The morning sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of the tiny apartment, painting long golden stripes across the worn-out carpet. Aiden Cross sat at the edge of his mattress—which was hardly more than a folded blanket—and stared at his trembling hands.
They were the hands of someone who had not slept.
Someone who was trying to understand whether the impossible could become normal.
Someone who had awakened into a life rewritten by a child's lie.
His sister's lie.
Emma, only ten years old, still slept soundly on the other side of the room, curled beneath a blanket full of patches. Her breathing was small and even, a soft rhythm that reminded him she was just a child—innocent, unaware that her casual words yesterday had changed their lives.
A mansion. A sports car. Money.
All of it had appeared in the system interface he alone could see.
None of it had materialized in the real world yet—only the potential was waiting, shimmering in the system like unopened gifts.
But Aiden knew better than to use everything at once. If Emma saw anything too strange, she might panic—or worse, someone else might discover his abilities.
And secrets like these were never safe outside a family.
A soft chime echoed in his consciousness.
"Lie Conversion System is calibrating…"
"New lie detected. Processing…"
"Synchronization complete."
Aiden froze.
New lie? When? What did Emma say now?
His heart thudded loudly as he opened the translucent system panel only he could see.
"New Lie Detected:
"My brother is the strongest guy in the whole district! No one can bully him!""
Aiden blinked.
"…What?"
He quickly stood up and walked to Emma's bed. She was still asleep—so she must have said it yesterday, before he picked her up.
Of course. It made sense. Emma always defended him whenever her classmates teased her about being poor or about Aiden working odd jobs.
Aiden swallowed hard as another notification appeared.
"Converting lie into reality…"
"Physical Enhancement Initiated"
"Strength, reflexes, and endurance increasing…"
"Progress: 67%"
Aiden staggered as warmth spread through his limbs like liquid fire. His fingers tightened involuntarily, and he accidentally cracked the wooden handle of the closet.
Damn—!
He loosened his grip immediately.
This was dangerous. Not because he disliked the power—but because he had no idea how far it went.
He forced himself to breathe.
Today, he needed to act normal.
He needed to pretend nothing had changed.
He needed to keep Emma safe.
As Emma stirred awake, rubbing her eyes sleepily, Aiden plastered on his usual tired smile.
"Morning, Em."
She yawned like a kitten. "Morning… Are we late for school?"
"No, we're early," he said softly. "Get ready. I'll walk you."
Emma nodded and hurried to get dressed, humming a tune completely unaware that every word leaving her mouth could alter the world.
I need rules, Aiden thought. I need to learn how this system works—before her next lie kills me or turns me into something I can't control.
After sending Emma to school
Aiden returned to the apartment and pulled out the system panel again.
The interface glowed with the three lies already converted:
"My brother is super strong." → Physical enhancement
"My brother is rich." → Wealth generation potential
"My brother has a sports car and a big house." → Material manifestations pending
He tapped on Manifestation Delay.
"Items will materialize when the Host meets exposure safety conditions."
Exposure safety?
Aiden frowned. Then his eyes widened as the explanation unfolded.
"To prevent suspicious changes, system will release assets slowly, logically, and within plausible circumstances."
So the system wasn't stupid—it wouldn't drop a mansion from the sky. It would create a realistic path for the lie to become truth.
Aiden exhaled in relief.
But then the next message appeared.
"Warning: Sister's lies cannot be controlled by the Host.
If contradictory lies are spoken, the system will prioritize the stronger emotional belief."
He froze.
If Emma, even accidentally, said something like—
"My brother is useless."
or
"My brother is sick."
or
"My brother is unlucky."
Would the system turn it into reality?
His stomach dropped.
He rubbed his face with both hands.
This was beyond dangerous.
This was a double-edged blade pressed against his throat.
He needed to make sure Emma never said negative things about him—not because she meant it, but because kids her age sometimes complained without thinking.
Yet he couldn't tell her the truth. She must remain unaware, or she would panic… or experiment with it.
"Aiden…"
He whispered to himself.
"You need a plan."
Later that afternoon
Aiden returned to the school gate early and leaned against the wall. He ignored the buzzing strength in his muscles and the heightened senses that made everything feel sharper—the footsteps around him, the scent of chalk dust drifting out from classroom windows, even the faint heartbeat of Emma from across the playground.
His sister finally ran out with her usual bright smile.
"Aiden!"
But before she reached him, a boy blocked her path.
Aiden stiffened instinctively.
He recognized the kid—a troublemaker from Emma's class. The boy crossed his arms and sneered.
"Emma, you lied again. Your brother isn't strong. He looks weak."
Emma puffed her cheeks angrily. "He is strong! He can lift things adults can't! You're just jealous!"
Aiden jumped inside.
Wait—WAIT—stop talking—!
But Emma continued, glaring fiercely.
"And he's super fast! Faster than our PE teacher!"
Another system notification exploded in his mind.
"New lie detected. Initiating enhancement: Speed Boost"
Aiden clenched his jaw so hard it hurt.
Damn it.
Emma didn't know. She was just defending her only family.
The boy rolled his eyes. "Then tell him to race someone!"
Emma stomped her foot. "He doesn't have time for you. He has a job. He takes care of me. He's better than you'll ever be!"
Aiden stepped in quickly before she made things even worse.
"That's enough," he said gently. "Come here, Em."
Emma ran to him immediately and grabbed his hand.
The troublemaker boy huffed and ran off.
As they walked home, Emma looked up at him with innocent confusion.
"Aiden… do people think we're lying because we're poor?"
His chest tightened.
He lifted his hand and gently patted her head.
"No. People say things because they don't know us. And because it's easy to make fun of someone different."
Emma stared at the ground. "I just want them to stop teasing you…"
Aiden felt something warm bloom inside him—a fragile emotion he had almost forgotten.
Affection.
Love.
A fierce determination.
"…Thank you," he whispered. "But next time, don't brag too much about me. It's okay to ignore them."
Emma nodded slowly.
But Aiden knew.
He knew that as long as kids pushed her, she would defend him.
And the system would keep turning her words into reality.
As night fell, Aiden lay awake on the mattress again.
This power… this system… this fragile balance…
It was going to shape their lives in ways neither of them expected.
But for the first time in years—
He wasn't afraid of tomorrow.
He was preparing for it.