The screen disappeared, fading away like it was never there.
Ethan stood in the empty park for another moment, then checked the time on his phone. Seven thirty PM. Eclipse Nightclub would just be opening now, starting to fill up with the after-work crowd.
His phone buzzed again. Maya calling for the twentieth time.
Ethan declined the call and opened his messages. His fingers moved across the keyboard quickly, typing out a single sentence.
Ethan: don't wait up
He hit send, then blocked her number completely.
Then he started walking toward downtown, toward Eclipse Nightclub, toward whatever the hell this system was leading him into.
Four years of loyalty had gotten him betrayed.
Now it was time to return the favor to the world.
~
Eclipse Nightclub sat on the corner of Fifth and Madison, its black exterior and neon purple lights making it stand out from every other building on the block.
It was the kind of place where executives went after work to pretend they were still young, where expensive cocktails cost twenty dollars and the dress code was strictly enforced.
Ethan had never been inside before. Places like this weren't for guys like him, guys who took the bus to work and bought their clothes from outlet stores.
But tonight was different.
Tonight he had a glowing screen floating in his vision that only he could see, showing him stats and missions like his life had turned into some kind of twisted video game.
[TEMPORARY CONFIDENCE BOOST: ACTIVE]
[DURATION: 4 HOURS]
Ethan could feel it working. That hollow, shaky feeling in his chest was gone, replaced by something calm. His hands weren't trembling anymore. His heart wasn't racing. He felt... steady. Focused.
The bouncer at the door, a massive guy with arms like tree trunks, looked Ethan up and down with obvious judgment. Ethan was still wearing his work clothes, cheap slacks and a button-down shirt that had seen better days.
"Cover's fifty," the bouncer said flatly.
Ethan pulled out his wallet and counted out the bills, watching his bank account drop even lower.
He had maybe three hundred dollars to his name right now, and fifty of it was going to get into a club where he didn't belong.
The bouncer took the money and stepped aside. "Enjoy your night."
Inside, Eclipse was exactly what Ethan expected. Dark lighting with purple and blue neon accents.
A long bar made of black marble stretching along one wall. Round tables scattered around a central dance floor where bodies moved to bass-heavy music. Everything looked expensive, from the crystal chandeliers to the leather booth seats.
Ethan made his way to the bar and found an empty stool near the end. The bartender, a pretty blonde with a nose ring, came over immediately.
"What can I get you?"
"Whiskey," Ethan said. "Neat."
She nodded and poured him two fingers of something amber-colored in a glass. "Twelve dollars."
Of course it was. Ethan handed over the money and took a sip. It burned going down, but in a good way.
He turned on his stool to face the club, scanning the crowd. The system screen appeared in his vision again, overlaying everything he saw.
[MISSION: SEDUCE A MARRIED WOMAN]
[TARGET SCANNER: ACTIVE]
As Ethan looked around the club, small text boxes started appearing above certain women's heads. Information only he could see.
[SINGLE] above a group of girls dancing together near the DJ booth.
[IN A RELATIONSHIP] above a woman laughing with her friends at a table.
[SINGLE] above the bartender.
[MARRIED] above a woman sitting alone at the other end of the bar.
Ethan's eyes locked on that last one. The system highlighted her with a faint golden glow that nobody else could see.
She looked like she was in her early thirties, with dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail.
She wore a black dress that hugged her curves perfectly, showing just enough skin to be interesting without being obvious. Diamond earrings caught the light every time she moved her head. A thin gold wedding band sat on her left ring finger, impossible to miss.
[TARGET IDENTIFIED]
[NAME: VICTORIA HAYES]
[AGE: 32]
[STATUS: MARRIED (5 YEARS)]
[CURRENT MOOD: LONELY / FRUSTRATED]
[WEAKNESS: NEGLECTED BY HUSBAND / CRAVES ATTENTION]
[SUCCESS PROBABILITY: 68%]
Ethan stared at the information floating above her head. This was insane. Completely insane.
