Daniel assessed the bundle of wildflowers in his hand with a critical eye. He adjusted a crooked yellow petal, pulled a dark green stem toward the center, and nodded, satisfied with his own work.
It wasn't something a professional florist would frame, but it had clearly been made with intent.
[For the record: you just spent fifteen minutes picking flowers for a girl while I calculated the probability of this turning into a weekly ritual. The numbers were not reassuring.]
"Focus on what matters."
He took off his jacket and pretended to hide the bouquet inside it. Instead, with a mere thought, the flowers vanished, swallowed by the System's inventory.
Back inside the vehicle, Daniel turned on the screen, opened the camera system, and got to work. The previous night's recording was intact: high resolution, sharp enough that no detail required interpretation.
He selected the segments with precision. The creature climbing the porch. The window. The patient waiting of someone who knew the other party's schedule. And then, in the morning, Kevin crouched among the flowers, carefully assembling the bouquet like a craftsman.
Daniel cut out the noise. Reorganized the sequence so the visual narrative would be clear even without captions.
[Production worthy of a nature documentary. 'National Geographic: Forbidden Love in Purgatory.' I can already see the awards.]
"Mail me the statuette." Daniel closed the editor, saved the file, and stared at the screen for a moment.
He needed a small audience. Four people. At least two who would genuinely believe.
He had an idea of who to call. He put on his jacket and stepped outside.
The porch of the imposing wooden house had less activity now, with a few people carrying decorations inside. Empty cardboard boxes piled up in the corners.
Ethan was crouched near the steps, carefully unrolling a strip of colorful ribbon.
As soon as he saw Daniel, the boy stood up. "Are you here to help with the decorations too?"
"My specialty is popping balloons and eating cake ahead of time. Probably safer if I stay out of this part."
Ethan blinked, processing that, then shrugged and went back to his ribbon.
Julie stood a few meters away beside Fatima, holding a box of plastic cups. She wore an oversized sweater that hung loosely on her shoulders, giving her a strangely cozy look. When she noticed Daniel approaching, a restrained, almost imperceptible smile appeared on her lips.
"Girls, I'm going to need a few minutes of your time soon, if that's alright."
"Why, is something wrong?" Julie asked, one eyebrow slightly raised.
Jim, who was nearby sticking letters onto a banner, perked up his ears.
Noticing the curious audience, Daniel kept his expression neutral. "Just a quick meeting about a few things I noticed around the property. I need your opinion. I'll call Donna and Ellis too."
"Can't it be tomorrow?" Fatima gestured toward the supplies. "The preparations—"
"It'll be quick. Ten minutes, tops. Promise."
Fatima opened her mouth to argue, but Julie intervened, lightly touching her friend's arm. "Fatima, if Daniel says it'll be quick, it's fine. The decorations are basically done anyway."
Julie's quick defense made Jim raise an eyebrow, but he didn't comment.
Fatima let out a long sigh but eventually relented with a nod. "Alright. Ten minutes. Not one more."
"Fair." Daniel was already heading toward the door. "I'll just get Donna and Ellis."
He went inside before anyone could ask more questions.
Outside, Julie and Fatima exchanged a look.
"What do you think it is?" Fatima murmured.
Julie shrugged, staring at the closed door. "With him? I never know."
Inside, the air was warmer, the noise from the porch muffled by the wooden walls.
Ellis leaned against the railing, holding a crumpled plastic cup, staring at an invisible point on the floor. When he noticed Daniel approaching, he forced a smile and lifted the cup.
"Hey, newbie. Want a drink before the chaos starts?"
"You know I don't drink." Daniel glanced at the amber liquid.
"Oh, come on," Ellis insisted, his voice slightly slurred and louder than necessary. "It's a celebration. Everyone needs to relax a little."
Daniel studied his body language. He'd seemed off since earlier. Now this.
Maybe it's just the alcohol.
"I'll pass. I need to talk to Donna." Daniel cut it short and kept walking, leaving a frustrated Ellis behind.
He continued down the hallway until he spotted Dale leaning against a doorway, his usual sour expression in place as he muttered something to a passing resident.
