The bagels were gone, coffee mugs half-empty, but the conversation lingered like the morning chill. Magnus leaned back against the headboard with Alex curled against his side, her head resting on his shoulder, her fingers tracing idle circles on his thigh. The joking had faded; now the room felt heavier — quiet in the way only uncomfortable truths could be.
"So. Campus navigation," Alex said, steady but with that sharp edge she got whenever she was planning for survival. "We need ground rules. No more hiding in closets. Cute? Yes. Practical? No. How do we keep you alive without turning you into a hermit?"
Magnus rubbed the back of his neck. "Avoid crowds? Abuse invisibility? Stick to shadows like a goblin? But that's not sustainable. And it barely matters anyway. The System follows me around like a cursed Fitbit. One wrong look… and bam! New quest."
She tilted her head up, her dark hair slipping against his chest. "Exactly! So the rules are: Faculty and staff? Off-limits. Too much risk. Underage students? Absolutely not. Anyone in a committed relationship? No. Anyone sketchy or dangerous? Obviously no. Avoid all of them as much as possible if no quest is already assigned. But everyone else…?"
She shrugged. "Fair game! Your life's on the line. We play smart, not moral martyr."
Magnus blinked. "Fair game? As in… anyone?"
"Pretty much!" Her grin curved sly and wicked. "Lucky for you, you're dating the most popular girl on campus. I know everyone. I can vouch for who's safe, who's stable, who won't stalk you, who won't cry. I can introduce, buffer awkwardness, clear rumors… Hell, I can wingwoman. Threesomes, hookups, whatever works. As long as it's consensual and safe."
That last line sat like a stone in his gut.
"I get it," he murmured, "but I'm still not comfortable with the idea of chea—"
Footsteps sounded outside. Then the jingle of keys. Magnus sat up just as a semi-transparent menu flickered over the door:
[Name: Sofia Ramirez | Level: 6
Interest: 5% | Popularity: 80% | Sexual History: 150 times (7 known partners)]
The door swung open and Sofia Ramirez breezed in — backpack slung over one shoulder, hair tousled from whatever overnight chaos she'd barely escaped. Her entrance came with the same confident energy she always carried, and her Interest ticked up to 10% the moment she saw them tangled together on the bed.
Then the System chimed:
[Conquest Quest Initiated: Seduce and Sleep with Target — Sofia Ramirez. Time Limit: Complete by Monday at Midnight.]
[Random Power to assist with the mission: Please Stand By.]
Magnus froze. He didn't even register the rest — just static panic swelling behind his ribs.
Sofia flopped her backpack down, smiled brightly, and called, "Morning, lovebirds! Don't mind me. I need a shower. Rough night at the frat house." She winked and rummaged for clean clothes on her side of the room without looking back.
As soon as she disappeared into the bathroom, Alex leaned in close and whispered, "Did it actually happen? You went rigid."
Magnus swallowed. "Yeah! Quest triggered. Sofia. Just now."
Alex didn't even flinch. "Thought so. And? Fair game. We've done threesomes before. Sofia's chill, she trusts me. And honestly? She's already a little curious about you. This could work."
He stared at her like she'd grown horns. Cheating? With her roommate? With Alex fine with it?
His brain static'd.
Before he could object, Alex had already hopped off the bed and padded to the bathroom. He heard murmurs — quiet, conspiratorial. The kind of tone that made him feel like the plot was happening to him.
So, of course, his mind was already overthinking again: Did it still count as cheating if it was a threesome? They did it before with Lila, but that was before they officially DTR-ed and started dating. Even though Alex seemed to be fine with it, the idea still felt morally wrong to him. But on the other hand, the alternative was death. Which he'd just gotten a taste of last night, and had no intention of experiencing again.
Minutes later, Sofia emerged wrapped in a towel, damp hair dripping, Interest now 15%, with Alex behind her.
"So," Sofia said, perching on her bed, towel secured with one practiced hand. "Alex told me the basics. Weird magical sex-death quest whatever. Honestly? Sounds like a trashy rom-com, but… if she says it's necessary, I'm game. When are we doing this? Tonight?"
Magnus made a noise between a gasp and a wheeze. "Wait, what? Just… just like that? You don't need details?"
"Oh, please," Sofia laughed. "Alex vouches for you. That's more than enough. Plus, she's been gushing about you nonstop. Gotta say, I'm kinda intrigued."
Alex sputtered, "I DID NOT."
"You so did," Sofia sing-songed. "I haven't seen you this enamored over a guy since Freshman year!"
Alex looked ready to tackle her roommate but instead sat down calmly and tugged Magnus closer by the hand.
"Anyway," Alex said, steering the conversation back on track. "Let's plan this! Do you know how your quests work? Does the next one start immediately after the previous is cleared? Or is it weekly reset? You've always been finishing your quest on the last day, right? So we have no data."
Magnus nodded. "Yeah. Could be either. Hiding delays the start, but the deadlines always seem to be six days plus whatever's left until midnight. First two weeks were Monday to Sunday. Last week was Tuesday to Monday because I hid in my room on Monday. Beyond that? No clue."
