2026-07-23 01:14:26The rain fell in heavy sheets against the windows of Derrick Stones’ apartment, mirroring the storm raging inside him. He sat on the edge of his expensive leather couch, elbows on his knees, staring at the glowing blue interface that refused to grant him mercy even in the quiet hours of the night.
Remaining Lifespan: 31 Days 8 Hours 17 Minutes Tick… Tick… Tick… Each tick felt heavier now, like a hammer striking the inside of his skull. The donations, the volunteer events, the forced policy changes — they had bought him some time, but at a cost that went far beyond money. Every insincere act left him feeling more hollow than before. He picked up his phone and opened the banking app again. His finger hovered over another large transfer. Ten thousand more to a different charity. His thumb pressed down before he could talk himself out of it. The confirmation screen appeared. Nothing from the system. Derrick waited, heart pounding. Still nothing. “Come on,” he whispered. “That has to count for something.” Finally, a notification appeared, colder than the rain outside. [Donation logged: $10,000] Positive external impact: Moderate Sincerity Evaluation: 4.1% Motivation: Fear-driven transaction Reward: +5 Hours Note: Money eases suffering. It does not heal the wounds you personally inflicted. Derrick threw the phone across the room. It bounced harmlessly on the carpet. The system wasn’t just tracking time — it was forcing him to look at himself in the harshest light possible. Every good deed felt tainted because he knew, deep down, why he was doing it. The next morning, he arrived at the office early. The air felt different now. Some employees still avoided him, but others watched with cautious curiosity. The salary increase policy had started rolling out. People were talking about it in hushed tones near the coffee machine. He overheard one conversation that stopped him cold. “My wife cried when she saw the extra money,” an older accountant named Thomas said quietly. “We can finally catch up on the medical bills from last year… after Derrick cut my pay for being late three times because my son was in the hospital.” Derrick stood just outside the break room, unseen. The words landed like punches. He slipped away before they noticed him, chest tight. That was his doing. He had caused that pain. Not some abstract company policy — him. Later that afternoon, he found himself in the marketing department where Lena was working. She looked tired but focused, typing away at a campaign report. Something in him shifted. Not calculation this time. Just… a need to say something real. “Lena,” he said softly from the entrance of her cubicle. She looked up, guarded. “I know you don’t believe me. I wouldn’t either. But I’m… trying. Not for the system. Not even for survival anymore. I keep seeing the faces of people I hurt. Thomas. Emily. You.” His voice cracked slightly. “I don’t know how to fix what I broke. But I want to try. Even if you never forgive me.” Lena studied him for a long moment. There was no warmth in her eyes, but there was something new — a flicker of confusion, maybe even the tiniest crack in her distrust. “I’m not ready to forgive you, Derrick,” she said quietly. “You almost took something from me that night. And you took years from so many others. Words are cheap. I’ll believe it when I see it consistently — when no one’s watching and there’s nothing to gain.” The system remained silent. No reward. No penalty. Just quiet observation. Derrick nodded, throat tight. “Fair.” He walked away feeling strangely lighter, even as the timer continued its countdown. 31 Days 7 Hours 51 Minutes Over the following days, small changes began appearing in his behavior. He approved a leave request for a young father without making a show of it. He quietly reversed several unfair salary deductions from the previous quarter, backdating the payments. When one employee broke down in his office over a family crisis, Derrick didn’t dismiss him. He listened. He offered the rest of the week off — no questions, no threats. Each time, the sincerity meter inched upward, painfully slow. Sincerity: 18.3% The system spoke less frequently now, but when it did, its tone felt almost… watchful. [You are beginning to see them as people.] One evening, after everyone else had gone home, Derrick stayed late. He pulled up old personnel files — the ones he had once reviewed only to find reasons to cut costs. He read the notes he himself had written: “Too emotional.” “Lacks commitment.” “Weak under pressure.” Tears — actual tears — stung his eyes as he read the human stories behind those cold assessments. A single mother who had lost her husband. A young man supporting his disabled sibling. Lives he had treated as disposable. He put his head in his hands and sat there in the dark for a long time. The stone was cracking. Not dramatically. Not all at once. But steadily, painfully, under the weight of truth. And for the first time, Derrick Stones wasn’t sure he wanted to stop the process. Tick… Tick… Tick… The countdown continued, but something inside him was beginning to beat to a different rhythm.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 12 – Echoes of Pain
The following weeks blurred into a painful rhythm for Derrick Stones. Mornings began with the relentless ticking in his head, a constant reminder that every choice carried weight. Evenings ended with him sitting alone in his apartment or the empty office, replaying memories he had once buried under layers of ambition and arrogance.Remaining Lifespan: 29 Days 14 HoursHe had clawed back some time through small, mostly anonymous acts, but the sincerity meter moved like molasses — 21.7% now. The system had grown quieter, appearing only for significant moments, as if waiting to see whether he would sustain the change when it stopped feeling novel.One rainy Thursday afternoon, the past came knocking in the form of a woman named Carla Ruiz. She had been a logistics coordinator three years earlier. Derrick remembered her vaguely — efficient, quiet, someone he had fired after a missed deadline during a particularly brutal quarter.Carla stood in the lobby, soaked from the rain, holding a fo