[APPROACH TARGET? Y/N]
Ethan took another drink of whiskey, draining half the glass in one go. The confidence boost from the system was still active, making everything feel possible instead of terrifying.
"Yes," he muttered under his breath.
[SYSTEM ASSISTANCE: ACTIVE]
[RECOMMENDED OPENING: COMMENT ON HER DRINK, NOT HER APPEARANCE]
[TONE: CASUAL / SLIGHTLY MYSTERIOUS]
Ethan stood up from his stool and walked down the bar toward Victoria. His legs felt steady. His hands weren't shaking. The confidence boost was doing its job.
He sat down on the empty stool next to her, not too close but close enough to talk. Victoria glanced at him briefly, then went back to stirring her drink, something pink with ice and a lime wedge.
"Cosmopolitan?" Ethan asked, nodding at her glass.
Victoria looked at him again, this time with a bit more interest. "Close. It's a French Martini."
"Ah." Ethan smiled slightly. "Champagne and pineapple, right? Classy choice."
Her eyebrow raised just a little. "Most guys wouldn't know that."
"Most guys don't pay attention to details."
[+2 CHARM]
[TARGET INTEREST: INCREASED]
Victoria turned on her stool to face him properly now, studying him with dark brown eyes that were sharp and intelligent. "And you do?"
"When it matters," Ethan said. He held out his hand. "I'm Ethan."
She hesitated for just a second, then shook his hand. Her grip was firm, confident. "Victoria."
Her wedding ring pressed against his palm. She didn't pull away quickly.
[PHYSICAL CONTACT ESTABLISHED]
[+3 CHARM]
"So what brings you to Eclipse on a Wednesday night, Victoria?" Ethan asked, releasing her hand and picking up his whiskey glass again.
Victoria's expression shifted slightly, something guarded closing off behind her eyes. "Just needed to get out for a while. Clear my head."
[SYSTEM ANALYSIS: MARITAL PROBLEMS CONFIRMED]
[RECOMMENDED RESPONSE: SYMPATHETIC BUT NOT INVASIVE]
"Rough day?" Ethan asked.
"Rough year, more like." Victoria took a long sip of her drink, then seemed to catch herself. "Sorry. You don't want to hear about my problems."
"Maybe I do," Ethan said. "Sometimes it's easier to talk to strangers. There's no judgment. No history."
Victoria studied him for a moment, like she was trying to figure out if he was being genuine or just running game. Finally, she smiled.
"You're different from the usual guys who try to talk to me here."
"How so?"
"Most of them lead with some terrible pickup line or comment about my looks." She gestured at herself. "Like I don't know what I look like. Like that's supposed to impress me."
[SYSTEM NOTE: AVOID PHYSICAL COMPLIMENTS - SHE VALUES INTELLIGENCE]
"Sounds exhausting," Ethan said.
"It really is." Victoria finished her drink and signaled the bartender for another. "What about you? What brings you here?"
Good question. Ethan couldn't exactly say "I'm here because a magical system told me to seduce you so I can get revenge on my cheating ex-girlfriend."
"Honestly?" Ethan said. "I'm trying to figure out what comes next."
"Next after what?"
"After realizing the life you thought you had was completely fake."
The words came out more honest than he had intended, and for a second Ethan thought he bad said too much, and possibly scared her off.
But Victoria's expression softened. "I know that feeling."
[EMOTIONAL CONNECTION ESTABLISHED]
[+5 CHARM]
[SUCCESS PROBABILITY: 74%]
They talked for the next hour.
Victoria told him about her job as a corporate lawyer, how she worked sixty-hour weeks and barely had time for anything else.
She told him about her husband, Marcus, a financial advisor who was "always working late" and "too tired" when he got home.
She didn't say it directly, but Ethan could read between the lines. Her husband was neglecting her. Probably cheating on her. Definitely taking her for granted.
