, walking to the window, her back to him.
"The Awakening Ceremony happens every year," she said carefully. "A few people gain powers. Most don't. The economy adjusts. Life continues."
"Not this time," Rei said softly. "This time is different. This time the numbers will be higher, the powers stronger, the implications more far-reaching. This time the Eternal Order will start actively recruiting, or controlling, everyone who manifests. And when that happens, merchants who control the resources the Order needs will be either extremely valuable or extremely vulnerable."
Mira turned back to face him, her expression unreadable.
"That's a very specific prediction," she said quietly. "Based on what evidence?"
Based on five years of living through it. Based on watching the Order consolidate power. Based on dying in a future I'm trying to prevent.
"Intuition," Rei lied smoothly. "Pattern recognition. And a very strong sense that the world is about to change in ways most people aren't prepared for."
She studied him for a long, uncomfortable moment.
"You're either remarkably insightful or remarkably lucky at guessing," Mira finally said. "Either way, you've got my attention. Barely." She returned to her desk, pulling out a ledger. "I'll make you an offer. A test, really. I have a small shipment coming in three days, medical supplies from Ironvale. If you can arrange transport and delivery without losing any inventory or attracting Order attention, I'll consider bringing you on as a junior analyst. You'll observe, learn, keep your mouth shut, and prove you can handle real merchant work before I let you anywhere near actual decision-making."
It was an entry point. Small, conditional, but real.
"I'll do it," Rei said immediately.
"The transport fee is thirty silver up front," Mira continued. "You'll need to secure a reliable carrier, verify the shipment, ensure on-time delivery to three separate locations. Any losses come out of your pocket. Any delays cost you the opportunity. Any attention from the Order blacklists you permanently."
Thirty silver. Rei had maybe five copper pieces to his name.
"I'll have the transport arranged by tomorrow," he said, projecting confidence he absolutely did not feel.
Mira raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know if you can afford it, do you?"
"I'll figure it out."
She laughed, a short, sharp sound. "Gods, you really are either brilliant or insane." She scribbled an address on a card. "Shipment arrives at the northern docks, warehouse twelve, three days from now at noon. Don't be late. Don't screw this up. And don't make me regret listening to Kael's recommendations."
Rei took the card, nodded, and left before she could change her mind.
By the time he made it back to his neighborhood, the sun was setting and Rei's mind was racing through impossible mathematics.
Thirty silver for transport. Three days to figure out how to acquire money he didn't have, arrange logistics he didn't understand, and prove himself capable to a merchant who already doubted him.
I have five years of future knowledge and zero current resources. I know what's going to be valuable but can't explain how I know. I need money, connections, credibility and I need them now.
He climbed through his window, exhausted and wired with adrenaline.
The prototype sat on his desk, humming faintly, still unstable, still dangerous, still his only completed project.
His training harness hung from the chair.
His notebook full of plans and predictions lay open.
And in two weeks, Mira would awaken early and everything would accelerate beyond his control.
Rei sat on the edge of his bed, head in his hands.
Thirty silver. Three days. Impossible odds.
Just like everything else I'm trying to do.
He laughed quietly, that dark, slightly unhinged sound that was becoming familiar.
"Alright," he murmured to the empty room. "Let's see how creative I can get."
Outside, mechanical birds perched on the window ledge, glass eyes blinking, recording everything