Chapter 2 Liquid Assets

"Where am I?" I tried to shout into the dark water.

Instead of a voice, a jagged spike of blue static ripped from my chest. The sound was like grinding metal. It tore through the river in a violent circle. Three fish floating nearby suddenly stiffened. Their silver scales turned dull as they floated upward, dead.

"What did I just do?" I gasped, but only a crackling noise came out.

I looked down at my hands. They were fading into a cloud of grey mist.

"No, I’m not disappearing," I growled, clenching my teeth.

[Warning: Soul-Code Integrity dropping. 15%. Use Willpower to Re-Render.]

"How do I do that?" I asked the blue screen in my mind.

[Focus on your identity. Force the data to solidify.]

"I am Cyprian Fenwick," I hissed. I forced every ounce of my rage into my limbs. "I am the man who built an empire! I am the man they murdered!"

The blue mist snapped back into place. My tuxedo reappeared, sharper than before.

"Is that better?" I asked. My voice was metallic, but clear.

[Willpower used. Integrity restored to 100%.]

I started walking along the riverbed. Then I saw it. A pale shape was lodged between two jagged rocks. I moved closer, my heart sinking.

"Is that... me?" I whispered.

I was looking at my own face. My skin was blue and bloated. The bullet hole in my forehead looked like a dark, ugly coin.

"You look terrible, Cyprian," I told the corpse.

[Detection: Residual Life Essence located in physical vessel. Yield: 500 XP.]

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means you’re staring at a gold mine," a raspy voice said behind me.

I spun around. Thomas Miller was standing there, his ghost flickering like a bad lightbulb.

"What are you doing here, Thomas?" I asked.

"Watching the show," he said. "That body is useless now. But the System can eat that energy."

"Eat my own body?" I asked, feeling a wave of disgust.

"Do you want to level up or not?" Thomas snapped. "Alaric is probably popping champagne right now. Are you going to let him win because you're squeamish?"

"Shut up, Thomas," I said.

I reached out. My glowing blue hand touched the cold, dead skin of my own shoulder.

[Absorb Life Essence?]

"Do it," I commanded.

A stream of white light flowed from the corpse into my fingers. It felt like a jolt of pure electricity. My vision sharpened. The corpse in front of me suddenly shriveled, turning into a grey, leathery husk.

[Level Up! Current Level: 2. Skill Unlocked: Spectral Tether.]

"That felt... strange," I said, flexing my fingers.

"You're a predator now, CEO," Thomas said. "Get used to it."

"I need to get out of this water," I said. "I need to see what they’re doing."

"The pier is just above us," Thomas pointed upward. "Follow the light."

I glided through the water and broke the surface near a concrete pillar. I climbed onto the wooden planks of the pier. A massive digital news screen was bolted to a nearby warehouse. Two faces filled the display. Alaric and Isadora.

"It is a tragedy," Alaric said into a microphone. He wiped a fake tear from his eye. "Cyprian was my brother. The Beaumont Empire is devastated."

"We will honor his legacy by succeeding with the merger," Isadora added. She was wearing a black veil, but her eyes were cold and calculating.

"Legacy?" I hissed. "You murdered me!"

"They look good in black, don't they?" Thomas mocked, appearing beside me. "The city loves a grieving widow."

"They're lying to the whole world," I said.

"That's business, boss," Thomas said. "They have the money. You have... well, you have me."

"I have more than that," I said. I walked toward the screen.

"What are you doing?" Thomas asked. "You can't touch them."

"I don't need to touch them," I said. "I just need to remind them I'm here."

I reached for the screen. The closer I got, the more the image of Isadora’s face began to distort. Static lines crawled across her forehead.

"Cyprian? What are you doing?" Thomas whispered.

"I am the CEO," I growled.

I slammed my palm against the glass. I used the [Spectral Tether] to force my energy into the wiring.

"Hey! Look at the screen!" A passerby shouted.

The image of Alaric and Isadora began to melt into neon green streaks. The audio turned into a high-pitched, distorted scream.

"Isadora, you liar!" I yelled.

The screen groaned. A massive surge of blue electricity arched from my hand into the electronics.

"Get back!" Alaric’s voice on the screen was cut short by a loud bang.

The glass shattered. A violent explosion of sparks and fire erupted from the display. The people on the pier screamed and ran for cover. The screen went black, smoke curling into the air.

"Nice touch," Thomas said. "But you just signaled the whole city that something is wrong."

"Good," I said, looking at my glowing palms. "I want them to be afraid of the dark."

"The police are coming," Thomas warned. "And they aren't the only ones who watch for ghosts."

"Let them come," I said.

I looked back at the smoking ruins of the screen. I could still see the afterimage of Isadora’s face in the fire.

"We're just getting started, Thomas," I said. "Who is next on the list?"

"There's an old bookkeeper," Thomas said. "He knows where the hidden accounts are. But he's not exactly easy to talk to."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because he’s currently being interrogated by Alaric’s men," Thomas replied.

"Then we better not keep them waiting," I said.

Suddenly, a red light began to blink in the corner of my vision.

[Alert: Proximity Warning. Unknown Entity approaching.]

"What is that?" I asked.

"Hide," Thomas hissed, vanishing into thin air. "Now!"

I turned around, but the pier was empty. Then, I saw a single, hooded figure standing under a streetlamp. They weren't looking at the fire. They were looking directly at me.

"Can he see me?" I whispered.

The figure raised a hand. A silver coin glinted between their fingers.

"Cyprian Fenwick," the figure said. The voice sounded like grinding stones. "You’re late for your first meeting."

"Who are you?" I demanded.

The figure didn't answer. They flipped the coin into the air. As it spun, the world around me began to dissolve into grey mist.

"Welcome to the Silver Circle," the voice echoed.