Morning in Avalon painted the city's upper spires in a wash of pink-gold light, casting long shadows across the lower districts. From the Tower's executive office, Zark'thul watched the spectacle with detached observation.

  The sunrise itself was meaningless—merely the predictable rotation of a planetary body—but its effect on the city below represented valuable data. Traffic patterns shifted with the light.

  Commerce awakened. Opportunities emerged.

  "The first meeting is scheduled for 08:30 at Lumina Gardens," Elspeth announced, entering the office. She carried a sleek datapad, its display filled with the day's agenda. "We've arranged four visits today based on the evidence from Mr. Vex and our own investigations."

  Zark'thul turned from the window, hands clasped behind his back. "These businesses. They're all connected to the Concord of Trade & Innovation?"

  "Yes, sir. The CTI represents smaller enterprises that lack individual leverage against larger corporations. According to our analysis, they would be most receptive to coalition-building efforts."

  "A start," Zark'thul acknowledged. Though hardly a decisive strategy, it served to establish foundational alliances against Metcom. Synergies could be leveraged from interdependencies and information sharing—a primitive tactic, but effective at this scale.

  Xashai entered the office, dressed impeccably in a tailored suit that matched her cobalt skin tone.

  "Ah, good morning, boss," she greeted with a characteristic wink. "I've prepared preliminary assessments of each business owner. Psychological profiles, negotiation leverage points, potential resistance factors. Would you like me to summarize?"

  "In the car," he replied. "Time is a resource to be optimized."

  They took the elevator down to the Tower's underground garage. The sleek black vehicle awaiting them had been carefully selected to project the right image—expensive enough to convey success, but not so ostentatious as to suggest frivolity.

  Avalon's business culture valued substance over display, a preference Zark'thul found efficiently logical.

  As the car navigated through the morning congestion, Xashai began outlining her analyses. "Seren Welvi. Female elf, 143 years old—relatively young for her kind. Founded Lumina Gardens as a specialty botanical shop thirty years ago, expanded into a full biome-cultivation business. She serves as the CTI's industry representative for agricultural enterprises."

  "Financial status?"

  "Solid but not exceptional. Annual revenue of approximately 1.2 million credits. However, her influence exceeds her financial footprint—she maintains connections throughout Avalon's agricultural sector and has family ties to the elder houses of the elven enclaves."

  He frowned.

  Something's been bothering him ever since he started reviewing the public financial data of other companies. The last time he checked with the banker, his company's funds barely broke a million credits—and that was after the recent aggressive push in expanding business.

  Hmm.

  Then again, if the Tower was merely masquerading as a corporation to disguise its true purpose, it would be necessary for its financial presence to remain small and insignificant. As for what that true purpose was, Zark'thul couldn't quite say. Yet.

  "Vulnerability to Metcom's methods?" he asked, focusing on the objective task at hand.

  "Significant," Xashai admitted. "Her connections provide her leverage, but that same web of relationships leaves her open to blackmail or coercion through associates."

  "Her personality?"

  "Prideful, idealistic, easily provoked to emotion. She has the 'noble heart' weakness of so many elves. I assess her as highly susceptible to personal appeals—sympathy, flattery, shared moral outrage."

  Zark'thul nodded once, absorbing the profile. "Craft a narrative that aligns our opposition to Metcom with her own moral framework. Emphasize community protection and mutual benefit over base profit motives."

  "Of course, boss." She tapped notes into her pad, tail flicking.

  The car turned onto a wide boulevard lined with trees whose leaves shimmered in hues of gold and amethyst.

  "An observation, sir," Elspeth said from the driver's seat, her voice carrying clearly through the intercom.

  "Proceed."

  "These meetings represent a departure from your established operational parameters. Visiting multiple external locations increases exposure risk. Metcom's operatives have likely placed this vehicle under surveillance, and we cannot be certain Jullian Vex has not been compromised despite his assurances."

  "A valid concern," he conceded, though Zark'thul found her constant emphasis on "risk avoidance" tiresome. "Then let me ask you this. If you were by my side throughout, what are the odds of them succeeding in killing me?"

  "Zero." Her reply was immediate.

  "Then what are you worried about?"

  For the first time, there was a pause in her speech. She blinked thrice before answering.

  "Yes, sir. I... understand."

  "Good."

  He returned his attention to Xashai. "Continue."

  The car slowed as they approached their destination—a massive terraced structure that cascaded down the side of a building like a verdant waterfall. Plants from a dozen different realms thrived in carefully maintained microclimates, their colors and shapes creating a symphony of botanical diversity. Customers moved through elevated walkways, examining specimens or consulting with staff dressed in green uniforms.

