The Daily Sign-in Rewards System

CHAPTER 3 - Betrayed 1

Dylan turned around curiously as the old woman remained silent for several moments before reaching beneath the layers of her worn clothing. Her movements were slow and deliberate, and her weathered fingers carefully searched through the faded fabric until they finally pulled something free.

A small object dangled from an old, frayed string, drawing Dylan's attention immediately. As he narrowed his eyes and examined it more closely, he realized it was an ancient-looking black amulet.

Although it appeared ordinary at first glance, the longer he stared at it, the stranger it seemed. Its dark surface appeared to absorb the sunlight around it rather than reflect it, while unfamiliar symbols were engraved along its edges in intricate patterns. The markings resembled no language he had ever encountered, giving the object an unsettling and mysterious aura.

The old woman studied the amulet for several seconds before extending it toward him.

"This is my most precious possession," she said softly.

Surprised by her words, Dylan immediately shook his head and replied, "No, it's okay. You don't have to give me anything."

The old woman remained stubborn and continued holding the amulet toward him.

"Take it."

The firmness in her voice caught him off guard. Only moments earlier, she had sounded weak and frail, yet now there was an undeniable authority hidden beneath her calm tone.

"You are the first person today willing to help me," she continued before adding, "and this amulet brings good fortune."

The statement nearly made Dylan laugh.

Good fortune was something he had stopped believing in years ago. If luck truly existed, his parents would still be alive, his family would never have fallen apart, and he would not have spent the last three years struggling merely to survive.

Even so, seeing the determination in the old woman's eyes made it difficult to refuse her.

Eventually, he accepted the amulet.

The instant it touched his palm, a strange chill spread through his hand, causing him to frown slightly. The metal felt unnaturally cold despite having spent the entire afternoon beneath the summer sun, and although the sensation disappeared almost immediately, it left him wondering whether he had imagined it.

"Thank you," the old woman said quietly while looking at him with an unusual expression.

There was something strange about her gaze. It almost felt as though she knew something he didn't.

Unable to make sense of the feeling, Dylan simply nodded politely before slipping the amulet into his pocket. To him, it was probably nothing more than an old sentimental object that carried personal value to its owner, and he certainly couldn't imagine how a random amulet could possibly change anything in his life.

With the bouquet still in hand, he continued toward Amber's hostel.

By the time he arrived at the female residence building, the afternoon sun hung high overhead, bathing the campus in warm golden light. Compared to the lively atmosphere surrounding the science fair, the area around the hostel felt much quieter, with only a handful of students passing through the corridors while chatting casually about classes and assignments.

As Dylan approached the building, he found himself tightening his grip on the bouquet.

A strange nervousness had begun creeping into his chest. Part of him felt slightly embarrassed by what he was doing, and he wondered whether surprising Amber with flowers might seem overly romantic or even a little cheesy.

The thought only made him smile. He could already picture the look on her face when he told her the news.

After years of struggle, sacrifice, and disappointment, he had finally achieved something capable of changing his future. More importantly, he wanted to share that moment with the person who had stood beside him throughout his darkest days.

Slowly making his way toward her room, he was surprised to notice that the door wasn't fully closed. A narrow gap remained between the frame and the door, causing a slight frown to appear on his face.

Was Amber expecting someone?

Before he could think further, a soft laugh drifted from inside.

His expression immediately changed.

A moment later, he heard voices, followed by the faint sound of movement and the subtle shifting of furniture.

An uncomfortable feeling settled heavily inside his chest.

He couldn't explain why, but something felt wrong.

The excitement he had been carrying only moments earlier gradually faded, replaced by an unsettling sense of unease.

"Amber?" he called uncertainly as he gently pushed the door open.

The hinges creaked softly and the moment he looked inside, the world seemed to stop.

The bouquet slipped from his fingers and scattered across the floor while the bag containing medicine crashed beside it, sending several bottles rolling across the room.

Dylan stood frozen as his mind refused to process what he was seeing.

Meanwhile, Amber sat on the bed with her clothes slightly disheveled and her hair noticeably messy, while seated beside her was Brandon.

His closest friend.

For several agonizing seconds, nobody moved.

The flowers remained scattered across the floor while the medicine containers rolled slowly before finally coming to a stop. The silence hanging over the room felt suffocating.

Brandon was the first to react. His eyes widened as he immediately stood up.

"Dylan—"

"What the hell is this?" Dylan demanded, his voice emerging hoarsely as his breathing became uneven.

Amber rose from the bed as well, though unlike Brandon, she didn't appear particularly shocked. If anything, she looked annoyed, as though his arrival had interrupted something important.

Dylan stared at the two people standing before him.

One was the woman he had loved for three years, the woman he trusted completely and had imagined building a future with.

The other was the friend he trusted more than anyone else, someone he had considered a brother.

Only a short time ago, Dylan had been experiencing one of the happiest moments of his life.

Now it felt as though everything had been ripped away from him in an instant.

"Dylan, calm down first," Brandon said cautiously while raising his hands.

Dylan ignored him entirely and kept his eyes fixed on Amber. "You told me you were sick."

Amber folded her arms across her chest. "I was going to explain."

"Explain?" Dylan let out a bitter laugh as he pointed toward the medicine scattered near the doorway. "I came here worried about you and bought medicine because I thought you weren't feeling well."

Amber glanced briefly at the items before releasing an impatient sigh.

Then she said something that completely stunned him. "You should've knocked before entering."

For several long seconds, Dylan genuinely wondered whether he had misheard. "What?.....What did you say?"

"You heard me," Amber replied coldly. "Showing up unannounced like this is rude."

Dylan could hardly believe what he was hearing. The woman who had just been caught cheating was criticizing him for entering without knocking.

His bloodshot eyes locked onto hers.

"Since when do I need permission to visit my own girlfriend?"

Amber looked away briefly before speaking again. "Look, I didn't want you finding out this way."

Dylan's fists tightened.b"So there really is something to find out."

Amber exhaled slowly, wearing the expression of someone exhausted by an inconvenience. "I've actually been thinking about breaking up with you for a while now."

The words struck Dylan like a physical blow.

His entire expression froze.

Amber finally met his gaze directly as she continued, "And honestly, now is probably the best time to say it."

A sharp pain spread through Dylan's chest as memories of the last three years flooded his mind. Every sacrifice, every promise, every moment of trust and devotion suddenly felt meaningless in the face of her cold indifference.

Slowly, he shifted his gaze toward Brandon before looking back at Amber.

When he finally spoke, his voice had become frighteningly quiet. "So both of you have been doing this behind my back?"

Brandon immediately stepped forward. "Bro, don't make this bigger than it needs to be."

Dylan's head snapped toward him instantly, and the pain, betrayal, and disbelief burning in his eyes were impossible to miss. 

"Don't call me bro."

For the first time since entering the room, genuine anger began rising beneath the heartbreak consuming him, because at that moment he realized that the two people he had trusted most in the world had been lying to him for far longer than he wanted to imagine.