Misato grabbed a knife from the kitchen. Cut the ropes around my wrists first. Then my ankles.
The ropes fell away. Blood rushed back into my hands so fast it hurt. Pins and needles shot through my palms and up my forearms. I flexed my fingers, watched red marks circle my wrists like bracelets burned into the skin.
"She’s going to destroy you," Misato said. Quiet. Final.
"Or I’ll destroy her." I pushed off the couch. My legs didn’t want to cooperate. I caught myself on the armrest, knuckles white. "Either way should be entertaining."
"This isn’t a ga."
"Everything’s a ga." I headed for the door. Each step felt like walking on broken glass. Halfway there I stopped. Turned my head just enough. "Thanks for the warning. About Blair’s plans. Could’ve just told instead of the whole kidnapping thing, but I appreciate the concern."
Misato didn’t respond. The silence sat heavy between us.
I grabbed the door handle.
"Jace."
I looked back fully this ti.
"If we actually pull this off..." She trailed off. Her li green eyes stayed locked on mine. "If we sohow finish top five..."
"Yeah?"
"I’ll step down as leader. No fight. No complaints." Her voice stayed steady. Perfectly controlled. "Because that would an you’re the real deal. Not just so lottery kid with a big mouth."
"And if I lose?"
"Then you beco her pet. And my mom keeps her job. And Blair gets what she wants." Misato’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. The expression was more threat than amusent. "Win-win."
"For you maybe."
"Yeah." She crossed her arms. "For ."
I nodded once. Left.
The hallway outside her place stretched empty. Just bass lines bleeding through walls from other Summit Houses.
My phone went off.
Belle in the group chat.
Where are you? Misato said ergency eting and you never showed.
Jordan’s response was a gif. Soone aggressively checking their watch.
Naomi sent a single question mark.
I thumbed out a reply.
Got delayed. Tomorrow before class?
Belle ca back imdiately.
Fine. You’re explaining though.
Then Naomi.
Are you okay?
My chest did sothing weird.
Yeah just beat. Tomorrow.
See you at breakfast.
I started the walk back to Building C. The campus lights painted yellow patches on the pavent. Wind carried salt and kelp sll from the beach.
My wrists throbbed. Throat felt raw. Three days with Misato plus back to back extraction sessions had turned my body into one continuous bruise.
I’d just bet everything on teammates who couldn’t keep breathing through an E-rank this morning.
Great call.
The interface popped up anyway.
Achievent Unlocked: Reckless Gambler
The notification appeared like the System was personally calling an idiot.
Reward: 100 Points
◆ CHALLENGE QUEST ACCEPTED ◆
TITLE: PROVE IT
OBJECTIVE: Ensure the Midnight Foxes finish in the Top 5 of academy rankings by the Winter Evaluation.
SYSTEM REWARDS:
50,000 Points
Upgrade: Private Sanctum
Unlock: [Special System Feature]
PERSONAL WAGER (USER-INITIATED):
ON SUCCESS: Blair Davenport transfers to the Midnight Foxes and becos the User’s subordinate (’pet’) for the remainder of the sester.
ON FAILURE: User must quit the academy and becos Blair Davenport’s subordinate (’pet’) for three years.
TI LIMIT: End of Fall Sester (Winter Evaluation)
Fifty thousand points.
My brain went straight to conversion. Five hundred days. More than a year of breathing room just sitting there behind one objective.
Plus the Silver upgrade ant longer sessions. Better control. More environntal options inside the sanctum.
And that special feature they wouldn’t na.
The hook was visible from space.
Which ant this quest was designed to push toward exactly this situation.
Bet everything. Risk everything. Win big or lose completely.
Very on brand for a system called Pleasure Plunderer.
I reached Building C. Took the elevator up to five.
The hallway was empty. Most students already asleep.
I stopped at 5E. Keyed in the code.
Hikaru sat at the kitchen table. Black tea in front of her. Red eyes tracked my entrance.
The rope burns on my wrists were impossible to hide.
Hikaru’s gaze dropped to them. Back up to my face.
"Training accident," I said.
"Okay."
That was it. No questions. No concern. Just acknowledgnt and imdiate dismissal.
I walked past her to my room. Closed the door.
I fell back on the bed without bothering to change.
My eyes closed but my brain kept running laps around that conversation.
Blair’s expression when I suggested the collar. That split second where her mouth opened and nothing ca out. The red that crept up her neck and stained her pale cheeks pink.
The thick thighs barely contained by those gym shorts.
That tank top working overti across her chest.
I forced my thoughts to redirect.
Naomi’s technically your girlfriend. The complicated kind where she knows you extract from others but still gets that kicked-puppy look when you actually follow through.
Belle’s waiting for her promised buff that never materialized.
Aurora expects Saturday plans.
And you just wagered your entire existence on a top-five finish while acquiring Blair Davenport as your collared subordinate in the process.
So distant part of my brain tried suggesting this might be ethically dubious. Treating another human like property in a bet.
I told that part to go fuck itself.
Blair initiated this ss. She ca at with bribes and threats and exposed herself when her temper flared past her control.
She accepted my terms.
Ga on.
And honestly? The ntal picture of Blair Davenport in bunny ears with a collar around her throat?
That alone made winning mandatory.
I didn’t fall asleep until past one.
My subconscious played highlights on loop: li green ponytails, pink and black striped hair catching light, those ice-blue eyes narrowing in fury, vanilla and caral mixing on my tongue.
The system catalogued everything for analysis.
Experience climbed in tiny incrents while I was out.
Silver essence continued its work through my cells faster than biology should allow.
Morning would find recovered and ready for another extraction.
Friday’s assessnt. Blair’s squad versus mine.
May the best Fox win.
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