  If he ever decided to expand his business by leveraging the fourth floor's botanical garden, this would be one of the companies he'd need to compete against.

  As he surveyed the scene, he caught sight of someone approaching their car. It was a slender female elf with copper-colored hair pulled back in an intricate braid. The elf wore the same uniform as the other staff. Based on the picture Xashai had pulled up on the way here, it was the owner herself—Seren Welvi.

  Upon arriving, the elf gave a smile. "Mr. Mycroft, I presume? I'm Seren Welvi, I've spoken with your assistant. I admit I was surprised by your request for a meeting."

  Zark'thul emerged from the vehicle, noting how the elf's gaze took in his executive attire. "Surprise indicates information asymmetry. A situation I intend to correct."

  A flicker of amusement crossed Seren's face as she gestured for them to follow her. "Direct, aren't you? I appreciate that."

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  The group crossed a glass skybridge and entered an expansive greenhouse filled with rare and exotic plants. Water features and carefully placed art provided an air of tranquility amidst the floral abundance.

  "Welcome to Lumina Gardens," Seren said, leading them through the display area. "Our home is a celebration of nature's diversity. But I suspect you're not here as botanical enthusiasts."

  "No indeed."

  They arrived at a secluded meeting space nestled within a grove of silver-leafed trees. Four chairs had been arranged around a circular table.

  Seren activated a small device on her wrist, and a subtle shimmer passed through the air around them—some form of privacy screen. Another approached with refreshments before departing, leaving them alone among the exotic foliage.

  "You've taken security precautions," Zark'thul observed. "You anticipate sensitive discussions."

  The elf settled into her chair, folding her hands on the table's polished surface. "After what happened to Vex Mercantile? Absolutely. Word travels fast in our circles, Mr. Mycroft. A warehouse attack, mysterious operatives with advanced cloaking technology, and a security team that somehow managed to reveal them. That would be your people, yes?"

  Xashai and Zark'thul exchanged a glance. The situation's public visibility exceeded their initial projections.

  "Your sources are... well-informed," Xashai acknowledged with a diplomatic smile. "Though some embellishment is to be expected."

  "The CTI exists because we share information," Seren replied. "It's our best defense against larger predators in Avalon's corporate ecosystem." She gestured to the plants around them. "Nature's strategy, too. Individual organisms cooperate to survive threats they couldn't face alone."

  "A sound evolutionary principle," Zark'thul agreed. "One we propose to implement on a larger scale."

  Seren's eyes sharpened with interest. "I'm listening."

  Zark'thul leaned forward. "Metcom Solutions and Argent Shield are executing a coordinated strategy to control Avalon's security and resource sectors. They target businesses systematically, using blackmail, intimidation, and manufactured crises to force compliance. Vex Mercantile is merely one example of their methodology."

  "And you believe Lumina Gardens is another target?"

  "We know it is," Xashai corrected gently, sliding a data pad across the table. "These shipping manifests show progressive infiltration of your supply chain over the past four months. Key transporters have been replaced by Metcom subsidiaries or affiliates, particularly for your rarest imports."

  Seren's face remained composed, but her hands tensed slightly as she reviewed the data—a micro-expression that Xashai would certainly notice. "I was aware of some consolidation in the shipping sector, but not this pattern. How did you obtain this information?"

  "Vex provided initial data. Our analysis expanded upon it," Zark'thul explained simply. "We've identified twelve businesses being systematically targeted, including yours. Metcom's strategy appears focused on controlling critical infrastructure and supply chains rather than direct acquisition."

  "More profitable that way," Seren conceded, her posture now decidedly more tense. "Why buy the business when you can control everything it needs to operate? Classic stranglehold technique." She set down the pad, studying Zark'thul with renewed intensity. "What exactly are you proposing, Mr. Mycroft?"

  "A coalition of affected businesses to counter Metcom's strategy through collective action," he replied. "Shared resources, coordinated legal responses, unified security protocols, and consolidated market leverage."

  "And your company would provide... what, exactly?"

  "Security services capable of countering their technological advantages. Legal strategies to neutralize blackmail attempts. Alternative supply chain options through our developing network."

  The legal part was a bit of a stretch. He didn't have a dedicated legal department at the moment. Yet.

  If everything went well, then he was set to clear the current floor in a week.

  "Sounds nice in theory," Seren admitted after a long pause. "But coalitions are slow to form and difficult to maintain. Individual self-interest inevitably overrides collective benefit." Her expression hardened, the signs of emotional stress heightening Xashai's earlier psychological assessment of her. "Every company for itself—that's how business is really done here. What benefit will you get from this arrangement?"

