Elias walked through the wide campus courtyard, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his faded jeans. The buzz of students around him sounded muffled, distant, as if he walked underwater. Laughter erupted nearby — cruel, mocking laughter — and Elias instinctively knew it was about him. Again.
He kept his head down, his shaggy brown hair shielding his bruised pride. Whispers floated through the air like poisoned darts.
"Did you see that video? Elias is practically begging for attention."
"Pathetic. Who wears off-brand shoes to a gala?"
"He should just drop out."
The words clung to him like wet clothes. His fists clenched. Part of him wanted to scream, to fight back. But he knew better. If he reacted, it would only feed their narrative.
Ahead, a commotion gathered. A group of seniors stood in a circle, jeering at a freshman. Elias recognized one of the ringleaders instantly: Bryan Tennyson, the heir to a massive real estate empire. Rich, entitled, and deadly with words.
"Hey, look!" Bryan sneered, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "It's our future janitor! Elias, how's the mop business treating you?"
A few girls giggled. One of them — a stunning blonde named Zara — looked away with a flicker of discomfort. Elias caught it. Maybe not everyone enjoyed the cruelty. But nobody stepped forward.
"Maybe he'll get a promotion," Bryan continued, winking at his audience. "Chief Mop Executive Officer. C-M-E-O!"
Laughter exploded around him. Elias' throat tightened. His face flushed with humiliation. But he said nothing. He moved past them without a word, his sneakers scuffing against the polished tiles.
In the quiet of the library, he collapsed into his usual corner by the window. It overlooked the sports field, where students in designer gear played soccer and flirted without a care in the world.
He pulled out his battered notebook — the one thing that hadn't betrayed him — and scribbled furiously.
*"Task: Survive another day. Reward: None. Punishment: Another scar."
He chuckled bitterly.
"Is that your diary?" a soft voice asked.
Startled, Elias looked up to see the quiet library girl, the one with ink-black hair and haunted green eyes. She hugged a thick book to her chest like a shield.
"No," he muttered, closing the notebook quickly.
She smiled faintly. "You're stronger than them. You just don't know it yet."
Before he could respond, she slipped away between the dusty shelves, leaving behind a scent of vanilla and old paper.
Later that evening, in his cramped dorm room, Elias stared at the cracked ceiling. Bryan's words echoed in his mind, mixing with the old voices from his childhood.
*"You're useless."
"No one will ever love you."
"Why do you even try?"
*He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he could silence them.
His hand drifted to the mysterious watch on his wrist — the one he had found in the abandoned auto shop. It shimmered faintly under the moonlight. As if sensing his despair, the screen blinked to life.
NEW TASK:
*"Endure humiliation without retaliation for one week."
REWARD:
*"+2 Resilience. Hidden Reward Unlocked."
Elias blinked. Hidden reward?
He smiled grimly. For the first time that day, he felt something stir inside him — not anger, not sadness. Something harder. Something sharper.
Resolve.
"Alright," he whispered to the empty room. "Let's play your game."
Outside, the campus lights flickered. The world moved on. But deep within Elias, a new fire was being born.