Noah sat across from Sarah, his fingers curled around a cup of coffee he hadn't touched. It had gone cold, just like her eyes.
She looked calm. Not angry, not sad—just... resigned.
His phone buzzed on the table.
[Email from: OrionTech HR Department]
Subject: Final Interview Results
He didn't want to open it. He already knew. But he tapped the screen anyway.
"We regret to inform you that your application was not successful…"
The words swam in his vision. His mouth felt dry.
He looked up at her.
Sarah had already guessed. "You didn't get it, right?"
Noah shook his head.
She let out a breath. Not cruel—just tired. Tired of waiting for him to change.
She reached into her purse and pulled out a sleek, gold-trimmed envelope. She slid it across the table.
He looked at it, confused. "What's this?"
"I'm getting engaged," she said quietly.
He blinked. "To who?"
"To Johan."
The name hit like a punch. Johan. Her parents had mentioned him once or twice—wealthy, successful, the son of her father's business partner. Noah had never taken it seriously.
"I thought you hated him," he said, voice cracking.
Sarah's smile was paper-thin. "It's what my family wants."
"You don't even love him."
"That's not the point anymore." She took a sip of her cappuccino, then looked him dead in the eye. "I'm not inviting you. So please… don't come."
Noah's heart dropped into his stomach. "Sarah, wait—please. We can talk about this."
"There's nothing to talk about," she said softly. "You're a good person, Noah. But you've been stuck in the same place for years. Hoping things will change without doing anything."
"Just one mor—"
"I waited," she interrupted. "For a future with you. But the truth is, you're always waiting. For the right job. The right moment."
She stood. Smoothed her coat. Looked down at him like someone leaving a shelter they'd outgrown.
"I hope you find someone better than me, Noah. I really do."
And then she walked out of StarDucks and out of his life.
Noah stood up. "Sarah—!"
She didn't look back. The door shut behind her, as if her heart is closing and leaving the memories with him behind.
————
Hours passed.
He wandered the streets without direction. Rain started to fall—first gentle, then steadily heavier, soaking through his hoodie, sticking his clothes to his skin. He didn't care.
He passed closed shops, laughing couples under umbrellas, neon signs blinking over liquor stores and late-night ramen joints. He walked until his legs hurt.
When he finally reached his apartment, everything felt too still. Too quiet.
He dropped his keys on the table. Pulled off his shoes. The air smelled faintly of her perfume—it always lingered longer than she did.
On his shelf, a photo of him and Sarah stared back. Taken at the summer carnival two years ago. She had kissed his cheek right as the shutter clicked. He remembered how her laughter had felt against his skin.
Noah walked over. Picked it up.
And threw it against the wall.
The crash echoed. Shards of glass scattered across the floor like stars falling.
He sank to his knees.
The weight of everything—losing the job, losing her, being left behind—crushed the breath out of him. His hands shook. His chest heaved.
But no screams came.
Just quiet, aching sobs as he knelt among broken pieces of what used to be his future.
And in that hollow dark, he whispered the question that burned deeper than any other.
"Why wasn't I enough?"
———
Noah didn't remember falling asleep.
He woke up on the floor, stiff and freezing. The sky outside had turned the dull blue of early morning, and the sounds of the city beginning to stir filtered through the windows—garbage trucks, distant honks, the scrape of rain against glass.
His phone buzzed near the couch.
He let it buzz.
Eventually, he dragged himself to his feet. His body felt like it had been weighed down with concrete. There was still glass on the floor, scattered around the broken photo of him and Sarah. He didn't bother cleaning it up.
He didn't bother with anything.
After a long, silent shower, he tossed on a hoodie and jeans, then checked his bank app out of habit. The screen loaded slowly.
Balance: $4.27
He stared at the number.
Then he laughed. Just once. Dry and bitter.
"Perfect."
He left the apartment without a plan.
There was nothing to do, no one to see. He had applied to more than fifty companies over the past two months. Only two had called back. OrionTech was the last hope. And now even that was gone.
