The stars above twinkled mischievously, and the crescent moon in the night sky only added to it's beauty. Unfortunately, Elena wasn't in the mood to appreciate it since she was in a hurry to undo the plans she had set in motion. The plans, that if not stopped, can destroy her sister's life. While keeping an eye on the road and handling the steering wheel with one hand, her other hand grabbed her phone from her pocket and speed dialed her assistant's number. The phone rang once….. twice.... thrice…. and it kept ringing. But there was no reply from the other side.
Elena impatiently rang her assistant's number again, and finally by the fifth ring, he thankfully had picked up his phone.
"Ugh, Finally! Why the hell it took you so long to pick up the phone?" Elena couldn't help but snap at him as she put the phone on loudspeaker and dropped it on the passenger seat, and focused on driving for now.
Her assistant didn't take it to heart. "Ma'am?" A man's slightly tired voice sounded from the phone. "Is something the matter?"
"Where are you right now?" she asked him instead.
There was a slight pause before her assistant answered, "I am at home at the moment."
"Meet me at the office, right now." She ordered. "Contact my team and inform them to halt the plan –and if they've already proceeded with it then order them to back off and suppress the news of all of Rose's scandals and make them stop airing that news. Call them all to meet me in my office right now. Also, gather a competent PR team if it's too late to suppress the news of the scandal."
"Ah?" Needless to say, her assistant was startled. Just a few hours ago, his Boss had finalized her plan and immediately sent her trusted team towards various reputed Media companies to sell the scandals of her sister that she had painstakingly collected over the years. And now she's asking him to retract those people and suppress the consequences if they had already acted on her orders? What is with the sudden change of heart? "Are we not opposing Miss Rose anymore?"
"No. We don't need to do that anymore." Elena spoke. A dark look flashed in her eyes as she gripped her steering wheel tightly. "I had been wrong all along. Someone has been conspiring against us- using me as a sword to pierce through my family's defenses. And those people are-"
Before she could blurt out Andy and Daniel's name, a huge truck suddenly slammed into her car, making it flip a few times and crashed into another car. The driver of the other car lost control for a bit, but somehow still managed to stop the car before it could hit the street lamp on the sides. even though the other car's front had been damaged a bit, at least the people in the car didn't get hurt.
The same, however, couldn't be said for Elena, whose body was jerked to the side due to the impact of the truck hitting her car, but at least the seat belt prevented her from being sent flying to the passenger seat and being squished against the side door. However, as her car flipped a few times and finally crashed into the other car, the front glass shattered into pieces that cut into her exposed skin, making it bleed. The seat belt broke with a 'snap!' sound, and Elena suddenly hit her head hard against the steering wheel, with blood dripping from her head injury as well as the various cuts on her body.
Her assistant's voice from the phone had already been cut off as soon as her car flipped a few times, presumably because the phone got crushed or something. A dead silence filled the streets, with only the sound of emergency alarms from the two cars disturbing the quiet surroundings. Soon, she heard footsteps approaching her, and turned her head to the side to see someone in white uniform –probably the driver of the other car- approaching her smashed car frantically. Elena didn't pay him any attention. Instead, for some reason her eyes fell on the distant silhouette of the driver of the truck that had driven into her a moment ago as he glanced out of his window towards her to make sure that she wouldn't survive this accident. Seeing the pitiful condition of Elena's car, the man was satisfied as he leaned back in his seat and drove off leisurely.
Elena had of course recognized that man –who was one of Daniel's subordinates. She had really underestimated that scheming couple. They had somehow gotten hint that she knew of their plan, and hence had finally moved against to get her killed. She had been careless this time, to actually let her enemies one-up her. If her mind hadn't been preoccupied with the thoughts of somehow stopping her schemes that she had already put into motion earlier that day, she would have definitely dealt with this little threat on her own.
Alas, there's nothing she could do now. Here she was, bleeding to death inside her car on a deserted road, regretting all the stupid actions she had done in the past. If only she hadn't believed in Andy's words and drove away her family from her….. if only she hadn't opposed against her sister every single time...….if only she had rather believed in her loved ones, none of this would've happened.
Elena knew that dying like this was almost a mercy for a vicious bitch like her –especially someone who had schemed against her younger sister who had been innocent all along- but she was still not satisfied. Why? For what reason can that scheming couple get to live while she has to die the moment she wanted to atone for her sins?! How is this any fair?! How can Heavens be this unfair to her and her family? If the Gods wanted to take her life, couldn't they have waited till she had retaliated against those two traitors?
Elena really regretted all her past actions and wanted to repent for her sins, but there was no way to do that now. She could feel her consciousness fading, and the darkness creeping into her vision. There was only one thought in her mind-.
"If I ever get a second chance at life, I would atone for my sins and not let anyone harm my loved ones!"
Thinking this, she closed her eyes and finally slipped into the dark embrace of death.
***
Soul Scanning- 0%....15%.....30%.....50%....85%.....
...…..100%
Soul Scanning complete.
Soul found to be 95% compatible to System.
Initializing Soul Transfer....
Soul Transfer Complete.
***
When Elena opened her eyes, she found herself floating in a vast stretch of space, filled with twinkling stars, and couldn't help but be dumbfounded. She had died, hadn't she? How come she was floating in outer space now? Was this afterlife?
