The Heart System

Chapter 100: Chapter 100

Jasmine called from the kitchen, ”Pizzas are in! Ten minutes!” Her voice cut through the howl of the storm outside, the rain still hammering the cabin’s windows.

I leaned against the counter, beer in hand, and pulled out my phone to knock out that ”You Awake?” quest.

Opening my messages, I typed out a quick text to Delilah: ’Hey, Ms. Komb. How are you?’

I hit send and set the phone on the coffee table, taking a swig of beer. The girls were still busy—Jasmine in the kitchen, Kim and Tessa digging through snacks, their blankets slipping as they laughed.

I grabbed the Monopoly box from the coffee table. Shaking my head, I walked over to Jasmine’s bag near the kitchen and stuffed the box inside.

My phone buzzed on the coffee table.

I strolled back, picked it up, and saw Delilah’s reply: ’Tired. The rain is so disgusting.’

I smirked, typing back: ’Yeah, it is.’ Then I added, ’How’s things at work?’

Seconds later, a photo popped up. Delilah was sitting in front of her laptop, wearing a loose tank top, her black bra barely visible underneath, her cleavage fucking massive, spilling out like a goddamn invitation. Her smooth legs peeked into the frame, crossed casually, and I gulped, my throat dry despite the beer. My cock twitched faintly in my jeans, Libido 8 trying to betray me already.

Another text followed: ’Another online meeting, and I told them my camera broke down.’

I raised an eyebrow, typing: ’You lied?’

’Yes. I don’t wanna just deal with them,’ she replied.

I chuckled, shaking my head, and wrote: ’Hey, if you need anything or someone to talk to, I’m always here. I know your pride won’t let you talk to your daughter.’

A laughing emoji came back, followed by: ’You grown up huh.’

’I guess so,’I texted, tossing in a laughing emoji of my own.

Her next message came quick: ’I gotta go. I’ll give a speech in a minute. See you?’

’Yep. Go get ’em!’I sent back, setting the phone down with a grin.

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Quest Completed

Title: You Awake?

Reward: 30EXP

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That was easy—30 EXP in the bag for a quick chat, and I didn’t even have to leave the cabin. I also got to talk with Delilah.

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Name: Evan Marlowe

Age: 21

Height: 180 cm

Weight: 73 kg

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Level: 6

EXP: 47 / 543

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Jasmine was still in the kitchen, the oven’s warmth mixing with the firelight, while Kim and Tessa sprawled on their blankets, munching on chips. The storm raged on, but the smell of pizza was starting to fill the room, promising a chill end to a wild day.

I blinked.

In that split second, not even a full moment, everything turned crimson. Jasmine froze, crouched beside the oven, checking the pizzas. Kim and Tessa, mid-scroll on their phones, their screens locked in place. The storm’s roar—rain and wind—cut off like someone flipped a switch. The silence was deafening; I hadn’t realized how loud it was until it stopped.

Knock, knock, knock.

”Oh, no...” My stomach twisted. This again? I gulped, my nerves jangling, and edged toward the door. No peephole, so I slipped to the window beside it, sliding the curtain just enough to peek out.

The crimson sky was gone. The storm raged on, rain lashing, trees bending. Everything normal.

”What the fuck?” I muttered, my breath shaky. ”What... huh?”

Kim looked up from her phone. ”Evan?”

”Hmm?” I turned, forcing my face to stay calm.

”What’re you looking at?”

”I told you,” Jasmine said, still crouched by the oven. ”Melancholic detective staring out windows when it rains.”

”I... yeah,” I said, fumbling. ”Guess I’m that detective. Like watching the rain.”

I pulled the curtain shut and exhaled, my heart thudding. Was I dreaming? No, no way. I saw it—crimson sky, everything frozen. Those knocks. Was it that woman from before? The one who phased through my door back home? If so, what did she want? And if not... who the fuck was it?

I sank onto an empty couch, elbows on my knees, hands clasped, staring at the floor. My mind spun. That was real, not a hallucination. I was sure of it. Someone—or something—was after me. Hunting me, maybe? Fuck, I didn’t know. Too much weird shit was piling up. I thought this trip would clear my head, but it might’ve made things worse.

”Last two minutes for pizzas,” Jasmine chirped, standing up. ”Evan, can you set out some plates?”

”Wait, we’re eating pizza off plates?” Kim said, smirking from the blanket. ”What’s next, forks and knives?”

”You’re right,” Jasmine laughed. ”Guess I’m still a bit fuzzy from our session, Evan.”

I barely registered the conversation shifting to me. I lifted my head, glanced at Kim, then Jasmine, gave a weak smile, and dropped my eyes back to the floor. That woman who phased through my door back home—who was she? I wanted to believe it was a dream, but after this? I was convinced something was after me. Stalking me. Fuck.

My phone buzzed, snapping me out. I grabbed it from the coffee table—Mendy calling. My gut clenched as I answered, putting it to my ear. ”Hello?”

”It’s Penelope,” the voice said, cold and sharp. ”Hope you and Kayla are happy.”

”Huh? Why?” My pulse spiked.

