Pretty please add this story to your library.One click = one chaotic queen gets paid.
The scent of pine lingered in the sealed office—cool, sharp, faintly medicinal.
His palm pressed against the wall beside her head. The heat of it bled through her skin. Calloused from years of weaponry and war. A soldier's hands.
Avery lifted her chin, voice bright and determined.
"Commander, I—Avery Blake—am a certified C-rank Esper! Former elite accounting student, recently awakened, possibly upgraded by unknown supernatural interference!"
She threw her arms wide with mock grandeur.
"Limited edition! One-of-one! Custom build, zero warranty, extra chaos included!"
If he knew how much I actually need this money, he'd laugh me out the building.
Her eyes sparkled. "Please hire me. High salary. I promise—ridiculous return on investment."
The ice crusting the desk began to melt.
The room temperature dropped ten degrees.
Soren Wolfe's body leaned forward—by exactly three degrees.
Avery noticed. Of course she noticed.
She turned on her brightest, most job-interview-winning smile. "From the moment I saw you, I knew. That aura—true leadership."
She slipped seamlessly into CEO-sales-mode.The cadence. The tone. The rhythm of persuasion—like breathing.
Who is this man? she'd thought the first moment she saw him.
Now?
She was running the Avery Blake Industrial-Grade Verbal Domination Protocol™.Sweet voice. Strong pacing. Strategic emotional layering.
Thirty minutes later—
The last sheet of ice cracked—along with the final inch of distance he'd pretended to keep.
Avery strutted out of the office with a new black card tucked into her coat like a war medal.
She practically floated down the hall.
✔️ Achievement Unlocked: Employed & Financially Dangerous
She rubbed her fingers together like a tiny evil raccoon.This was a celebration moment.
If this world had Marlboros, I'd be lighting one with flair and blowing smoke rings at the ceiling.
Back in the office, Soren Wolfe hadn't moved.
His gaze stayed fixed through the glass, tracking her retreating figure.
Keeping a high-risk unknown close for surveillance made perfect sense.
And yet…Why the hell did I just give her an advance worth twenty years of factory work?
A C-rank with A-rank potential.A liar with no lies.A mystery with no tells.
What game are you playing, Avery Blake?
His fingers slowly curled into a fist, as if remembering the ghost of her touch.
All psionic scans came back clean. No anomalies. No deception.But that power surge... her body had upgraded itself in real time.
Just what the hell are you?
Meanwhile, Avery was humming to herself as she strolled through the tree-lined streets of Emberfield.
Golden sunlight filtered through the sycamores.Neat graystone buildings, low-rise. Asphalt roads. Locals chatting in mixed dialects.
It felt... almost normal.
"Six months to live? Try six months to thrive."
She sang in her head like a broken Disney princess:
🎵 LUSTRA~ my sweet little 007~ Borrow me something to block psionic scans, yeah? 🎵
[System Shop not unlocked. Item unavailable.]
"I'm not buying, I'm borrowing. You know you have it."
She ducked into a convenience store, grinning like a criminal on payday.
[Psionic Cloaking Charm: 500,000 Federation Credits.]
"Oho! You do have it. LUSTRA, you sexy little algorithm."
[Affection parameter increased. Note: This changes nothing.]
"Don't play hard to get. You're all I've got in this psionic-probe-infested hellscape. If you leave me, I'm toast."
[But—]
"007," she whispered with melodramatic pain."This cruel world. This chaotic system. My poor, fragile heart."
Ten minutes later—
A transparent cube shimmered into her hand.
[Item Acquired: Psionic Cloaking Charm][Usage: Carry on person. Blocks Psionic scans below High Tier.]
Avery blinked.
Did… did LUSTRA just sound defeated?
Did her system actually have feelings?
She beamed, threading the cube onto a red string she bought from a street stall.
"LUSTRA, you're incredible. I couldn't have asked for a better partner."
The crystal pendant shimmered in soft rainbow hues under the sunlight.
Her new boss wouldn't leave until noon. Then they'd head to the capital.
She passed a bank. Curiosity struck.
Tap.
1,000,000 credits.
Avery twirled in place like a girl in a detergent commercial.
"I'm rich!" she declared to the sky.
Beautiful. Young. Superpowered.
And now? Financially armed.
She all but skipped down the street.
The looming death countdown?Not her problem today.
She hummed off-key as she walked, unstoppable:
🎵 Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day… 🎵