The meeting place was a rooftop.
High enough to see the city. Low enough to fall.
Alpha Phantom arrived alone.
Wind tugged at his jacket as the elevator doors slid open. Three figures waited near the edge, silhouettes against the glow of the skyline.
Not street-level.
Not police.
Cultivators.
[Pressure Detected: Low–Moderate.]
Alpha stopped ten steps away.
"Talk," he said.
A man stepped forward. Tall. Clean-cut. Expensive watch. Power wrapped around him like an invisible coat.
"You're difficult to kill," the man said. "That's a compliment."
Alpha didn't respond.
A woman beside him smiled faintly. "You interfered with a cleanup operation."
"They attacked me."
"And failed," the man said. "Which changes things."
Alpha tilted his head. "So?"
The man chuckled. "So we're offering protection."
Alpha laughed once. Quiet. Sharp.
"You're offering ownership."
Silence followed.
The third figure finally spoke. Older. Calm. Dangerous in a different way. "Careful."
Alpha met his gaze. "I am."
The older man studied him. "You've awakened recently."
"Yes."
"You're reckless."
"No," Alpha said. "I'm efficient."
The woman stepped closer. "Join us. You rise faster. You live longer."
Alpha looked past them, at the city.
Lights. Movement. Potential.
[Decision Path Available.]
"I'll make my own offer," Alpha said.
The man raised an eyebrow. "You're not in a position to negotiate."
Alpha smiled.
"I just proved I am."
He stepped forward.
The air shifted.
[Shadow Sense: Fluctuating.]
"I don't belong to you," Alpha continued. "I don't work under you. But I won't interfere with your operations—unless they interfere with mine."
The older man narrowed his eyes. "And what's yours?"
Alpha met his gaze.
"The streets."
The wind howled.
The woman laughed softly. "You want the lowest tier."
Alpha's eyes hardened. "I want the foundation."
The tall man exhaled slowly. "If we agree?"
"Then I stay invisible," Alpha said. "Until I'm not."
A long pause.
Then the older man nodded once.
"Three months," he said. "Prove your worth."
[Temporary Non-Aggression Pact Established.]
The woman stepped closer, voice low. "Break the balance, and we erase you."
Alpha turned to leave.
"You won't," he said. "You'll need me."
He walked into the elevator without looking back.
[Power Base Progress: 12%]
As the doors closed, Alpha's phone buzzed.
One message.
You're moving too fast.
Another followed.
Be careful.
Nyx.
Alpha smirked.
"I am."
The elevator descended.
Above him, powerful people recalculated.
Below him, the city waited.