The Next Step

Killian's words rang in my head long after our lunch had ended. He was right, though. I had crossed an invisible line. Signing that deal was something I would have never even considered doing just a month ago. I had been raised in the belief that breaking the rules was strictly forbidden and that those who broke them were to be punished. But that was not how the world was built.

Over the years, I had seen it time and time again; some rules simply didn't apply to everyone. Those who were rich or knew the right people had privileges, while those like me… didn't. Also, the privileged ones were rarely punished for their deeds, even if those deeds were uniquely despicable. I painfully experienced it myself.

Truthfully, I wasn't powerless either. As a teenager, I used to crack the codes and break into various systems for fun. I had the skills to bend some of the rules to my will, but since using my skills often required doing something illegal, I had thoroughly used them only once.

I had br