The Birthday Wish

Kevin sat at the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the peeling wallpaper in his small, cluttered room. The sounds of muffled conversation from downstairs drifted up—a constant reminder of the fractured family he now lived with. His dad's gruff voice mingled with the light laughter of his stepmom, a woman Kevin barely knew or cared to know. Today was his birthday, but it felt like any other day, hollow and meaningless.

He glanced at the untouched cake on his desk, a half-hearted gift from his father. There were no candles, no wishes, no celebrations. Just the same dull ache that had settled in his chest ever since the divorce. He missed his mom, missed the warmth of their old home, missed the feeling of being whole.

As the evening wore on, Kevin found himself surrounded by his so-called family. They gathered around the dining table, where his dad awkwardly handed him a wrapped gift. It was a new phone, one Kevin had hinted at weeks ago, but now it felt like a token gesture—something to ease the guilt his father never voiced.

"Happy birthday, Kev," his dad said with a forced smile.

Kevin muttered a quiet "thanks" and tore open the wrapping. The phone gleamed in his hands, but he couldn't muster any real excitement. His stepmom tried to make small talk, asking about school and friends, but Kevin gave short, monosyllabic answers. The conversation was as shallow as the smiles they exchanged.

When the awkward dinner finally ended, Kevin retreated to his room. He flopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling the weight of loneliness press down on him. He thought about how different things used to be, how he once believed in birthday wishes and magic. But now, all he could think about was how desperately he wanted something—anything—to change.

And so, in a moment of quiet desperation, Kevin made his wish.

"I just want... to matter," he whispered into the darkness. "I want control. I want a purpose."

He didn't expect anything to happen. Wishes were for kids, for people who still believed in happy endings. But as sleep slowly claimed him, Kevin couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to shift, that his life was teetering on the edge of something unknown.

The next morning, Kevin awoke to the familiar buzz of his new phone. He groggily reached for it, expecting the usual notifications or maybe a late birthday message from his mom. Instead, he was greeted by a screen he had never seen before—a screen that made his heart skip a beat.

**[Congratulations, Kevin! You have been granted the Seduction System by the Goddess of Love.]**

Kevin blinked, wondering if he was still dreaming. He rubbed his eyes and stared at the message again, but it was still there, glowing ominously on the screen.

**[Welcome to the home tab.]**

**[Your daily quests are pending completion.]**

Confusion washed over him, followed by a strange sense of anticipation. He hesitated for a moment, then tapped on the screen, curiosity getting the better of him. As he explored the interface, Kevin realized this was no ordinary app—this was something far more powerful, something that could change everything.

But before he could delve deeper, a strange sensation rippled through his hand. The phone grew warm, almost hot, and then, in the blink of an eye, it vanished—seemingly absorbed into his skin. Kevin gasped, frantically looking around his room, convinced it had somehow fallen or slipped away. But there was no trace of it anywhere.

His heart pounded in his chest. What just happened?

Panicked, he tore apart his room, checking every corner, under the bed, in his drawers—everywhere. But the phone was gone.

"Where is it?" he muttered to himself, anxiety bubbling up inside him.

Unable to make sense of the bizarre disappearance, Kevin bolted downstairs, his thoughts racing. "Dad!" he called out, his voice edged with panic.

His father was in the living room, flipping through the channels on the TV. "What is it now, Kevin?" he asked, not bothering to look up.

"My phone—it's gone! It just disappeared!"

Finally, his dad glanced up, his brow furrowing. "What do you mean it's gone? You just got it yesterday."

"I know, but I can't find it anywhere. I swear it was right there in my hand, and then... it just vanished."

His dad's expression hardened. "Are you messing with me? Phones don't just disappear, Kevin. You probably misplaced it."

"No, I didn't! It was right there, and then—"

His stepmom, who had been listening from the kitchen, walked in with a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "Oh, Kevin, maybe it's a magic phone," she said, barely concealing her amusement. "Or maybe you just need to keep better track of your things."

Kevin's frustration boiled over. "I'm not lying! I'm telling you, it just disappeared!"

His father's face turned red with anger. "Enough with the excuses, Kevin! If you lost it, just admit it. But don't make up stories to cover your mistakes."

Kevin clenched his fists, the sense of helplessness he had felt last night now twisting into anger. His stepmom chuckled softly, clearly enjoying the drama, which only made Kevin feel worse. He was sure of what he saw—what he felt—but no one believed him.

"Forget it," he muttered, turning on his heel and storming back up to his room. The disbelief and mockery from his father and stepmom felt like a slap in the face, another reminder that he was alone in this house.

Slamming his door shut, Kevin sat on his bed, trying to calm the storm inside him. He looked at his empty hands, replaying the moment over and over in his mind. The phone had disappeared, but the sensation it left behind lingered—a faint warmth beneath his skin, as if it had somehow fused with him.

Desperation gave way to curiosity, and Kevin focused, willing the strange interface to appear again. To his shock, the screen materialized in his mind, as clear as if he were looking at it on a phone.

**[Welcome back, Kevin.]**

His breath caught in his throat. The system was still there, inside him, waiting to be explored. Despite everything, a part of him felt exhilarated. This was real. The power he had wished for was now his.

But as he delved deeper, one question haunted him: What price would he have to pay for this newfound control?