Jake grinned slightly as he pedalled away from his final stop. Today hasn't been so bad after all. Though his morning had been bumpy—marked by the bitter encounter with the old man who had cheated/ scammed him—that didn't mean the entire day was a wash. In fact, he had pushed himself harder than ever before.
.Apart from that one sour customer, he had managed to deliver dozens of packages to various parts of the city. He had worked with a frantic, desperate energy, riding so fast and for so long that his legs had eventually gone numb. When the terrain became too rough or the alleys too narrow for his rusty bicycle, he simply dismounted and moved on foot, his lungs burning with every step.
He didn't do this out of a love for the job. He did it for a reason—or more specifically, for a person.Jake eventually pulled up to a local clothing store. It was a well-known spot in this part of town; it wasn't the kind of place where the city's elite shopped, but it was the highest-grade store available for locals who lacked the funds for designer labels.
For a guy like Jake, even this "local" store felt like a luxury he couldn't afford.He stood before the entrance and took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He was about to do something that most people would consider sheer insanity. To spend this much money on a single item when his rent was barely paid was a gamble, but in his mind, it was essential.He pushed open the heavy glass door. The interior was a stark contrast to the grimy, exhaust-filled streets of Avalud. Inside, the air was cool and smelled of expensive fabric. Rows of women’s accessories lined the walls—everything from delicate jewellery and designer scarves to high-heeled shoes that shimmered under the recessed lighting.
Jake gulped, feeling a bit out of place in his sweat-stained shirt, but he headed straight for the counter. A receptionist was already waiting there, greeting him with a polished, professional smile.
."Hello, sir! How can I help you today?" she asked, her voice sweet and welcoming.Jake forced a smile back.
"I plan on buying a gown. But it needs to be of high quality". Jake replied
The receptionist’s smile remained steady as she began typing on her laptop.
"I see. Sir, would you like to know our price ranges first?"
Jake nodded firmly.
"Yes, please tell me."
"Of course," she explained, her fingers still dancing across the keys.
"We have three main categories. First are our Low-Quality dresses, which range from one hundred to three hundred dollars. Next are the Mid-Quality pieces, which fall between four hundred and nine hundred dollars. Finally, we have our High-Quality selection. Those range from one thousand all the way up to ten thousand dollars."
Jake swallowed hard. The numbers felt like a physical weight in the room. The receptionist watched him closely, her eyes gauging his reaction.
."So, if I may ask," she continued, "what quality of dress are you interested in today?"It only took Jake a few seconds to make his choice. He thought about the hours in the sun, the grease on his hands, and the years of saving. "I plan on buying from the High-Quality collection," he answered.
The receptionist’s smile grew noticeably warmer.
. "Of course, sir. Please follow me". She led him toward the VIP section. While this store was considered a "beginner" boutique compared to the sprawling malls in the wealthy districts, it was the crown jewel of this neighborhood.
Entering the VIP lounge, Jake felt his heart hammer against his ribs.Rows of expensive gowns hung on gold-plated racks. Their rich textures and vibrant colors caught the light beautifully. Jake’s eyes sparkled as he took in the craftsmanship; he looked like a man seeing a different world for the first time.The receptionist caught his expression and smirked playfully.
"So, I take it this is your first time purchasing, or even seeing, clothes of this caliber?"
Jake nodded, then hesitated. "Yes and no."
The receptionist raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
. "What do you mean by that, sir? Could you elaborate?"
"I said 'yes' because this is the first time I’m actually purchasing something this expensive," Jake explained, his voice low. "But I said 'no' because it isn’t the first time I’ve seen them. Growing up, I saw plenty of wealthy people wearing clothes like this. I’ve even worked for some of them. I know what quality looks like."
.The receptionist nodded, a look of respect finally touching her eyes.Jake began to scan the racks slowly. His eyes eventually landed on a particular dress that seemed to outshine the rest. It was a deep, vibrant red, crafted from a silk so fine it looked like liquid. It was elegant, bold, and perfect. He checked the tag: two thousand dollars.Jake gritted his teeth. It was his life's savings—the result of every extra delivery and every skipped meal. But he didn't hesitate. He handed over his card, and the transaction was completed in a blur of mechanical beeps.
"Thank you for shopping with us, sir," the receptionist said, bowing slightly as she handed him the premium garment bag.Jake took the bag, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment. He turned to leave, his mind already imagining the look on her face when he presented the gift. But just as he reached the door, a familiar voice cut through the quiet hum of the store.It was a voice he knew better than his own. It was a laugh that had comforted him through his darkest nights.
"Anna?" he whispered.
He turned toward the front of the store, and his heart didn't just drop—it shattered. There she was, standing by the jewellery display. She looked radiant, but she wasn't alone. She was leaning into a man who wore a suit that probably cost more than Jake's entire apartment building.The man had his arm draped possessively around her waist, and Anna was smiling at him with a look of pure adoration—a look she hadn't given Jake in a very long time.
