Chapter 1 - The Crimson Seal
Bruno’s massive hand paused in mid-air as Silas Vance pulled the envelope from his coat. The bouncer’s smirk didn't completely vanish, but it morphed into a look of deep, irritated suspicion. The envelope wasn't just red; it was stamped with the unmistakable obsidian crest of the Conclave.
"Where did you find that?" Bruno demanded, his voice dropping an octave. He didn't reach for it. He assumed it was stolen, or perhaps a remarkably good counterfeit purchased on the black market. "You have exactly five seconds to turn around and walk away before I have you arrested for trespassing, buddy."
Silas didn't flinch. He didn't raise his voice. He simply held the envelope an inch closer to Bruno’s chest. "I didn't find it. It was sent to me. Scan it."
The tech mogul who had sneered earlier, a man named Julian Croft whose net worth hovered around five billion, paused on the velvet carpet. He adjusted the cuffs of his bespoke Brioni suit, highly amused. "Just toss him, Bruno. He probably fished it out of the dumpster behind the kitchens."
Bruno sighed, pulling a sleek, military-grade optical scanner from his belt. "Look, man, I'm trying to be nice. When this scans red, I'm going to have to break your jaw."
He snatched the envelope from Silas’s hand and held the scanner over the wax seal. The device emitted a high-frequency hum as it read the embedded micro-mesh inside the paper. Everyone in the immediate vicinity watched, waiting for the harsh red light and the inevitable physical removal of the vagrant.
The scanner beeped. A solid, glowing emerald green lit up the screen.
Bruno blinked. He tapped the side of the scanner, convinced it was malfunctioning. He scanned it again. Green. The screen displayed the guest profile: VANCE, SILAS. STATUS: VIP MULTIPLIER.
The color drained from Bruno’s face. The VIP Multiplier status was a code Bruno had only been told about in extreme hypotheticals during his security briefing. It meant the holder possessed absolute immunity.
"Is there a problem, Bruno?" Silas asked quietly.
May you like
Bruno swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. He handed the envelope back, his hands suddenly trembling. "N-no, sir. No problem at all. My apologies, Mr. Vance. Right this way."
Bruno stepped aside, violently shoving the heavy mahogany doors open. The onlookers, including the tech mogul, stared in stunned silence. Silas adjusted the collar of his faded brown coat, offered Bruno a polite nod, and walked into the Obsidian Conclave. He had breached the fortress. Now, it was time to see what the rats were doing inside.
