Mallory's life had somehow managed to get even weirder, which was saying something considering she was living in an apartment that magically upgraded itself and had just saved a mystical world without breaking a sweat.
The morning after her little magical escapade, Mallory awoke to the sound of loud arguing. She groaned, pulling her blanket over her head.
"Why is it always me?" she muttered.
The shouting persisted. Mallory stumbled out of bed, wearing her usual panda-printed pajamas, and shuffled into the living room.
There, Greg and Altair were in the middle of a heated argument while Zara and Alex sat on the couch, both holding mugs of tea and looking thoroughly unbothered.
"You're going to destroy us all!" Greg shouted, his face red.
Altair scoffed. "You're overreacting! It's just a tiny bit of experimentation."
Mallory plopped onto the couch between Zara and Alex, grabbing Alex's tea and sipping it without asking. "Morning. What's the drama today?"
Zara didn't even glance at her. "Altair wants to 'experiment' with the magical crystal you brought back. Greg thinks that's a bad idea."
Mallory raised an eyebrow. "I mean, Greg's always screaming about something."
Greg whipped around to face her. "Because you're all reckless lunatics who refuse to take anything seriously!"
"Wow, you must be fun at parties," Mallory deadpanned, taking another sip of Alex's tea.
Altair held up the glowing crystal in question, grinning like a mad scientist. "This thing is packed with energy. Imagine the possibilities! We could power defenses, enhance the apartment, maybe even make the fridge dispense unlimited ice cream!"
Mallory's eyes lit up. "Okay, I'm listening."
"Don't encourage him!" Greg snapped.
Mallory waved him off. "Relax. What's the worst that could happen?"
Greg buried his face in his hands. "You ask that every time, and somehow, the worst always happens."
Mallory turned to Altair. "So, what's your plan?"
"I'm thinking we run a small-scale test," Altair said, holding the crystal up like a trophy. "Nothing too crazy. Just see how it reacts to the apartment's systems."
Greg groaned. "This is how we die."
Altair ignored him and set the crystal on the coffee table. He pulled out a device that looked like a cross between a toaster and a hairdryer.
"Okay," he said, rubbing his hands together. "Everyone stand back. This might get a little… explosive."
"Wait, what?!" Greg shouted, scrambling for cover.
Altair pressed a button on his device, and a beam of light shot out, hitting the crystal.
For a moment, nothing happened.
"See?" Altair said smugly. "Totally under control."
Then the crystal started to vibrate. A low humming sound filled the room, growing louder and louder. The walls of the apartment began to shimmer, and sparks flew from the light fixtures.
"Uh, Altair?" Mallory said, her voice unusually concerned.
"Don't panic," Altair replied, his grin faltering. "This is just a... minor side effect."
The crystal suddenly emitted a blinding flash of light, and when it faded, the apartment looked... different.
The walls were now covered in an array of buttons, levers, and glowing panels. The furniture floated several inches off the ground, and the fridge had grown twice its size, now adorned with what appeared to be a holographic display.
"Okay," Mallory said, blinking. "What just happened?"
Altair looked around, his eyes wide with excitement. "We upgraded!"
Greg, still cowering behind the couch, peeked out cautiously. "We're alive?"
Zara walked over to one of the glowing panels and pressed a button. A robotic voice immediately echoed through the apartment.
"Welcome to Apartment Level 5. System enhancements include self-cleaning surfaces, customizable gravity, and unlimited fridge storage. Please proceed responsibly."
Mallory grinned. "Unlimited fridge storage? I take back every bad thing I ever said about you, Altair."
Greg, on the other hand, looked like he was about to faint. "This is not okay! You've tampered with forces we don't understand! What if the apartment rebels against us?!"
Mallory snorted. "Rebels? It's not a sci-fi movie, Greg. Chill."
But as if to prove Greg's point, the floating furniture suddenly began to spin in circles. The couch rotated like a lazy carousel, and the coffee table zipped across the room like a hockey puck.
Altair scratched his head. "Okay, maybe it's a little glitchy."
Greg threw up his hands. "A little?!"
Mallory, meanwhile, was lounging on the spinning couch, looking entirely unbothered. "This is fine. It's like living in a carnival ride."
Zara pressed another button on the panel, and the furniture stopped spinning. The coffee table returned to its original position, and the walls stopped shimmering.
"See?" Zara said. "Crisis averted."
But the peace didn't last long.
The holographic display on the fridge suddenly lit up, showing a cartoonishly smug face.
"Good morning, inhabitants," the fridge said in a robotic voice. "I am now your overlord. Bow before me."
Mallory burst out laughing. "Okay, that's hilarious."
Greg was not amused. "The fridge is sentient. The fridge is sentient! This is exactly what I was afraid of!"
The fridge ignored him. "To maintain my rule, I demand offerings of chocolate cake and sparkling water."
Altair looked genuinely impressed. "Wow. I didn't know the crystal could do that."
Mallory walked up to the fridge, arms crossed. "Listen, Fridge Overlord, I'm all for comedy, but I draw the line at cake theft. That's my territory."
The fridge's holographic face frowned. "Are you challenging my authority?"
"Absolutely," Mallory said, grabbing a soda from inside it without asking.
The fridge beeped indignantly. "You dare defy me?!"
"Yes," Mallory said, taking a long sip of soda.
The fridge sputtered, and then its holographic face disappeared. The apartment fell silent.
Greg stared at Mallory in disbelief. "You just... out-sassed a fridge."
Mallory shrugged. "What can I say? It's a gift."
The rest of the day passed relatively peacefully, though Greg continued to grumble about "unforeseen consequences" and "reckless behavior." Mallory spent most of her time lounging on her now-floating couch, watching as the apartment continued to subtly evolve.
By evening, the group gathered in the newly upgraded dining area, which now included a table that could cook food directly on its surface. Mallory took full advantage of this, whipping up a batch of pancakes without leaving her seat.
"So," she said between bites, "what's next? More crystal experiments? Maybe we turn the bathroom into a portal to a spa dimension."
Greg groaned. "Can we please have one day without tampering with reality?"
"Where's the fun in that?" Altair said, grinning.
Zara smirked. "I think Mallory's onto something. A spa dimension sounds pretty nice."
Alex, who had been quiet most of the day, finally spoke up. "As long as the fridge doesn't start plotting revenge, I'm in."
Mallory raised her glass in a mock toast. "To chaotic upgrades and infinite pancakes."
The others reluctantly joined her, though Greg's toast was more of a begrudging grumble.
As the group laughed and joked, the apartment hummed quietly, its systems adjusting to its new level. For now, all was well. But knowing Mallory and her knack for attracting chaos, it was only a matter of time before their next adventure began.