The phone rang for a second time. Jasmine's eyes grew wide. Her heart stuttered, each beat irregular and sharp against her ribs as her gaze locked onto the glowing screen. The air in her office felt thick, suffocating.
'What is happening?'
She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the answer button. Her left hand found her pendant, fingers wrapping around the cool metal so tightly it bit into her palm.
She drew in a shaky breath and pressed answer.
"H-hello." The word cracked coming out, barely more than a whisper.
Laughter erupted from the other end—bright, familiar, unmistakably feminine.
Jasmine froze. Her mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle. That voice. She knew that voice. But the earlier call had been a man's voice, deep and threatening.
"Hello, Jazz." The laughter subsided into words, warm and teasing.
"I can only imagine your face right now after that earlier call." Another chuckle. "That's how good my acting skills have become."
"Courtney?" Jasmine's shoulders dropped, tension flooding out of her body like water through a broken dam. Her heart began to slow, the frantic drumming easing into something almost normal. She exhaled, long and trembling. "How did you do that?"
"Surprise!" Courtney's laughter rang through the speaker, unrestrained and delighted.
"You almost gave me a heart attack." Jasmine pressed her free hand to her chest, feeling her pulse still racing beneath her fingertips.
"That was the plan." No apology in Courtney's voice, just pure mischief. Then, softer: "I miss you though."
Warmth bloomed in Jasmine's chest. Hearing her cousin's voice brought back a flood of memories—late nights, shared secrets, the kind of bond that distance couldn't break.
"I miss you more."
A pause. Then Courtney's tone shifted, sharpening with curiosity. "What's new? Something's different. I can hear it in your voice."
Jasmine bit her lip. She'd wanted to ease into this, to savor the conversation before diving into the deep end.
"What do you mean?" She tried for innocent, surprised even, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her.
"Jazz." Courtney's voice carried that knowing quality, the one that said she could read Jasmine like an open book. "You're practically glowing through the phone. You haven't complained once about work or those annoying clients. And there's this... excitement. So spill. Now."
Jasmine laughed despite herself. 'Could I really hide anything from this girl?'
"Well..." She drew out the word, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. "I met someone. The most gorgeous man on the planet."
She paused, listening to the silence on the other end, waiting.
"Where?" Courtney's voice was sharp with interest now.
"At Plagatoscal Blueview Hotel. He's an electrician."
The silence that followed was different—heavy, loaded.
"Jazz." Courtney's tone had shifted entirely, concern, bleeding through. "Please don't tell me you're that desperate. An electrician? I know things are rough right now, but you don't need to settle. You're worth more than—"
"Court, let me finish." Jasmine kept her voice gentle, patient. She knew Courtney meant well. Her cousin had always looked out for her, always wanted the best for her.
"He's an electrical and electronics engineer. He studied at Apex University, and he's been accepted at ZamCorp Base One. But that's not even the point—there's nothing wrong with being an electrician anyway."
"ZamCorp Base One?" Courtney's voice pitched higher. Everyone knew that name. ZamCorp practically ran the world.
"What's someone from ZamCorp doing at Plagatoscal Blueview Hotel?"
Jasmine smiled, feeling the conversation shift in her favor. "He's humble, Court. So calm and genuine. When we went to buy electrical components together, I had chills running down my arms. Actual goosebumps."
She could practically hear Courtney leaning forward, curiosity fully ignited now.
"Okay, you have my full attention. Keep going."
Jasmine laughed. "If it were you, you would've made your move right there in the store. But anyway—two ladies whispered that we looked like the perfect couple, a match made in heaven. Then, as we were leaving the hardware store, this older couple stopped us. They said our chemistry reminded them of when they were young, that just watching us brought back those memories."
A beat of silence. When Courtney spoke again, her voice carried a wistful edge. "Lucky you."
"And Court—" Jasmine's voice dropped, the memory still fresh and vivid. "He saved us from five armed robbers. With guns. It was like watching an action movie, except I was in it, and my heart was about to explode out of my chest."
"Come on, Jazz. I'm not a kid. You expect me to believe that?"
"Every word is true, cousin. I swear."
"Wow." Courtney exhaled slowly. "You found yourself a superhero. Alright, darling, I hear you. But I need to see him first before I give my approval. You're a queen, Jazz. You deserve a king."
Jasmine's chest tightened with affection. She needed to change the subject before she got lost thinking about Delvin again.
"Alright, Miss Courtney. Enough about me. What's new with you?"
The question seemed to catch Courtney off guard. A pause, then: "Daniel finally asked me out."
Her voice had flattened, lost its earlier energy.
Jasmine sat up straighter. "And?"
Another pause, longer this time. "I turned him down."
"What?" Jasmine's voice rose. "Why would you do that?"
"I'm just... not sure about him, Jazz. He's nice, but I don't feel anything magical. I want something that makes my heart race. Something worth everything."
Jasmine softened. "Court, you know how things are now. The world's falling apart. You might end up alone if you keep waiting for Mr. Perfect."
Silence stretched between them. When Courtney finally spoke, her voice was quiet but firm. "You said your guy gave you goosebumps. I don't feel any of that with Daniel."
Jasmine's throat tightened. "He's not my guy yet. But... I understand." She glanced at the clock on her desk. "It was good talking to you, babe. I have to go."
"Thanks for the call, Jazz. I love you." Courtney's voice lifted again, bright and warm.
"I love you more."
Jasmine could feel her cousin's smile through the phone. The call ended, and she set her phone down gently. A smile tugged at her lips as she leaned back in her office chair and released a deep, contented breath.
Courtney set her phone down and touched her chin, staring at nothing.
'Jasmine falling for someone. He must be something special.' A small smile played on her lips.
'I'd like to meet this guy. Watch it all unfold.' She shook her head, brushing the thoughts away, and returned to her day.
Delvin stood at the edge of Death Driven Valley. Twenty kilometers from Pragatoscal township—far enough that no one ventured here, especially after dark. The name alone kept people away.
It had taken him twenty-five minutes at high speed. Now, as he walked deeper into the valley, he took in every detail. Bones littered the cracked earth. Skulls, bleached white by sun and time, stared up at the empty sky. No plants. No insects. No birds. Nothing lived here.
'Perfect.'
This was exactly what he needed—a place where no one would see him, where he could practice without questions, without fear of looking like a freak.
"Skylark?"
The system hummed to life in his mind.
Then he heard it.
A roar—deep, primal, tearing through the dead silence like a blade. The sound hit his eardrums with physical force. His knees buckled. Every muscle in his body locked. His heart hammered against his ribs, so hard it hurt.
He couldn't move.
The sound tore through the silence—guttural, ancient, like metal scraping against stone. Delvin's heart slammed against his ribcage, each beat thundering in his ears. The air shifted. He could feel it now, the heat radiating behind him, carrying with it the stench of sulfur and decay.
His breath caught in his throat. 'Move. Move!'
But his legs wouldn't obey.
Another roar, closer this time. The ground trembled beneath his feet. Dust and bone fragments scattered across the cracked earth. Delvin's fingers twitched. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the cold night air.
"Skylark," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "What is that?"
[THREAT DETECTED: VALLEY STALKER - CLASS 4 PREDATOR. SURVIVAL RATE: 23%]
Twenty-three percent. The words burned into his mind.
Delvin forced himself to turn. Slowly. His neck muscles screamed in protest.
The creature stood fifteen meters away, its massive form silhouetted against the moonlight. Eight feet tall, covered in matted fur and hardened scales that gleamed like obsid.