Peter was a fairly handsome 17-year-old. He had black hair, blue eyes, and a chiseled jawline.
"Weakling," Sam sneered, pounding on him. Fist after fist connected with Peter's face, and blood dripped from his mouth. The hallway blurred, the lights almost blinding. "I didn't… want to fight you," Peter mumbled, struggling to stay conscious. But it was no use. He collapsed, unconscious.
When he awoke, he found himself in his room, a note beside him: I found you in the school hallway unconscious. You should really be more careful. You could have died today. Don't trust jerks like that. I'm worried about you. The signature was illegible. I thought it was Elizabeth but it couldn't have been, her handwriting is too good, I guess it must have been her again. What is her deal? Peter thought. Anyway… I need to find her and thank her properly.
His room was a mess. The floor and walls were made of wood, and clothes were scattered everywhere, leaving only a narrow path. A single, stray sock lay apart from the rest. Wow, I really should clean in here, Peter thought. Shaking his head, he decided to find her.
As he stepped out, he bumped into his mom.
"Oh hey, Mom! Sorry, I didn't see you there."
"Oh, it's fine, Petey. I wasn't paying attention either," she said.
"I'm going out, Mom! I'll be back later!" Peter exclaimed.
"Wait! Do you want your lunch to go cold? Come eat before you leave," she called.
Okay… I'm pretty hungry, he thought, heading to the kitchen. His lunch smelled sweet, though not too sweet. He took a bite and was surprised. It was sour, but he didn't mind. He liked sour foods.
"So, we might have to move soon, Petey," his mom said as Peter started eating.
"What?!? Why?" Peter exclaimed with a hint of sadness in his tone, his expression being a mix of confused and worried almost choking.
"We can't afford to live here anymore, Petey. I'm sorry, I know you've grown up here," Peter's mom said guiltily.
"Oh.. okay… I understand…" Peter said, holding back tears. After finishing, he cleaned his dish, thanked his mom, and went outside. The sky threatened rain, and an inexplicable pull guided him toward the library.
There she was, the mysterious girl who always seemed to appear at the strangest moments. She stood by the library steps, staring up at the gray sky as if listening to something only she could hear. Peter felt that same pull in his chest again, the one he couldn't explain. It wasn't attraction exactly, more like recognition, as if some part of him already knew her.
As he approached, the first raindrops began to fall. It was soft at first, then harder. She didn't react, just watched the rain with an unreadable expression. When the downpour intensified, she finally turned her head, her eyes flicking to him for a split second. There was something off about her gaze. Not dangerous, just sad. Almost worried. Like she knew what was coming before he did.
They ran inside the library to avoid the rain. Peter hesitated behind her, unsure why his heart was beating so fast. It wasn't fear. Not exactly. He lifted a hand and tapped her shoulder.
She stiffened instantly, as if the touch sent a shock through her.
"Ah… so you've found me," she said quietly, not turning around at first.
"What do you mean 'found you'? Who exactly are you? I don't remember seeing you before." Peter tried to keep his voice steady, but confusion buzzed through him.
She finally faced him, and for a moment, she looked like she wanted to say a thousand things—explanations, warnings, confessions—but all of them caught in her throat.
"I'm just… a kindred spirit," she said, though her voice wavered slightly. "I've been watching you for a long time. Longer than you think."
Peter blinked. "Watching me? Why?"
A small, almost bittersweet smile crossed her face. "Because you're going to need help soon. Much more than you know."
She reached into her coat and held out a necklace, its pendant shaped like a small, curved horn. It felt warm, pulsing lightly, almost alive. Peter hesitated before taking it.
"Wait, what is this? Why are you giving it to me?"
But the moment his fingers closed around the pendant, the girl's expression shifted to fear—or maybe regret. Her body shimmered, edges dissolving like smoke caught in a breeze.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice echoing strangely. "I wish I could stay longer this time."
And just like that, she vanished.
Peter stared at the empty space she left behind, heart pounding. Longer this time? What did that mean? Had they met before? And why did he feel like she knew everything about him, except her name?
Back at his house, it was eerily quiet.
"Mom?" he called. No reply.
"Peter, I'm over here. Sorry, the power went out because of the rain. I've been trying to call you for about ten minutes," she said.
Peter went into his room and, on a whim, put on the necklace. Instantly, he grew taller. He felt other changes within him, subtle but strange. Outside, the rain had stopped.
Congratulations! You have been granted the Minotaur System. To open it, just think, and the tab will appear.
A system? he wondered.
System stats, he focused. A screen appeared.
"Whoa… this is amazing!"
Stats
Level 1: 0 / 10
Race: Human
STR: 5
AGI: 5
DEX: 7
STA: 6
HP: 10
SKILLS: N/A
It's almost like I'm in a game. I love it.
Looking down, the necklace had vanished.
"Where did it go?" he muttered.
Suddenly, there was a knock at his door.
"Come in!" Peter called.
Elizabeth, a brown-haired 17-year-old, rushed in.
"Peter! You're alright!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. Peter froze briefly before hugging her back, still trying to process everything.
"Huh… something's off about you today. Did something happen?" she asked.
"No, I'm fine, aside from getting beaten earlier. Thanks for helping me," Peter said, careful not to mention the system.
"Oh, don't worry! Anything for you, Peter," Elizabeth replied.
Peter's stomach growled loudly.
You are craving raw meat, a voice whispered in his head. Now that I think about it, I am pretty hungry, Peter thought to himself.
"Hey, Elizabeth… I'm getting hungry. Want to eat something?" he asked casually.
"Oh, sure! Absolutely!" Elizabeth said, suddenly nervous. "What did you have in mind?"
"I was hoping to go to a steakhouse. How'd you feel about that?" Peter said, hoping that she would say yes.
"I'm not really craving meat. How about we go to the new place downtown?" she replied.
"Uh, sure, I guess. I mean, do they serve meat there?" he asked.
"Of course they do!" she replied, and they made their way down to the restaurant.