Midnight.
The penthouse lay quiet except for the soft hum of the city far below. Julian sat on the edge of his bed, his fingers lightly brushing over the glowing surface of the mysterious watch. The leather strap fit his wrist like it was meant to be his from the beginning.
[New Task Unlocked.]
Task: "Let her beg. Let her weep. She who mocked your hunger shall now hunger for your touch."
Reward: Customized Hypercar – "Black Phantom" Series 001
*Bonus Reward (if tears are real): Hidden Gift Box – Emotional Type
Julian's jaw tightened.
He already knew who the watch meant.
Lena.
The girl who once made him grovel for her attention. Who spat on his feelings. Who left him for a boy who could afford steak while Julian begged the cafeteria for expired milk.
He'd forgotten how much it hurt. Or maybe he hadn't. Maybe he'd just buried it.
Now she was going to cry.
---
The following morning, students gathered like moths to flame. A roaring engine tore through the sleepy air, louder than anything they'd ever heard.
A sleek jet-black hypercar with tinted butterfly doors glided into the parking lot. It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie—shining with dangerous beauty, low to the ground, vibrating with raw, expensive power.
The doors lifted.
Julian stepped out slowly, dressed in all-black: black boots, black jeans, black blazer. A faint cologne danced on the wind as his coat fluttered slightly behind him. The watch on his wrist glowed with a low hum, almost feeding off the attention.
Phones were out in seconds.
"Holy sh*t!"
"That's not a car, that's a spaceship!"
"Is that Julian again???"
Julian didn't even glance at them. He walked past like he didn't notice.
Until he noticed her.
Lena.
Standing with her new guy—Toby, the loudmouth trust-fund baby who once laughed when Julian's shoe had holes.
Lena's mouth parted as she saw Julian approach. Her eyes drank him in like a drug—his calm confidence, the new clothes, the way even the sunlight seemed to follow him.
"Julian?" she blurted.
He stopped walking. Tilted his head slightly.
"Oh… hey," he said casually. "Didn't see you."
She blinked. Her hands nervously smoothed down her skirt. "You look… different."
He gave her a faint smile. "People change when they leave trash behind."
Toby stepped forward. "You tryna say something, bro?"
Julian turned to him. Calmly. Slowly.
"You can relax. I don't fight with shadows."
And just like that, he walked away—leaving Lena speechless, and Toby humiliated in front of half the school.
--
Julian had barely taken his seat at the back when Lena slipped in next to him.
"Hey…" she whispered. "I… um… I was thinking maybe we could talk sometime?"
He didn't answer.
She leaned in closer. Her perfume was familiar, sugary, cheap despite its price.
"I've been thinking about you lately," she said, eyes searching his face. "You… you've changed. You look… really good."
Julian didn't move.
"Remember when we used to talk after biology? I miss that." She forced a giggle. "We had a good thing, didn't we?"
He finally turned. Looked her dead in the eye.
"You made me kneel outside that cafe while you laughed with your friends."
Her smile faded.
"You told people I smelled poor."
She looked away. "Julian, I was stupid… I didn't mean—"
"Cry," he said coldly.
Her breath caught.
"What?"
"I want you to cry," he said softly, almost like a whisper. "Not because I'm cruel. But because you were."
Lena's lips trembled. She blinked rapidly, then lowered her head.
A tear fell. Then another.
Julian stared at her. No anger in his expression—just silence.
The watch buzzed softly.
[Task Completed: Let Her Beg. Let Her Weep.]
[Reward Unlocked: Black Phantom Series 001 – Permanently Yours]
[Bonus Reward Acquired: Emotional Gift Box – Open Now?]
He tapped Yes.
The box on the screen opened like a chest in a video game.
[Gift: Trait Upgrade – Emotional Insight (Level 1)]
You can now sense true emotion. Lies. Lust. Guilt. Obsession. Fear. All readable… all visible to you.
Julian exhaled slowly, his eyes sharpening.
He turned to Lena one last time.
"You're not sorry," he whispered. "You're just jealous of who I'm becoming."
And he walked out, leaving her in tears as the classroom fell into silence.
---
The skyline shimmered with color. Julian sat shirtless on the balcony couch, sipping ice water as the wind moved gently across his chest. Music played low in the background—some chill track he didn't even recognize.
His phone buzzed again.
This time, it wasn't the watch.
Ariella: "I saw what you did today. I hope you're okay."
He stared at the message for a long time.
She had been watching.
She always had.
A small smile touched his lips.
Julian: "I'm good. Thanks for checking in."
A pause.
Then another buzz.
Ariella: "Can I come over sometime?"
Julian looked up at the moon.
The boy who once begged for attention now had people begging to enter his world.
---