On the final evening of the CEO Tutorial, every one of the 129 members of the cohort had—unknowingly, of course—passed all their Karmic Gates and completed every one of their trials.
Now, they were gathered once more in the grand dining hall of The Winking Serpent, the atmosphere alight with energy. Servers moved gracefully among the long tables, delivering drinks, dinners, and overflowing meat-and-cheese boards, their presence seamless amid the rising murmur of conversation.
The buzz in the room was undeniable.
Many of the cohort—initially skeptical, guarded, even combative—had come to embrace the experience fully. Their trials had first held up a mirror, and then offered a path forward. A few had faced hard truths, but every single one emerged with a clearer sense of identity and purpose. For the first time in years, perhaps decades, they felt aligned with the trajectory ahead of them.
Throughout the week, two or three members of the Round Table had dropped by each evening, answering questions with care and collecting constructive suggestions. But tonight, on this final night, the entire core team—Graham, Mallory, Vanessa, Ronan, and Elise—was present. They weren’t standing apart or holding court near the doors. They mingled with the crowd, gsses in hand, ughing easily and catching up with everyone.
They made sure to speak to each person—not just the CEOs or corporate deputies, but also the plus-ones and partners, the trusted friends and quieter voices. Often, it was those individuals who offered the most unfiltered, honest feedback.
Around nine o’clock, Graham raised a hand to gather attention, then turned toward Mallory and gave her the floor.
“Everyone,” she began, her voice clear and composed, “on behalf of Elliot Voss, the Round Table, and myself—I want to thank you. Truly. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for participating in this Tutorial. We know it must have been a shock to wake up here, but I can already see that, for many of you, this pce has started to feel like a second home.”
Around the room, heads nodded. A few murmured in agreement.
“So,” she continued, checking a System prompt, “I have good news. You’ll be waking up in the real world in about... three hours. You’ll wrap up here, return to your beds upstairs, and fall asleep here—only to wake up there.”
A ripple of sound passed through the room. No one interrupted, but a sudden stillness suggested sharpened attention.
“When you wake,” Mallory said, “you’ll be able to see System messages in the real world. It’s actually pretty neat. You’ll find you no longer need phones to check the time or GPS. You can set arms that gently wake you, and there’s even a private messaging system—something like email, but fully encrypted and unhackable.”
She scanned the room and found Colin Mercer.“Our very own Colin and his teams designed the security protocols for this.”
A few people near him cpped or patted him on the shoulder. Colin gave a modest nod, his usual restraint cracking into a small smile.
Mallory let the moment settle before continuing. “There’s just one st thing before we let you finish your night.”
She gestured broadly to the warm, firelit space around them.“You’ll actually be able to return to Grimwatch.”
Surprise swept through the room again—this time louder, punctuated by whispers and raised eyebrows.
“Yes. Not this version,” she crified, “but one very much like it. And fair warning—it’s a bit crowded right now, since the space is still being built out. The original eighteen of us have been visiting regurly when we have the time, and our efforts seem to be making a tangible difference. The town is growing.”
Damian Crestwell leaned forward from his seat, raising a hand slightly. “Uh, Mallory—how does it work? Can we just… go back? And does it eat up real-world time?”
“Great questions,” she replied with a nod. “First, your sleep needs will drop significantly. Most of you will find that two or three hours a night is enough now. So if you’re working long days, you’ll have the capacity to do more—with less fatigue. But more importantly: when you sleep, once you hit REM—which happens quickly with your augmented physiology—a System prompt will appear, asking if you’d like to visit Grimwatch or simply rest.”
She turned toward the others. “We’ve been doing that ourselves—most nights, really. There’s just… so much to do.”
Graham stepped in. “If you choose to return, you’ll wake up in a living, evolving version of this town. It has tasks—real ones. Jobs that matter. And everything we’ve done so far suggests that completing those jobs helps grow the town itself. It’s real contribution. Real momentum.”
Graham continued.“And to answer the second part of your question, Damian—time flows a little differently there. You can experience an entire day in Grimwatch in about six to eight hours of real-world time. So, not quite one-to-one, but close to a two-to-one ratio.”
Mallory nodded and checked the time once more.
“I know you’ll have more questions, but we’ll wrap up here and let you enjoy the rest of your evening. Tomorrow we’ll have a final meeting in the Voss Tower auditorium, and then you’ll all be free to return home. We’ll go over the remaining details then.”
Graham raised a single finger. “One st thing.”
His tone softened, but didn’t lose its authority.
“Everything you’ve seen—the System, Vitalyx, Rejuvenex—remains strictly confidential. And this time, that confidentiality is backed by The System itself.”
A translucent screen appeared across everyone’s vision.
---
System MessageYou have been entrusted with privileged knowledge by Graham Thorne.This information is strictly confidential.Attempting to disclose it to unauthorized parties will trigger a visual warning.Continued disclosure will result in System intervention.Do you understand? [Y/N]
---
Graham chuckled as he received a confirmation prompt of his own—along with a running tally of how many users had accepted. So far, 36.
“Let me crify,” he said. “System intervention doesn’t mean lightning bolts or mind wipes. But if you try to ignore the warnings, it will start garbling your speech, disrupting your memory, or making you too confused to keep talking. Nothing violent. Just... highly persuasive.”
Relieved ughter broke out across the room, and Graham watched as the count ticked upward.
42... 57... 73...
By the time it reached 129, he smiled again.
“And with that, dies and gentlemen… we’ll leave you to it.”
