Emir woke the next morning to the sharp ring of his alarm clock, the sound slicing through his dreams of sprawling empires and glittering towers. He groaned and sat up, the faint remnants of last night's gathering still swirling in his mind. The enigmatic Mr. Gorrick, the subtle looks from Sofi, and the unsettling feeling of being watched had left a lingering unease.
He shook it off as he prepared for the day. The morning routine was a grounding ritual for Emir, a stark contrast to the grand aspirations brewing in his mind.
---
At the office, the day unfolded as mundanely as ever. Polly, true to her nature, was already spreading a fresh round of rumors.
"Did you hear about the guy who levitated at the gallery downtown?" she asked no one in particular, her voice carrying over the hum of keyboards.
Emir smirked but kept his focus on his work. It wasn't unusual for Polly to latch onto the latest buzz, but he couldn't help but wonder how many of these rumors were planted intentionally.
"Levitated?" another coworker chimed in, his tone skeptical.
"Yeah! They say he just...floated up, like something out of a movie," Polly said, her eyes wide with excitement.
"Wires," Emir muttered under his breath, drawing a laugh from his neighbor, Arlo, a guy whose only superpower was managing to nap without getting caught.
Still, the conversation sparked something in Emir. The world seemed hungry for the extraordinary, desperate to believe in the impossible. It made his quiet ascent all the more valuable. While others chased illusions, he was building a reality that would leave them speechless.
---
That evening, Emir decided to visit the gallery Polly had mentioned. Not because he believed the rumors, but because he'd learned to pay attention to patterns. When whispers of power circulated, they often led to interesting opportunities.
The gallery was a modest space tucked into a side street, the kind of place that catered to niche audiences. Inside, a man dressed in flowing robes was performing for a captivated audience. Objects seemed to hover and dance around him, defying gravity.
Emir leaned against the wall, watching carefully. It was a good act, he had to admit, but the faint shimmer of invisible threads gave away the trick. He smiled to himself.
"Impressed?" a voice asked, breaking his concentration. He turned to see Sofi standing beside him, her expression as inscrutable as ever.
"Not particularly," Emir replied. "But I can see why people are."
Sofi nodded, her gaze fixed on the performer. "People want to believe in something greater than themselves. It's easier than facing reality."
Emir glanced at her, intrigued by the insight. "And what do you believe in?"
She smiled faintly. "I believe in what I can control. The rest is just noise."
Their conversation was cut short by a sudden commotion. The performer had collapsed, clutching his chest. The audience gasped as someone called for an ambulance. Emir stepped forward instinctively but stopped himself. This wasn't his problem.
As the crowd dispersed, Sofi turned to him. "You didn't move to help."
"I'm not a hero," Emir said simply.
Her eyes lingered on him for a moment before she walked away, leaving him with the distinct feeling that she knew more than she let on.
---
Back at his apartment, Emir reviewed his finances again. The numbers were climbing steadily, each transaction bringing him closer to unlocking his next skill.
Financial Update:
Total Spent: 490 million credits
Cashback Earned: 49 billion credits
Net Worth: 192.6 billion credits
Progress to Empire: 86%
The skill tree shimmered into view, the next branch pulsating faintly. The words "Architect of the Future" seemed to taunt him, just out of reach.
---
As Emir closed his laptop, the faint outline of a blueprint appeared on his desk, illuminated by the glow of the city lights. For a brief moment, it looked like the foundation of a building—something grand, intricate, and impossible to ignore.