It was nearly midnight when Kael called.
Not texted. Called.
Lina answered on the second ring, sitting cross-legged on her bed with a cup of lukewarm tea in hand.
His voice was quiet. "Are you awake?"
"I am now."
"I need you to come with me. It's last minute. No cameras. No press."
She blinked. "What kind of 'come with me' are we talking?"
"The kind that requires a black dress and absolute trust."
A pause.
Then she stood.
"I'll be ready in ten."
---
The car that picked her up was different from Kael's usual. No shine, no signature chrome details. Just matte black and silent wheels.
When she slid inside, he was waiting—dark suit, no tie, sharp eyes.
"Where are we going?" she asked, buckling in.
Kael handed her a folded card.
It was a private invitation, written in gold ink.
> The Circles Beneath the Circle
Midnight Gathering – Verified Attendees Only
Her heart skipped.
"You're taking me to an underworld networking event?"
He gave a small smile. "Call it… a powerful room. And you belong in it."
---
The venue wasn't a club.
It was an estate—modern, understated, and quietly terrifying. Armed guards patrolled the perimeter, and everyone who walked through the entrance gave Lina that quick, assessing glance.
Men in shadows. Women with knives in their smiles.
This wasn't just the wealthy.
This was the powerful.
And the dangerous.
Kael held out his arm.
"Stay close."
Lina slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and didn't let go.
---
Inside, the atmosphere buzzed with secrets.
Whispers in multiple languages. Deals sealed with nods instead of contracts. And in the center of it all, a masked host with a voice smooth as wine.
"Kael Marlowe," the host purred. "We thought you'd come alone."
"I brought my asset," Kael said simply.
Lina blinked at him. "Excuse me?"
He leaned toward her ear.
"Asset," he whispered, "means the one thing you don't risk losing."
Her cheeks flushed.
But she didn't look away.
---
She met three important people that night.
A hacker known only as Binary, who told her, "If you ever need someone erased—digitally or otherwise—Kael's girl gets one favor."
A fashion mogul from Tokyo who eyed her and said, "You're the one with the storm eyes. You'll be more famous than you're ready for."
And a silent woman with a dragon tattoo, who pressed a card into Lina's hand and vanished.
Later, the System pinged.
> [Skill Tree Expanded: Connections – Tier 1 Unlocked]
Passive: Access to high-value individuals. Events may now trigger international visibility.
> Reward: $15,000 Direct Transfer – Source Obscured
Lina stared at the number.
"…Is that legal?"
> [Technically, yes. Ethically, debatable. Strategically, brilliant.]
---
They left at 2:43 a.m.
Lina stood in the cold outside the estate, arms wrapped around herself.
Kael lit a cigarette but didn't smoke it.
"You don't like crowds," she said.
"No. But I like giving them something to talk about."
She looked up at him. "Why me?"
He met her gaze.
"I've seen a lot of people walk through fire, Vale. You didn't just walk. You rebuilt your lungs and started singing."
Silence.
Then she said, almost too softly, "I'm scared of what happens when it all burns again."
Kael crushed the cigarette under his heel.
"Then I'll burn first."
---
She didn't cry.
But her hand found his in the dark.
And didn't let go.