Adam sat inside his private hostel room.

Most students did not get rooms like this. The hostel usually placed two students together, sometimes more when space was tight. Adam had expected the same when he returned.

Instead, the college had given him a separate room.

That had happened because of Aster Core.

Kenji and Kiri had offered enough support that the college started treating Adam differently. The staff did not say it openly, but Adam could feel it. Even this room came from the same place, along with the cleaner bed and the softer treatment.

Right now, he was sitting near the small table with a phone in his hand.

Darien Holt was on the other side.

"I checked the work you gave me," Darien said. "I also found someone who can help with the foreign side."

Adam listened quietly.

"Now send me the documents of the person you want to send," Darien continued. "I need to start the paperwork. If we delay, the trip gets delayed too."

"How much time?" Adam asked.

"Two days," Darien said. "If everything goes well, the person can leave in two days."

Adam looked at the table.

That should have been good news.

But the document problem was not easy.

’If I go as Adam, my real identity will get linked to Darien’s company.’ Adam thought. ’Even if no one sees the full truth now, the records will stay.’

That was dangerous.

He could go in another face, but that created another problem.

’If I use another face, I need an identity for that face.’ Adam thought. ’Who can make that cleanly?’

He could not simply wear another face and walk into another country. Every record, from the ticket to the security check, would need one clean name. If even one part looked fake, the trip could fail before it started.

Bruno came to mind, then Gonda.

Adam rejected both for now.

World Zone had gone quiet, but quiet did not mean safe. Gonda and Bruno could still be hit at any time. Adam did not know where World Zone’s next attack would come from. For now, he was using them to gather assets and move material. He did not want to use them for his most important foreign identity.

He had already pushed them to move gold and rare materials through hidden routes. He was still copying and selling what he could. The demand in the country was not endless, so the work had to move slowly.

But the foreign trip could not wait forever.

’I need the production line.’ Adam thought. ’If I keep pasting chips by hand, I will fall before the company grows properly.’

"Give me some time," Adam said. "I will send the documents."

Darien gave a tired laugh. "You say that like documents grow on trees."

Adam did not answer.

Darien continued, "You have put me into too many jobs. I am still handling the bank work and the land work, and now you are throwing a foreign trip at me too."

"I gave you money," Adam said.

"That money will disappear too if I keep spending it like this," Darien replied. "Do you know how much these things cost when you want them done fast?"

Adam almost smiled.

Darien sounded angry, but it was not the same fear from before. Now he complained like a man who had accepted the work and wanted the right to be annoyed.

"Fine," Adam said. "I won’t waste more of your time. I will send what you need."

He ended the call.

For a few seconds, the room stayed quiet.

Adam kept the phone in his hand and stared at the screen. Two days sounded short, but it was also the first clean opening he had gotten. If Darien prepared the foreign side, then Adam only had to solve the identity side.

Then someone knocked on the door.

Adam’s eyes moved toward it at once.

He checked the time on the phone.

Eight-thirty.

The college was mostly quiet by now. Staff could come, but it was unlikely. John could come too, and that thought made Adam’s back tighten.

’If it is John, this is bad.’ Adam thought.

He looked around the room.

On one side, a small bag of copied gold lay half open near the chair. Adam moved quickly and hid the pieces under the bed. Then he pulled the blanket down enough to cover the shadow.

A few small pieces had fallen near the table leg. He picked them up too and pushed them into his pocket. The room had to look normal before he opened the door. Even one careless thing could create a question he did not want to answer.

The knock came again.

Adam spoke in a low voice. "I’m coming. Wait a second."

He looked toward the mirror once.

He was still in his original face.

’Should I change?’ Adam thought.

The idea came fast, but he stopped himself.

This was his hostel room. If he opened the door in another face, that could create a worse problem. Whoever stood outside would either panic or learn that something impossible was happening here.

’No.’ Adam thought. ’Whoever it is, I will handle it as Adam.’

He took a slow breath and walked to the door.

The room felt too quiet behind him.

The next knock was softer.

Adam placed one hand on the lock and paused for half a second.

’If it is John, I can’t show fear.’ Adam thought. ’If it is someone from the college, I can’t look guilty. Just open it.’

Adam unlocked the door.

Then he opened it.

Senju stood outside. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Her face looked tense. She had clearly come here with something heavy in her mind. But the moment she saw Adam’s face, her expression changed.

Adam also froze for a second.

"Senju," he said before he could stop himself.

She heard her name from his mouth.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then Senju looked straight at him and asked, "What is your relationship with Wil?"