Chapter 2 - Chapter 1: Glitches in the Cloud

Elara leaned back in her chair, the glow of her triple-monitor setup bathing her Mid-Levels flat in cool blue light. High above Hong Kong's restless neon, the harbour view never got old—ferries slicing silver trails through black water, skyscrapers pulsing like living things. Her long blonde box braids were pulled into a loose knot, a few strands brushing her face and catching on the silver stud in her nose. At forty-six, she wore the years lightly: sun-kissed skin from weekend trails and solo surf escapes, the quiet confidence of a woman who had raised three kids through chaos and then slipped away to Asia to start fresh. To every client, every forum, every virtual classroom, she was Elara Nyx—sharp, elusive, impossible to pin down. Her family still called her Adira Miller. Plain. Forgettable. The name on the passport was tucked in her safe. NexusLearn's holographic interface floated crisply in front of her. "Okay, Diego," she said, voice warm with that lingering California ease, "let's run the negotiation one more time. You own the room—you just have to believe it. "The Venezuelan nodded through his laggy avatar. "Thanks, Elara. Things are... tight back home. I need this win. "As he practiced, Elara jotted notes on the shared virtual whiteboard. Then—a flicker. Thin lines of code ghosting across her annotations before snapping into focus: Bitcoin wallet addresses. Dozens of them. Holding amounts that made her trader's gut twist. Diego didn't notice. He finished, thanked her, and logged off. Elara stared at the frozen board, pulse ticking faster. Her phone buzzed. Video call—Mia in California. She answered instantly, a smile breaking wide. Nana!" Her seven-year-old grandson barreled into frame, curls bouncing, eyes bright with that perfect half-Brazilian sparkle. "Hey, meu amor," Elara laughed, slipping into the Portuguese endearment without thinking. "Tell Nana everything. "As he launched into an excited story about school and soccer, Elara's gaze drifted back to the ghosted wallets still lingering on screen. Whatever this was, it wasn't a glitch. And Elara Nyx had never been able to leave a puzzle alone.