Castell Trading Company – 9:00 AM
Mira Castell looked up from her ledgers when Rei entered, her sharp eyes assessing him in one efficient sweep.
"You're early," she observed. "That's either eagerness or anxiety."
"Preparedness," Rei replied, placing a pouch on her desk. "Thirty silver for transport fees."
She opened the pouch, counted quickly, then nodded. "The shipment arrives at northern docks, warehouse twelve, at noon. Three separate deliveries, one to the medical district clinic, one to a private buyer in the merchant quarter, one to a research facility in the industrial sector." She handed him three sealed documents. "These are the manifests. Verify every item. Any discrepancies, you report immediately. Any damage, you document with witnesses. Any delays"
"Cost me the opportunity," Rei finished. "Understood."
Mira studied him for a moment longer. "You're confident for someone who's never done this before."
"I'm motivated," he corrected. "There's a difference."
A slight smile touched her lips. "We'll see. The transport company is Ironclad Logistics—ask for Gareth. Tell him I sent you. He'll try to overcharge. Don't let him."
Rei pocketed the manifests and headed for the door.
"One more thing," Mira called. "If you encounter Order patrols, you're a junior clerk running errands. Nothing more. Don't elaborate, don't volunteer information, don't try to be clever. Boring and forgettable, that's what keeps you safe."
"Noted."
As he left, he caught her expression, something between approval and wariness. Like she was watching someone who might either impress her or spectacularly self-destruct.
Fair assessment, honestly.
Northern Docks – 11:47 AM
Warehouse twelve was exactly where Mira had indicated, a nondescript building surrounded by dozens of identical structures, all buzzing with the controlled chaos of commerce.
Rei found Gareth easily—a barrel-chested man with scarred hands and the perpetual squint of someone who'd spent decades working in sun and salt air.
"Castell sent you?" Gareth looked him up and down skeptically. "You're a kid."
"I'm someone with thirty silver and three deliveries that need making," Rei replied. "Are you the transport company or not?"
Gareth grunted. "Transport fee is twenty silver. Take it or leave it."
He's testing me. Mira said he'd overcharge.
"Standard rate for three deliveries within city limits is twelve silver," Rei said evenly. "I'll pay fifteen because I need reliable service. But twenty is insulting to both of us."
A beat of silence. Then Gareth laughed, a rough, genuine sound. "Castell taught you well. Fifteen it is." He accepted the coins. "Shipment's being unloaded now. You verify the cargo, I'll have my team ready to move in twenty minutes."
The verification process was meticulous. Rei checked each crate against the manifest—medical supplies, mostly. Bandages, antiseptics, surgical tools, pharmaceutical compounds. Everything sealed, labeled, accounted for.
No discrepancies. Good.
The deliveries went smoothly, almost suspiciously so. The medical clinic accepted their shipment without issue. The private buyer, a nervous merchant named Aldric, paid immediately and disappeared back inside his shop. The research facility required additional documentation, but nothing Mira hadn't prepared for.
By 3:30 PM, all three deliveries were complete, verified, and documented.
Rei returned to Castell Trading Company with the signed receipts and remaining silver from transport costs.
Mira examined the documents silently, her expression unreadable.
"No problems?" she finally asked.
"None."
"No delays, damage, or Order interference?"
"Everything went exactly as planned."
She set the documents down, studying him with new intensity. "That's unusual. Most first-timers encounter at least one complication. You're either extremely lucky or extremely competent."
Or I'm extremely paranoid and over-prepared everything.
"Maybe both," Rei offered.
"Maybe." She leaned back in her chair. "Alright. You've proven you can handle basic logistics. That makes you qualified for junior analyst work—observing, learning, keeping your mouth shut unless you have something valuable to contribute."
"When do I start?"
"Tomorrow. 8 AM. Don't be late." She paused. "And Rei? Whatever you're really after—because I know you're after something bigger than analyst work—make sure it doesn't interfere with my business. I don't tolerate distractions."
"Understood."
As he left, Rei felt the weight of progress. One more piece in place. One more connection secured.
Small moves. Build the foundation. Don't break the timeline doing it.
Evening – Ashborne Residence
Dinner was normal, almost aggressively so. Mira complained about her history assignment. His father discussed a frustrating day at the academy. His mother talked about a difficult patient at the clinic.
Rei participated, contributed, tried to be present.
But part of his mind was already calculating tomorrow's moves, next week's opportunities, the next five years of carefully orchestrated ascension.
After dinner, he retreated to his room to update his notebook when he heard it,
A soft sound. Wrong somehow. Out of place.
He moved to the window, keeping to the shadows, and looked down at the street below.
A figure stood across from their apartment building. Not moving. Just watching.
Average height. Nondescript clothing. The kind of person designed to be forgotten.
But Rei noticed the way they stood, weight balanced, ready to move, professional stillness that came from training.
Order surveillance? Someone else?
The figure's gaze swept across the building's windows, pausing briefly on each one, cataloging, assessing, recording.
Then they moved. Not away, but down the street toward where Mira's school was located.
Following my sister.
Rei's blood went cold.
It's too early. She hasn't awakened yet. There's no reason for the Order to be watching her unless,
Unless they suspected something. Unless they were monitoring potential awakeners before the ceremony. Unless his own activities had drawn attention to his family.
He watched the figure disappear around the corner, then grabbed his jacket.
I need to know who they are. What they want. How much danger we're in.
But caution warred with urgency. If he followed and got caught, he'd confirm suspicions. If he didn't follow, he'd remain ignorant while threats circled closer.
The game is accelerating. Faster than I expected.
Rei closed the window, mind racing through contingencies and countermeasures.
Two weeks until Mira's awakening