Aurelia Metropolis was a city of gods.
At least, that was what the screens said.
Every tower wore a crown of neon, every billboard carried the face of an influencer queen or king. Their smiles were flawless, their voices laced with power, their reach longer than the government's.
In Aurelia, presidents signed papers, but influencers signed destinies.The number of followers in your account mattered more than the blood in your veins.
And Seraphina Vale? She had neither.
She adjusted the tray in her hands, struggling not to spill the crystal glasses. The rooftop party sparkled above the city, glass walls glowing with endless advertisements. Music thundered, cameras hovered, drones streamed everything live.
She was invisible here, a server in a plain uniform, moving among silken gowns and tailored suits.
"Rat girl," a voice sneered.
Her body stiffened. She didn't need to look to know who it was.
Damien Reeve.
He had been her neighbor once, back when life was smaller, simpler. They'd shared stolen bread, whispered dreams under broken streetlights. She'd loved him—secretly, foolishly.
But now, Damien was no boy. He was Aurelia's golden prince, son of the Reeve conglomerate, heir to millions of followers. His smile could crash markets. His posts could topple rivals.
And tonight, his smile was directed at her—with cruelty.
"Who let the gutter rat in?" Damien's voice carried, amplified by his mic. Cameras swiveled, recording. His followers—millions of them—watched live.
Laughter erupted around him. Champagne flutes clinked.
"She works here," someone chuckled."Look at her uniform.""Even rats need to eat."
Seraphina clenched her teeth. Don't react. Don't look. Just serve, leave, go home to Leon.
But Damien wasn't finished. He stepped closer, his cologne heavy, his smile sharp. "Tell me, Vale. How does it feel to crawl your way up here, only to still serve the ones who matter?"
The crowd howled. Comments scrolled across the hovering holo-screen:
LOL savageShe looks like she'll cryDamien for the win
Her hands shook. One glass tipped. The tray slipped.
Crash!
Shards glittered across the floor, champagne soaking Damien's silver shoes.
The world froze.
Seraphina's heart plummeted. She dropped to her knees, scrambling to collect the shards, her palms cutting open. Blood dripped onto the rug.
Gasps turned to cruel laughter.
Look at her hands, gross!Blood and champagne, what a cocktailDamien should sue
Damien looked down at her, disgust curling his lip. "Pathetic. You'll never belong."
Then he shoved her.
She fell hard, her knees slamming the glass again. Pain shot through her legs. The crowd roared, delighted. The drones zoomed closer, recording every second of her humiliation.
Her vision blurred with tears, but she didn't let them fall. She bowed her head, collected the broken pieces, and walked away.
Invisible. Worthless. Forgotten.
The city below was chaos.
By the time she stumbled back into the streets, sirens were wailing. The slums had erupted into protest. Hungry, desperate people filled the roads, chanting, throwing stones at drones.
Seraphina clutched Leon's hand tightly. Her little brother's eyes were wide, scared.
"Sera, what's happening?" he whispered.
"Stay close. Don't let go."
The air thickened. Gas canisters hissed. Soldiers pushed the crowd back with batons. Hover-cars blared warnings.
Seraphina's heart pounded. She dragged Leon toward an alley—safety. But a surge of bodies crushed them. She shoved him forward, shielding him with her body.
"Run!"
"I can't leave you!"
"Leon, go!"
The baton came down. Pain exploded across her back. She staggered, vision spinning. Another blow struck her shoulder. She fell, blood smearing across the pavement.
Above, drones hovered, streaming it all.
She wanted to scream at them. Was her suffering good content now? Would the comments laugh at her broken body?
Her hand slipped into her pocket. Her old, cracked phone buzzed.
She pulled it out.
And froze.
[Initializing…]
The screen glowed with light too bright to be real. Letters burned across it in molten gold.
[CROWN SYSTEM ACTIVATED]Welcome, Seraphina Vale.Do you wish to rule?
Her breath caught. She thought she was hallucinating.
Gas choked her lungs. Soldiers shouted. Leon's cry echoed somewhere far away.
The screen flashed again:
[Yes / No]
Her lips trembled. "I… I just want to live…"
[Incorrect response.]Do you wish to rule?
Another baton swung toward her head. She rolled instinctively, glass digging deeper into her palms. She screamed, clutching the phone.
"I want to survive!"
[Incorrect response.]Do you wish to rule?
Her chest heaved. Memories tore through her—Damien's laugh, the crowd's scorn, the taste of blood in her mouth. Invisible. Powerless. Forgotten.
Her rage exploded.
"Yes! I'll rule! I'll make them all kneel!"
The world split open.
[CROWN GRANTED]Every follower you gain strengthens your body, mind, and soul.Every rival you defeat transfers their influence to you.Ascension Quest: Gather 1,000 followers. Reward: Authority—Level 1 Influence Aura.]
Power surged through her veins. Her cuts sealed, the pain vanishing. Her heartbeat thundered with new strength.
Notifications flared:
+43 followers+128 followers+387 followers
She blinked. Her face—bloodied, defiant—was on the drones' streams. Millions were watching. Millions were clicking follow.
And every follow made her stronger.
The baton swung again. She caught it with one hand. The soldier's eyes went wide. She twisted, and he flew backward into the wall with bone-shattering force.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Phones rose, recording. The riot paused, eyes turning to the glowing girl who had just broken a soldier like a twig.
Seraphina's body trembled, but not with fear. With power.
The system chimed again:
[Quest Progress: 842 / 1000 followers]
Her gaze burned with golden light.
For the first time, the world wasn't laughing at her.It was watching her.
And it couldn't look away.
Then the screen changed.
[Warning: Rival Crown Bearer detected.]
Seraphina's stomach dropped. "What… what does that mean?"
Through the smoke, a figure emerged. Tall, glowing with neon lights, followers swirling like a storm around him. His aura pulsed, powerful and sharp.
He lifted his head.
Her breath caught.
Damien Reeve.
Her phone's final message seared into her mind:
[First Rival Identified: Damien Reeve.]
Seraphina froze, her heart slamming against her ribs.
The boy she once loved.The boy who humiliated her.The boy who had erased her name.
He wasn't just her enemy.He was her first target.