His steps carried him downtown, past chain stores and bakeries opening up for the morning rush. The city moved around him like he wasn't even there.
He stopped at a crosswalk.
A nearby LED screen flickered on the side of a bus shelter.
"Feeling hopeless?" it said in bold text. "Change your future Through Us."
A QR code was below that.
Noah stared at it for a moment.
Then out of curiosity he scanned the QR code, it lead him to a site that asked him if he wanted to apply for a job.
Noah tapped Yes without thinking. The site asked for some personal info—name, age, address, boring shit he didn't care about. He typed it in, fingers moving automatically like he didn't even exist.
Upload complete.
A message blinked: "Your application has been received. You will be contacted within 48 hours."
He laughed, bitter and dry. "Yeah, right. Another scam." Dismissed it. Threw his phone into his hoodie pocket.
All he could afford was a pack of cigarettes. He bought it anyway. The only thing in the world that didn't care about him.
———
Next morning (First Person Pov)
"You have a courier," a muffled voice came through the intercom, followed by a series of knocks.
"Leave it at the door," I shouted from the toilet.
The voice came again. "I can't. It requires a signature."
I sighed, pulled my pants up, and rushed to the door, wiping my hands on my shirt. I cracked it open and saw the delivery guy holding a large, flat package.
"Sign here," he said, holding out a tablet.
I scribbled something that looked like my name and took the package.
"Thanks," I muttered before shutting the door and walking back to the kitchen. I set the box down on the counter. No labels. No logos. Just plain brown wrapping.
Weird.
I grabbed a knife and sliced it open. Inside the big box was a smaller one—and a red envelope.
I opened the small box first. Inside the small box was a silver ring. The gem on it wasn't normal—it was purple, deep shade of purple. When I tilted it, something flashed inside. An engraving. But I couldn't quite figure out what that engraving was.
I frowned. "The hell is this?"
Next was the red envelope. Heavy paper, gold trim, handwriting that looked like someone rich had way too much time on their hands. I slid it open.
Appointment letter. Some fancy wording about being "selected" and "expected." It read more like an order than an invitation.
Underneath that was a visiting card. Black, glossy, glowing faintly like the letters were alive. A name burned on it in silver ink.
Eclipse Nightclub.
i looked the backside of it, there was an address on it along with a time and date. Tonight
"What the hell is this supposed to be? Some kind of joke?" I muttered, tossing the card on the counter.
That's when I picked up the ring again. The purple gem glowed faintly in the kitchen light, and when I held it close, I finally saw the engraving inside. A fang. A sharp, curved fang etched inside the gem.
Cold sweat prickled the back of my neck. My gut told me to throw the damn thing away. But my hand moved on its own.
I slid it onto my finger.
The metal clamped down instantly.
"Fuck!" I hissed. The ring dug into my skin like claws, the gem flaring bright purple. It burned, not on the surface, but deep inside—like fire had been poured into my veins. My knees buckled, and I slammed into the counter, gripping it hard enough to whiten my knuckles.
Then the voice came. Smooth. Calm. Almost… amused.
[HOST SYSTEM ONLINE]
[Welcome, Subject #7]
[Compatibility Confirmed]
My breathing hitched. "The fuck…?"
A flicker of light spread across my vision, not outside but inside—like a hologram only I could see. Text scrolled in front of me.
[System Functions Unlocked]
➤ Mood Scan
➤ Relationship Tracker
➤ Libido Optimization
I stared, chest heaving. My heart was beating too fast, pounding like a war drum, but at the same time I felt… lighter. Stronger. Awake in a way I'd never felt before.
The ring pulsed once, then again, like it had a heartbeat of its own, syncing with mine.
I looked down at the card on the counter. Eclipse Nightclub.
T
he gem on the ring glowed again, almost in response.
I swallowed hard, a nervous laugh catching in my throat. "This… this is insane."
But deep down, I knew. i have gotten myself into a real pain in the ass.