Just like Maya had done to him.
"I'm sorry," Victoria said suddenly, laughing a little. "I'm dumping all of this on you and we just met. You must think I'm insane."
"I think you're lonely," Ethan said. "And I think your husband's an idiot for making you feel that way."
[CRITICAL HIT]
[+10 CHARM]
[SUCCESS PROBABILITY: 89%]
Victoria's breath caught slightly. "That's... that's exactly it. Lonely. Even when he's right there next to me, I feel lonely."
"You deserve better than that," Ethan said quietly.
The music shifted, something slower and heavier with a deep bass line that vibrated through the floor. Victoria glanced toward the dance floor, then back at Ethan.
"Do you dance?" she asked.
[OPPORTUNITY DETECTED]
[ACCEPT INVITATION]
"With the right partner," Ethan said, standing up and offering his hand.
Victoria smiled and took his hand.
They moved to the dance floor, weaving between other couples until they found a spot near the back where the lights were dimmer. The music was loud enough that conversation was impossible, which was fine. They didn't need words right now.
Victoria turned and pressed her back against Ethan's chest, moving to the rhythm of the music. His hands found her waist naturally, holding her steady as they swayed together.
This close, he could smell her perfume, somethimg expensive and floral. He could feel the warmth of her body through the thin fabric of her dress. Could see the wedding ring on her finger as her hands covered his.
She was married. She belonged to someone else. And she was pressing herself against him like her husband didn't exist.
[PHYSICAL ESCALATION: SUCCESSFUL]
[+8 CHARM]
[SUCCESS PROBABILITY: 95%]
Victoria turned in his arms so they were face to face now, her hands sliding up to rest on his shoulders. They were close enough that he could feel her breath on his neck.
"I shouldn't be doing this," Victoria whispered, but she didn't pull away.
"Then don't," Ethan said. "Go home to your husband."
She looked up at him, her dark eyes conflicted. For a second, Ethan thought she actually would leave. Thought his mission would fail on the first night.
But then Victoria grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down into a kiss.
It was desperate and hungry, like she had been starving for this kind of attention for years. Her lips were soft and tasted like pineapple from her drink. Her body pressed against his fully now, no space left between them.
Ethan kissed her back just as hard, his hands tightening on her waist. The club, the music, the other people, all of it faded away until there was just this moment, this married woman in his arms who wanted him more than she wanted her wedding vows.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Victoria's eyes were wide and her cheeks were flushed.
"I—" she started, but Ethan cut her off.
"Do you want to get out of here?"
Victoria bit her lip, clearly torn. Her fingers played with her wedding ring nervously. "I'm staying at the Regent Hotel. Room 847. My husband and I... we had a fight. I've been there for three days."
[INVITATION RECEIVED]
[MISSION COMPLETION: IMMINENT]
"Give me the address," Ethan said. "I'll meet you there in twenty minutes."
Victoria nodded, still looking dazed.
She pulled out her phone with shaking hands and sent him the hotel information. Then she looked up at him one more time, like she was making sure this was real.
"Twenty minutes," she repeated. "Room 847."
Then she turned and walked toward the exit, weaving through the crowd without looking back.
Ethan stood there on the dance floor, his heart pounding, his mind racing. The system screen appeared in his vision again.
[MISSION STATUS: 95% COMPLETE]
[PROCEED TO REGENT HOTEL]
[FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED]
Ethan pulled out his phone and called an Uber. His hands were steady. His confidence was high. The rage from earlier was still there, burning quiet and cold beneath everything else.
Maya had betrayed him. Had made him feel worthless and pathetic.
Now he was about to make a married woman betray her husband.
And it felt fucking good.
The Uber arrived ten minutes later. Ethan climbed into the back seat and gave the driver the address.
"Regent Hotel," the driver confirmed, pulling away from the curb.
Ethan stared out the window at the city lights blurring past, his reflection staring back at him in the glass.
He barely recognized the man looking back.