Suddenly, a glowing portal swirled open right in front of me, shimmering with gold and blue light.
A tall, ridiculously handsome man stepped through, wearing a sleek black suit that clung to him like it was tailored by gods. His sharp features, tousled dark hair, and mischievous smile screamed trouble—and way too much charm for his own good.
"Hello, Miss Arisa," he said with a dazzling grin. "Apologies for the abrupt entrance and, well…" He gestured toward the frozen scene around us. "This little inconvenience."
I stared at him, stunned. "Who the hell are you?"
He bowed slightly, like a polite butler from a fantasy novel. "I am Mavrik, your dedicated SCAL system administrator."
I blinked, my brain sputtering to process. "My what now?"
Mavrik gave me a patient smile, the kind reserved for confused children. "SCAL—Sexy, Charming, Attractive, Luscious. I'm here to officially welcome you to our service."
"You're joking," I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "This has to be a prank. This can't be real."
Mavrik leaned in slightly, his smile deepening. "Oh, it's very real. And no, you're not dreaming. Though I'd recommend against slapping yourself to check."
"Right. Good idea." I winced, recalling my earlier impulse to slap myself. "So... what's the point of all this? Why are you here?"
Mavrik straightened his tie, his tone as smooth as silk. "I'm here to make sure you don't accidentally violate the terms of service."
I crossed my arms. "Terms of service?"
"Yes," he said, as if it were obvious. "You were about to show our app to a non-client. That's a big no-no. Can't have you leaking trade secrets."
I groaned. "Trade secrets? It's just an app, not the formula for Coca-Cola!"
Mavrik wagged a finger, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Ah, but it's our app. And it's designed to transform your love life. We take privacy very seriously."
I shot him a glare. "What kind of love life transformation are we talking about?"
He grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "You've already experienced the first part—your physical reset. Congratulations! You've officially activated the SCAL system."
I gave him a deadpan look. "Sexy, Charming, Attractive, Luscious? That sounds like something from a bad beauty commercial."
Mavrik looked mildly offended. "Hey, we spent months perfecting that acronym!"
I rolled my eyes. "And here I thought it stood for 'Second Chance at Love.'"
He smirked. "No, no. That's just the service name. The system's purpose is to make you the most irresistible, magnetic version of yourself." He gave me an exaggerated once-over, making me shift uncomfortably.
I folded my arms. "Ew. Don't tell me this is some creepy dating scheme to turn me into a walking thirst trap. That last letter should stand for Lewd!"
Mavrik gasped in mock horror. "Lewd?! Never! We take pride in our wholesome—well, mostly wholesome—results. We've received glowing reviews from satisfied clients!"
"Yeah? How many of those reviews are paid?" I shot back.
Mavrik's smile faltered. "They are not paid! Our feedback is 100% genuine."
I snorted. "Sure. And I bet you say that to all your clients."
He raised an eyebrow. "I'll have you know, some clients were so happy they cried."
I squinted. "And how many cried because they regretted it?"
He coughed into his hand, clearly trying to change the subject. "Let's not get sidetracked. The important thing is, your adventure has just begun."
I shook my head, trying to keep up with the absurdity. "Okay, so what happens now? What's the catch?"
"No catch," Mavrik said smoothly. "Just follow the rules. No exposing the service to outsiders. And remember—your second chance at love is a rare opportunity. Make it count."
He gave me a wink that was either charming or infuriating—I couldn't decide which.
"So," I said, narrowing my eyes, "you show up whenever I'm about to break the rules?"
Mavrik grinned. "Exactly! Think of me as your friendly, stylish guardian angel. Minus the wings."
I groaned. "Great. Just what I needed—a babysitter in a designer suit."
Mavrik chuckled. "You'll thank me later."
Before I could fire back another sarcastic comment, the portal behind him began to glow again.
"Well, that's my cue," Mavrik said, adjusting his cufflinks. "I'll be keeping an eye on you, Miss Arisa. Enjoy your new life."
And with that, he stepped back through the portal, which closed with a soft whoosh.
The world unfroze instantly. Maria blinked, mid-eye roll, and looked at me as if nothing had happened.
"Where's the app? You were about to show me," she said, oblivious to the supernatural encounter.
I shoved my phone into my pocket, heart pounding.
"Uh… never mind," I muttered. "It's... not important."
Maria gave me a weird look, but before she could ask more questions, one of her kids started wailing from the next room.
She sighed, shooting me a knowing smile. "Welcome to adulthood," she said with a shrug.
I smiled weakly, my mind still racing.
The street outside Maria's house was unusually quiet, save for the soft hum of passing scooters and the distant chatter of neighbors returning home after work. I sat in my car, the engine off, the weight of everything pressing down on me like a thick, invisible blanket.
I caught my reflection in the rearview mirror, my fingers tracing the curve of my cheek. The skin was soft, elastic, glowing—untouched by time.
"I know it's me... but why do I feel like someone else?" I whispered.
My phone buzzed in the passenger seat. I grabbed it instinctively, the screen lighting up with a message from SCAL.
SCAL Notification: "Your new love life begins now. Make it count."
I scoffed, tossing the phone onto the dash. "Make it count," I muttered under my breath. "How am I supposed to make it count when I don't even know who I'm going to be now?"
The notification felt like some cosmic prank. Here I was, in my twenties again—a golden ticket most people would dream of—and all I could do was spiral into existential dread.