[157 Days Left to Live]
Zephany stirred awake at the faint buzz that came from under her pillow. Her brows furrowed, still caught between the fog of sleep and the insistence of the real world.
The buzzing came again.
A notification.
Without opening her eyes fully, she reached beneath the pillow and pulled out her phone.
The screen lit up her face in the still-dark room. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she blinked a few times before the words registered.
"Notification from The Archive."
Now fully alert, Zephany sat up quickly. Her eyes scanned the screen, heart beating faster. She tapped on the message.
Congratulations on successfully completing Mission Null48mp. You have received 100 null points and a $40,000 monetary reward. The other half has been allocated to your ally, Obscura.
"What the—" Zephany gasped, grinning. Her eyes widened. "Forty grand?!" she whispered in disbelief.
