Aiden's dorm room was barely large enough for a twin bed and desk, but at least it was private. His roommate Marcus—a different Marcus, thankfully—had classes until evening.
He collapsed onto the bed, staring at the water-stained ceiling. His phone buzzed with notifications. Screenshots of Jessica's Instagram story were already circulating: a photo of her with Marcus Chen, captioned "Upgraded ✨💎"
Aiden turned his phone off and pressed his palms against his eyes. Two jobs, full course load, drowning in student loans, and now publicly humiliated. Maybe Jessica was right. Maybe he was delusional to think he could—
Light exploded in front of him.
Aiden jerked upright, blinking away spots. A translucent blue screen floated in the air, glowing with impossible luminescence. Holographic text scrolled across it:
ULTIMATE SUCCESS SYSTEM INITIALIZING
Scanning host... Complete.
Host: Aiden ScholsAge: 21Status: Worthy
"What the hell?" Aiden waved his hand through the projection. It rippled but remained solid, the text shifting.
Congratulations! You have been selected as this system's host. The Ultimate Success System will guide you to wealth, power, and success beyond your dreams.
Initial assessment: Host possesses strong character, resilience, and untapped potential despite adverse circumstances. Probability of success with system assistance: 99.7%
This had to be a stress hallucination. Aiden grabbed his phone to call... who? Campus health services? His mom, who couldn't afford her own bills?
This is not a hallucination. Touch the screen to begin your transformation.
The words seemed to respond to his thoughts. Impossible. But then again, floating holographic screens were also impossible.
What did he have to lose?
Aiden reached out and pressed his finger to the screen. It felt solid, warm, almost alive. The display shifted, new text appearing.
Welcome, Aiden Schols. Your journey from rags to riches begins now. Prepare for your first Triple Draw.
The screen expanded, filling his vision with three spinning golden wheels. His heart hammered in his chest. This was insane. This couldn't be real.
But God, he wanted it to be.