Chapter 47: The First Step into the Unknown

The night air carried an eerie silence as Jackim stared at the message on his phone. His fingers trembled slightly.

"Task #1: Find the girl who just confessed her regrets to you… and kiss her."

"Reward: $5000 will be transferred to your account instantly."

"Declining tasks may result in punishment."

The words burned into his mind like an unavoidable fate. His chest tightened as his eyes darted toward Elara, who stood just a few feet away, her hesitant gaze locked onto him. She had just confessed, her words still lingering in the air.

"Was this a coincidence? Or was someone watching me?"

Jackim swallowed hard. This was insane. How could a random text predict his life like this? Was this some kind of twisted joke? Or… something much bigger?

He clenched his jaw. There was no way to know.

But one thing was certain—whoever sent this message had power.

His bank account barely had $20 in it. He had spent weeks skipping meals, walking long distances to avoid transport fees, and pretending he wasn't hungry when his classmates ordered expensive food. $5000 was an impossible amount of money for him.

And now, all he had to do was kiss Elara?

He exhaled sharply. It shouldn't have been this complicated. It was just a kiss.

But it wasn't just a kiss. It was a test.

A test from a force he didn't understand.

A test from fate itself.

He took a step forward.

"Elara." His voice was calm, steady.

She straightened, surprised by the sudden seriousness in his tone. "Yes?"

Jackim hesitated for only a second before gently reaching out. His fingers brushed against her cheek, warm against her cool skin. He saw the flicker of emotion in her eyes—confusion, hope, maybe even longing.

And then, before she could react, he leaned in.

Their lips met.

The world around them seemed to stop.

The distant laughter from the banquet hall faded into nothingness. The cold night air, the glow of the streetlights, the murmurs of passing students—it all disappeared.

For that brief moment, it was just them.

Jackim pulled away first.

Elara blinked, her fingers instinctively rising to touch her lips. "Jackim…"

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

The sound made his pulse spike. He quickly pulled it out.

Ding!

A new message.

"Task completed. $5000 has been deposited into your account."

Jackim's heart pounded. His fingers moved fast, opening his banking app.

His eyes widened.

There it was.

Balance: $5,020.00

His throat went dry.

This was real.

This was very real.

He swallowed hard, trying to process everything. He had spent years being invisible, mocked for his poverty, treated like he didn't belong. And now, in the span of a single kiss, he had more money than he had ever seen in his life.

But before he could think further—

Ding!

Another message.

"Task #2: Buy a suit worth over $4000 and wear it to tomorrow's campus party."

"Reward: A luxury watch worth $15,000 will be delivered to your dorm."

Jackim inhaled sharply.

This wasn't stopping.

This wasn't a one-time thing.

Whoever was behind this had a plan for him.

His heart pounded as he looked up at the dark sky.

This was just the beginning.

And he had no idea where it would lead.

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