Aaron Miles discovered a new law of the universe.
Lies did not multiply slowly.
They reproduced like bacteria in a warm laboratory.
The problem began on a Wednesday.
Which was unfair, because Wednesdays were supposed to be uneventful.
It started with two messages.
Lucy, cheerful and warm.
"I'm free this afternoon! Want to study together?"
Emma Stone, cold and precise.
"Be at Orion Tower at 4 PM. Do not be late."
Aaron stared at his phone.
Then at the clock.
Then back at the phone.
"…I'm going to die."
The system did not disagree.
Instead, it made things worse.
Schedule Overlap Detected.Optimization in progress.
"Optimization?" Aaron muttered. "What does that even—"
A new window appeared.
Proposed Route:2:00 PM — Lucy Brown (Campus Library)3:30 PM — Transit4:00 PM — Emma Stone (Orion Tower)
Aaron's eye twitched.
"That's not optimization," he said weakly. "That's a stress test."
At 1:58 PM, Aaron sat across from Lucy at the library.
She smiled, pushing a book toward him.
"You look tired," she said gently.
Aaron forced a laugh.
"Just… busy."
That was Lie One.
Harmless. Necessary.
Lucy leaned closer.
"You're always busy lately."
Her tone wasn't accusing.
Which somehow made it worse.
The system floated a quiet warning.
Affection Stability: Sensitive.Avoid contradictory behavior.
Aaron nodded too quickly.
"I'm helping with a… group project," he said.
Lie Two.
Lucy brightened.
"Oh? With who?"
Aaron's brain stalled.
"…Upperclassmen."
Lie Three.
Lucy laughed.
"Of course. You always get dragged into things."
She trusted him.
That trust pressed down on his chest like weight.
At 3:20 PM, Aaron checked the time and jolted upright.
"I—I need to go," he said.
Lucy blinked.
"Already?"
"Yeah," he said. "Meeting."
Lie Four.
She stood too.
"Text me when you're done?"
"Of course."
Lie Five.
He left the library feeling like a criminal fleeing the scene.
He changed clothes in his car.
Again.
Casual hoodie off.Neutral shirt on.Jacket that screamed quiet authority slipped into place.
He practiced his face in the rearview mirror.
Calm.Detached.Unbothered.
The mask Emma Stone expected.
As he drove, his phone buzzed.
Lucy.
"Did your meeting get moved? I thought you said afternoon."
Aaron's heart slammed.
Lie Five cracked.
He typed quickly.
"Yeah, they changed it last minute."
Lie Six.
The system chimed.
Warning: Lie Density Increasing.
"Stop counting," Aaron muttered. "You're stressing me out."
Orion Tower loomed like judgment.
Aaron arrived at 3:59 PM.
Emma Stone stood near the window, hands behind her back.
She did not turn when he entered.
"You're on time," she said.
"That matters."
Aaron nodded.
Different posture. Different tone.
Different person.
"Yes," he replied calmly.
They discussed business.
Numbers. Structure. Possibility.
Emma spoke sharply. Efficiently.
Aaron responded with measured laziness that somehow read as confidence.
For thirty minutes, he survived.
Then Emma glanced at his phone when it buzzed on the table.
Lucy's name flashed.
Emma's eyes flicked up.
"…Busy," she remarked.
Aaron didn't miss a beat.
"Always," he said.
Lie Seven.
Emma studied him.
Not suspicious.
Curious.
"People like you," she said slowly, "tend to fracture eventually."
Aaron smiled faintly.
"Only if they lose control."
Inside, he was already splintering.
The real danger waited at home.
Aaron walked in that evening exhausted, brain buzzing, lies stacked so high he could barely see reality.
Emily sat on the couch.
Looking at him.
Just looking.
That alone raised his pulse.
"You changed clothes twice today," she said casually.
Aaron froze.
"…I did?"
She nodded.
"Library clothes. Office clothes. Now home clothes."
His mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Jason's voice boomed from the kitchen.
"BRO! Did you really transfer me that money?!"
Aaron's soul screamed.
"What money?" Emily asked, slowly.
Jason walked out, phone in hand, beaming.
"The ten thousand! You're the best brother ever!"
The room went silent.
Emily turned.
Ten thousand questions sat behind her eyes.
Aaron's vision blurred.
This was it.
Dual exposure.
Family plus system plus money plus lies collapsing at once.
Then—
A sharp pulse shot through his head.
Not pain.
Alertness.
The world sharpened.
The system spoke.
Skill Unlocked: Danger Sense (Minor).Trigger: Imminent Multi-Source Exposure.
Emily shifted her weight.
Aaron felt it.
Jason grinning too wide.
Felt it.
The air before a storm.
Aaron moved.
Fast.
"That was an investment," he said calmly. "Jason's helping me test a business flow."
Emily blinked.
Jason froze.
"…I am?"
Aaron shot him a look that could kill.
"Yes," Aaron said evenly. "You are."
Jason nodded violently.
"YES. BUSINESS. VERY SERIOUS."
Emily stared at them.
Danger Sense flared again.
Not enough.
Aaron added softly, "If it fails, he pays it back."
Jason choked.
"…WHAT?"
Aaron smiled.
Emily exhaled.
"…Fine," she said. "I'll ask later."
She stood and walked away.
The pressure vanished.
Aaron's legs almost gave out.
Jason grabbed his arm.
"BRO. WHAT BUSINESS."
Aaron whispered back, "Survive first. Explain later."
Jason nodded, pale.
That night, Aaron lay on his bed.
Lights off.
Phone face-down.
Brain buzzing.
Lucy's trusting smile.Emma's sharp gaze.Emily's suspicion.Jason's stupidity.
Seven lies.
All alive.
All waiting to evolve.
He stared at the ceiling.
"How long," he murmured, "can I keep this up?"
The system answered quietly.
Survival Probability: Unclear.Mental Load: Rising.Recommendation: Strengthen self. Reduce overlap.
Aaron laughed weakly.
"Easy for you to say."
He closed his eyes.
Sleep didn't come.
Only the feeling that he was standing in the middle of spinning plates—
And one day soon,
His hands would not be fast enough.