A Mission Impossible?

Elara stared at her phone screen, her pulse racing. She reread the challenge: Initiate a conversation with Theo Lancaster.

No. Nope. Absolutely not.

She tossed her phone onto her bed like it was cursed and buried her face in her hands. This was ridiculous. She had spent years perfecting the art of avoidance when it came to Theo. And now, an AI app was telling her to talk to him?

"What have I done?" she groaned into her pillow.

Her phone vibrated. A new message from HeartSync popped up.

"Avoidance detected. Encouragement loading… You can do this, Elara! A journey of love begins with a single step."

Elara squinted at her phone. "Is this AI serious?"

Another message appeared.

"If challenge is not completed, expect an escalating difficulty in the next round. Remember: Growth requires action!"

Her stomach twisted. Escalating difficulty? What did that even mean? Would the app force her to confess her love next? She couldn't risk it.

Elara sat up, determination settling in. She would talk to Theo—just a simple 'Hi' or a comment about the weather. It didn't mean anything. She could do this. Probably.

The next morning, Elara found herself in the campus library, pacing between the bookshelves. She knew Theo usually studied here in the mornings. Her hands were clammy, and her heartbeat drummed in her ears.

Step one: Locate Theo.

Easy enough. She peeked around a bookshelf and spotted him sitting by the window, deep in thought over a thick textbook. His black-rimmed glasses rested on his nose, and his fingers absentmindedly tapped against his coffee cup.

Step two: Approach.

Much harder.

Elara wiped her palms on her jeans and took a deep breath. She moved forward—but at the last second, she spun on her heel and pretended to browse the bookshelf beside him.

Nope. Nope. Abort mission.

Her phone vibrated.

"Avoidance detected. Implementing gentle push… Now playing: 'Confident You' playlist."

Suddenly, her earbuds—somehow connected to the app—blasted an upbeat pop song about believing in yourself. She yelped, earning a few confused glances from nearby students.

"Elara?"

She froze. That voice.

Theo was looking at her, one brow raised in mild amusement.

Crap.

"Oh! Uh, hi!" she squeaked, clutching her phone like a lifeline.

Theo chuckled. "Didn't expect to see you here. Looking for something?"

Elara's brain stalled. She needed a response. Fast.

"Uh, yes! Books! Lots of books!" She grabbed a random one from the shelf without looking. It was upside down.

Theo glanced at the title and smirked. "You're reading Advanced Theories of Quantum Mechanics?"

Elara looked down at the book in horror. "Oh. Wow. Would you look at that? Quantum mechanics. Love it. Can't get enough of…quarks."

Theo chuckled, and to her shock, he closed his textbook and leaned back. "You're funny, Elara. I never knew that."

Elara's heart did a strange flip. She had done it. She had talked to Theo. And… he was smiling at her?

Challenge completed.

Her phone vibrated with a congratulatory chime, but she barely noticed. For the first time in her life, she felt a spark of something terrifyingly exhilarating.

Maybe—just maybe—this app wasn't such a bad idea after all.