"Power is nothing unless you can enforce it."
— Niccolò Machiavelli
It wasn't sudden. Control never is. It builds like water seeping through cracks, unnoticed until the foundation shifts.
By the middle of the semester, the entire class owed Cerberus something—money, favors, errands. Small debts stacked on small debts, and suddenly I didn't need to threaten anyone. The weight of obligation was enough. A paper here, a borrowed coin there, a delivered note—simple tasks, small payments, tiny obligations.
I watched from my seat in the corner of the library as Min-jun carried a stack of notebooks to another student who owed money. Sae-bom moved through the hall, checking off debts in Ho-seok's ledger. Every movement reinforced the system, every obedient glance reminded them who controlled the flow.
Ho-seok had learned quickly. Calm, measured, unyielding when needed. He had a presence that made people hesitate before breaking the rules of Cerberus. And yet… he still needed guidance.
I closed my notebook and motioned for him to sit beside me. His usual hesitancy had faded; now there was a spark of confidence. My right-hand man. My first lieutenant.
"Ho-seok," I said, voice low but deliberate. "We need another executive."
He tilted his head, eyebrows raised. "Another? You mean… like me?"
"Yes." I tapped the notebook. "Someone with the same mindset. Discipline. Loyalty. Ability to enforce rules without question. We can't run Cerberus alone anymore. We need someone to manage the next layer of students—someone who can handle money, debts, and influence without letting emotions interfere."
He nodded slowly. "I get it. But… how do we choose? There are plenty of students, but few who'd follow rules without hesitation."
"That's why we watch. Observation is as important as action." I leaned back, scanning the room casually, letting my gaze land on a boy near the lockers. "See him? Kim Jae-hyun. Quiet. Observant. Doesn't provoke, but notices everything. He has strength, patience, and ambition, even if he doesn't realize it yet. He's perfect for the role."
Ho-seok scribbled notes silently, already understanding the process I used to recruit him: watch, test, offer opportunity, bind with obligation. Cerberus grew not through fear alone, but through calculated recruitment, strategic patience, and the subtle pull of debt.
"We'll approach him next week," I continued, voice cold and precise. "Small loans first. Test obedience. If he refuses… we offer work. If he resists again… persuasion becomes acceptable."
Ho-seok's eyes flickered to mine, reading the unspoken rule. Violence was a tool, not a habit. Control came first, but force could enforce lessons when needed.
I leaned forward, letting the weight of my words sink in. "Cerberus isn't just about coins, Ho-seok. It's about building a system. Influence. Authority. Every student who owes us, every obedient action, strengthens the machine. And every executive we recruit multiplies that power."
He nodded once, firmly. "Understood. I'll make sure the next one follows."
I smiled faintly, scarred eye catching the light. Patience, strategy, calculated influence—Cerberus was no longer just a ledger or a handful of debts. It was alive, expanding, controlled by two hands guided by one mind.
And the next executive would ensure its reach stretched even further.