The smile on my face hadn't faded since this afternoon. Inside the damp pocket of my courier jacket, still wet from the rain, my fingers kept brushing the soft surface of a small red velvet box. Inside it rested a sterling silver bracelet worth thirty dollars.Maybe to the wealthy people of Arkadia City, thirty dollars was nothing more than loose change. But to me, Arkan, a courier who spent every day surrounded by dust and exhaust fumes, this little bracelet was a masterpiece born from sacrifice. For two full weeks, I had endured hunger, filling my stomach with nothing but cold water so I could save my meal money. The joy burning in my chest grew even stronger after the unexpected surprise I received this afternoon. A generous customer had given me a bonus tip of one hundred and thirty dollars.How could my heart not soar?That bonus felt like the answer to every prayer I'd ever made. The entire ride home, my mind had been busy planning tonight. Next week, I could finally take Siska,

A steady pulse throbbed at my temple. Inside the silence of the Presidential Suite, scented with luxurious lavender, the shattered screen of my phone kept lighting up, its piercing ringtone echoing through the room.The name on the display read: Siska.I stared at it for several seconds, letting the anger in my chest settle into something cold and lethal. Then, with an unhurried motion, I slid the green button and switched the call to speaker."Arkan! You finally answered your phone, huh?!" Siska's shrill voice instantly shattered the silence. There was unmistakable panic beneath it, but the disgusting arrogance and pride she always carried were still there. "Where are you right now? You're not dead, are you?! You ran off last night after making a scene in front of Brandon's house!"I walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the glittering financial district of Arkadia below."What does that have to do with me, Siska?" My voice was flat, almost completely devoid of em

"Mr. Arkan, watch out!"Elena's scream was swallowed by the deafening crash of the VVIP elevator door being smashed apart. In the total darkness, flashes of sparking electricity briefly illuminated the silhouettes of several heavily built men armed with tactical weapons as they moved with terrifying speed. My heart pounded, yet the System's icy presence refused to let panic take hold. Before the intruders could even raise their weapons, Elena exploded into motion through the darkness. Bones shifted with sickening cracks, followed by muffled groans of pain.Only three brutal minutes later, silence returned.When the emergency lights flickered on with a dim crimson glow, smoke already filled the room. Three unidentified attackers lay unconscious across the marble floor, while Elena stood in front of the desk, breathing slightly harder than usual as she wiped a streak of blood from the corner of her mouth."They're professionals, sir," Elena whispered, her eyes blazing with vigilance. "B

My breath caught in my throat. Inside the SUV's cabin, which had suddenly become suffocatingly tense, I stared at Elena as she slammed on the brakes without warning. The tires screeched violently across Arkadia's rain-slick asphalt, triggering instant panic.In front of me, the dashboard display continued flickering erratically, projecting a blood-red warning that pulsed relentlessly across my vision.[WARNING: Your Device Has Been Infiltrated by a Primary Competitor System (High Level). Consciousness Synchronization Is in Danger.]"Arkan! What's happening?!" Elena shouted. Her voice, usually as cold as ice, cracked with panic. Her hand moved instinctively, drawing a semi-automatic pistol from beneath her blazer while her sharp eyes scanned beyond the windows. The cabin had gone dark after the vehicle's electrical system completely failed."He's... he's inside my head, Elena!" I groaned, clutching both sides of my skull.Agony crashed into me, as though a burning needle were being for

"Arkan! Grab the wheel!"Elena's scream shattered the silence inside the cabin as the car suddenly spun out of control. The tires shrieked against Arkadia's rain-slick asphalt as the luxury sedan swerved violently to the right. My hands had gone completely numb. Every nerve in my left arm was dead, while the vision in my left eye twisted beneath a blood-red haze that burned across my retina. Inside my head, it felt as though a pair of invisible hands were ripping my sanity away by force.Siska... Siska was draining my soul from miles away.With the reflexes of a military veteran, Elena threw herself across the console, seized the steering wheel with one hand, and slammed the brakes with all her strength. The car lurched to a violent stop just inches from the highway's concrete barrier.I gasped for air, clutching my chest as it pounded in sync with the flashing crimson countdown in the corner of my vision.[23:54:12 Until Permanent Soul Fragmentation]"We have to get back to the penth