”Mendy took pills a few hours ago. We couldn’t get her to the hospital because of this fucking rain.”

My blood ran cold. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Took pills? And they couldn’t get her to the hospital? Why would she do that? Because of that deadbeat Richard? And why was I involved? No, no, fuck this.

”Is she...?”

”Yes,” Penelope said, her voice like ice. ”We couldn’t save her. They pronounced her dead when we finally got to the hospital.”

A HUD flickered in my vision, unprompted, the text warped and glitching.

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Q111uest Aooovailable

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Title: Open the Door

Task: Openthedoor... openthedoor...

openthe̴̲̲̱̩͓͋̽͒̾̿̾͠f̵̟̥͈̈́̈́͑͂̈́̈́͝ṵ̵̢̬̎͗̄͊͋͐͂c̸̪͕̼͓̮̘̈́̐̾̎͛͘k̶̖̫͚̀̒̀ḭ̶̦͈͇̈́̇͐̒̈́͘̕ǹ̷̳̞̓̄̚͝͝g̶̘͕̬̠̖̉͗͋͒͘ͅd̸̞̦̙̞̒̍̀͆͘͠o̶̢̥͙͈͇͖̒̊̕͝o̴͍̖͉͍̎̑͋̎̕r̶̞̈́͘

Reward: Rewind time (3hrs)

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Acccccept Quest? [̶̤̤͇̮̔̓̐͗Ỳ̴̥̟͓͔̤̼͂̿̈́ḛ̶͓̥̞̹͉̓̿̽͛ś̴̹̜̋̕̕͝] [̴̻̹̞̫͓͇̒͋͒͂̎N̶̺̪͗̀̐̿̚͝ỏ̷̝̯̩̿͛̕]

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Rewind time three hours? That could give me enough time to warn Penelope, stop Mendy from taking those pills, maybe? But what would happen if I opened the door? Would that woman be there, the one who nearly fucked me to death? I shivered, remembering her—phasing through walls, milking me dry.

She could walk through doors anyway. I wasn’t safe either way. Might as well try to save Mendy.

I shot up, heart pounding, and strode to the door. Without hesitating, I unlocked it and yanked it open. There she stood—same woman, her eyes glinting, lips curled in a purr.

”Hello, Mr. Marlowe,” she said, voice like honey. ”What a nice surprise.”

”Who are you?” I demanded.

”Call me Dierella. I’m just a woman begging for attention,” she said, tilting her head. ”Isn’t that obvious?”

”What do you want?”

”No, what do you want, Mr. Marlowe?”

”Stop,” a voice commanded behind me, sharp and cold. I jumped, stumbling outside, nearly tripping. I spun around—there was the other woman, long blonde hair, tall, the one who called herself Karamine, Goddess of Lust. The one who ate my fucking eyeball. How the hell was she here?

”Go meddle with your own toys,” Karamine snapped at Dierella. ”Stay away from my subjects.”

”I don’t know what the FUCK is going on,” I said, my voice shaking. ”But can I get that three-hour rewind thing, please?”

”What three hours?” Karamine asked, frowning.

”The quest reward,” I said, pointing at the air where the HUD floated, invisible to them. ”It said I’d get it after opening the door. I did that.”

”Why, of course,” Dierella purred, stepping closer. ”Become one of my subjects, and you’ll get what you want.”

I froze, glancing at Karamine. She’d called herself a goddess, and after all this shit, I believed her. But who was Dierella? I swallowed, my mind racing. ”Would that get me the three-hour reward?” I asked, avoiding her gaze.

”Yes,” Dierella said, her smile widening. ”You’ll get even more rewards with me. I almost feel sorry you’re stuck with Karamine.”

”Watch your tone,” Karamine sneered, her eyes flashing.

”Or what?” Dierella shot back, her voice icy, locking eyes with her. ”You’re not the old Karamine. You’re the weakest of the six now.”

”The six?” I asked, my head spinning.

”We don’t let humans meddle in godhood business,” Dierella said, waving a hand. ”Now, Mr. Marlowe, will you be my subject?”

I didn’t hesitate. ”I... do,” I said. ”Please, give me that three-hour reward.”

”Wonderful,” Dierella clapped, her voice bright.

”If I may...” I said, my voice low. ”Why me? Why focus on me?”

”You’re not special, I’m afraid,” Dierella said, her tone almost pitying. ”Just another subject.”

Karamine lit a cigarette from a minted pack, her eyes narrowing. ”Every god does this,” she said. ”Steals subjects, steals power. You’re no different, Die.”

”That’s why you’re powerless,” Dierella smirked. ”Anyway, welcome, Evan Marlowe, subject of Dierella, Goddess of Dreams.”

╭────────────────────╮

- Evan Marlowe (Lvl 6)

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- Age: 21

- Height: 180 cm

- Weight: 73 kg

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- EXP: [█▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒] 47/543

╰────────────────────╯

”Now,” Dierella said, snapping her fingers, ”Let’s. Go. Back.”

Everything shifted.

‪‪❤︎‬‪‪❤︎‬‪‪❤︎‬