I blinked. Harper Lane standing there like some nightmare I didn't order, all confidence and smirk, right in the middle of a dim alley dripping with neon reflections. My brain short-circuited. Panic. Excitement. Chaos. All at once. I could feel Ethan's presence behind me—dangerously close, smirk still teasing, and my chest betrayed me every single time our shoulders brushed. Sparks. Heat. Chaos. Brain meltdown. Classic Zara.
"Zara Cole," Harper said, voice smooth but dangerous. "Thought you could escape me?" She stepped closer, puddles reflecting her smirk like the universe was mocking me.
I swallowed hard. "Uh… hello? Fancy seeing you here… in the middle of my… night… adventure?" I tripped over my bag strap. Oh, fantastic. I groaned audibly. Ethan caught my elbow, steadying me, sparks dancing between us.
System alert: Task Update: Negotiate or defeat Harper Lane. Reward: 500 points + mystery.
My stomach lurched. "Great," I muttered under my breath. "Just what I needed. More chaos. More sparks. More humiliation."
Ethan leaned close, low enough for his breath to ghost my ear. "Relax… I've got your back. Sort of." Sparks jumped again. My brain short-circuited. Sort of? My chest betrayed me again.
I took a shaky breath. "Sort of… huh? That's reassuring." My voice cracked slightly. Classic flustered me. Harper rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by our little display.
The glowing puzzle box sat in the middle of the alley, humming softly, casting neon light on the wet walls. My hands itched to touch it. To solve it. But Harper lunged for it first. My stomach did a backflip.
"Not so fast," I muttered, flustered, panicking internally while trying to appear calm. My bag slipped slightly, spilling a few stray papers. Sparks again—Ethan grabbed them, brushing my fingers in the process. Fire. Panic. Heart attack.
"Team effort?" Ethan teased, voice low, dangerous. My face flushed red. "Uh… yeah… sure. Totally… team effort," I stammered.
Harper smirked, hands on hips. "You think you can beat me?" She didn't even touch the box yet, just standing there, mocking me. My brain scrambled. Panic, embarrassment, sparks of heat… all at once.
I lunged for the box, fumbling slightly, my fingers brushing Ethan's. Sparks. I yelped internally. Heart racing. He smirked. "Careful… those sparks might fry your brain."
System alert: Romance Meter +3.
I shoved my phone in my pocket. "Seriously, system?" I muttered. Phone buzzed again. Tip: Trust no one… except maybe the system.
Harper's laughter echoed through the alley. My cheeks burned. My hands trembled. My brain felt like it had been run over by a train. And I realized, as my fingers hovered over the glowing puzzle box, that my heartbeat was **not** normal. No. Definitely not.
Ethan leaned closer, whispering: "You nervous?"
"Uh… a little… okay… maybe a lot," I admitted, face flaming red. Sparks again. My hands shook slightly. My shoes squeaked on the wet pavement. I tripped slightly over a puddle. Of course.
Harper rolled her eyes. "Amateurs," she muttered, lunging again. I panicked. Ethan grabbed my wrist, almost dragging me sideways. Sparks. Heat. My brain fried.
I reached for the box again. Fingers trembling. Phone buzzed. Task Progress 50%. My stomach lurched. Heart racing. Sparks flying between my fingers and Ethan's.
"Almost there," Ethan muttered, smirk teasing, his hand brushing mine again. My chest betrayed me once more.
The box clicked. Glowing symbols shifted, swirling like liquid fire. My stomach flipped again. I blinked. Heart racing. Panic. Chaos. Sparks. Everything.
Harper froze. "Impossible," she whispered.
System alert: Task Complete. Reward: 500 points + mystery unlocked. Romance Meter +5.
I yanked my phone out. Blinking at the screen. Sparks. Embers. My chest racing. Ethan's smirk. Heart attack imminent.
But then… my foot slipped on a wet puddle. I flailed, trying to grab something. Ethan caught my wrist just in time, his hand brushing mine, sparks flying again. My face flamed red. "Okay! That's it! Universe officially hates me!"
Ethan smirked. "You call that chaos?" His grin was infuriating. Heat. Sparks. Heart betrayal. I groaned.
I glanced down at my shoes. Wet. Cold. Slightly scuffed. Great. Just… great. And my bag strap tangled again. I yanked at it. Papers flew. Ethan caught them again. Sparks. My brain fried.
A small noise made me freeze. From the corner of the alley, a shadow shifted. Harper tensed. I tensed. Ethan's smirk faltered just slightly—just enough for my brain to notice.
System alert: Next Task Unlocked: Rooftop Challenge. Reward: Unknown.
I glanced up. The rooftops loomed, dark and wet, mist curling around them, neon reflections bouncing off puddles below. My palms were sweaty. Heart racing. Sparks still lightly dancing between Ethan and me.
I muttered under my breath, "Why does every task feel like a heart attack. The system should be for my help not for the distress?"
Ethan leaned closer, brushing his hand near mine. "You're not ready… but neither am I." Sparks jumped again. My stomach somersaulted. Chaos. Flustered meltdown.
I blinked. Mist swirling. Puddles reflecting sparks. Holographic runes hovering faintly around the alley. My phone buzzed again. Tip: "Trust the system… and maybe him."
I groaned, fumbling with my bag strap. Could the system get any more creepier? Definitely.
Harper smirked, stepping back, her eyes glinting. "Rooftop next? You'll need luck. Or brains. Or both."
I glanced at Ethan. He smirked. My chest betrayed me. Sparks. Heart attack. Chaos.
System alert: Romance Meter +7.
It was going upp.
I took a shaky breath, glancing up at the rooftops once more. Rain dripping from neon signs, puddles glowing faintly with system energy. Sparks flickered between us. Midnight city chaos wasn't over… and my heart definitely wasn't ready.
I took a tiny, nervous step forward, feeling my shoes squish in puddles, fingers brushing against Ethan's again. Sparks. Heart attack number… I'd lost count. And the alley seemed impossibly long, the rooftops impossibly very high. My knees trembled, but curiosity—stupid, unavoidable curiosity—pushed me forward anyway.
Rooftop Challenge awaits. I swallow. Palms sweaty. Brain fried. Sparks flying. And I'm terrified… but also, maybe, just a little excited.