"Welcome Host, to the System Space. Your soul meets the requirements, and hence you have been bound to the Fate Changing System. Our goal is to go through various worlds and help the cannon fodders to change their gruesome fates." An orb of light appeared before her and spoke in robotic voice.
Elena stared at the twinkling orb in flabbergast. "Um… What?" Was she hallucinating? This is some sort of a joke, isn't it? "What System? What is all this about saving cannon fodders and travelling through different worlds?"
The orb of light –that called itself the Fate Changing System- once again repeated it's previous words in a mechanical tone, making her eye twitch. Does this stupid thing –whatever it is- thinks that she's an idiot? It's not like she hadn't heard what it had said previously! She had asked it to clarify to her what it actually meant, and not to repeat the same shit to her again!
....Ah, what the hell. Let's just go with the flow. She had a feeling the System will just keep repeating these annoying statements again and again even if she asks for clarification.
So, she changed her tactics and asked, "What is in it for me?"
The System paused in the middle of it's third repetition of it's previous statements, and immediately answered her question, "Host, for every successful mission you will get some points. Once you gather 5000000 points, you can choose to use those points to return back to your own world. The System will also fulfill any one wish of yours when you return back to your own world."
Hearing System's words, Elena was stunned. The offer was really tempting. If the System's words were to be trusted, then she would not only get to return to her own world, but will also get a wish –which she had a feeling is a hidden trump card that might come in handy to her one day. Heavens, she really can't wait to return and make that scheming couple pay for their crimes. She was really tempted to accept the offer.
But even so, she was a businesswoman first. Without looking for pros and cons of any deal, she would not accept it. That is why, even though Elena's thoughts were inclined to accept System's offer, her face never showed any reaction to it's words, and instead spoke in a nonchalant tone-
"What if I refuse?"
"If you refuse then your soul will be destroyed and would never even get the chance to reincarnate." System's mechanical voice resounded in the System Space, sending goosebumps down her spine –which was strange since only her soul was supposed to be in this space, wasn't it, and not her physical body?
Not letting any of the unease –that she actually felt deep inside her- show on her face, Elena tapped her chin, as if she was pondering over her decision. However, deep down she knew that the choice was already obvious from the very moment System had offered her a chance to go back.
"I accept." She spoke after a while.
As soon as she said those words, the orb of light flashed a few times before it shot towards her left hand. Flinching at the sudden action of the system, she unconsciously tried to hold up her hands in defensive position. However, a moment later she felt her actions to be stupid since if System had really wanted to assault her it'd have done that already, instead of conversing with her for so long. Wondering why the System had sudden shot towards her, she glanced down at her left hand and raised her brows in surprise on seeing a simple black digital wristband on her wrist.
"System Binding Complete." System's mechanical voice sounded in her mind this time, making her jump. "Host, do you want to visit the Menu?"
"System Binding what?" She asked in confusion.
"Do you want to visit the Menu?" System asked once again in it's mechanical tone, making Elena sigh.
'This damned system…'
"Fine." she grumbled. With a flash of white light, a virtual screen was displayed before her.
***
NAME: Elena Parker
AGE: 27
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 0
SKILLS:
ABILITIES: LOCKED
SYSTEM SHOP: LOCKED
INVENTORY: (Empty)
ITEM'S ACQUIRED: None
***
Elena's eyes scanned the virtual screen before her. 35 points out of 100 weren't bad in Charm Skill. And her 75 point in Business Management was explainable, since she had been working in her Company ever since she graduated High school –though at that time she had been just helping out her father part-time, until she finally joined the Company full-time after she graduated from University.
However, what's with Luck skill having only 12 points?! Was this System mocking her?!
Rolling her eyes, she just kept on reading, and raised her brows when her eyes fell on System shop, that showed 'LOCKED' before it in big bold letters.
"What is this System shop? Why is it locked?" she asked curiously.
"Host, System Shop contains various items that you might have a need of during your missions. You can buy an item in exchange of Experience points according to their prices. The System shop is currently locked because your Experience points are Zero."
Elena nodded. So it's just like a futuristic version of Amazon where you buy things with Experience points instead of money, huh?
"And what is with this Item's Acquired slot?" She asked, pointing to the last option displayed on the Virtual Screen.
"Host does not have authority to know." System spoke in her mind in it's mechanical tone.
A vein throbbed over Elena's forehead in irritation. This System is so damn insufferable!
Resisting the urge to smack the wristband in her left wrist, Elena sighed, and spoke, "Close Menu."
With a flash of light the Virtual screen disappeared.
"Host, do you have any questions?"
'Even if I do, it's not like you'll answer them anyways.' Elena grumbled internally, however, her facial expression did not show any dissatisfaction she was feeling as she said, "No."
"Then let us begin your First Mission." the System spoke.
***
Initializing transfer.....
Transferring Host's soul to the first world...…..
***
"Wait-!"
Before she could say any more words, a bright flash of light from the wristband engulfed her, and soon, she disappeared from the vast starry stretch of System Space.
'Fuck, why are you in such a hurry, you damned System?! Weren't you supposed to explain the task to me first –or at least hand me a Beginner's Package before sending me off for a mission?!'