Great!
Lina never expected her inbox to be anything but a graveyard.
But there it was—an email titled:
Subject: Interview Invitation – Genesis Talent Initiative
Sender: Hidden ID – "K.M."
She opened it slowly, like it might bite.
> "Dear Miss Vale,
We came across your recent work and would like to invite you for a private interview at our downtown media division.
This is a preliminary evaluation for content development under the Genesis Talent Initiative.
If interested, please confirm attendance. Travel expenses will be compensated.
Time: Tomorrow, 1 PM
Location: Marlowe Industries Media Wing
We look forward to meeting you.
— G.T.I. Coordination Team"
Lina read it twice, then a third time.
"…This is a scam, right?"
[No. It's real. You triggered a Hidden Flag during your last task. Someone noticed.]
She narrowed her eyes.
"Why didn't you warn me?"
[Because you needed to see that your effort creates its own ripple.]
"…Cryptic today, aren't we?"
[Poetic mode. Would you like me to switch back to 'sarcastic motivational sibling'?]
She laughed, a short breathy thing.
Then she stared at the screen again.
Marlowe Industries.
Wasn't that… one of the top private firms in the entire city?
They had hands in entertainment, tech, media, security, even politics.
And someone from there had seen her?
"System… be honest. Am I being baited?"
[Maybe. Or maybe fate finally blinked.]
---
She barely slept that night.
Her dreams were flickers of laughter and whispers and hands reaching out only to fade away.
---
The Next Day – Marlowe Tower
Lina had never seen ceilings this high.
Even the elevator felt expensive. The walls were mirrored and played ambient music.
Her hoodie felt out of place.
But she kept her chin up.
Just before she stepped out, the System whispered:
[You belong in rooms like this. Even if it doesn't feel like it yet.]
She inhaled.
And walked.
---
A woman in a slate-gray suit met her at the reception area.
"Miss Vale? Right this way."
No small talk. No fake smiles.
Lina followed her through polished halls into a glass meeting room with minimalist decor.
A single man sat at the table.
He didn't rise.
But he looked up—and for a moment, Lina forgot how to breathe.
Sharp suit. Colder eyes. A face like it belonged in legends, or nightmares.
Dark hair, faint stubble, and something ancient behind his stillness.
"Please. Sit," he said.
She obeyed.
"This isn't a formal interview," he said. "Think of it as... exploration."
Lina blinked.
"I saw your posts. Your voice stands out."
She tried to speak. Failed. Tried again.
"Thank you. I… didn't expect to be noticed."
"I make a habit of noticing what others don't," he replied smoothly.
Then, oddly, he smiled.
It didn't reach his eyes.
"Do you believe people can be built from nothing?" he asked.
She hesitated.
"I think people aren't nothing. Even if they feel like it."
That made his brow lift.
A moment passed.
"I like that answer," he said. "Tell me—if I gave you a platform, would you run?"
Lina frowned. "What kind of platform?"
"One with risk. Power. Exposure. But also opportunity. It won't save you. But it might sharpen you."
Her heart pounded.
He leaned in slightly. "You'd be working with others. Different backgrounds. Skills. Dangerous talents. But all with the potential to change something—either in themselves, or the world."
She searched his expression for mockery.
There was none.
Just… calculation. Depth. Pain?
And something deeper: recognition.
Like he knew her, somehow.
She didn't understand it.
"I'll try," she whispered.
"Good," he said. "That's all I ask."
---
After she left
Kael stayed in the glass room a while longer.
His assistant entered. "Why meet her personally?"
"She needed to feel the pressure," he said. "To see that even a titan will look her in the eye."
"And?"
Kael's expression didn't change.
"She passed."
---
Back at the shelter
Lina collapsed onto her bed.
"System. That man…"
[Kael Marlowe. Billionaire. Media ghost. Rumored to own more patents than the government.]
"He was intense."
[He sees what you are before you do. That's his gift. And his curse.]
She stared at the ceiling.
"What if I mess this up?"
[Then we learn. Then we adapt. Then we conquer.]
"…You sound like a villain."
[Good. Villains survive.]
She laughed.
"…System?"
[Yes?]
"I think I want this. The risk. The exposure. All of it."
[That's the first step toward becoming unstoppable.]
---
Meanwhile…
A hacker in Greece named Riven9 received a ping from a private server. The sender had no name. Just a request:
> "Build her a web of support. Quiet. Untraceable. Budget unlimited.
Protect her without her knowing.
K"
Riven grinned, sipping her soda.
"Looks like the boss has a pet project."
---
System Update: Lina Vale – Status
Confidence: 27%
New Skill Unlocked: Verbal Composure +1
Network Thread Activated: Project Genesis
AI Relationship Status: "Trusted Companion"
Hidden Watchers: 2 (Kael, Riven9)
---
End of Chapter 6
---