The judges' deliberation felt like it stretched into eternity. Ethan sat at the long table with the other presenters, palms clammy against his knees. Lily squeezed his hand beneath the table, grounding him.
Finally, the head judge—a silver-haired woman with a sharp gaze—stood with the microphone.
"Tonight we've seen innovation, passion, and courage. Every project here represents a glimpse of the future. But we must select our winners."
Ethan's chest tightened.
"In third place… Aria Vega, with her bio-dome nutrient recycler."
Polite applause. A young woman with short hair and fiery eyes rose gracefully, though Ethan caught the flash of frustration in her face.
"In second place… Ethan Cole, with the Nano-Repair Kit."
Applause thundered, louder this time. Ethan blinked, stunned. He'd placed.
"First place," the judge concluded, "goes to Martin Keane, with the modular energy cells project."
Cheers followed.
Ethan clapped along, dazed. Second place. Fifty thousand might have been first prize, but second still carried a ten-thousand-dollar grant and, more importantly, introductions to investors.
The system lens flickered.
> **\[Quest Update: Partial Success.]**
> Reward: 100 Points + Resource Unlock.]
> Penalty Mitigated. New Objective Generated.]
A schematic hovered briefly in his vision—sleek, glowing blue. *Advanced Fabricator Blueprint.*
Ethan's heart thudded. Another step forward.
But when he glanced at Martin—the so-called winner—his stomach twisted. Something was off.
---
Lily
She leaned close to Ethan as the applause faded. "That was amazing."
"Second place," he murmured, eyes shadowed.
"Second is still huge."
"Not when first was stolen."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
Ethan's jaw clenched. "Martin Keane. He's no rookie. That design—too polished. Too convenient. Harland's fingerprints are all over it."
Lily followed his gaze. Martin was shaking hands with the judges, his smile tight, controlled.
Her pulse quickened. Ethan might be paranoid, but her gut told her he wasn't wrong.
"Then he's already here," she whispered.
---
Harland swirled his scotch, phone to his ear. Martin's voice buzzed from the other end.
"First place, just like you wanted," Martin said. "The Nano-kit came close. Too close."
Harland chuckled, low and satisfied. "Good. Keep an eye on him. If he's that much of a threat this early, I want him where I can see him. Feed him just enough scraps to make him think he's progressing. And when he's too tangled to move…"
He let the silence finish the thought.
"Yes, sir," Martin said.
Harland hung up, gaze sweeping over the city lights. The boy thought he'd scored a victory. In truth, he'd just stepped deeper into the trap.
---
The award ceremony blurred. Cameras flashed. Investors mingled. Ethan forced himself through polite conversations, but his mind churned.
Second place wasn't the issue. It was Martin.
The man cornered him near the refreshments table, smile smooth as glass.
"Congratulations," Martin said, extending a hand. "Your kit was impressive. Revolutionary, really."
Ethan shook the hand stiffly. "Thanks."
"Word of advice," Martin continued smoothly, lowering his voice. "This is a brutal industry. Big ideas attract big predators. Align yourself with the right backers, and you'll soar. Cross the wrong ones…" He shrugged.
Ethan's blood ran cold. *This is Harland's man. Has to be.*
Before he could respond, another voice cut in.
"Or you can tell the vultures to shove it and build something real."
Ethan turned. It was the girl from earlier—Aria Vega, the third-place winner. Up close, she was striking, her gaze fierce, her presence magnetic.
Martin's smile thinned. "Ah. The eco-engineer."
Aria ignored him, focusing on Ethan. "That repair kit of yours—it's good. Too good to waste in someone else's claws. If you've got half a brain, you'll stay the hell away from him."
Ethan blinked, taken aback by her bluntness.
Martin's expression hardened, but he smoothed it quickly, slipping back into the crowd.
Aria folded her arms. "You look like someone who has no idea what he's stepped into. Am I wrong?"
Ethan exhaled. "Not wrong."
"Then maybe we should talk. Over coffee. Without the corporate snakes listening in."
---
Lily
She watched the exchange with sharp curiosity. Ethan was cautious by nature—too cautious. But Aria… she was fire, the kind that didn't bow easily.
Lily didn't know if Ethan realized it yet, but allies like her could be the difference between surviving and being swallowed whole.
Still, Lily's gut twisted. Fire could warm—or burn.
---
The night dragged on, but when it finally ended, Ethan and Lily slipped into the cool air outside. The city buzzed, neon lights painting the streets.
The system lens flickered again.
> \[New Quest Generated.]
> Objective: Establish First Division Under Tomorrow Works.]
> Reward: 250 Points + Organizational Blueprint.]
> Time Limit: 14 Days.]
Ethan stopped in his tracks, heart hammering. A division? Already?
Lily glanced at him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he lied, though his pulse told another story.
Because the truth was clear: the system was pushing him faster, harder. And if he didn't find allies—real ones—Tomorrow Works wouldn't last the month.
He thought of Aria's eyes, sharp and unyielding. Maybe, just maybe, this was where sparks became fire.
---
From his penthouse, Harland watched the event replay on a private stream. Ethan Cole, stammering at first, then transforming into something dangerous.
Harland's smile thinned.
"Enjoy your scraps, boy," he murmured. "Because the moment you start to rise, I'll be the one waiting to pull you down."
He lifted his glass, toasting the screen.
"To the game."
---