After much thought, only one reply seemed to be the best.
"I'll be working with Naya on a project," Caleb said, his voice calm but calculated after a long pause.
"Crazy! How the hell did you manage to pull that off in such a short time?" Gideon asked, nearly choking on his drink as the drunken glaze in his eyes cleared instantly, replaced by raw disbelief.
He leaned forward, eyes wide. "You serious?"
"I just had a talk with her. Turns out she was looking for a male model to feature on the next magazine cover with her. She didn't like the current partner, so I offered to help her find someone more suitable," Caleb explained casually, sinking deeper into the plush leather seat of Gideon's car, the city lights casting fleeting shadows across his face.
"That's insane. If I didn't already know how sharp you are, I'd think you were full of shit. You pulled that off with just one conversation?" Gideon whistled, shaking his head. "Dude, that's elite-level charisma."
So what's the plan now?
That same question echoed through Caleb's mind like a relentless beat.
He had finally succeeded in getting Naya's attention—more than that, he had broken past her guarded exterior. But the system had revealed something far more dangerous than he'd initially imagined.
The "Cardholders" weren't just wealthy influencers or lucky elites.
They were players in a deadly, supernatural game—a game rigged with hidden rules, mysterious dreams, and a ticking clock.
And somewhere in that chaos… someone was already targeting Naya.
A rival cardholder.
He had to kill them.
But how?
He didn't have any abilities, no supernatural card of his own. He wasn't a combatant. Hell, until two days ago, the most violent thing he had done was argue with his siblings over inheritance rights.
"I'll need to meet with her again," Caleb murmured, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Get more information—understand the kind of man she'd want next to her."
And maybe... understand the threat she's really facing.
Gideon chuckled, mistaking Caleb's introspection for hesitation. "My best friend's finally becoming a man."
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Caleb asked, smirking.
"You know exactly what I mean," Gideon grinned, folding his arms. "You were a full-blown simp before. Gushing over Naya's pictures like a lost puppy. Didn't think you'd ever grow the balls to talk to her, let alone work with her."
Despite the alcohol fogging his words, Caleb knew there was truth in Gideon's teasing.
The previous Caleb had been pathetic.
Timid.
Entitled but too scared to claim what was his. Still haunted by his mother's death, he had used it as an excuse to distance himself from his father's shadow and squandered opportunities most would kill for.
But that Caleb was gone.
'I'll use your wealth to bring you down,' Caleb thought, a dark flicker crossing his mind. 'And I'll do it with style.'
He turned his gaze to the window, watching the glow of passing streetlights streak across the tinted glass like golden fireflies. This world—this new life—had offered him a twisted second chance.
And Naya?
She was going to be the first stone in his path to power.
But he wouldn't be cruel.
Helping her survive this coming storm was the least he could do. She didn't deserve to die—not like this.
---
Not far away, the night city stretched like a tapestry of neon dreams and lurking nightmares. Inside a sleek, black sportscar parked at the edge of a private lot, Naya reclined against the cool leather seat, her mind far from the luxury surrounding her.
'How long has it been…?' she thought, staring blankly at the dashboard.
Her encounter with Caleb kept playing in her mind, looping like a song she couldn't get out of her head.
It had been brief.
Unexpected.
But strangely soothing.
He didn't pity her.
Didn't act like she was weak.
He spoke to her with a calm confidence, even in the face of things he clearly didn't understand. Not fully. But there was no fear in his eyes.
Only resolve.
She remembered the weight of that gaze—focused, direct. Like he had already accepted his fate, and was ready to carve through whatever came his way.
'That drive... It's different from the others. Real.'
For the first time in a long while, she felt... seen.
Safe, even.
It was strange. Unsettling.
She was always focused on her ambitions, her goals. She'd clawed her way to the top of the modeling industry, used every connection, every trick the card allowed her.
When the opportunity came—to have everything she ever wanted—she took it. No hesitation.
But no one had warned her about the price.
Even now, with her dreams close enough to taste, she felt... hollow.
'I never planned to live this life alone,' she realized. 'I just never had time to think about it.'
She caught herself smiling as Caleb's face surfaced in her mind again. Her cheeks flushed, and she clicked her tongue.
"Tch. That confidence of his…"
It annoyed her. And intrigued her. And—
The image of him interrupted her thoughts.
Her smile disappeared instantly.
Nathan Brook.
Even his name sent a chill down her spine.
She clenched her fists, remembering the last time she'd seen him. The way he had held her wrist—like a snake wrapping itself around prey.
She had tried to use her card's ability to manipulate their deal. It was subtle, but powerful. A manipulation of perception and emotional tilt. Enough to turn a negotiation into a win before the other party realized it.
But it didn't work.
He caught her.
Physically stopped her.
"Naya Lucy... The Empress cardholder," he'd said with that smirk. "To think I'd finally get to meet you. I suppose X really wanted to bless me this time."
She had never felt so powerless.
"I won't be going to that horror dream for quite some time," he had whispered, his grip tightening. "Please, stay alive a little longer. You'll be needed."
Every word had dripped with condescension. Superiority.
She hated him.
Nathan wasn't just another rival cardholder—he was above her.
Stronger. More experienced. More influential.
He had started his rise around the same time as her. She thought it was coincidence—until she dug deeper.
It wasn't.
Everything about him had been calculated. Positioned.
'Seven days left...' she reminded herself, her stomach knotting. The True Dream was approaching.
Once that began, everything would change.
She had to survive until then.
She had to win.
'We need to talk again,' she thought, her mind circling back to Caleb. 'Before it's too late.'
Then something flickered in the corner of her eye.
Movement.
Distant.
Almost unnoticeable.
But she was trained to notice.
Her instincts sharpened.
She sat up quickly, eyes narrowing as the shape moved through the shadows of the adjacent alleyway.
Not just a drunk.
Not a civilian.
A silhouette cloaked in deliberate stealth.
Her heart skipped.
"STOP!" she shouted, hand already reaching under the passenger seat where a slim, metallic case lay hidden.
But it was already too late.
---
{Author note}
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Hey, my dear readers!
I hope you've been enjoying the story so far! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the recent chapters—so don't be shy, leave a review and let me know what you think!
Also, a three-chapter mass release is coming soon!
We'll unlock an extra chapter if we hit 100 Power Stones next week!
Let's make it happen!
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