Daniel stopped beside the older man and subtly nodded toward the living room. "What's up with Ellis today?"
Dale let out a nasal, humorless chuckle. "Remember what I told you about his mother snapping, thinking she was in a dream, and starting to shoot people to wake them up?"
Daniel nodded slowly.
"Today marks exactly two years since that happened. The kid hasn't been right in the head since he woke up."
The information clicked into place in Daniel's mind. Bringing Ellis into a meeting about security breaches and monster infiltration on the anniversary of his mother's death would be a terrible idea. The guy didn't have the emotional stability to process what the video would show.
Daniel weighed his options. He needed to complete the mission quickly to level up. He looked at Dale. The man was a gossip, bitter, and loved conflict—but he was here, lucid and available.
"You'll do."
"I'll do what?" Dale stepped back, suspicious.
"A small meeting. Ten minutes, in my motorhome. It's about security around here. You in?"
Interest lit up on Dale's face. The chance to know something before everyone else was irresistible. "I'm in."
"Good. Wait outside," Daniel instructed, heading toward the kitchen.
The heat from the industrial stove hit his face the moment he stepped through the door. Tabitha was chopping vegetables at a counter, while Donna stirred a massive pot, sweat glistening on her forehead.
Daniel approached Donna, lightly touching her elbow. When she turned, ready to snap at him for the interruption, he cut off any protest with a cold, serious, completely unreadable expression.
From what Donna had learned about Daniel over the past few days, he was always sarcastic, always with a sharp remark ready. Seeing him with such an austere face immediately told her this was important.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice dropping into a rough whisper.
"I need to show you something important in my motorhome," he replied in the same tone. "It'll be quick. I've called a few people to see it too."
"Is it serious enough for that?"
"I think you'll want to see it before deciding what to do about it."
Donna held his gaze for a second longer. Then she tossed the dishcloth onto the counter. "I'll be back."
She followed Daniel out of the house. On the porch, Dale was already waiting, his posture impatient. Daniel motioned to Julie and Fatima. "Let's go."
Fatima looked around, confused. "What about Ellis?"
"He's not in the best shape for a meeting right now," Daniel replied, stepping down the wooden stairs. "Better to leave him out of this today."
Fatima bit her lower lip and nodded silently, fully aware of her boyfriend's condition.
The five of them entered the vehicle in relative silence. Dale was the last one in and still managed to grumble about something no one had asked about during the short walk.
"Sit up front."
Donna took the armchair naturally. Fatima settled onto the couch beside Julie. Dale stood for two seconds, scanning the place with the curiosity of a tourist in a museum, then sat on the edge of a foldable stool.
Daniel picked up the remote and pointed it at the screen.
"This happened last night. The motorhome has high-definition cameras. I started recording to track the creatures' movement patterns... and this is what I found."
On the screen, the slender figure of a female creature appeared. With disturbing, unnatural agility, it climbed the porch of the house, stopping right beside a second-floor window.
A collective gasp filled the space. Julie covered her mouth in shock.
"Holy shit," Dale whispered, the color draining from his face.
"What is it doing?" Julie asked, her voice tight with fear.
"Waiting," Daniel said coldly, pressing a button to fast-forward.
On the screen, the creature began to move, tilting its head and gesturing softly toward the glass window, as if holding an intimate conversation with whoever was inside.
No one spoke for a few seconds.
"As you can see, our nocturnal friend has a secret admirer among the residents of this house," Daniel continued. "When the chat ends and it turns around..."
He paused the video and applied a digital zoom. The pixels adjusted cleanly, revealing what the creature was holding: a small bouquet.
"I set up a few hidden cameras this morning, covering the forest trails. The only real lead I had was the bouquet." Daniel clicked the remote again.
The image cut to daylight. The footage showed Kevin crouched under a tree, methodically picking flowers and assembling an arrangement nearly identical to the one seen in the monster's hand the night before.
Fatima shook her head before the video even ended.
"No, this doesn't prove anything. He's just picking flowers. Could be for the party."
Dale let out a short, dry laugh with no humor. "For the party?" he repeated, staring at the screen. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
He stood up abruptly, the stool scraping harshly against the floor.
