System No.1

Jack's eyes fluttered open as the soft glow of morning light seeped through his thin curtains. The familiar voice of his system echoed in his head, pulling him from the remnants of his dreams.

Jack groaned, rubbing his eyes. The idea of completing the task first thing in the morning felt like a mountain he wasn't ready to climb.

"Put it on hold. I'll perform it later," Jack muttered groggily, waving his hand dismissively as though the system could see him.

With that, Jack rolled out of bed and trudged to the bathroom. The cold splash of water on his face did little to brighten his spirits, but it woke him up enough to shuffle toward the kitchen, where the smell of fried eggs and toasted bread wafted through the air.

"Good morning, Mom," Jack greeted as he sank onto a stool near the kitchen counter.

"Morning, Jack. How was your night?" his mom asked, placing a plate of eggs and bread in front of him.

"It was fine. How about yours?" Jack replied, taking a bite of his food.

"It could've been better," she admitted, her tone heavy. "I spent most of the night worrying about how we'll pay for Zee's medical bills."

Jack paused mid-bite, the taste of his breakfast turning sour in his mouth. His younger sister's hospital bills were an ever-present weight on the family, and hearing his mother voice it out loud only made it worse.

"How much do we still need, Mom?" Jack asked, knowing he didn't have a real solution but feeling compelled to ask anyway.

"Over ten thousand dollars," she sighed, her voice trembling with exhaustion.

Jack's heart sank. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled hundred-dollar bill. It wasn't much, but it was all he had. "Here, take this. It's the least I can do," he said, handing it over.

His mom's eyes softened as she accepted the money. "Thank you, Jack. Every little bit helps."

Jack waited for the notification he was expecting—a 2x rebate from his system. It never came.

"Why didn't I get the rebate?" he asked aloud, only to be met with the system's cold, emotionless response.

Jack slumped in defeat, realizing he had just given away money meant for Elisa, money he had promised to keep safe for her.

****

At school, Jack opened his locker with a sigh. He had no idea how to break the news to Elisa.

"Hey, Jack!" Elisa's cheerful voice rang out as she approached him, her blonde hair bouncing with each step. "Did you bring the money?"

Jack flinched. "About that..." He looked down, avoiding her gaze.

"What happened to it?" Elisa asked, her smile fading into a look of concern.

"I... I gave it to my mom this morning," Jack admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Elisa blinked, stunned. "You gave it away?"

"I thought I'd get a rebate from my system," Jack explained hurriedly. "Mom needed help with my sister's hospital bills, and I figured the system would double the money. But it turns out the rebate only works for charity."

For a moment, Elisa stared at him in disbelief, then burst into laughter. "You're unbelievable, Jack!"

Jack groaned, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I didn't mean to mess up. I thought I was helping."

"Well, now I don't have enough for the faction hunt," Elisa said, pouting. "I've only got fifty bucks left. I was counting on that hundred to cover the rest."

Jack's mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution. "Hand me the fifty," he said, holding out his hand.

"What for?" Elisa asked, skeptical but curious.

"Trust me," Jack said, giving her a determined look.

Reluctantly, Elisa handed over the money. Jack immediately headed for the school gates, with Elisa following close behind.

"Jack, where are you going with my money?" she called after him.

"To perform some charity," he replied, spotting a beggar seated near the gate. He knelt down and handed the money to the beggar, who looked up at him with wide, grateful eyes.

"Are you sure this will work?" Elisa asked, her tone tinged with panic.

"I'm not," Jack admitted.

Moments later, a notification popped up.

**<2x rebate has occurred. Wallet balance: $104.>**

Jack grinned, immediately instructing the system to transfer the money to Elisa's debit card.

Her phone buzzed almost instantly. "I got the alert!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up.

"So, are you joining me for the faction hunt now?" Elisa asked, clearly expecting him to say yes.

Jack hesitated. "What about lectures today?"

Elisa shrugged. "I'm skipping. You in or not?"

After a moment of contemplation, Jack sighed and nodded. "Fine. Let's go."

As they left the school grounds together, Jack couldn't shake the feeling that this faction hunt was the beginning of something far bigger than either of them had anticipated.