After the Countdown

I gasped for air and lifted my hand in terror.

Out of instinct, I reached for the glass of water beside me, trying to use it to steady myself. But my fingers passed straight through the solid glass.

With a sharp crash, the glass fell to the floor and shattered.

[Warning! Detected: bound target Victoria Quinn's love value has fallen below the critical threshold.]

[The contract has been breached. Penalty activated. Erasure protocol officially launched.]

[Death countdown: 71 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds...]

A string of blood-red numbers appeared out of thin air above me.

All strength left my body. I collapsed onto the tile floor, surrounded by shards of glass. The pieces cut into my calves, but all I felt was a chill running up my spine.

Seven years.

I thought I would never hear that alarm.

Back then, when she spent thirty million dollars to fill the city sky with drones and propose to me, she looked at me with burning eyes and said, "Julian, in this life, I don't want anyone but you."

But now, the system was telling me in its cold, mechanical voice that she had betrayed me.

I forced myself through the pain tearing through my organs and reached for my phone with my trembling left hand. Then I called Victoria.

It rang for a long time before someone picked up.

"Hello? Who is this?"

A young man's voice came through the phone, lazy from sleep and laced with open provocation.

The blood in my body froze.

I knew that voice.

Noah Bell. The second male lead in Victoria's new drama. He had just turned twenty this year, and his eyes and brows looked almost exactly like mine when I was younger.

"Put Victoria on the phone," I heard myself say, my voice hoarse.

There was a rustle of fabric on the other end. Then Victoria's familiar voice came through, edged with irritation.

"Julian, the cast is having dinner. What exactly are you trying to do? You keep calling again and again. Do you trust me that little?"

I looked at the blood-red countdown flickering in midair. Bitterness spread through my chest.

"Victoria, can you come home tonight? I made your favorite soup. Today is our..."

"I'm really busy right now, Julian. You used to be the most understanding person I knew, remember?"

Victoria cut me off before I could finish.

"You know I hate explaining myself. Don't upset me."

"Noah just had too much to drink. I'm only taking care of him. Once he's better, I'll come home."

"But seeing you act so unreasonably, maybe I won't come back tonight after all. Stay home by yourself and think about what you've done."

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The call was cut off without mercy. The busy tone echoed through the empty villa.

I slid down to the floor. My phone screen lit up, and a breaking entertainment headline popped up.

[Oscar-winning actress Victoria Quinn spotted having late-night supper with rising star Noah Bell. Romance rumors spark online frenzy!]

In the photo, Noah had Victoria firmly protected in his arms. The worry and tenderness in her eyes were exactly the same as the way she had looked at me seven years ago.

[Host, face reality. She betrayed you long ago.]

The system's voice was emotionless.

I looked at the photo, then at the pool of black blood on the table.

The last light in my eyes finally died.