The Velvet Pavilion never slept.
It only changed moods.
By the time Ezio stepped through the red-silk curtains, the lanterns had dimmed into a warm, intimate glow. Music drifted low and slow, like breath against skin. The air smelled of sweet liquor, citrus peel, and something faintly dangerous—incense meant to soften the will.
Ezio adjusted the black vest they had given him and stepped behind the curved bar of polished obsidian glass.
That was when he saw her.
Kayra.
She stood at the far end, arranging crystal bottles with quick, graceful hands. Her fox-ears twitched slightly as she worked, catching whispers long before they reached human ears. Her long hair was tied loosely, falling in soft waves down her back, and when she looked up, her eyes—gray, clear, and sharp—caught the lantern-light like mist over steel.
She didn't smile when she noticed him.
She measured him.
"You're late," she said.
Ezio swallowed. "First day."
Kayra tilted her head. "They usually send prettier ones."
Lucifer chuckled. "Kiddo, she just flirt-stabbed you."
Ezio exhaled and let Casanova's training flow through him, softening his posture, lowering his voice just a touch.
"Good," he said. "I don't want anyone distracted."
One of Kayra's brows lifted. Then she smiled—not sweet, but curious.
"Huh," she murmured. "Maybe you'll survive."
She slid him a clean glass. "Try not to poison anyone. We get fined."
Ezio grinned faintly. "I've had worse jobs."
Kayra snorted. "No, you haven't."
The first hour passed in a blur of clinking glasses and murmured orders.
Nobles. Merchants. Sect disciples pretending they weren't armed. Kitsune girls laughing softly behind fans. Vampires sipping thick crimson wine like it was a lover's blood.
Ezio didn't just see them.
He felt them.
Fear trembling beneath silk. Pride puffed up like perfume. Desire burning hot and reckless. Guilt hanging in the air like smoke.
And beneath it all, invisible to everyone else—
The Shadow Exchange.
It wasn't a screen.
It wasn't a voice.
It was a presence in his mind, subtle and alive, where secrets became numbers and rumors became currency. Each whispered word sent ripples through invisible markets. Each stolen glance moved value.
Ezio poured drinks while his mind quietly tracked futures.
A merchant complaining about river tariffs made caravan shares dip.
A jealous noblewoman whispering about a rival made reputation futures twitch.
Ezio adjusted positions with a thought, his Ledger ring stabilizing the flow while his Illusion Seed drank the emotional residue.
Lucifer purred. "Kiddo, you're literally bartending fate."
Ezio hid a smile behind a glass.
Girls started to notice him.
Not because he was loud.
Because he listened.
A sect disciple with violet eyes leaned on the bar, twirling her glass. "You new?"
Ezio tilted his head just enough. "Is it that obvious?"
"Your hands," she said. "They don't shake."
"That's because I already broke," Ezio replied lightly.
She laughed. Gave him her name. Then, after a few more drinks and softer conversation, she slid a paper slip across the counter.
Her number.
Another girl followed. Then another.
Ezio didn't chase.
He let them come.
Kayra watched from the other end of the bar, pretending not to.
Lucifer whispered. "Someone's jealous, kiddo."
Ezio pretended he didn't hear.
During a quiet moment, Kayra moved beside him, refilling bottles.
"You're dangerous," she said softly.
Ezio glanced at her. "I'm a bartender."
Kayra's gray eyes slid to the crowd. "No. You make people talk."
Ezio hesitated. "You do too."
Kayra's lips curved. "I make them drunk. You make them honest."
Their eyes met.
Something fragile passed between them.
"Why do you do this?" Ezio asked quietly. "Listen to everyone bleed secrets?"
Kayra's voice softened. "Because nobody ever listens to me."
Ezio felt his chest tighten.
Lucifer went uncharacteristically silent.
Later that night, two men whispered at the far end of the bar.
"…the Black Iron shipment moves at dawn…""…guards already bought…"
Ezio felt the ripple immediately.
The Shadow Exchange shifted.
Black Iron Foundry stock dipped.
Ezio bought quietly.
Not much.
Just enough.
Kayra leaned in. "You okay?"
Ezio nodded. "Just… counting."
Kayra studied him. "You're weird."
"Still here though."
She smiled.
When the Pavilion finally quieted, Ezio wiped down the bar. His Shadow Exchange showed a small but steady gain. Not rich.
But growing.
Kayra stood beside him, stretching. "You didn't screw up."
Ezio smirked. "High praise."
Kayra hesitated. Then, softly, "Come back tomorrow?"
Ezio met her gray eyes. "I was planning on it."
Lucifer whispered, amused and almost gentle:"Careful, kiddo. Hearts are the most expensive things on this market."
Ezio didn't reply.
He just looked at Kayra under the lantern-light and felt something unfamiliar—warm, dangerous, and real—beginning to grow.
And for the first time since he was abandoned, he didn't feel alone behind the glass.