170 NEW HEADQUARTER
The last crime wasn't committed by Arom.
It was Damen who bought the Heart of Ra from the auction raising its price beyond reasonably levels. When the Nuralith and Trionix corporations came looking for the buyer, they put the blame on Arom… for inflating the price of auction items.
But it didn't matter.
They needed Arom to take that particular fall.
Because Zairgid knew Trionix and Nuralith were watching them. They could still be furious over the Heart of Ra incident. If anyone were to take the blame when they came hunting, it would be Arom.
Within hours, Arom was dragged before the City Court.
His assets were frozen, his authority revoked. Every loyal follower he'd planted within Aukouma Corporation was swiftly dismissed and replaced.
Zairgid stood in the boardroom that night, watching the city lights through tinted glass as his company reorganizes.
When it was done, his uncle's downfall was complete.
He made a call to his father, Zolan Aukouma, reporting about his uncle. His father was usually quite forgiving when it came to his brother but this time it was different- Arom crossed the line.
He tried to murder Zairgid, his only son.
"There's much to do, Kassely," Zairgid said, his gaze sweeping over the holo-screens.
"Yes, sir. Much to do," she replied, tapping and swiping as proposals bloomed across the display: redevelopment of the company's security network, stricter corporate discipline, updated procedures, compliance with industry standards.
While they worked tirelessly to clean up the chaos left by Arom's willful negligence, far beneath Silver City, the Syndic of Fracture received the top-up payment for Zairgid's murder.
They didn't care who sent it—or why.
Their business was simple: the job must be done.
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Damen and his friends stood outside the building beside the Aukouma Auction Hall in Silver City. The tower loomed over them—sleek, modern, recently emptied after its previous owner went bankrupt.
"This building is perfect as an extension of the auction house," Kassely said, enthusiasm lighting her face.
Zairgid sighed. "Who said anything about expansion? Don't I already have enough work?"
The others laughed, but Kail's attention was elsewhere.
He scanned the structure, and his eyes narrowed with interest. "There's a secret basement under this building—same kind as the one in GenSyn."
Damen frowned. "You're sure?"
Kail projected a holoscreen from his wristwatch, displaying the original blueprints. "Here. It was once a grain storage vault."
Liorea leaned in, grinning. "Perfect for our new HQ."
"New HQ?" Zairgid echoed.
"Well," she explained, "you and Damen are moving to Silver City for university. Running GenSyn from Melrose will be a nightmare. We should relocate here."
Damen considered it... It made sense.
Zairgid groaned. "That means more work for me."
"Not necessarily," Damen said with a mischievous smile. "This place is huge. Why don't we turn part of it into an entertainment complex? Work and play in the same place—it'll become a corporate paradise."
Zairgid's eyes lit up. "That… might actually work. We'll move GenSyn here too. Kail can consolidate all our systems and keep the networks secure."
They started toward the lobby when footsteps echoed through the marble hall. A man in a bespoke suit and a woman in silver heels approached them.
"Is this Zairgid Aukouma, CEO of Aukouma Auction?" the man asked smoothly. "Didn't expect you to be so young."
Zairgid turned. "You are?"
Kassely whispered, her eyes wide. "That's Jax Trionix—CEO of Trionix Corporation."
The name hit them like static. Trionix had tried hacking their servers weeks ago, desperate to trace the buyer of the Heart of Ra.
"Mr. Trionix, how may I help you?" Zairgid asked carefully.
"Please, call me Jax," the man said, gesturing around the hall. "We're neighbors now. Trionix just acquired this building."
They moved to a conference room overlooking the city.
"I'll get straight to the point," Jax said, folding his hands. "I want to buy the Heart of Ra in your possession."
Zairgid rose politely, his expression composed. "I'm sorry, Jax. My uncle mismanaged our auction house. He conducted… unethical business—price inflation, false bidding. The Heart of Ra you're after was retained by him."
Jax's eyes sharpened. "What do you mean?"
"He's been arrested. Many assets remain unaccounted for. Valuable pieces vanished under his watch—including the Heart of Ra."
It was a rehearsed lie, but Zairgid delivered it with calm precision.
Even Damen was impressed.
Jax drummed his fingers on the table, processing. "Damn. So, it's really gone."
Zairgid shrugged. "I'm afraid so."
He turned to leave, but Jax spoke again. "Since we're already on a first-name basis, may I ask a small favor?"
Zairgid paused. "What kind of favor?"
A woman beside Jax stepped forward, graceful and poised. "We have a list of materials—rare ingredients for research. For confidentiality, we prefer not to bid publicly. If your auction house can source them, we'll purchase directly."
Jax smiled. "This is Vilra—my fiancée."
Zairgid nodded and signaled Kassely. "You may give her your procurement contact. We'll review the list." Then, casually: "I'm curious—why would a corporation like Trionix want to deal with a small auction house like ours?"
Jax leaned back, amused. "Because only two auction houses in Silver City can access meta artifacts from the space rifts directly—Veylock and Aukouma."
"Veylock," Zairgid said, "is our main competitor. They're not thrilled about us expanding here."
"Exactly," Jax said. "Veylock works exclusively with Nuralith—our biggest rival. Which means our interests align."
Zairgid smiled faintly. "An enemy's enemy is a friend."
Jax chuckled. "Exactly."
As they prepared to leave, Jax glanced around the room. "Were you planning to buy this building?"
Zairgid hesitated. "We were, but it's already sold, so—"
"Then consider it yours," Jax interrupted. "We'll sell it to you at the same price we bought it. Call it a gesture of goodwill."
Zairgid exchanged surprised looks with his team. "That's… a generous offer."
"We're going to be friends, Zairgid," Jax said, extending his hand.
Zairgid shook it. "Once we find the items on your list—and a new Heart of Ra—you'll be the first to know."
Jax smiled, a glint in his eye. "Good doing business with you."
Then they left.
-----
They returned to Aukouma Auction and immediately set the plan in motion to acquire the neighboring building.
Architects and engineers were called in to redesign the site — merging the two complexes into a grand new headquarters.
Above ground would rise a glass-and-steel structure housing offices, galleries, and a sprawling entertainment complex—larger and sleeker than the famed Black Owl.
But deep beneath it, in the old grain vaults, a secret base would be built: their refuge, laboratory, and command center for whatever storms lay ahead.
"The deal with Trionix Corporation was a good one," Zairgid said as he reviewed the new blueprints. "We gained a first-tier client and bought the complex at a bargain. The Trionix family is one of Silver City's pillars—this alliance opens doors."
Damen leaned back in his chair. "And it closes another problem. The Heart of Ra issue's been buried. Jax won't come after us anymore."
Liorea folded her arms. "Buried for now. When opportunity comes, so does risk. If Trionix sides with us, that makes the Nuralith Corporation our enemy."
Zairgid smirked. "They already are. Nuralith backs the Veylock Auction. They declared war the day we opened in Silver City."
Silence followed—thick with the weight of unseen threats.
But their threat wasn't limited to competition from the Nuralith corporation, deep beneath Silver City, under the same soil, the Syndic of Fracture was already moving their pieces.
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