The Eclipse Academy dorms smelled of burnt popcorn and betrayal. Alex Thorne sprawled on his bunk, the aftertaste of last night's office break-in lingering like a bad dream. His neural implant, that invisible puppeteer wired into his skull by Zoltan's lunatic genius, had turned him into a double agent against his own squad. Hacking Grimshaw's tablet had confirmed it: Vortex wasn't just a villain—he was the academy's shadow, a failed experiment tied to Alex's own enhanced brain. The glowing system prompt that only he could see flickered again, its blue text sharp as a blade:
SYSTEM PROMPT: Mission Unlocked! Objective: Plant a bug in Lila's rifle during the school prank war. Reward: Unlock 'Evasion Expert' skill. Failure: 'Public Speaking Phobia.' Tip: Use the chaos to slip it in unnoticed.
Alex's stomach twisted. Bugging Lila's rifle? That was a new low, even for the system's twisted games. Lila's trust was already a fragile thread after she'd caught him in Grimshaw's office, her sniper's gaze pinning him with questions he couldn't answer. Now, the system wanted him to spy on her—on all of them. He rubbed his temples, the implant's faint hum mocking his indecision.
Morning light spilled through the dorm window, painting the room in gold and chaos. Mia was hunched over a pile of circuits, her neon-pink hair a beacon of controlled madness as she muttered to a gadget that looked like a toaster crossed with a taser. Jax, shirtless and flexing in front of a cracked mirror, practiced "stealth poses" that were about as subtle as a foghorn. Lila sat cross-legged on the floor, her dismantled rifle spread out like a sacred ritual, her fingers moving with the grace of a pianist over steel and scopes.
"Thorne, you look like you swallowed a lemon," Jax called, striking a pose that nearly toppled a lamp. "Still brooding over your docks dive?"
Alex forced a laugh, his implant pulling How to Fake Confidence from some motivational blog. "Just planning my victory in the prank war."
The annual Eclipse prank war was the academy's worst-kept secret, a tradition where students turned their spy skills into elaborate chaos—think glitter bombs in lockers or drones dropping water balloons. It was the perfect cover for the system's mission, but the thought of betraying Lila made Alex's chest ache like he'd run laps with Jax's weights.
Mia looked up, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, you're in? Good. Team Shadow Squad's gonna crush those smug Delta Dorks." The Delta Dorks, a rival squad led by smug-faced Caleb, had been needling Alex since his pre-implant days of tripping over lasers. "I'm rigging a stink-bomb drone. You in, Alex?"
"Uh, yeah," he said, mind racing. The system's prompt pulsed: Chaos is your friend. Plant the bug during the prank war's peak.
Lila glanced over, her dark eyes unreadable. "Don't botch this like the docks, Thorne. We need finesse, not flailing."
His heart did that stupid flip again. "Finesse is my middle name," he quipped, instantly regretting it when she smirked and returned to her rifle.
The Prank War Erupts
By noon, the academy was a battlefield of glitter and giggles. The cafeteria had become ground zero, with students rigging tables to launch syrup packets and holograms projecting fake Grimshaw lectures to scare rookies. Alex's squad had a plan: infiltrate Delta's dorm, swap their gear with gag props, and escape before Caleb's crew retaliated.
Mia's drone, now dubbed "Stinkwing," hovered above, ready to unleash a cloud of eau de gym sock. Jax carried a backpack of fake grenades (actually confetti poppers), while Lila scouted with a pocket scope, her every move precise. Alex, armed with his new Disguise Mastery skill, donned a janitor's uniform—his implant pulling Quick Costume Hacks to make it convincing, down to the fake mustache.
The system whispered: Bug's in your pocket. Slip it into the rifle's grip during the raid.
Alex's palms sweated as they crept into Delta's dorm, a cluttered den of energy drinks and ego. Caleb, all sharp jaw and sharper sneers, was briefing his team, oblivious. Mia's drone buzzed in, dropping stink bombs that sent Delta scattering like roaches. Jax lobbed confetti grenades, cackling as glitter rained. Lila signaled Alex to move, her rifle slung over her shoulder as she covered their exit.
Now or never. Alex's implant fed him Sleight of Hand 2.0, his fingers brushing Lila's rifle grip as he "tripped" into her. The bug, a tiny silver dot, clicked into place. "Sorry!" he yelped, heart pounding.
Lila steadied him, her touch electric. "Watch it, Finesse," she said, but her tone was softer than usual. Did she suspect? The system chimed: Bug planted. Nice moves. 'Evasion Expert' unlocked.
Before Alex could exhale, Caleb's voice cut through the glitter haze. "Thorne? You're with them now?" Delta's leader stormed over, a rigged water balloon in hand. Alex's implant flared with Evasion Expert, and he dodged as the balloon burst, soaking Caleb instead. The squad erupted in laughter, bolting as Delta's dorm turned into a soggy warzone.
Aftermath and Alarms
Back in their dorm, the squad celebrated with stolen cupcakes, Jax reenacting Caleb's drenched defeat with exaggerated flair. "Man, his face! Like a wet cat!" Mia high-fived him, her drone now sporting a victory sticker.
Lila, though, was quiet, cleaning her rifle again. Alex's gut twisted—the bug was in there, listening. His implant pinged with intercepted audio: Lila muttering about "trusting instincts" and "watching Alex." He swallowed hard, pretending to focus on his cupcake.
SYSTEM PROMPT: New Mission: Infiltrate the academy's server room to access Project Perfect Spy files. Reward: 'Tech Sabotage.' Failure: 'Vegan Cooking Lessons.' Tip: Use your new evasion skills tonight.
Alex nearly choked. The server room? That was suicide—guarded by drones and Grimshaw's paranoia. But the files could explain Vortex, Zoltan, and why the system kept pushing him to betray his friends. And vegan cooking? He'd rather face a firing squad.
As the squad planned their next prank, Alex caught Lila's eye. She didn't smile this time, just tilted her head, like she was piecing him together. "You're not just here for pranks, are you?" she asked softly.
His implant offered Smooth Talk 101, but he ignored it, voice raw. "I'm trying to figure out what's real, Lila. That's all."
She nodded, almost imperceptibly, and turned back to her rifle. The bug's faint hum echoed in Alex's mind, a reminder of the lines he was crossing. Outside, thunder rumbled, mirroring the storm brewing in his head. The prank war was child's play compared to the secrets he was about to unearth—or the squad he might lose in the process.