The First Test
Shen arrives at the Hall of Registries on the edge of lockout and discovers that his dead relative Ilan Sore’s account has been reopened live on the public board. The record is tied to a hidden contract chain and a five-night transfer window before it is quietly sold. When Shen forces a read, the damaged advantage in his own account converts pressure into a measurable rank and access spike, but the gain leaves a visible scar in his record. Professor Halvek Orr immediately turns the incident into a formal public verification, and Mira Dain notices the traceability of Shen’s new mark, setting up the next pressure line and making him easier to hunt.