Judas didn't sleep.
Not because he didn't try, but because sleeping is difficult when a hot woman who appeared from purple fire is sprawled across your couch at 3 a.m., humming to herself while flipping through your old college textbooks like she's critiquing the lore.
"I see why you don't study. It doesn't justify being a bankrupt gambler, but I at least see the appeal of the nightlife." She snickered kicking her feet.
Her hair spilled over the cushion like ink, her cleavage bare through a loose shirt.
Any guy on campus would've sold their soul, GPA, and possibly their left lung for a date with this girl.
And here she was. In his apartment.At three in the morning.
Gorgeous.
Entitled.
Annoying.
"When did I invite you over here?" Judas groaned.
Normally, a situation like this would've been the kind of thing he'd brag about for the rest of his life.
But right now, he was too tired to survive the sight of her stretched out like that.
"You can go… I have to be awake in four hours."
"Hm. No arguments here. Clean your apartment Judas." Sera stood up her body beginning to fade into purple light.
"See you soon then, okay?" she said, already halfway transparent.
A few purple sparks crackled off her fingertips as she tapped his forehead.
"Try not to die before then."
And just like that, she was gone leaving behind her perfume, a warm dent on his couch, and a migraine.
***
By the time Judas dragged himself across the UNLV courtyard the next morning, he looked like a sleep-deprived extra from a zombie film.
Hoodie up. Hands in pockets. Backpack hanging open.
A certified background character.
He kept to himself at UNLV. Always had.
He didn't join clubs. He didn't talk in lecture halls. He didn't socialize.
He sat alone in the back row, studied occasionally, and blended into the environment like a poorly installed texture.
Today was supposed to be the same.
He pushed open the door to his 8 a.m. arithmetic class—
—and froze.
Sitting in the third row, legs crossed, wearing a black choker and a UNLV hoodie that she absolutely did not own yesterday…
…was Sera.
She waved.
A few students glanced at her, giving confused expressions.
"Why's she waving at him?" He heard one ask, as if any girl giving him attention broke all logic.
But she was here, and that was impossible.
Judas knew every face in this class because he spent 12 weeks avoiding them.
Judas whispered, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Sera patted the seat beside her. "Come sit. I'm enrolled now."
"No you're not— you weren't here yesterday."
"Yesterday and today are different days," she said innocently.
"That's not— Sera, that's not an explanation. It's the fucking middle of the semester…!"
He reluctantly sat, looking around like someone might call security on the strange new girl. No one did. A guy even smiled at her.
She leaned toward Judas.
Voice low. Controlled. Amused.
"The system aligned reality."
"…aligned reality?"
"Yes. Because I'm your Guide, I require proximity. So the system wrote me into your environment. What's a guide if she can't be close to her player?" She shrugged. "So, now I'm a student. Basically."
He stared at her like she'd just announced she was ending the world.
"You forged an academic record."
She shook her head. "Forgery is lying. The system edited cause and effect."
"Sera. That is so much worse."
"Not my department," she said with a smile. "I'm here to help."
"That's debatable. Part of me feels like you're enjoying this a little too much. What are you?"
"Tsk tsk, new players can't get the end game spoilers at the start."
The professor entered with a stack of midterms, dropping them onto the desk with the enthusiasm of someone who hated mornings.
"Phones away. Eyes forward. Test begins in two minutes."
Judas groaned inwardly.
He hadn't studied. He wasn't going to pass.
A system death game AND a midterm in one week.
There is no god.
Sera nudged him. "Don't forget about your quest. Far more important than those pieces of paper."
He glared. "A what?"
"Your quest started at midnight. When you win a jackpot, you must complete a quest to claim your rewards Judas…"
His blood pressure jumped so fast he felt it in his teeth.
"…I'm sorry?"
She tapped her desk. "Your first major quest. It's active. Timer's ticking."
"What's the quest?!"
Her smile widened. "You'll find out. About… right now actually."
His fingers tightened around his pencil. "Sera, I swear—"
The classroom door opened again.
Amelia Hart walked in.
UNLV's golden girl.
The campus idol.
Blonde curls. Perfect posture. A face that made underclassmen rethink their GPA.
The room shifted around her like everyone subconsciously brightened.
Judas sat up straighter out of reflex, then immediately tried to look normal again.
He wasn't shocked. People reacted when Amelia entered a room.
He had no idea what Sera meant or if it had anything to do with her.
Yet.
Sera hummed. "Pretty, right?"
"Don't start," Judas muttered.
A soft chime stabbed into his ears.
Then another.
Then—
[JUDAS CROWN – FIRST MAJOR QUEST LOADED]
[ROUND 1 OBJECTIVE INITIALIZED]
[DIFFICULTY: NORMAL]
[TIME LIMIT: 5 DAYS]
His pencil slipped from his hands.
Text flashed itself across his vision.
[TARGET: AMELIA HART]
[OBJECTIVE: MAKE HER FALL]
[TIME REMAINING: 5 DAYS]
[FAILURE: PENALTY]
[PENALTY: NOT DISCLOSED]
[REWARD: CLAIM JACKPOT, 441XP]
Judas' jaw unhinged.
Sera, of course, looked delighted.
"Oh look," she whispered, "there she is."
Judas whispered hoarsely, "THAT'S the quest?! THAT'S the major quest?!"
The UI faded before new letters formed:
[QUEST BEGIN.]
Amelia turned slightly at the noise.
Her eyes met Judas' as she walked past.
"Staring is a bit rude you know. You should probably focus on your test. I don't recall ever seeing your name in the class rankings." Amelia huffed indignantly.
"Tch. As high and mighty as the rumors say."
Judas snapped back.
Amelia smiled mischievously, almost pleasantly surprised that he had matched her tone.
"Try not to fail NEET."
With a flick of her hair, Amelia paced through the class and sat down with poise, all eyes on her just like always.
Sera leaned back, smug as ever.
"Well, my little player, I'm not sure if that was the best start," she murmured.
Judas gulped.
He was so, so completely doomed.