The system interface shimmered softly before Leena's inner vision.
A single object rested at the center.
Small.Simple.Yet impossible.
A blue pill.
"D-level reward revealed," the system stated.
Leena focused on it.
"What does it do?" she asked quietly.
"Upon consumption," the system replied,"it will restore approximately twenty percent of lost bodily function."
Leena's breath caught.
Twenty percent.
It wasn't a miracle.
It wasn't a cure.
But—
Her eyes widened as realization struck her.
"My mother…" she whispered.
Even twenty percent meant something.
The ability to feel.
To move a finger.
To sit with support.
To breathe with less strain.
Hope—real hope—flooded her chest for the first time since the accident.
Tears burned her eyes, but she didn't let them fall.
She smiled instead.
A small, genuine smile.
"Thank you," she said softly.
The system did not respond.
Then, without warning—
"New mission issued."
The words appeared sharply.
Mission: Take revenge on John.Reward: D-level reward box.
Leena stared at the objective.
Her smile faded.
Revenge.
Once, the word would have scared her.
Now—it felt calm.
Inevitable.
She closed the interface.
Morning came quietly.
Leena washed her face, changed her clothes, and stepped out to the small hospital café.
She ate breakfast slowly this time.
The food no longer felt like ash.
After that, she went home.
The house felt empty.
Too quiet.
She packed a few clothes for herself, gathered some essentials, and took one last look around.
Nothing had changed.
Yet everything had.
By afternoon, she returned to the hospital.
The ward was calm.
Visitors were sparse.
Nurses moved quietly from bed to bed.
When no one was watching, Leena stepped closer to her mother.
Lussy lay still, eyes half-open, breathing steady.
Leena's fingers trembled as she took out the blue pill.
So small.
So much hope.
She hesitated only for a second.
Then gently placed it into her mother's mouth.
The moment it touched—
It melted.
Vanished like mist.
No swallowing.
No resistance.
Leena stepped back, heart pounding.
Seconds passed.
Then minutes.
Nothing happened.
No movement.
No reaction.
Her chest tightened.
Did it fail?
She swallowed her fear and returned to her chair.
Sat down.
Waited.
She opened her laptop, trying to steady herself.
Now that the money issue was solved, reality crept back in.
Her laptop was old.
Slow.
Cracked at the edges.
Her phone barely held charge.
She stared at the screen thoughtfully.
"I'll need new tools," she murmured.
A new laptop.
A new phone.
Better security.
Better speed.
She glanced once more at her mother
Leena glanced once more at her mother.
Still quiet.Still unmoving.
But she did not feel helpless.
Not anymore.
She closed the laptop slowly.
The first step was clear.
Bitcoin.
The money John had sent still sat untouched in a digital wallet—clean, silent, dangerous. She knew better than to move it carelessly. Too fast, and it could attract attention. Too slow, and opportunities would slip away.
She would convert it in pieces.
Carefully.
Untraceable paths.
Multiple exchanges.
False transaction trails.
The system did not need to remind her—she already knew how.
Next—tools.
A new laptop.
A new phone.
Secure.
Fast.
Disposable if needed.
Only then—
Revenge.
As the thought crossed her mind, a strange sensation crept up her spine.
A pressure.
Like unseen eyes resting on her back.
Leena's fingers paused.
She slowly looked around the ward.
Nothing.
Nurses moved as usual.
Visitors whispered.
Machines beeped steadily.
Yet the feeling remained.
Someone is watching, she thought.
Not fear.
Instinct.
She made a decision.
The hospital bills could wait.
Paying them immediately would create a trail.
A signal.
She wouldn't move until she was sure.
Just then—
Her phone rang.
The sudden sound cut through the silence.
Leena looked at the screen.
Riya.
Her best friend.
She hadn't spoken to her since the accident.
Leena answered.
"Hello."
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end.
"Leena?" Riya said, startled. "Is… is that you?"
"Yes."
Her voice was steady.
Controlled.
Not the soft, timid tone Riya remembered.
Riya hesitated.
"I heard about what happened," she said quickly. "I'm so sorry. I was abroad—I just got back today. I tried calling earlier but—"
"I know," Leena replied calmly.
Another pause.
"Where are you now?" Riya asked. "Tell me. I'll come immediately."
Leena didn't answer right away.
She stared at the hospital floor.
Thoughts moved rapidly behind her eyes.
Riya was rich.
Well-connected.
Untouched by suspicion.
And she trusted Leena completely.
An idea formed.
Slowly.
Dangerous.
Useful.
"Okay," Leena said at last.
Riya let out a breath of relief.
"Where?"
"There's a café outside the hospital," Leena replied."Near the main gate."
"I'll be there in ten minutes," Riya said.
The call ended.
Leena lowered the phone.
Her reflection stared back at her from the dark screen.
The girl who once avoided eye contact…
Who hesitated before speaking…
Who depended on others—
Was gone.
In her place sat someone colder.
Sharper.
Someone who understood that survival required planning.
Leena stood up.
The system interface flickered faintly at the edge of her vision.
Unspoken.
Watching.
Just like whoever else might be.
She turned toward the exit.
Step by step.
The game had already begun.
Riya arrived at the café exactly ten minutes later.
She stood near the entrance, scanning the area anxiously.
Families.
Doctors.
Students.
Then she saw her.
Leena sat alone in the far corner, back straight, hands folded on the table. Her posture was calm—too calm. The soft, hesitant girl Riya remembered was nowhere to be seen.
Riya walked over quickly and sat across from her.
For a few seconds, she just stared.
"You've changed," Riya finally said.
Leena met her gaze without blinking.
"People change," she replied, her voice cool."And sometimes, they have to."
Riya felt a strange chill.
This wasn't the Leena who used to lower her eyes when speaking.
Leena leaned forward slightly.
"I need your help," she said. "Can you do it?"
Riya didn't hesitate.
"Tell me what you need," she said firmly. "If it's something my family's influence can handle, I'll make it happen."
Leena nodded once.
"I need one million rupees."
Riya froze.
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
Before she could react, Leena continued.
"It's not charity," she said evenly."I'll give you something in return."
Riya frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I can exchange Bitcoin," Leena said."Equal value."
Riya's eyes widened.
"But officially," Leena added, lowering her voice,"it must look like you lent me the money."
Silence fell between them.
Riya stared at Leena as if seeing her for the first time.
"This…" she whispered, "this doesn't sound like you."
Leena said nothing.
"Where did you even get Bitcoin?" Riya asked softly.
Still—no answer.
Leena held her gaze.
"Can you do it," she asked again,"or not?"
Riya looked down at her hands.
After a long moment, she sighed.
"I can," she said. "But I'll need my brother's help."
"Mmm," Leena replied.
Riya pulled out her phone and stepped aside.
Leena watched her quietly.
No impatience.
No anxiety.
Just waiting.
A minute later, Riya returned.
She nodded.
"He said okay."
Leena exhaled slowly.
"Good."
Across the city—
Inside a vast mansion surrounded by silent gardens, a young man stood near a window, phone still in his hand.
Ryan.
Riya's elder brother.
Tall.
Sharp-featured.
Calm eyes that missed nothing.
He had just ended the call.
Leena.
The name lingered in his thoughts.
He remembered her faintly—a quiet girl who stood behind his sister, shy and withdrawn, barely speaking.
But this request…
One million.
Bitcoin.
Discretion.
A slow smile touched his lips.
"She's not who she used to be," he murmured.
Interest flickered in his eyes.
"Interesting."
And somewhere, far away, Leena sat in a café, unaware that her next move had already drawn new eyes toward her.