The morning sun filtered through the massive glass windows of Wraith House, casting lines of light across Elias's bare chest. He wasn't used to silk sheets, nor waking up in a queen-sized bed beside a woman who used to be untouchable. Anika still slept, her back turned to him, the scent of her perfume lingering in the air like the echo of last night's sin.
New Task: Seduce a staff member within 96 hours.
Elias checked the time: 8:09 AM. His phone was exploding with notifications—followers had doubled overnight. Messages, mentions, anonymous confessions. Screenshots of him in Anika's stream. Memes. Fan pages. Hate pages. A clip of his answer—"I'd make her forget anyone else existed"—was already trending under #EliasTheBold.
He grinned, got up quietly, dressed, and slipped out. He had a class in 30 minutes.
But more importantly, he had a task.
---
Back on campus, everything felt sharper. Eyes clung to him like shadows. Boys whispered, girls stared. The rich ones now saw him as competition, the poor ones as hope. The air around him buzzed with invisible currency—fame, mystery, danger.
He reached the Arts Complex, where he had Design Theory.
That's when he saw her.
Miss Arya Luthra — 28, arts lecturer, rumored to be a failed gallery curator from Milan. Long legs, caramel skin, oversized glasses, usually in floral blouses that hugged her curves, and skirts too tight to be accidental. She spoke with a soft accent and always had a lollipop in her mouth. Some students claimed she'd slept with a senior once. Some said she lived in her car. Others swore she was married to a corrupt governor.
Elias entered the class late.
"Mr. Elias," she said, barely glancing up from her notes. "New to fame, but still old to time."
Laughter. Light giggles. Whispers.
"I'm sorry, Miss Arya. I got lost between heaven and hell," he said coolly, taking the seat right in front of her desk.
Her eyes flicked to him.
He saw the shift.
Interest.
Curiosity.
Challenge.
---
After class, she packed her things slowly. Everyone else had left. Elias waited, leaning against the table.
"You enjoy attention, don't you?" she said, chewing on her lollipop.
"Only from the right people."
"And how do you define the right people?"
He stepped closer. "People who are smart enough to hide their scars... but broken enough to understand mine."
For a split second, her breath caught.
Then she turned, tossing the lollipop stick in the bin.
"I could get fired for what you're thinking," she said.
"But I haven't said a word," he whispered.
Their eyes locked. Something unspoken passed between them.
"I live in Block D. Faculty Apartments. Third floor. Flat 302. Don't come unless you're serious," she said without emotion, walking away.
---
That night, the corridor to Flat 302 was quiet, lit by flickering yellow bulbs. Elias's heart pounded—not from fear, but anticipation. This wasn't about lust anymore. It was about power. Control. Proving something—to himself, to the watch, to the world.
He knocked.
The door creaked open.
Miss Arya stood there, barefoot, in a long robe.
"I thought you'd chicken out."
"I never do," he replied.
She looked at him, eyes scanning every inch. Then she stepped aside.
He walked in.
---
Her apartment smelled of paint and red wine. A canvas leaned against the wall—half-finished portrait of a screaming woman in chains. Music played faintly. The kind you'd hear in an abandoned ballroom.
"Wine?" she asked.
"Just you."
Her lips curved slightly. She removed her robe.
Nothing underneath.
"You sure you're ready for this?"
"I've been ready since you gave me detention in week one."
She laughed once—low, amused. "Oh, Elias… I'm not like those girls. I bite back."
He stepped forward. "Then bite me."
And she did.
---
It was wild. Reckless. Rough. Not romance, but raw release. A woman testing her limits. A boy pushing past his. They clawed into each other like flames trying to out-burn each other. No words. No rules. Just need.
When it ended, she sat at the edge of the couch, smoking. "You're playing a dangerous game."
"I think I like danger."
She glanced at his wrist. "That watch… It's not normal, is it?"
Elias froze. "What?"
"I saw it glow," she said softly. "And I've seen it before. Years ago. On someone else."
Elias's blood ran cold.
"Who?"
But she just smiled. "You'll find out. If you survive long enough."
---
Task Complete.
Reward: Unlocked—Temptation Aura: Level 1
New Task: Expose a scandal on campus within 120 hours.
Elias walked out of Flat 302 into the dark corridor, the weight of new secrets sinking into his bones.
The game wasn't just about sex or fame anymore.
It was deeper.
Darker.
And someone else had once worn the same cursed watch.