The Crown Complex didn't feel like a victory.
It felt… exposed.
Tyler sat in the upper office that overlooked the main atrium—unfinished, dusty, wires still hanging from the ceiling. Mira had patched him up as best she could. Eva had left an hour ago, but not before locking eyes with him in that way that said this world will not forgive weakness.
Lila stood near the window, arms crossed.
"You passed the trial," she said. "Barely."
Tyler didn't argue.
"I wasn't supposed to win," he replied. "I was supposed to hold."
Lila nodded once. "Exactly. And that's the problem."
She turned to face him fully.
"Selene won't send testers again. Next time will be pressure through people. Supply lines. Permits. Influence. Maybe worse."
Mira frowned. "So what do we do?"
Tyler leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
"We stop pretending I'm the shield."
Silence.
Then he said it—calm, deliberate:
"I need someone else inside the circle."
Lila studied him carefully.
"Not a follower," she said. "A pillar."
"Yes."
Not someone loyal to the System.
Not someone impressed by power.
Someone who could stand even if Tyler fell.
The System pulsed—not with a command, but with a suggestion.
[City Notice: Eligible Asset Detected]
Status: Independent / UnalignedRisk Level: ModerateValue Potential: High (Non-Combat)
A name surfaced.
Jonah Reed.
Mira blinked as the file projected faintly in Tyler's vision.
"…Wait. That Jonah Reed?"
"The one who got blacklisted from city infrastructure contracts?" Lila asked.
Tyler nodded.
Jonah Reed was a ghost in professional circles.
Former logistics coordinator for municipal development.
Brilliant.
Clean record.
Fired after refusing to falsify safety reports.
Since then?
Unemployed.
Ignored.
Buried.
Eva had mentioned him once—"A man the city quietly regrets burning."
"He hates systems," Mira said slowly.
Tyler stood up despite the ache in his ribs.
"Good."
The Man Who Wouldn't Bend
They found Jonah in a place that matched his reputation.
Not a bar.
Not an office.
A small workshop under a rail bridge, surrounded by old servers, dismantled drones, and paper schematics taped to concrete walls.
Jonah Reed looked older than his file suggested.
Tired eyes.
Calloused hands.
But sharp—dangerously sharp.
He didn't offer them a seat.
"Five minutes," Jonah said flatly. "Then you leave."
Tyler didn't waste time.
"I own the Crown Complex."
Jonah laughed once. No humor.
"Congratulations. You bought a cursed building."
"Probably," Tyler agreed. "I need someone to keep it standing."
Jonah's eyes narrowed. "Then hire a contractor."
"I need someone who knows how cities actually break," Tyler said. "And how to stop it."
That got his attention.
Jonah folded his arms. "And what do you offer?"
Tyler met his gaze directly.
"Autonomy. No falsified data. No political games inside my walls."
Jonah scoffed. "Everyone says that."
Tyler took a breath.
"I didn't."
The System stayed silent.
This wasn't its move.
Jonah studied Tyler for a long moment—really looked at him.
"You're bleeding," Jonah noted.
"Yeah."
"And you still came here."
"Yes."
Silence stretched.
Then Jonah turned toward a whiteboard covered in city zoning layers.
"They'll choke you with permits first," he said. "Then utilities. Then fire inspections. They won't touch you directly."
"I know."
Jonah turned back.
"And you still want in?"
Tyler didn't hesitate.
"I need someone who won't lie to me when I'm wrong."
Another pause.
Then Jonah exhaled slowly.
"…Damn it."
He grabbed his jacket.
"Show me the building."
The First Pillar Sets
Two hours later, Jonah stood in the Crown Complex basement, eyes lit—not with greed, but with recognition.
"This place is a node," he muttered. "Not just real estate. Logistics, data flow, transit proximity…"
He turned to Tyler.
"You don't even know what you bought."
"No," Tyler admitted. "That's why you're here."
Jonah looked around once more.
Then nodded.
"I'll stay," he said. "Not as an employee."
Tyler waited.
"As a partner," Jonah finished. "One condition."
"Name it."
"If you ever ask me to falsify reality," Jonah said quietly, "I walk."
Tyler extended his hand.
"Deal."
They shook.
The System chimed for the first time since entering the workshop.
[Inner Circle Established: Slot 1/???]
Name: Jonah ReedRole: Infrastructure & LogisticsStatus: Voluntary AlignmentEffect: City Pressure Resistance +15%
No fireworks.
No domination.
Just foundation.
Lila watched from the stairs, unreadable.
Mira smiled faintly.
And somewhere across the city, a new report crossed Selene's desk.
Her finger paused on the name.
"…Jonah Reed?"
Her smile thinned.
"Oh," she said softly."He's serious now."
The Crown wasn't just standing anymore.
It was beginning to organize.
End of chapter.