The city didn't sleep, but neither did Elias.
After parting ways with Adrian, his mind churned endlessly — questioning every word, every warning, every silent stare.
The crumpled paper still burned in his pocket.
One address.
One night.
One decision.
---
The address led him to the edge of the city, where neon lights faded into darkness and potholes ruled the roads.
A forgotten neighborhood — half the houses boarded up, the rest crumbling into dust.
He stopped in front of an abandoned laundromat, its faded sign swinging in the wind.
"This can't be right," Elias muttered.
The Watch buzzed again.
> Task Update:
"Investigate the Address."
Time Limit: 1 Hour
Reward: Choice between 1) Stealth Ability Boost or 2) Unlock New Skill: Persuasion.
---
A homeless man warmed his hands over a trash fire nearby.
Kids with bruised knees kicked a flat soccer ball down the cracked street.
Life went on, even at the edges of society.
Elias felt a lump form in his throat.
This — this brutal unfairness — was real.
Not some scripted "mission."
He remembered the nights he and his mom counted coins to pay for food.
He remembered the jobs he worked under fake names just to survive.
No one had ever handed him anything before.
Now this Watch — these "rewards" — they weren't just games.
They were weapons. Tools for survival.
And he needed them more than he wanted to admit.
---
Elias pushed open the door.
It creaked like a dying animal.
Inside, broken washing machines were scattered like metal corpses.
Dust floated in the beam of his phone's flashlight.
Then he saw it.
A trapdoor, half-hidden under a broken vending machine.
Heart hammering, Elias moved the machine aside.
The trapdoor was chained — but the chain had been cut recently.
Swallowing hard, Elias descended.
---
Dr. Mira Langston
Age: 33
Profession: Biotech Engineer, once famous, now disgraced
Attitude: Fiercely intelligent, paranoid, guilt-ridden
Flaws: Suffers from anxiety, drinks too much black tea, avoids attachments
Physical Appearance: Light brown skin, tightly coiled black hair in a messy bun, glasses constantly slipping down her nose, always wearing lab coats or oversized hoodies
---
Underground, Elias found a hidden lab.
And in it — a woman scribbling frantically on a whiteboard filled with diagrams and equations.
She whirled around as he entered, brandishing a wrench.
"One step closer and I break your nose," she warned.
Elias raised his hands. "Easy! I'm not here to rob you."
Dr. Langston narrowed her eyes, breathing heavily.
She looked like she hadn't slept in days.
"Who sent you?" she demanded.
"No one," Elias said, trying to keep his voice calm. "I... I found this address."
Her eyes flicked to the paper in his hand — recognition flashing across her face.
"Then you're either incredibly stupid," she said coldly, "or incredibly important."
Elias couldn't tell if it was a compliment or a death sentence.
Maybe both.
---
At that moment, Elias's Watch buzzed loudly — playing a cheerful jingle like a toddler's toy.
Both of them froze.
Dr. Langston blinked, deadpan.
"Great. I'm about to get killed by a guy wearing a singing wristwatch."
Elias couldn't help it.
He laughed.
For the first time in days, it felt real.
And maybe — just maybe — that meant he wasn't completely lost yet.
---