Latest Chapter
Spring hotel
The sterile scent of bleach and cheap floor wax hung heavy in the air of the general ward, a smell Jake had come to associate with the absolute nadir of his existence. He lay still, his eyes fixed on the heavy wooden door at the end of the room. Through the thin, peeling walls, he could hear the rhythmic patter-patter of Jane’s soft footsteps. He heard the gentle murmur of her voice as she comforted another patient, her tone like a soothing balm in a place defined by misery.Jane. .The only soul in this rotting city who hadn't looked at him like he was street trash. When the hospital demanded a five-hundred-dollar deposit he didn’t have, she had reached into her own modest savings—her rent money—and paid it just to keep him in that bed. To a nurse, five hundred dollars was a fortune. To the man Jake had become three minutes ago, it was less than the dirt under his fingernails..Jake looked down at the battered, cracked screen of his "scrap" phone. The device was ancient, but the dis
One million dollars
The air in the room didn’t just change; it curdled.The moment Jake’s mental finger collided with the glowing [ACCEPT] button, the sterile, silent atmosphere of the Eastside Medical Clinic was shattered by a sound only he could hear. It was a digital roar, a tectonic shift in the fabric of his reality. .A sudden, sharp weight settled into his marrow, as if his very skeleton were being reinforced with lead and electricity.The blue screen, which had been flickering like a dying bulb, suddenly solidified into a deep, crystalline sapphire. The light was so intense it cast long, dancing shadows against the cracked hospital walls, illuminating the dust motes like tiny diamonds..{ The System has been linked to the Host. The System is now part of the Host... so is the Host part of the System. }.Jake gasped, his back arching off the thin mattress. It wasn't pain—it was fullness. For twenty-four years, Jake had felt like an empty vessel, a man defined by what he lacked: money, family, lov
Accept/Reject
The heavy, oppressive scent of antiseptic was the first thing to greet Jake as his consciousness clawed its way back from the abyss. It was a sharp, chemical sting that seemed to coat the back of his throat, smelling of industrial bleach and cheap floor wax. Five hours. That was how long the darkness had claimed him.Jake’s eyes flickered, his eyelashes matted with dried salt and grime. When he finally forced them open, the harsh, buzzing fluorescent lights of the hospital ward stabbed at his retinas like white-hot needles. He let out a low, ragged groan that vibrated through a chest that felt like it had been put through a meat grinder. Every muscle in his torso screamed in protest as he tried to shift his weight, his fingers digging into the thin, scratchy hospital sheets. "Easy now! You’re still not fully recovered. Don't go trying to break your stitches before the ink is even dry on your chart.". The voice was melodic, yet firm—like a silk ribbon wrapped around a steel rod. J
Kind hearted: System activation
The first thing Jake became aware of wasn't the light, but the smell. It was a sharp, sterile scent that stung the back of his throat—bleach, rubbing alcohol, and that distinctive, heavy aroma of sickness that only exists in public wards.His eyes fluttered open. The ceiling above him was a grid of stained acoustic tiles, one of them sagging from a leak that had long since dried. A harsh, fluorescent hum vibrated in the air, punctuated by the rhythmic, mechanical heartbeat of a nearby monitor. Beep. Beep. Beep.The sound was relentless. Every pulse felt like a tiny hammer striking the inside of his skull. Groggily, Jake tried to shift his weight, but a flare of agony shot through his ribs, stealing his breath. He collapsed back onto the thin, stiff mattress, his head spinning so violently he had to squeeze his eyes shut.The darkness behind his eyelids was worse. That’s where the memories lived.They trickled in at first—small, jagged shards of the previous night. The cold air o
Betrayal
The name left Jake’s lips like a prayer, but the moment it hit the air, it turned into ash. "Anna?"His head snapped toward the sound of the laughter he’d heard. .He prayed it was a hallucination—a trick played on his mind by five hours of heatstroke and dehydration. But as he turned, the reality hit him harder than any physical blow.There she was. Anna.. Her black hair was swept back perfectly, her brown eyes sparkling under the boutique’s recessed lighting. She looked stunning, her curves accentuated by a dress that probably cost more than Jake’s bicycle. But she wasn't looking at him. She was looking up at the man standing beside her. He was a mountain of a man, radiating an aura of cold, calculated violence. Tattoos snaked out from under the cuffs of his tailored shirt, crawling up his neck like dark vines. His face was stern, marked by a grin that didn't hold a shred of kindness. He didn't just look like a thug; he looked like the man who owned the thugs. He stood with the rela
Anna?
Jake grinned slightly as he pedalled away from his final stop. Today hasn't been so bad after all. Though his morning had been bumpy—marked by the bitter encounter with the old man who had cheated/ scammed him—that didn't mean the entire day was a wash. In fact, he had pushed himself harder than ever before..Apart from that one sour customer, he had managed to deliver dozens of packages to various parts of the city. He had worked with a frantic, desperate energy, riding so fast and for so long that his legs had eventually gone numb. When the terrain became too rough or the alleys too narrow for his rusty bicycle, he simply dismounted and moved on foot, his lungs burning with every step. He didn't do this out of a love for the job. He did it for a reason—or more specifically, for a person.Jake eventually pulled up to a local clothing store. It was a well-known spot in this part of town; it wasn't the kind of place where the city's elite shopped, but it was the highest-grade store ava
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