Martin stirred awake early the next morning, somewhere between 7 and 8, his body feeling refreshed after the best night's sleep he'd had in days. The apartment was bathed in the soft light of early morning, and for a moment, everything felt oddly normal. He stretched, his muscles responding with a smoothness that reminded him of the wish that had optimized his body just hours ago.
After a few minutes of stretching, he padded toward the bathroom. The cool water from the sink splashed over his face, waking him up further. He stared at his reflection for a brief moment, taking in the healthy glow to his skin and the alertness in his eyes—still marveling at the change the system had wrought. A quick shower followed, and soon, Martin was dressed in sports clothes, ready to take on the day.
Moving to the kitchen, he filled a pot with water and set it on the stove, dropping a few eggs in to boil. He rummaged through the fridge, pulling out some fresh vegetables to make a salad to go with the eggs. The familiar routine of preparing breakfast grounded him, the simplicity of the task a welcome distraction from the complexities swirling in his mind.
As the eggs began to boil, Martin grabbed his laptop and brought it to the kitchen counter. His new trading account had been verified, just as he expected. A notification from the trading platform confirmed it: his account was fully active, and he could start trading stocks whenever he wished. The possibilities were endless, and Martin had to admit that the idea of turning the system's rebates into long-term financial stability appealed to him. But as much as he was tempted to dive into it right then and there, he decided to wait until noon, when the next rebate window would open.
Closing the laptop for the moment, Martin's thoughts drifted to the midnight wish he had missed. It was strange—knowing he had the power to make a wish but choosing to let it pass. But on reflection, he realized it wasn't necessarily a bad idea. The wish token could be saved, a safety net for unforeseen circumstances. Injuries, illnesses, or worse—if life took a sudden, dangerous turn, having an unused wish could be the difference between survival and catastrophe.
He made a mental note to keep this in mind for the future. The bronze wish might not be the most powerful, but the ability to optimize his body had already proven invaluable. Who knew what other benefits it could offer when needed?
As for experiments—using the system in more ambitious ways, testing its limits—that would have to wait. Martin wasn't in a secure enough position yet. Right now, everything was still fragile. He had his health, a decent sum of money, and the villa, but things could easily unravel if he wasn't careful. The last thing he needed was to make reckless wishes that might draw attention or put him in a situation he wasn't prepared for.
By the time Martin finished sorting through his thoughts, the soft bubbling sound of the boiling eggs brought him back to the present. He snapped the laptop shut, set it aside, and focused on preparing the rest of his breakfast. In a few quick motions, he drained the eggs, peeled them, and assembled the fresh salad on the side. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was enough to fuel him for the day ahead.
He carried the plate over to the living room and settled onto the couch, the familiar spot where so much of his recent transformation had unfolded. Silence filled the space around him, and for a while, Martin simply ate in peace, his mind drifting from one thought to another. Everything seemed to be moving forward, yet a sense of anticipation lingered in the back of his mind. The clock was ticking toward noon, and with it, the next rebate opportunity.
As he chewed on the eggs, his phone buzzed loudly on the coffee table. The sharp sound cut through the quiet, startling him. He glanced down, wondering who it could be.
The phone rang insistently, its vibrations rattling the table.
It was the new phone ringing, and so Martin had a preliminary idea of the list of suspected callers. He decided to wait out the first call.
If it was something important, then whoever it was that called him would most likely ring him up a second time.
Martin's gaze lingered on the blinking screen for a moment, unsure of what this new interruption might bring.
The silence that had enveloped him just moments ago was now replaced with an uneasy tension as the phone continued to ring.
At first, Martin thought that his mother had called him. However, he quickly realized that he thought too much.
His friends from high school made a group video call, and they invited him to join it. He felt lucky that he hadn't stayed in his villa, as he wouldn't have been able to explain the luxury otherwise.
After making sure that his appearance wasn't too shaby, Martin made some arrangements and connected his laptop to the phone, transferring the call over.
Martin sat on the edge of his couch, laptop balanced on his knees, as he connected to the group video call. The familiar chime of joining echoed in his ears, and his screen slowly filled with the faces of friends he hadn't seen in far too long. The call was already in full swing when he joined, the conversation lively and chaotic, with bursts of laughter coming from various corners of the screen.
Most of them were in their final semester of college, something he picked up on as his video feed loaded into the call. It was strange, seeing how much time had passed. A few of them had gone straight into college after graduation, while others had taken different paths, but all were nearing the finish line now. He'd stayed disconnected from them for so long that it almost felt like another life, yet here he was, suddenly re-entering that circle.
As his video feed snapped into place, his face appeared in one of the quadrants, occupying a quarter of the screen according to the activity-based algorithm that highlighted whoever was speaking. He didn't expect much of a reaction, but the moment his image came into view, the group call erupted.
"Wait, is that Martin?" one of the girls exclaimed, her voice filled with playful disbelief. "I don't remember him being this cute... or this handsome!"
Martin blinked, momentarily stunned, as the chaos unfolded. Several others chimed in, their faces lighting up with surprise and teasing smiles. "Hold up, who is this guy? Martin? The same one who used to wear those baggy hoodies?" another girl teased, her laugh infectious.
The playful taunting continued as someone else leaned closer to their screen, squinting exaggeratedly. "Are we sure this isn't a prince who hacked into the call?"
"Martin's been hiding his glow-up this whole time, huh?" a guy on the call added, grinning. "I know you said your life was getting better, but I didn't expect us to land ourselves a prince charming!"
The four prime spots on the screen were constantly shifting as everyone chimed in at once, laughing and calling out his name in disbelief. Faces popped in and out of view as the conversation spiraled out of control, the algorithm trying to keep up with the sudden flurry of activity. Martin, usually quiet during group chats, was now at the center of attention—and he wasn't entirely sure how to handle it.
He stared at the bustling video feeds, speechless. His friends' faces glowed with laughter and surprise, the sound of their voices overlapping in a warm, familiar way that tugged at something deep inside him. It had been a long time since he had been part of this energy, and suddenly, memories of high school flooded back—those carefree days when they'd all hang out, teasing each other, sharing their plans, and dreaming about the future.
Martin had distanced himself from them after high school, drifting as life took him down different paths. But now, seeing them again—smiling, laughing, seemingly doing well—it struck him how much he had missed out on. And how much had changed.
A long-lost feeling of warmth started to take root in his chest. For a moment, the reality of the supernatural forces lurking in the background of his life faded away, and he was just Martin, reconnecting with old friends. Maybe the world wasn't so bad after all, despite its hidden mysteries. Maybe, even with all the strangeness he had uncovered, there was still goodness here—still laughter and joy and connection.
He hadn't realized his eyes were watering until his vision blurred slightly. A lump formed in his throat, and his nose began to feel a little stuffy. The feeling caught him off guard.
He hadn't expected this rush of emotion, hadn't expected to feel like he was coming home after being away for too long. But the truth was, he had missed them—his friends, his connection to something normal.