"Then we test," Alex decided. "We schedule the… activity… for Saturday. That's two days before deadline. If quests chain immediately, we lose two days, which is manageable. If it's weekly… hey, whole week off. Perfect!"
Sofia raised a brow. "Love it! Science, but horny."
They discussed boundaries and logistics. Sofia brought the same casual competence she handled everything with; Alex was firm but warm. Magnus eventually unclenched.
"From invisibility tricks to scheduling group sex like lab work," he muttered. "My life's a fanfic!"
Alex snorted. "The best kind."
He squeezed her hand, "Thanks for… you know, being you!"
She smirked. "Yeah, you're lucky you're dating the most popular girl around here. Connections are my superpower. Speaking of superpowers, what'd you get this time?"
He inhaled and pulled up his status.
[Name: Magnus Chane | Level: 4
Interest: N/A | Popularity: 8% | Sexual History: 15 times (2 known partners)
STR: 5 | AGI: 9 | STA: 12 | INT: 5 | SPD: 3
Powers: Telekinesis Lv3 | Invisibility Lv2 | Animal-Linked Comprehension Lv1 (Trial)]
Focusing brought the description up:
[Animal-Linked Comprehension Lv1 (Trial): True Subjectivity, Interaction with Minor-to-Local Lifeforms, Implementation Ambiguous.]
He frowned. "Not sure what this means. Probably animal communication? Like Dr. Dolittle maybe?"
"That's adorable!" Both girls squealed.
"Dude! You're like a Disney's Princess!" Sofia pointed. "Test it! There's a stray cat outside."
"Better spot," Alex said. "Animal shelter. I volunteer there some afternoons. You've been going with me lately anyway."
Magnus smiled as memory hit soft. Back in the early days, before the System started toying with his life, it had set him on the course to getting to know Alex… Ironic how the worst thing in his life brought him the best thing in it.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "Let's see if I can get a golden retriever to do something helpful without it peeing on me this time."
They geared up. Sofia left for class after her shower, promising discretion, while Magnus and Alex walked hand-in-hand toward the shelter after lunch.
The shelter smelled like hay, disinfectant, and wet fur. Dogs barked for attention from every corner. Alex clipped on her volunteer badge and nudged him forward.
"Go on," she said. "Pick one. Impress me!"
Magnus eyed a scruffy terrier yapping with the confidence of a creature that weighed ten pounds and believed itself immortal. He crouched down, focused…
And then it hit him.
Not words. Not anything structured.
Just a rapid-fire emotional barrage:
SQUIRREL!
CHASE.
MINE!!!
DOOR IS OPEN??
FOOD??
HUMAN BRINGS FOOD!
WAG NOW?
LOUD BARK MAKES ME LOUDER!
SQUIRREL AGAIN!!!
Magnus blinked, stunned.
"Holy shit," he whispered. "It's like being screamed at by a toddler hopped up on espresso!"
Alex lit up. "So, it does work?"
"Seems so. Hang on, let me try something!"
He focused again and started talking to the dog:
"Hey, buddy! Easy on the squirrels."
Alex slapped a hand over her mouth to hide a laugh as Magnus continued, oblivious:
"Got any beef with the cats next door?"
The dog froze. Tilted its head. Blinked. Then woofed back in bursts:
CATS STEAL KIBBLE!
BAD!
YOU TALK?
PLAY?
Alex lost it. Magnus looked up, confused.
"What?"
"Babe," Alex said between laughs. "You barked!"
"What?!" He sputtered. "I did not! I just asked, in English, and it told me about its obsession with the tabbies next door."
But some of his "words" had definitely come out as yips. His face went red…
Then the terrier's emotional blast surged again — and the whole room tilted.
Magnus wasn't just hearing the terrier's thoughts anymore.
He was feeling them!
The terrier froze.
Then its tail started wagging like a tiny, furry helicopter.
YOU! YOU!! YOU!!! FRIEND? PACK??
YOU SMELL LIKE PACK. PACKMATE. YES!
ALSO… FOOD?
Magnus stared at the dog.
"Oh no," he breathed. "Alex, I think it imprinted on me!"
Alex doubled over laughing, wheezing.
***
As Magnus and Alex stepped out into the evening, the shelter lights clicked off one by one behind them. The cool air smelled faintly of rain and disinfectant.
A rustle came from the row of trash bins near the side gate.
A raccoon popped up — paws braced on the rim of a trash can, masked face smeared with the kind of judgmental intensity only raccoons could manage. It froze mid-dig, a half-crushed takeout container dangling from one paw.
Its eyes locked onto Magnus.
Unblinking. Sharp. Weirdly focused.
Curiosity. With a hint of recognition?
Like it was trying to place a scent or a feeling it didn't have words for.
Magnus and Alex kept walking, oblivious.
After a long, intense stare… the raccoon suddenly twitched, as if startled by its own thoughts. It dropped the container, and dove headfirst back into the trash with frantic rustling.
By the time Magnus glanced back at the noise, there was nothing there but a wobbling lid.