"That bastard—"
"Dale, wait," Fatima cut in, louder now. "You don't know that!"
"I know enough!" he snapped, pointing at the screen. "That's not a coincidence!"
Donna still hadn't spoken. She stood there, arms crossed, staring at the video.
"I talked to him," Daniel said, cutting the argument off before it escalated further. "Tested the waters. Told him I saw a monster holding a bouquet during the night. The guy almost had a heart attack right in front of me. He's neck-deep in a suicidal romance with that thing. At some point, he might even open the door for it."
[Mission completed: Love is blind]
[Reward received: 4 attribute points, 10 skill points]
The System's familiar sound echoed in Daniel's mind. He swallowed the extra words he had been about to use to convince them; there was no need anymore.
Fatima didn't respond this time. But she didn't agree either.
Dale was the first to explode. "That miserable son of a bitch! I'm going to snap his neck right now!"
"Enough!" Donna barked, silencing him instantly. She stood up, her presence filling the space. "I'll talk to Kevin. And no one here says a word about this to anyone else. Understood?"
Her attention lingered on Dale for a second longer.
Dale nodded with excessive solemnity, like someone being filmed while making an important promise.
When Donna turned to Daniel, her expression wasn't one of gratitude. Her face reflected the pragmatism of someone who recognized the usefulness of what had been done while disliking the way it had been carried out.
"Thanks for the information, but next time come to me first so you don't cause panic."
Daniel gave a shallow nod.
She huffed, turned on her heel, and opened the motorhome door, marching out. Dale followed right behind her, muttering curses, with Fatima close after him.
Julie was the last to stand, her gaze distant.
Daniel followed her steps to the exit. Once they stepped onto the grass outside, he slowed down, stopping beside her.
"Sorry," he said, his voice lacking its usual sarcasm. "I know that ruined the mood of a party that hasn't even started."
Julie stopped and turned to him. The breeze tousled her hair. She didn't look angry. If anything, her shoulders relaxed. She slowly shook her head, and a soft yet sincere smile appeared on her lips.
"Don't apologize," she replied quietly. "I... I'm glad you trusted me enough to tell me."
Daniel held her gaze for a second longer than necessary, absorbing the silent trust she placed in him. It made him start to feel uncomfortable about how many things he was hiding from her.
As they walked, he activated the System in his mind.
"How does the leveling process work? Will it hurt? How long does it take?"
[Leveling will optimize your muscular structure, organs, bone density, and neural synapses. Estimated duration: 1 hour. Pain level: 7 on a scale from 1 to 10. Suggestion: isolate yourself and try not to scream. Your social reputation is already questionable enough.]
"Seven out of ten?" Daniel sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Wonderful. I'll leave that free torture for tomorrow."
From a distance, the unmistakable sound of the bell echoed. It was Sheriff Boyd warning that sunset was dangerously close and that everyone should head inside.
On the porch, Jim and Tabitha began saying goodbye to Julie. The two needed to return to town.
Jim hugged his daughter tightly. Tabitha cupped Julie's face, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Have fun tonight, sweetheart. But please, don't drink anything alcoholic. And be careful."
Tabitha lifted her gaze, meeting Daniel standing a few steps away. Her expression shifted into one of firm maternal responsibility, though with an undercurrent of acceptance as she recalled their earlier conversation.
"Daniel, keep an eye on her, please." Julie had already told them he would be at the party.
He smiled and replied in the most natural tone in the world:
"Don't worry, mother-in-law. She'll be safe and sound."
A few men standing nearby started laughing, giving him a thumbs up.
Jim's right eye twitched involuntarily, his hand clenching into a fist on instinct. Tabitha blinked three times, stunned, her mouth slightly open.
Both thinking the same thing: this was moving way too fast.
"Alright," Tabitha said, a bit awkwardly. "Good night, Daniel."
She turned, took Ethan by the hand, and started walking. Jim followed, but not without casting one last silent warning at Daniel.
Embarrassed, Julie didn't dare look in his direction; she went to help Fatima carry the remaining boxes inside.
"If no one tries to die today, that'll already be progress," Daniel muttered, moving to help Julie.
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