The Round Table members exchanged a final gnce, nodded once in unison, and vanished like mist burned off by morning light.
For a long moment, the room held still.
Then conversation resumed, a few gsses clinked, and the cohort began winding down their evening—returning to their rooms, preparing for what came next.
And at exactly 11:59 PM, one final message appeared in their vision:
---
System MessageCongratutions. You have completed the Tutorial.You have faced and overcome personal trials, and you have chosen your path.May you walk it with purpose and strength.This Tutorial shard is now complete.
The weapons and armor you wield in spirit must be forged in truth.To carry their power into the world, you must create them in the waking realm.
You will awaken soon—restored and changed.The world awaits what you have become.The System watches. The future listens.Your journey begins.NOW.
---
And just like that, each of them woke—safely, soundly, and with a rush of crity—back in their hotel rooms scattered across San Francisco.
<
The next day, the entire CEO cohort was gathered in the auditorium on the 19th floor of Voss Tower. The summit was brisk, and since just about half the people in the room were not part of the business side of things, Mallory and her team didn’t get into details about that.
They discussed what could be expected from now on, and asked those who didn’t already have encrypted phones to make use of the Messaging feature if they had any confidential questions. They let them know who to direct the questions to, if they preferred not to ask through whichever CEO had brought them.
They expined that there were a few steps left before the global rollout, but that they were aiming for sometime in early 2026. The more time it takes, the more opportunities for chaos, so everyone needed to remain ser focused on the tasks given to them.
There were a few questions, but for the most part the morning went smoothly.
Graham took the podium and gave out the logistical details. Corporate jets would be flying everyone to major airport hubs, and everyone was welcome to take flights or rent cars to get home from the closest hub. It had all been worked out ahead of time, of course. The support staff Mallory was overseeing was top quality, after all.
After the summit was closed, everyone began milling about, making promises to meet in Grimwatch again, confirming the new camaraderie they had developed over a week of trials and challenges.
Mallory found Valerie, and ushered her to the 20th floor. Valerie entered Mallory’s—formerly Voss’s—office through the sliding gss doors, and when the view of the San Francisco Bay hit her eyes, she just exhaled in awe.
“Girl, you get to look at this view every day? How do you get anything done?”
They ughed for a minute as Mallory asked her assistant to bring her green tea and coffee for Valerie. After the assistant left, Mallory folder her hands on her desk in front of her.
“I assume you are wondering why I chose you for this.”
Valerie ughed loudly.“You know, it has been on my mind. But—” she held her hands out in front of her, admiring the muscle tone, and looked down at her body. “I wasn’t about to compin, I’ll tell you that.”
Mallory chuckled.“Believe me, I know it. When Elliot Voss told me about all of this, I was in such shock and awe that I hardly slept for three days straight. It took me so long to even comprehend the sheer scale of it all, let alone the fact that he wanted me involved.”
She took a sip of her tea. Exhaled.
“So. The first reason I offered this to you is that I saw myself in you. I grew up in West Bloomfield, while you were from Pontiac—and of course I realize that, while these towns are a fifteen minute drive apart, they are worlds apart in reality.”
She paused, looking at Valerie again. Strikingly beautiful, poised, and self-confident. Despite everything she has been through.
“We both worked for Barrett Langston, and although I can’t stand the way he threw me under the bus all those years ago, I am also not compining about where it led me. As for you, Valerie, you have not been given a single advantage in your youth, but you made the best of it all. When you were given your chance, the schorship at Michigan, you took it. You didn’t squander it or begrudge yourself any effort. And look where you are now. At only thirty-two. You are simply magnificent.”
Valerie had a tear forming in her eye, as she listened to Mallory summarize her life and accomplishments. She was proud of what she’d achieved after all. It couldn’t be denied.
Mallory continued. “I know that you were awarded a rare css, and it doesn’t surprise me one bit. But the nature of your css intrigues me. I have no intentions of asking you to spy on Washington DC, or anything of that nature, just to be clear up front. But there is one thing I’d like to ask you to do, if you are willing.”
Valerie leaned forward, wondering what it was.
Mallory studied her for a moment, then also leaned in slightly.
“What I’m about to ask isn’t an order. It’s not a mission with deadlines or checklists. It’s an opportunity—one that only the Velvet Reaper could make work.”
Valerie nodded slowly, curiosity piqued.
“I want you to start preparing the ground,” Mallory said. “Not just for Vitalyx and Rejuvenex, but for all of it. The System. The shift that’s coming. We can’t afford a second Manhattan Project—buried behind fear, or strangled by bureaucracy. Or worst—hoarded by those in power. But we also can’t break the silence. Not yet.”
She let that hang for a moment.
“So what I need are shadows cast on the walls of power. A doubt here, a seed there. Pressure—quiet, persistent, and well-pced pressure. A line slipped into conversation here, a stray remark left to echo there. Let them think the winds are shifting. That the old systems are growing brittle. That change is coming whether they’re ready or not.”
Mallory gave a small, wry smile.
“You won’t be able to tell anyone the truth. But you can help them want it—before they even know what ‘it’ is.”
Valerie leaned back, a slow, delighted smile spreading across her face.
“Mallory, it would be my absolute pleasure. I already know how I’ll get started. I’ll be subtle, careful—but I’ll y the groundwork.”
Mallory handed her one of the encrypted phones, but suggested they keep most of their contact through the Messaging feature inside The System.
With a pn in pce and a purpose burning bright, Valerie stepped out of Voss Tower and into the sharp San Francisco morning—heart alight, eyes forward, and a new fire in her blood.