Olivia leaned closer, her voice barely audible. "Shanazer, what are you doing?" Her heart pounded like a drum. "You're going to make them angry!"
Her hands trembled. Fear gripped her entire body.
Shanazer turned with a calm grin. "Don't worry," she said. "I know what I'm doing." She winked at Olivia, then faced the gang. "And by the way," she said playfully, "this is a Bluetech band—not a wristwatch."
She flashed a wicked smile. One of the gangsters took a step back, sensing something strange about the girl with dark curly hair. Her confidence was unsettling.
From behind, a larger man stepped forward. His presence radiated menace. He had deep scars, a twisted grin, and two long knives gripped in each hand. His gaze was hungry and dark.
"If she's wearing a Bluetech band," he growled, "she must be from a rich family." He raised his knives slightly. "Boys... you know what to do."
One thug stepped forward slowly, eyes scanning the girls like a predator sizing up his prey.
"Stay behind me!" Shanazer commanded, her fist clenched. She made a stance. Her face was serious. She expected the system to take over at this time but there was no such a thing. She blinked hard. Come on? A little help would be nice now. She got no response. Her eyes went back to the opponent.
The attacker lunged, swinging a steel bar toward Shanazer's head. She stepped back in one smooth motion, narrowly missing the strike. What! I guess I will just do well without you. She thought, her confidence rising.
He jumped again, aiming for her shoulder. The metal sliced through the air with a sharp whistle—too fast for most eyes to follow.
Olivia gasped and closed her eyes.
But Shanazer twisted her body like a dancer, diagonally and effortlessly. The bar missed.
With perfect timing, she struck the attacker's chest. He gasped—then fell instantly, breath knocked from his lungs.
Olivia opened her eyes, expecting Shanazer to be on the ground. Oh God. She is doing it again. Her mouth stretched open.
"Little brat!" another thug screamed, charging with a flying kick aimed at her chest.
Shanazer ducked, spun, and struck him where it hurt most. He cried out in agony, crumpling onto the ground, clutching himself.
The gang leader grew furious. "What are you fools doing? Get her!" he yelled.
Four more rushed at once, their eyes blazing with rage, veins throbbing with tension. They swung wildly, fists and weapons flying.
But Shanazer was in her element. She dodged and weaved like water flowing around rocks. Her feet moved gracefully, her fists sharp. She was having fun.
At last, they grew tired fast. Breaths turned heavy, movements slow.
She tilted her head toward the boss, eyes gleaming. "Aren't you going to join the fun?"
He froze. His eyes flickered—uncertain, scared. "No," he muttered. He knew his place. His fighters were tougher than him, and they'd failed.
"Stand down," he ordered. "She's beyond us."
The gang carried their wounded and limped away, defeated.
Shanazer burst into laughter. It bubbled from her chest, wild and full of relief. Olivia stared, shocked.
"Shanazer... did that just happen?" she breathed. "How did you do that?"
Shanazer shrugged. "I don't know. I just mixed what Tairen taught me... and a few movie fight scenes. Somehow it worked."
One hour and twenty-two minutes later, Shanazer sat on a small stool in her room. The silence wrapped around her, peaceful but strange. Her muscles tingled from movement. She breathed deeply, stretching her sore arms.
Her mind wandered back to everything that had happened. What a day, she thought.
She muttered aloud, "Where do I even begin? The system... What is it exactly? Is it my helper?" Her thoughts tangled. "It all felt real... but maybe I imagined it."
She chuckled, rubbing her temples.
Forget that for now, she decided.
She glanced down at her wrist. The Bluetech band—also called Fintrech—had a single button.
Shanazer pressed it.
A glowing hologram sprang to life above it, floating in the air.
Her eyes widened.
"Wow," she whispered. Her heart leaped with joy.
"This... is amazing."
The hologram flickered softly to life—its glow washing over the walls in bluish hues. It looked just like the ones Shanazer had seen throughout the town and in compounds, sleek and familiar. The interface reminded her of an iPhone screen, with icons lined neatly across the display.
She glanced at the time. Three o'clock. A.M. Her eyelids felt heavy, and her limbs begged for rest.
"I should sleep. There's so much happening… so much I need to figure out. A bit of rest wouldn't hurt," she thought out loud.
As she reached for her bed, the Bluetech band device beeped twice—its blue light blinking rapidly. She froze. Then the hologram pulsed brighter. A woman appeared—elegant, poised, dressed in fine corporate style. Her voice was warm and polished.
"Hello Shanazer," the woman said gently. "I am here to inform you that you have been accepted at OxyamCorp Base One. Your probation begins on the 28th of May. You can view the contract on your Bluetech band Hologram. Please review it thoroughly before signing. Thank you for your cooperation. Have a great day."
The display dimmed, then disappeared.
Shanazer stood still for a breath—then suddenly erupted into joyful movement. She jumped up, hands raised toward the ceiling. Her feet tapped in a chaotic rhythm. She twirled, laughed, and spun five times.
"I did it!" she shouted. "Thank you, Mother Universe, for remembering me! I'm blessed! So, so blessed!"
Her voice echoed around the room as her laughter spilled out like sunlight through clouds. Eventually, she slowed—panting, flushed, and full of disbelief.
"Will I rest at all today?" she said aloud between giggles. "Things just keep piling up!"
She paused.
"No. Don't complain. Be grateful." She scolded herself gently. "This is a blessing. I'm honored. I just need a little rest. I'll return to all this soon. For now, let me dream in peace."
She whispered softly.
"And please... don't wake me up."
Then she fell asleep—peacefully, almost smiling.
A sudden voice pierced the silence, "GOOD MORNING, SHANAZER?"
The sound rang inside her head, clear and direct.
She sprang up from bed, wide-eyed, her heart thumping. Her room was quiet, untouched. She scanned the space—her breath catching.
No one was there.
She crouched, peeking under the bed. Nothing. She flipped the blankets. Still nothing.
"I heard a voice. I know I did..." she whispered. "Am I going crazy?"