System Activated

The chill of the air-conditioning brushed against Rhea's skin, but it wasn't what sent a shiver down her spine.

It was the voice.

Not spoken aloud—but inside her.

"System initializing... User: Rhea Lin."

Her head jerked up.

The world around her remained unchanged—coworkers talking, printers humming, footsteps tapping against tile. But the words echoed in her mind with mechanical clarity.

"Objective unlocked: Destroy Kairo Alden."

"Warning: Each aid provided by the system will cost one memory."

"Proceed?"

Rhea froze.

A system? What was this—some cruel side effect of madness?

But no. She knew madness. She had lived it in that cell, tasted it in betrayal's aftermath. This… this felt real.

Then, a soft glow pulsed on her screen. A new folder had appeared.

[System Tools – Access Granted]

She didn't remember creating it.

Her hands hovered above the keyboard, trembling—not from fear, but from something sharper.

Power.

This time, she wasn't alone. And she wouldn't lose again.

Rhea clicked on the folder, hesitant but driven by a need to understand. The screen blinked once, then opened to a clean, minimal interface—no software she recognized. Just one message.

[Mission Path Unlocked: Asset Elimination Protocol – Kairo Alden]

Status: Passive

Memory Exchange: Tier 1 Enabled

Below it, a list of options appeared.

Track Lies – Detect deception within spoken statements. (Cost: 1 memory)

Schedule Manipulation – View and subtly alter meetings of selected individuals. (Cost: 1 memory)

Asset Watch – See financial flows and hidden links. (Cost: 2 memories)

Rhea's breath caught. This was real. She didn't know how, or why, but it was happening.

And the price?

Memories.

Her finger hovered over the first option. What would it take? A favorite song? Her mother's perfume? The sound of laughter on a rainy night?

But then she saw his name.

Kairo Alden – User Marked

Just reading it made her pulse spike. Her hand moved before her brain could catch up. She selected Track Lies.

Confirm memory exchange?

You will lose one unimportant personal memory.

She exhaled. Unimportant, the system claimed.

Confirm.

There was a brief flash behind her eyes—a flicker of something slipping away. She tried to chase it, but it was gone before she could even name it. In its place came a subtle hum in her ears. Then—

"Rhea, are you okay?" her coworker asked again, this time with a worried frown.

"Yes," Rhea said automatically.

Then she saw it.

A soft red shimmer around the woman's lips. Faint. Almost like a heatwave.

She blinked. The shimmer vanished.

She's lying.

Rhea's eyes widened. Her heartbeat kicked into a new rhythm.

It worked.

Whatever this system was—it wasn't here to help her survive. It was here to help her win.

She leaned back slowly, her gaze drifting toward the glass wall that overlooked the CEO's floor.

Kairo Alden's office sat just beyond her reach—just for now.

Let the game begin.

Rhea leaned back in her chair, her eyes still trained on the sleek glass office that towered above the floor—Kairo Alden's empire. Untouched. Unbothered.

But not for long.

Her screen flickered again.

[System Alert]

New Task Available: Destabilize Inner Circle – Phase I

Target: Arden Blake

Tool Unlocked: Redirect Email (Memory Cost Paid)

Reward: Early access to "Behavioral Loop Prediction – Level 1"

Risk: Detection Probability – 12%

Behavioral loop prediction?

Her lips curled.

This wasn't just information. It was advantage.

She opened her inbox. And there it was.

Subject: CONFIDENTIAL: Prototype & CEO Access Codes

From: ablake@aldenenterprises.com

To: rhea.l@aldenenterprises.com

The file glowed on her screen like a grenade with the pin pulled.

"Arden, I think you sent this to the wrong—" someone said across the room.

Rhea's heartbeat jumped.

Her mouse flew.

File moved. Encrypted. Hidden.

The coworker blinked, confused. "Never mind," she mumbled and walked away.

Too close.

Rhea exhaled slowly, her hand clenched under the desk.

The system didn't lie. The risk was real. But so was the reward.

Because now?

She had the keys to something even Kairo's board didn't know existed.

And Arden—Arden wouldn't realize her mistake until it was far too late.

[System Whisper]

"Queen must protect herself. But pawns are meant to be sacrificed."

The words weren't hers, but they settled inside her like prophecy.

She stood from her desk, every movement calm and controlled, even as adrenaline burned under her skin.

She wasn't the same woman they betrayed.

Not anymore.

She turned toward the elevators, her reflection catching in the silver doors—lipstick perfect, eyes unreadable, heart sharp as glass.

Let them smile at her. Let them underestimate her again.

This time, she would play along.

Until she flipped the board.

This time, Rhea Lin would burn the whole kingdom down—starting with its king.

[To Be Continued.....]