The swing creaked in the cold wind as Elias sat, elbows resting on his knees, staring out at the empty playground.
The city lights twinkled far away, like distant dreams too tired to reach him tonight.
Elira leaned against the rusted slide, arms crossed.
"So... what now?" she asked.
Elias turned the watch around his wrist thoughtfully. It hummed — alive, restless.
It had given him new skills, new strength, new hope.
But it had also changed him.
---
Incoming Notification:
"Special Event: Hidden Forces Detected."
"Mission: Survive the Night."
"Reward: Unknown (High-Risk, High-Reward)"
A faint chill slipped down Elias's spine.
Something was coming.
Name: Roman Daniels (Nickname: Roam)
Age: 27
Profession: Corporate Spy / Double Agent
Appearance: Pale skin, tall and wiry build, icy blue eyes, slicked-back blond hair, sharp jawline
Attitude: Charming on the surface, ruthless underneath, always smiling but rarely meaning it
Flaws: Overconfidence, lack of empathy, secret self-loathing hidden beneath bravado
---
Without warning, a man stepped out from the shadows near the broken merry-go-round.
Clapping.
Slow.
Mocking.
"Bravo," he said with a smirk. "The noble hero forgives his enemies. How quaint."
Elias stood up, the watch glowing faintly.
Elira instinctively stepped closer to him.
"And who the hell are you supposed to be?" she snapped.
"Name's Roam," the stranger said casually. "And I'm here because they sent me."
"They?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
In a flash, Roam tossed a small silver device toward Elias's feet.
The device cracked open — and a blinding light exploded outward.
When the light faded, a hologram appeared in the air:
A shadowy council of figures in masks, speaking in distorted voices.
"You have interfered with the natural flow of events, Elias Grant," the voice boomed.
"The Watch was never meant for someone like you."
"You are hereby marked."
"Survive — if you can."
The hologram blinked out.
Roam smiled wider, his icy eyes gleaming.
"Game on, hero," he whispered — and then vanished into the shadows.
---
Elias felt the first true gravity of his situation settle over him.
He wasn't just playing with a magical watch anymore.
He was playing with forces far older. Far darker. Far less forgiving.
The rewards he'd been given — physical strength, charm, high IQ, negotiation skills — they weren't just gifts.
They were preparations.
Tools for a war he hadn't even realized he was fighting yet.
Elias looked at Elira.
Fear flickered in her eyes, but also something stronger — trust.
"I'm not running," he said quietly.
"Good," she said. "Neither am I."
The wind howled through the empty swings, carrying with it the whispers of battles yet to come.
---
In a world that teaches us to trust no one, finding even one person who stands by you when everything falls apart is rare — and priceless.
Elias and Elira weren't perfect.
They had flaws.
They had fears.
But tonight, they chose to trust.
And sometimes, that was enough to tip fate itself.
---