Chapter 11
The rain fell in heavy sheets against the windows of Derrick Stones’ apartment, mirroring the storm raging inside him. He sat on the edge of his expensive leather couch, elbows on his knees, staring at the glowing blue interface that refused to grant him mercy even in the quiet hours of the night.Remaining Lifespan: 31 Days 8 Hours 17 MinutesTick… Tick… Tick…Each tick felt heavier now, like a hammer striking the inside of his skull. The donations, the volunteer events, the forced policy changes — they had bought him some time, but at a cost that went far beyond money. Every insincere act left him feeling more hollow than before.He picked up his phone and opened the banking app again. His finger hovered over another large transfer. Ten thousand more to a different charity. His thumb pressed down before he could talk himself out of it.The confirmation screen appeared.Nothing from the system.Derrick waited, heart pounding. Still nothing.“Come on,” he whispered. “That has to count
Chapter 10- Public Performance
Derrick stood in front of the mirror in his luxury apartment bathroom, practicing smiles again. Not the desperate, toothy grimaces from before — he was trying for something that didn’t make children cry or employees reach for the panic button. The blue timer hovered persistently in his reflection.Remaining Lifespan: 37 Days 4 Hours 22 MinutesTick… Tick… Tick…The weekend volunteer event at the city food bank was scheduled for tomorrow. This time, he had gone all-in. He had personally called the local newspaper and a business magazine, tipping them off about “Horizon Dynamics’ Operations Manager giving back to the community.” He had even prepared a short speech about corporate responsibility.If sincerity was the currency, then visibility would multiply the reward. At least that was the new theory.Saturday morning arrived under gray skies. Derrick showed up at the food bank warehouse wearing jeans and a Horizon Dynamics polo — the first time in years he had dressed down for anything
Chapter 9- The First Punishment
The fragile progress from the previous day shattered the moment Derrick Stones stepped back into the office the next morning.The old instincts returned like a drug he couldn’t quit. The sight of his fearful employees, the smell of tension in the air, the power he had wielded for years — it felt comfortable. Safe. Like slipping back into a well-worn pair of shoes.Remaining Lifespan: 41 Days 17 HoursTick… Tick… Tick…He ignored the timer and went straight for blood.Richard Kline was the first victim. The analyst had submitted the revised report — the one Derrick had demanded after humiliating him publicly.Derrick read the first page and threw the entire document across the conference room table where half the department was gathered.“This is still garbage, Richard!” he roared. “Are you incompetent or just trying to sabotage me? I want this redone by lunch. And if it’s not perfect, consider your position here terminated.”The room went dead silent. Richard looked like he might actu
Chapter 8 – Reality Hits
Derrick Stones sat in the private examination room of the city’s best hospital, staring at the MRI images on the screen. The doctor, a middle-aged neurologist named Dr. Patel, looked visibly confused as he pointed to the scans.“Mr. Stones, this is… unprecedented.”Derrick leaned forward, the blue timer still glowing in his peripheral vision.Remaining Lifespan: 41 Days 22 HoursTick… Tick… Tick…“What do you mean?” he demanded.Dr. Patel adjusted his glasses. “The trauma from the bottle impact should have caused a severe subdural hematoma. Based on the paramedic report from the restaurant, you were clinically unresponsive for over a minute. By all medical logic, you should have suffered significant brain damage — possibly permanent. Or worse.”He paused, gesturing at the clean images.“Yet here you are. The scans show only minor swelling that is already resolving at an abnormal rate. Your vitals are stable. It’s as if your body received some kind of… intervention.”Derrick’s mouth we
Chapter 7 – Mission Failed
Derrick Stones arrived at the office on the third day after the incident with a new strategy and a pounding headache. The blue interface had become his constant, unwelcome companion.Remaining Lifespan: 42 Days 8 HoursTick… Tick… Tick…He had spent the previous night researching “how to smile sincerely” on the internet like a desperate man. Articles about genuine facial expressions, eye contact, and positive body language stared back at him mockingly. He practiced in the mirror until his face hurt.Today I will beat this stupid system.The moment he stepped onto the twenty-third floor, the atmosphere shifted. Employees who had grown used to his usual scowl now watched him with open suspicion. The “brain injury” rumor had evolved overnight into wild speculation.“He smiled yesterday. I think he’s dying.”“Maybe it’s a tumor. That would explain everything.”Derrick ignored the whispers and zeroed in on his first target: the receptionist, Sarah. He approached her desk with deliberate ca
You may also like
Monster Girl Ranching in Another World
Magic_34.7K viewsThe Greatest Martial Arts Cultivator
KidOO100.0K viewsJade the Conqueror
The Supreme writer 15.7K viewsAscenders: Rising From Zero
Sir_Impeccable28.7K viewsREBORN 9 HOURS AFTER BETRAYAL
AMAZING WRITER202 viewsDragonblood Ascension
scarletpaine16159 viewsSpeedrunning the apocalypse
Judi Thorne 233 viewsAccidentally Summoned To The Dark Throne
visk 341 views