The ledger warmed under Ethan's palm.
Not hot.
Not cold.
Alive.
The computer screen refreshed without him touching anything.
SYSTEM UPDATE
Simulation Cycle: Year 1
Real World Sync: Active
Time Ratio: 1 real hour = 1 simulated year
Intervention Limit: Contextual
Rollback: Disabled
Starting Capital: $0
Monthly Cash Flow: $0
Family Creditworthiness: Nonexistent
Ethan swallowed.
"Okay," he said quietly. "So you're serious."
A new panel unfolded.
YEAR ONE OBJECTIVES
• Establish legal income
• Prevent debt accumulation
• Improve primary member stability
• Avoid regulatory attention
Failure Probability: High
On screen, Daniel Ross stood at a bus stop.
Not a model.
Not a cinematic avatar.
A real surveillance still, slightly grainy, pulled from a public camera feed.
Ethan's spine straightened.
"That's… real."
The system responded immediately.
This simulation does not generate reality.
It navigates it.
A notification followed.
ACTION RESULT LOGGED
Shell Entity Established
Entity Type: LLC
Jurisdiction: Delaware
Formation Cost: $420
Initial Balance: $0
Ethan frowned.
"I didn't authorize any spending."
Another line appeared.
Funds deducted from Observer-linked dormant account.
His phone buzzed.
Bank notification.
Debit: $420
Source: Moore Legacy Trust
Memo: Administrative Services
Ethan stared at the screen.
Then he laughed.
Short.
Sharp.
"So that's how you're doing it."
The system wasn't creating money.
It was using his.
Only when justified.
Only when structured.
Only when defensible.
INCOME EVENT
Daniel Ross began his internship.
Entry level operations assistant.
$18 per hour.
40 hours per week.
Monthly gross: $2,880
After tax estimate: $2,160
A progress bar appeared.
Stability: 12% → 28%
Then another alert.
MICRO-REWARD ISSUED
Observer Incentive: $1,000
Type: Performance Dividend
Deposit Location: Linked Brokerage Account
Ethan blinked.
Checked his second phone.
New deposit.
$1,000.
Clean.
Categorized as "Consulting Revenue."
Reportable.
Taxable.
Legal.
"…You reward the manager," he murmured. "Not the asset."
The ledger flipped a page on its own.
New text appeared.
YEAR ONE FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Family Income: $25,920
Operating Costs: $3,800
Net Position: +$22,120
Observer Reward Issued: $1,000
Observer Risk Exposure: Minimal
Outside, traffic passed. A siren echoed faintly.
The world continued.
But Ethan felt something subtle shift.
This was not a game loop.
This was portfolio management, disguised as fate.
MID-YEAR EVENT
Another notification.
Risk Alert Detected
Daniel Ross's employer flagged for labor violations.
Probability of investigation: 41%
Probability of unpaid wages: 27%
Probability of injury claim: 9%
Recommended Actions:
Do nothing
Encourage exit
Acquire employer assets
Ethan leaned back.
Option three was bold.
Too bold.
For Year One.
He selected option two.
ACTION TAKEN
Legal guidance packet delivered anonymously.
Alternative employment pipeline activated.
Outcome pending.
Two weeks later, another real-world email arrived.
Daniel Ross accepted a junior role at a logistics startup.
Pay slightly lower.
But equity included.
Stability rose again.
YEAR ONE CLOSEOUT
Family Recognition Status: Pending
Legal Footprint: Clean
Growth Potential: Moderate
Observer Profit This Year:
Cash Rewards: $2,500
Indirect Asset Value Increase: Unquantified
The ledger closed.
A final line appeared before the screen dimmed.
Year One complete.
Families are not built fast.
They are built correctly.
Ethan exhaled slowly.
This was the first time in years he felt… engaged.
Not entertained.
Engaged.
He looked at the ledger.
Then at the computer.
Then at his phone, still showing the transaction history.
"This thing," he said softly, "is teaching me how power actually works."
A final prompt appeared, faint but unmistakable.
YEAR TWO PREVIEW UNLOCKED
• Multi-member expansion
• Asset acquisition
• Education optimization
• External family detection
Somewhere in the city, another family office flagged an anomaly.
A shell LLC.
Too clean.
Too quiet.
Too deliberate.
And for the first time since his exile, Ethan Moore felt something dangerously familiar.
Attention.