The bell above the café door chimed for the last time that night.
Crème & Ash finally exhaled.
The rush had died down to two customers at the window, one couple whispering over a shared slice of cake, and the espresso machine hissing like it was tired of pretending to be alive.
West wiped the counter for the third time in the same spot.
He hadn't realized he was doing it until Jax leaned over and knocked his knuckles against the wood.
"Brother," Jax said, grinning, "if you scrub that any harder, the counter's gonna file a restraining order."
West blinked. "Huh?"
"Exactly," Jax replied. "Gone. Spiritually absent. Man's soul is on airplane mode."
West forced a weak smile and straightened up. His apron felt heavier than usual, like it was dragging him down.
Jax tossed him a rag. "Take five. Mina's pretending not to notice you've been moving like a haunted NPC all shift."
West hesitated. "I'm fine."
"Yeah, and I'm Tier 3," Jax said. "Go sit."
West didn't argue.
He slid into the corner seat near the back, staring at the menu board without reading it. The café lights reflected faintly on the glass, turning his own face into a ghost staring back.
Jax joined him a moment later, carrying two paper cups.
"Hot chocolate," he said, pushing one across the table. "The emergency kind. Extra sugar."
West wrapped his hands around it automatically.
Silence sat between them for a few seconds.
Then Jax sighed, dramatically.
"So," he said. "Cafeteria drama. Tier 1 Awakening. Your girl sitting on another man's lap like she paid rent there."
West winced.
"Too soon?" Jax asked.
"Always," West muttered.
Jax leaned back. "Okay, okay. I'll behave."
He didn't.
"But seriously," Jax continued, shifting his tone just a little, "I heard about it before you even clocked in. Half the school already saw the clip."
West's expression dropped. "Figures."
"Hey," Jax said quickly, "for what it's worth? Caleb's still a walking ego with legs. Awakening didn't fix his personality—it just made it louder."
West stared into his cup. "She didn't even hesitate."
Jax shrugged. "People don't hesitate when they think they're upgrading."
That stung but it felt honest.
Jax leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Look. I'm gonna tease you because that's my job. But I'm also gonna say this once and not repeat it."
West glanced up.
"I'm here," Jax said. "Breakups suck. Public breakups suck more. Public breakups where your ex sits on a newly awakened guy's lap like a trophy?" He shook his head. "That's brutal."
West let out a slow breath.
"I keep replaying it," he admitted. "Like if I look at it from another angle, it'll make sense."
Jax snorted softly. "Yeah. Don't do that. That road only ends with you blaming yourself for someone else's choices."
West didn't respond.
Because a part of him already was.
The rest of the shift passed quietly. West worked on autopilot, muscle memory carrying him through orders and cleanup. Mina gave him a concerned look once but didn't press.
When they finally closed, Jax slung an arm over his shoulder as they stepped outside.
"You heading straight home?" Jax asked.
"Yeah."
"Good. Eat something. Sleep. Don't stalk anyone's social feed."
West huffed. "You assume I have the energy."
Jax grinned. "Fair. Tomorrow's another day."
West nodded.
Another day.
He wasn't sure what that meant anymore.
---
Home was quiet.
Too quiet.
West dropped his shoes by the door and stepped into the dim living room. The lights were off and only the glow of the city was leaking in through the windows. His father's jacket wasn't on the chair.
Not surprising.
His dad worked long hours—longer since the separation. When he was home, he was exhausted. When he wasn't, the house felt like an unfinished thought.
West went to the kitchen, opened the fridge, then closed it again.
No appetite.
He headed to his room instead.
The door clicked shut behind him, sealing him in.
Only then did he let his shoulders slump.
He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor.
[ Tier 0. Dormant. ]
The words echoed in his mind.
Slowly, cautiously, he focused.
> [Cuckhold System — Standby]
The translucent blue interface flickered into existence in front of him.
West sucked in a breath.
It was still there.
"Okay," he whispered. "So I'm not crazy."
The screen hovered steadily.
> [Host Status]
Name: West Einstein
Age: 18
Tier: 0 (Unawakened)
Affinity: 0
Cuck Points: 0
He swallowed. "Affinity with what?"
The system didn't answer.
Instead—
> [Active Quest: Locked]
Complete preliminary interaction to unlock.
West frowned. "That's it?"
No dramatic instructions.
No explanation.
He leaned back against the bed with his hands braced behind him.
The ceiling fan spun lazily overhead, letting out a whirring sound. West stared up at it with unfocused eyes and thoughts grinding against each other like dull blades.
His phone buzzed once on the nightstand. A notification he didn't check. He already knew what it would be. Another clip. Another comment. Another reminder.
West exhaled slowly through his nose.
Then his gaze drifted.
The faint blue glow was still there.
Hovering just above his knees.
> [Cuckhold System — Standby]
The word sat there, ugly and undeniable.
"Cuckhold," West murmured aloud.
Saying it felt strange. Heavy. Like admitting something shameful.
He frowned.
"I know what that word means," he said to the empty room. "I'm not an idiot."
No response.
West straightened slightly and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's when someone… gets cheated on. Replaced. Made to watch while someone else—"
He stopped.
The cafeteria flashed in his mind.
Lena on Caleb's lap.
The sound of that slap.
The laughter.
The phones raised like weapons.
West's fingers curled into the mattress.
"…takes what's yours," he finished quietly.
The blue screen flickered.
> [Cognitive Alignment Detected]
West's heart skipped.
"So that's it," he said slowly. "You're saying… this is about that."
The system panel emitted a brighter glow.
> [Affirmative.]
West let out a humorless laugh. "You picked the worst possible name."
> [Accuracy prioritized over comfort.]
His eyes narrowed.
"So what," he continued. "You activated because I got humiliated?"