I had barely sunk back into the pillows, and when warmth started to wrap me around in this cold room, something unexpected happened.
Before I could comprehend what was happening using my half-asleep brain, the bed threw me off. I stayed in the air for freaking 2 seconds before I landed on my butt.
"Ouch, it hurts." I groaned in pain. What in the actual holy cow is happening here?
CHIIING. That same sound echoed in the low-lit room.
The air in front of me split open again, gold bleeding into the room like liquid sunlight, almost blinding me.
The Screen reappeared with words appearing on it in big bold letters.
[SYSTEM ACTIVE]
[POINT ACCUMULATION MODE: ENABLED]
I pushed myself to stand up, though my back was still aching with that sudden action. I rubbed my eyes twice, reading the words again and again.
"So, it indeed was true, but not some manifested dream," I whispered to myself. The screen glitched as a new set of strings started to take place.
[CURRENT SP: 0]
REQUIRED SP FOR NARRATIVE STABILITY: UNDISCLOSED
Oh, that was comforting, but also not comforting. Before I could argue with it, the text scrambled and reassembled. Again.
[MISSION ASSIGNED]
OBJECTIVE: Befriend the female lead, Selene MoonCrest
REWARD: +500 SP
FAILURE PENALTY: Narrative Drift
I blinked hard.
Once. Twice. Not able to believe I got my first objective. Different emotions started to hit.
First, the happiness that this system was actually true. I will get to experience this in real time. Then anxiety about how to complete this task, and at last, fear of not completing it.
"…Befriend, like being her actual friend?" I repeated the words at a slow pace as if I wanted it to answer, but nothing changed. No new words, no new screen. As if it is approving of the meaning that I comprehended.
"You want me to befriend the woman who was just poisoned? The woman everyone still thinks I tried to murder and almost got arrested by that Duke? Are you crazy or what?"
I kept rambling like some crazy person, but the system showed no reaction as if my worry was none of its concern, which in a way might be true. The system was a machine; it couldn't feel or do anything, just gave instructions according to its predefined settings.
I knew the fact, but the anxiety grew bigger than the logic, and I kept talking to it.
"Leave befriending. How am I even supposed to get near her? I am one stupid action away from solitary confinement." I snapped, swinging my legs in the opposite direction.
Silence. I was this close to throwing that nearby vase at that screen when it started to flicker.
The flickering got violent as horizontal lines tore through the gold like static, as if we were in some horror thriller.
[QUERY RECEIVED]
HOW-TO: PROCESSING…
I counted every second it took to show the solution, and it was not an ideal situation. Pressing my lips under my teeth until I tasted blood made me snap at it.
"Don't you dare crash on me now! I want a solution, not this...freaking suspense." My voice wavered at the end.
As soon as those words escaped from my mouth, the whole room went silent and dark, making my heart sink. The glitching stopped and went dark. My heart sank as the possibility of disappearing again came into my mind. As I was about to exhale in defeat, the screen lit up, and pixels started to appear like a puzzle.
A face. A photo of a person was shown in the end.
The same sharp and predatory features. Those dark orbs that never left my mind but got engraved in my senses.
"Xander." The name echoed in the surroundings.
No explanation whatsoever. Just him, rendered in perfect, high‑definition arrogance, and pixel, and after a few seconds had passed, the screen disappeared, leaving me alone in the room.
I let out a humorless laugh. "Of course, can something be easy for once to do? Nah, not in my fate, I guess I will need to...." I stopped mid-sentence, as an idea struck me.
An idea that would also help me get close to Selena and would also let me investigate this so-called cold and charming third prince. I just need to think it through, like how and what I am going to do, but before that, a good nap would boost my energy to plan better.
With this, I walked back to my bed and lay back. Pulling the quill, I got cozy and closed my eyes, getting into a deep sleep.
***
Morning light filtered through the corridor as I stepped out of my room. I was still adjusting to all this medieval era thing. Like this big gown, though I was inside, I still had to wear it instead of my comfy sweatpants and t-shirt.
It's not like I didn't like the fresh air with almost zero pollution and all natural with no preservatives and sulphate-free things, but I missed two things.
My laptop and headphones. They were my lifelines to ignore people and pass the day, but here I am just doing nothing but staring at one corner. I still planned to do the same thing today, also, but got a message that Jenna, my mother, wanted to see me for some reason.
And I am ninety-nine percent sure that it's one hundred percent related to Xander being my lover.
I almost did not go, but my stomach growled so hard, and what my stomach wants, it gets, which was food, of course. So, to have some breakfast, I would need to break my penance and come out to speak to her.
As I stepped into the hall, her head turned to me, and she stood up, greeting me.
"Oh, my dear, you finally came. Did you sleep well?" Jenna said warmly, coming at my side with a smile that was far too forced to be genuine. Her voice had a soft tone, not her usual edge.
Alarm bells rang instantly. Yes, she definitely wanted something from me, and I had a very bad feeling I wasn't going to like it.