The next morning felt… soft.
Not quiet like fear. Not empty like before.
Soft, like the sheets tangled around me. Like the sunlight pooling on the floorboards. Like the warmth I hadn't realized was coming from Kian sleeping on the couch, one arm thrown over his eyes.
I smiled, just a little.
He hadn't left me alone last night. Even when I said I didn't need him to stay.
He stayed anyway.
The system pinged gently as I stretched beneath the covers.
📢 System Notification[Birthday Task: Create a Comfort Wishlist]🎯 Reward: +80 Points💡 Tip: Items can be emotional or physical. Honesty = better gift matching.
I rubbed my eyes and sat up. A wishlist?
For what? Stuff? Feelings? Experiences?
I'd never made one before. Most of my lists started with "Find rice" and ended with "Don't die."
But now…
Maybe I could try.
By the time Kian woke up — groggy and slightly disheveled in the best way — I was curled up in the sun-drenched window seat with the system interface floating in front of me.
"You look like you're plotting something," he said, voice still thick with sleep.
"I am," I replied.
He blinked. "Should I be worried?"
I snorted. "Only if you hate scented candles and fluffy socks."
He arched a brow. "That's... not what I expected, but noted."
I turned the screen slightly so he couldn't see it. "It's private."
"Is it?" he asked, voice dipping low. "System stuff?"
I stiffened — but only for a second. "Maybe."
He didn't push. Just walked over and handed me a steaming cup of oat tea without a word. Same kind as before. Sweet, mild, cinnamon-warm.
"Thanks," I mumbled, cheeks warm.
📃 Comfort Wishlist (Draft)
A real birthday cake
Comfy oversized hoodie
An afternoon with no tasks
Books. So many books.
Something to make the room smell like vanilla
A photo of the city from high up
To laugh without flinching
To fall asleep with someone humming beside me
My chest ached reading that last one. I didn't even remember when I'd typed it. Maybe it slipped out while the system watched me think.
✅ Task Complete: Comfort Wishlist Created+80 Points🎁 Personalization Score Improved💫 Bond Energy: 22.8%
Later that day, Kian vanished for "a thing," which sounded suspiciously like "secret birthday prep," but I didn't press.
Instead, I wandered back into the massive kitchen. I was halfway through trying to figure out the coffee machine when a message popped up.
📦 Incoming Delivery:"You Said You Liked Books."
The doorbell rang.
A staff member dropped off a box bigger than me.
Inside?
Not just books.
A massive, puffy blanket hoodie — forest green and lined with fleece. A small electric oil diffuser with vanilla pods. A bundle of handwritten letters tied in a ribbon — no names, just messages from authors to their readers.
And at the very bottom:
A polaroid camera.
Still in its box. With a note.
"Use it when you're ready to start remembering the good stuff."– K
I sank into the couch, hoodie pulled over my knees, hands smelling like vanilla, eyes full and aching and overwhelmed in the best way.
📢 Bonus Task Unlocked:"Capture your first good memory"🎯 Reward: +100 Points📷 Hint: Don't forget to smile.