The night air felt heavy as Jhon returned to his apartment, the eerie silence amplifying the weight of what had just happened. The confrontation with Marcus had left him shaken, and even though the system had rewarded him, the unease clung to his thoughts. His hands still felt dirty, even after scrubbing them multiple times.
As he sat on his couch, his mind wandered back to the severed finger in the box, to the warnings Marcus had thrown at him. Jhon had always known that power came at a cost, but tonight, that price seemed to involve more than money or effort. It involved blood.
Fortune System: [Task Complete: 10,000 FP awarded.]
Jhon grimaced. The cold efficiency of the system, its lack of empathy or morality, unsettled him. It simply gave tasks, awarded points, and pushed him toward greater goals. The farther he advanced, the darker the path became.
Fortune System: [New Task Available: Investigate the "Others" Marcus mentioned. Threat Level: High. Reward: 25,000 FP.]
Jhon stared at the screen, his thoughts spinning. The Fortune System wanted him to confront these new enemies, to dig deeper into the conspiracy looming behind his success. But Jhon wasn't ready. Not tonight. He needed time to process, to come to terms with what he had done.
He closed the Fortune System interface and leaned back, letting the dim light of the city filter through the windows. It wasn't just his body that was exhausted—it was his soul. But no matter how much he wanted to stop, to pull back from the edge he was teetering on, he knew there was no turning back now.
The question was: how much further would he fall?
===
The Next Day
Jhon woke up to the harsh sunlight streaming through the blinds, his mind still foggy from the events of the night before. His body ached, and his dreams had been a jumbled mess of violence, warnings, and shadows.
He sighed, pulling himself out of bed. There was no time to dwell on the past. He had a company to run, deals to close, and a fortune to grow. The Fortune System never waited for anyone, and the longer he hesitated, the more ground he lost.
As he walked to his office, the bustling sounds of the city felt distant, like he was moving through a fog. He kept glancing over his shoulder, half-expecting someone to be following him, watching his every move. He knew the paranoia was getting to him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that more enemies were lurking in the shadows.
At his desk, the system blinked to life, ready to guide him toward his next steps. But before he could dive into the latest tasks, his phone buzzed on the desk. It was a message from Alice.
Alice: "We need to talk. It's important."
Jhon stared at the message for a long moment, his jaw tightening. Alice had been persistent over the past few days, trying to reach out to him, but he had ignored her. After everything that had happened, especially the way she had left him for someone richer, he wasn't sure he could face her now.
But something in her message made him pause. Alice wasn't the type to ask for help unless she truly needed it.
Against his better judgment, Jhon replied.
Jhon: "Fine. Meet me at the café on 12th Street. One hour."
As soon as he sent the message, Jhon felt a pit of dread form in his stomach. He wasn't sure what Alice wanted, but whatever it was, it probably wasn't good. Part of him hoped she had gotten herself into trouble—something he could dismiss easily—but another part of him feared this was tied to the bigger threats looming over his life.
He left the office, heading to the café. His mind was racing with possibilities, none of them pleasant.
===
The Meeting
The café was relatively quiet when Jhon arrived. He sat by the window, drumming his fingers on the table as he waited for Alice. His thoughts wandered to the severed finger again, and he wondered if she knew anything about the threats coming his way. Had she been involved with people who could send such a message?
After a few minutes, Alice walked in. She looked different from the last time he'd seen her—more stressed, less confident. She wore dark sunglasses, but Jhon could see the tension in her posture. As she approached the table, she slid into the chair opposite him without saying a word.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The awkward tension was palpable, both of them wrestling with their own thoughts.
Alice: "I'm not here to ask for your forgiveness."
Her voice was cold, but there was something else beneath the surface—fear.
Jhon: "Good. Because you're not getting it."
She flinched at his harsh tone but quickly regained her composure.
Alice: "I know I screwed up. Leaving you like that… I didn't think you would rise so quickly, or become… this."
She gestured vaguely at him, as if referring to the wealth, power, and maybe even the Fortune System itself.
Alice: "But that's not why I'm here. I've… I've gotten myself into something dangerous, Jhon. And I think it's connected to what's been happening to you."
Jhon raised an eyebrow, skepticism creeping into his voice.
Jhon: "What could you possibly be involved in that would affect me?"
Alice hesitated, glancing around the café as if checking for eavesdroppers. Her fingers trembled slightly as she leaned closer.
Alice: "After we broke up, I got involved with… someone. Someone powerful. I thought it was just about money, but… he's dangerous, Jhon. He's tied to people who control things behind the scenes, people who manipulate markets and governments. And now… now they're watching you."
Jhon felt a chill run down his spine. The warning from Marcus echoed in his mind: "There are others. They see what you're becoming, and they don't like it."
This was worse than he thought.
Jhon: "Who is he? What does he want?"
Alice bit her lip, her hands shaking as she fidgeted with her sunglasses.
Alice: "His name is Viktor… Viktor Kastov. He's part of this group, this… consortium of elites. They control everything, Jhon. Markets, industries, even governments. And they've noticed your rise. They think you're a threat. That you're getting too powerful too quickly."
Jhon's heart pounded in his chest. Viktor Kastov—he had heard the name before, whispered in dark corners of the business world. A man with connections everywhere, rumored to have ties to criminal organizations and global powers. If Kastov was watching him, then the stakes had just gotten infinitely higher.
Jhon: "Why are you telling me this now? What do you want from me?"
Alice's eyes softened, a flicker of vulnerability breaking through her hardened exterior.
Alice: "I don't want anything from you. I just… I don't want to see you get hurt. I know I don't deserve your help, but Viktor… he's going to come for you, Jhon. And when he does, it won't just be business."
For the first time in a long while, Jhon saw the fear in Alice's eyes—the genuine terror of someone who had gotten involved in something far beyond her control. She had played with fire, and now the flames were closing in.
Jhon: "What am I supposed to do, Alice? I'm already in too deep."
She reached across the table, grabbing his hand.
Alice: "You're smart, Jhon. Smarter than I gave you credit for. But this… this isn't about being smart. It's about survival. You need to find a way to fight back, to protect yourself before it's too late."
Jhon pulled his hand away, his mind reeling. The Fortune System had brought him wealth and power, but it had also painted a target on his back. He thought he could control it all, but now it seemed like his enemies were circling closer, ready to strike.
He stood up, leaving Alice sitting at the table, her face a mixture of guilt and fear. There were no words left to say.
As he stepped outside, the Fortune System's interface blinked to life once more.
Fortune System: [New Task Available: Defend Yourself Against Viktor Kastov. Threat Level: Extreme. Reward: 50,000 FP.]
The abyss was staring back at him now, and Jhon Gray had no choice but to stare right back.
He was going to fight.
But how much more would he have to lose before this game was over?