Samantha stood in front of the bathroom mirror, still flexing. The faint muscle definition, a subtle ridge along her bicep, caught the light. It was a stark contrast to her previous, almost skeletal frame. A change that was both exhilarating and terrifying.
"I'm officially freaked out," she muttered to her reflection, turning her arm this way and that.
Mochi floated beside her, a tiny, triumphant grin plastered across its face. "You should be celebrating! You're entering your protagonist era! Next thing you know, you'll be bench-pressing cars!"
Samantha gave the dumpling a flat look, her eyes narrowing. "I'd rather not. Or at least, not in the school parking lot. Imagine the paperwork."
Still, the strange rush of energy hummed through her, a lingering echo of the previous day's workout. She should have been dead tired, her muscles screaming in protest. Instead, she felt… sharper. Lighter. Like she could run another ten kilometers, or maybe climb a small mountain. The thought was both absurd and strangely appealing.
She peeled off her sweat-drenched pajamas, the lingering scent of exertion a strange novelty, and stepped into the shower. The hot water cascaded over her skin, easing the phantom aches that should have been real. Her mind, however, refused to settle. It kept circling back to the system notification, the glowing blue text that had irrevocably altered her reality.
Her stats had increased. Her body was changing. And this was just from one sub-mission. The thought sent a shiver down her spine, a mixture of excitement and dread. How far was this going to go? Would she eventually look like one of those bodybuilders in the magazines, all bulging muscles and veins?
Her fingers curled against the cool tiles. She thought back to Ren, the way he had watched her so closely, the concern in his voice. She'd dodged his questions for now, but how much longer could she keep this up? How could she explain the sudden, dramatic shift in her health without revealing the existence of a floating, food-obsessed ghost?
And more importantly, did she even want to? Did she want to return to her old life, to the constant weakness and the endless doctor's appointments? Or was this new, strange reality something she could embrace?
"Sam! You're going to be late!"
Her mother's voice, sharp and laced with gentle exasperation, snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Coming!" she called back, shutting off the water and quickly drying herself off. She threw on her school uniform, the familiar fabric now feeling slightly loose, and raced downstairs.
By the time she reached the living room, her mother was already waiting by the front door, car keys jingling in her hand. Ren stood beside her, scrolling through his phone, his sharp gaze flicking up the moment Samantha entered the room.
"You good?" he asked, his tone casual but lined with unspoken concern. He was always like this, her overprotective older brother, always watching out for her, even when she insisted she didn't need it.
Samantha forced a smirk, trying to project an air of nonchalance. "Why? Afraid I'll start lifting the car next?"
Ren exhaled, rubbing his temple, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "At this rate, it wouldn't surprise me. You've been acting… different lately."
Elena raised an eyebrow, her gaze shifting between the two of them. "What are you two talking about?"
"Nothing," they said in unison, the practiced response of siblings who knew how to keep secrets.
Her mother gave them a suspicious look, her lips pursed, but didn't pursue it. "Alright, let's go. I don't want to get stuck in traffic. This city is a nightmare during rush hour."
The drive to school was quiet, save for the hum of the radio and the occasional honk from impatient morning commuters. Samantha rested her head against the window, watching the city blur past, the familiar buildings and bustling streets taking on a new, almost surreal quality.
Then a sharp, insistent tone sounded in her mind, a digital chime that cut through the mundane sounds of the morning.
[New Sub-Missions Unlocked!] [Sub-Mission: Join a Sports Club] Reward: ??? [Sub-Mission: Save Your Older Brother] Reward: ???
Samantha sat up so fast she almost hit her head on the car roof, her breath catching in her throat.
"What the…" she whispered, her eyes wide.
Mochi materialized beside her, looking alarmingly smug, its tiny form shimmering in the morning light. "Oho! New missions already? Looks like you're moving up in the world!"
Samantha ignored the first mission, her eyes locked on the second. "Save Ren?" she breathed, her chest tightening with a sudden, suffocating fear.
What did that mean? Was he in danger? Was something going to happen to him? Was this a warning, a premonition of some unseen threat?
Her fingers clenched against her skirt, the fabric bunching beneath her grip. "Mochi," she said, her voice low and urgent. "Explain. Now."
Mochi blinked, its large blue eyes wide with innocent confusion. "Huh?"
"This mission. What does it mean?" she demanded, her voice rising slightly. "Is something going to happen to Ren?"
The dumpling fidgeted, its tiny form shifting nervously. "Well, technically, I don't know."
"What do you mean, you don't know?" Samantha's voice was sharper than she intended, her fear making her impatient.
Ren glanced at her through the rearview mirror, his brow furrowed. "Everything alright back there?"
"Fine," she said quickly, forcing a smile that felt brittle and fake.
Ren didn't look convinced, but he let it pass, turning his attention back to the road.
Mochi cleared its nonexistent throat, its voice taking on a slightly apologetic tone. "Look, the missions are automated, okay? They come from a… a system algorithm or whatever. I don't pick them, I just help you complete them."
Samantha's hands tightened, her knuckles white. "So you can't tell me what's going to happen?"
"Nope."
Her heart pounded against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat in her ears. She didn't know what was worse, not knowing if something bad was coming, or knowing something was coming but having no idea what it was.
She glanced at Ren again. He was sitting there, completely unaware, scrolling through his phone as if it were just another normal day. As if his life wasn't suddenly dangling over an invisible precipice.
If something happened to him, if she couldn't stop it, she gritted her teeth, her jaw clenched tight.
No.
She refused to let anything happen to Ren.
Whatever this mission was, she would complete it. No matter what.
Mochi peered at her expression, its blue eyes filled with a strange mixture of concern and curiosity. "Whoa. You look serious. What's with the death glare?"
Samantha clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "I just have a bad feeling about this."
"A bad feeling?" Mochi asked, its voice barely a whisper.
"Yeah," Samantha said, her voice tight, her gaze fixed on Ren's unsuspecting form. "And I'm rarely wrong about these things."