  An intelligent question. Zark'thul approved of her direct approach. It indicated a willingness to probe beyond superficial propositions.

  "Metcom's strategy threatens to undermine the development of our business," he stated frankly. "We require a stable and open market ecosystem to achieve our own goals. Beyond that... consider this a long-term investment in a preferred future."

  She raised an eyebrow. "You expect me to risk my company's stability and reputation on a... preferred future?"

  "Your current trajectory provides only two alternatives," Xashai interjected smoothly. "Increasing dependency on Metcom's services, or the gradual strangulation of your business. Our proposal offers a third path."

  The elf stood and paced to a nearby planter, fingers tracing the petals of an azure orchid in thought. "Refreshingly honest. Most would have claimed altruistic motives."

  "Altruism is an inefficient pretense," he stated. "Our interests align. That is sufficient."

  "For me as well," Seren agreed. "The CTI was founded on exactly this principle—mutual benefit through cooperation." She tapped her fingers thoughtfully on the table. "I can arrange a meeting with other affected businesses. Seven, possibly eight owners who've reported suspicious patterns similar to what you've described."

  "Acceptable," Zark'thul nodded. "When?"

  "Tonight. We have an established protocol for emergency gatherings." She smiled at their surprise. "As I said, Mr. Mycroft, we survive by sharing information and responding quickly. The CTI isn't just a business association—it's our collective defense system."

  As they concluded their meeting and prepared to leave, Seren walked them through a different section of her facility—a research area where botanists worked with plants that exhibited unusual properties.

  "Our latest project," she explained, indicating a series of luminescent flowers that pulsed with gentle blue light. "Bio-luminescent flora adapted from the deep forests of the Cerulean Realm. We're developing them as sustainable lighting solutions for Avalon's lower districts."

  Zark'thul observed the specimens with clinical interest. "You adapt extradimensional organisms for practical applications."

  "That's Avalon's greatest strength," Seren replied. "We're a crossroads of realms, a place where different realities converge. The opportunities that creates are limitless—if we can prevent corporations like Metcom from monopolizing them."

  As they departed Lumina Gardens, Zark'thul processed this information. Avalon's nature as a convergence point created unique resources and opportunities—a factor that might explain Metcom's aggressive expansion strategy. If controlling this nexus point offered access to multiple realms' resources, their "Synergy Project" might have more ambitious goals than initially assessed.

  The Tower itself is its own convergence point, isn't it?

  That was interesting.

  Unlike this world, however, the Tower seemed capable of connecting to different worlds at once. The directives so far connected to one world, but what was stopping the Tower from taking his Agents to different worlds on the higher floors?

  Back in the car, Elspeth navigated them toward their next destination—a manufacturing facility in Avalon's industrial district.

  "Your assessment?" Zark'thul asked Xashai.

  "Seren Welvi is genuine in her concerns and offers," she replied, reviewing her notes. "Her emotional responses aligned with her stated positions. The CTI appears to be a more sophisticated organization than our initial intelligence suggested—they were already monitoring Metcom's activities, though without the complete picture we've assembled."

  "Leveraging existing cooperation mechanisms will optimize coalition-building efforts."

  "Precisely, boss," she replied with a professional smile.

  Elspeth's voice came through the intercom. "Sir, we've received a priority communication from the R&D department. They've completed the initial analysis of the Argent Shield technology and request your review of their findings."

  "Forward the data," Zark'thul instructed.

  A holographic display materialized in the space between him and Xashai, showing detailed schematics of the captured camouflage systems. Elamrion's voice accompanied the visuals.

  "We've made a significant discovery, sir. The power source for these systems contains isotopic signatures consistent with materials from the Void Reaches—a dimensional plane that's supposed to be restricted under Avalon's Interdimensional Commerce Regulations. This technology shouldn't be commercially available in Avalon at all."

  Zark'thul studied the readings. "You're certain?"

  "I'd stake my doctorates on it, sir," Elamrion confirmed confidently. "I've uploaded the isotope spectra to your datapad."

  Xashai leaned closer, examining the holo-display. "The implications are troubling. This violates at least three major regulatory frameworks. The Dimensional Barrier Treaty, the Restricted Realms Accord, and Avalon's Commerce Regulations all prohibit importation from the Void Reaches due to dimensional instability risks."

  Really? This was the first time he'd heard about this.

  "Elspeth, did—"

  "Yes, sir. I've been running a legal check for our logistics and marketing department ever since we began selling our off-world products. So far, none of the materials, plants, or artifacts that you've sold through it are in violation of any laws."

  Hmm. Well, that was good to hear.