I slouched into the very back seat, the kind that rattled with every bump on the road, and stared out the darkened window. The city slid by in streaks of light and shadow. My mind wasn't on the streets though—it went right back to that damned mastery point thing.
Resetting a stat, reclaiming points, raising the limit. It sounded simple on paper, but the idea of knocking my Charm back to one? Christ. That meant I'd be some awkward idiot again until I could grind the points back. But the reward… unlocking higher branches, maybe stronger skills. Manipulative Charm, Honeyed Words, Gaslighting… the possibilities stuck to me like glue.
The bus hissed, brakes squealing as the doors folded open.
And then—fuck me—her.
