CHAPTER 17: 94% ISN’T ENOUGH

The dim light from the cracked window stretched lazily across Alex’s apartment floor. The silence was heavy... too heavy... broken only by the occasional buzz of city traffic far below.

Alex sat at the edge of his bed, phone in hand, but not dialing anyone. He wasn’t scrolling either. Just... staring at the small blinking:

[Emotional Dependency: 94%]

glowing faintly in the top-right corner of his system screen.

"Still 94%," he muttered to himself.

A soft chuckle echoed in his mind.

"Ninety-four percent and you’re sulking? Most people would sell their soul for that number."

"I’ve tried everything," Alex muttered, rubbing his forehead. "Every angle. Every move. I know she wants me, but... I’m scared I’m falling for her faster than she’s falling for me."

Lilith purred through the connection, her voice silk wrapped in sarcasm.

"Oh, poor boy. Falling for the woman you’re supposed to manipulate. That’s adorable."

"But no, darling... making someone fully fall for you isn’t just about chemistry or lust. It’s about priority. When they start choosing you... even over the people they swore they never would."

Alex froze. He knew what she meant.

Sophia.

"You’ve conquered her mind, her body, her loyalty... but not her motherhood. Not yet.

All that’s left is to push her just far enough that she starts choosing you first.

Then boom... game over."

"You mean... I have to make her choose me over her own daughter?"

"Exactly. That’s the last wall. When she puts you before Sophia — even once — her dependency hits 100%. That’s the final submission. The heart, not just the flesh."

Alex leaned back, staring at the ceiling, lips pressed into a frustrated line.

"Do I have to do this every time I pursue someone?"

"Oh Gods, no."

"You just need to hit 90% with future targets. This one’s... special.

Consider it a system evaluation. An unofficial test of your competency."

"Of course it is." His voice was flat.

"But if you pass... if you reach 100%..." Her voice dropped into a velvet murmur.

"The skill shop unlocks. Influence boosts. Memory bends. Aura manipulation. You won’t be playing fair anymore."

She let the words linger, then added slower, with a smirk in her tone:

"And who knows... you might even earn the chance to see me in the flesh. Consider it a... performance bonus."

Alex blinked. "Hold up... you’re real? Like... actually real?"

Lilith laughed... rich and teasing... silk over static.

"Oh, Alex... you really think a voice like mine doesn’t come with curves that could start wars?"

Her voice wasn’t just playful. It was deliberate.

Designed to stir something dangerous inside him.

Alex’s throat went dry. For a moment, the idea of her being real... flesh, breath, heat... shoved every other thought out of his mind.

Not a system. Not a ghost in his head.

A woman. Maybe even a threat he couldn’t predict.

He didn’t reply. He just exhaled, slow and deep.

The idea of her being real shook something loose inside him. Something he didn’t know he was keeping in check.

There was no other way forward.

His fingers curled into his palm. And then came the itch in his chest.

A familiar flare... sharp, hot, and bitter.

It wasn’t about Victoria.

Not even about the system.

It was about them.

His eyes narrowed.

Marcus. Sophia.

Their faces rose in his memory like filth that refused to sink.

He clenched his fist, jaw tightening.

The laughter, the smug glances, the betrayal, all of it.

They thought he was out of the game.

No.

He pulled up his contacts and scrolled until his thumb stopped at one name:

Danny.

A second of hesitation.

Then he tapped.

One ring. Two.

Then a voice, startled but familiar.

"Hello?"

"Hey... it’s me."

"...Alex?"

An awkward pause. Not cold. Just... cautious.

"Yeah."

"Shit. Dude. It’s been... I mean... are you okay?"

"I’m good. Just... sorting stuff. Thought I’d check in."

Another pause. Then slowly, like tension melting:

"Man, it’s good to hear from you."

They slipped back into old rhythms, not fully, but enough.

Talked about professors. Campus gossip. Weather.

The way boys do when they don’t know how to say I missed you.

Then Alex asked, "You seen Marcus? Or Sophia? Anyone from their group?"

Danny hesitated.

"Actually... nah. Haven’t seen them around. Maybe on a trip or something?"

"You know rich kids... they barely attend classes."

Alex’s eyes darkened.

Trip, huh?

He ended the call with a polite excuse, but his mind was already miles away.

This mission wasn’t just about Victoria anymore.

It was about everything he lost.

And the revenge he was slowly, methodically building.

___

Somewhere far away...

The bass thumped hard enough to shake the glasses.

Strobe lights slashed across the glossy marble floors of Club Arezzo, one of those places that tried too hard to look underground while charging ten grand a table.

Neon swirls danced across the smoke-filled air.

Models and influencers with fake smiles and shinier phones.

Laughter that didn’t sound real.

Marcus lounged back against the velvet booth, arms stretched out, a drink in one hand, a girl in the other, someone new, blonde, definitely not Sophia.

"Dude, you’re wasted," said Jason, laughing as he poured another round of dark liquor into half-empty glasses.

Marcus just grinned. "Nah. Just floating."

On the other side of the booth, Sophia sipped something pink with a slice of lime on the rim, pretending not to watch Marcus flirt with the blonde.

Her legs were crossed.

Phone in hand.

Expression unreadable under the dim purple lighting.

"Still into him?" sneered Claire, sliding in beside her, all curves and cattiness.

Sophia didn’t answer. Just scrolled.

Claire leaned closer, voice mocking.

"I thought you dumped that loser Alex to be this guy’s queen. Looks more like his Tuesday."

Sophia’s grip on her phone tightened... just for a second.

But she forced a smirk.

"I’m not into anyone. I’m having fun. Try it sometime."

Behind them, Marcus pulled the blonde onto his lap, whispering something that made her giggle and slap his chest.

The others laughed. Jason took a pic, tagging them all.

#SquadNight #Undefeated

They didn’t even say Alex’s name anymore.

Not because they forgot.

But because they assumed he’d stay gone.

A side character written out mid-season.

No closure needed.

What they didn’t know, what none of them saw coming, was that the boy they threw away was building something ruthless.

A version of himself sharp enough to cut them where it hurt.

And this time, he’d be smiling while he did it.

Back at the booth, Sophia finally stood.

"I’m getting some air," she said, not looking at Marcus.

He didn’t stop her.

Just raised his glass and toasted the air.

"To forgetting everything that didn’t matter."