The morning after their “task” dawned gray and slow, as if the sun itself was reluctant to rise. A faint mist hung over the city, curling through the streets like smoke.

  Sabrina and Luna sat quietly at the table, barely touching their breakfast. Denis watched them from across the kitchen, the sound of the old clock marking each second between us.

  They looked tired — not the kind of tired that came from schoolwork or staying up too late, but something heavier, something that pressed behind their eyes.

  “You two were up late again,” Denis said finally, trying to keep my tone light. “Don’t tell me you were out chasing stars again.”

  Luna smiled faintly. “Something like that.”

  Sabrina nudged her under the table, as if to remind her not to say more.

  Denis didn’t press. But as he turned to pour another cup of coffee, he caught sight of Luna’s reflection in the kitchen window — for just an instant, her shadow seemed to move in a way her body didn’t. A second heartbeat, pulsing quietly in the morning light.

  Denis froze. Then blinked — and it was gone.

  Maybe it was just the light, he told himself. Maybe he was just tired.

  Still, something deep inside him whispered otherwise.

  When they left for school, the house fell silent again. He lingered at the table long after the door closed, his hands wrapped around the cooling mug. What are you two hiding from me? He thought. And why do I feel like I’m running out of time to find out?

  That evening, the girls returned home, laughing louder than usual, their smiles too bright — the kind of smiles that come from trying to hide something.

  They ate dinner together. Denis told them some story about his workday — the kind that didn’t really matter but filled the air with normal noise. They listened, nodding, pretending.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Afterward, he said softly, “You know, I’ve been thinking of reading one of those old storybooks again. Maybe tonight.”

  Luna hesitated. “Can we do it tomorrow? I… I have some homework to finish.”

  Denis nodded, though her tone left a small ache in his chest. “Sure. Tomorrow, then.”

  As soon as they were in their room, both girls took out their devices. The black screens flickered to life, bright red text appearing one line at a time:

  Tonight, 22:00

  Location: The bridge over the eastern river.

  Host: Melisandra.

  Condition: If you are late by even one minute, her interest — and your chance — will vanish.

  The sisters stared at the message.

  “This is it,” Luna whispered. “She noticed us.”

  Sabrina’s fingers trembled slightly, but her voice was steady. “Then we can’t make her wait.”

  At 21:58, they stood beneath the bridge — the river below churning like liquid glass, reflecting the lights of the city.

  Then, without warning, the air thickened. A scent of roses and smoke filled the night. From the shadows, a figure emerged — tall, graceful, and terrible. Her hair was a cascade of crimson, her eyes burning with an inhuman glow.

  Melisandra.

  Her smile was both beautiful and cruel.

  “So,” she said, her voice like silk dragged across glass, “you are the two that caused such… confusion in my assignment.”

  The girls said nothing. The demoness circled them, her heels clicking against the concrete, her gaze slicing through them as if peeling away their thoughts.

  “I see what you did,” she murmured finally. “Cunning. Clever, even. You danced around the edges of my command and made it look like obedience.”

  She stopped in front of Sabrina, then turned to Luna, eyes narrowing.

  “I will say — I liked it. But you did not do exactly what I asked.”

  For a moment, silence. Then Melisandra’s lips curved upward again.

  “I will give you… three out of five.”

  Luna frowned slightly. “Three?”

  “Yes,” Melisandra purred, amused. “Because there is still room for improvement. But,” she added, stepping closer, her hand brushing under Luna’s chin, “you have my approval. For now.”

  The air around them shimmered faintly, and both their devices beeped — the screen flashing:

  Rank Update: Advanced Phase.

  Personal Approval: Melisandra.

  Then, just as suddenly as she had appeared, Melisandra dissolved into crimson mist, her laughter echoing across the river like a whisper from another world.

  The girls stood in silence, the night colder now, heavier.

  Sabrina whispered, “We did it.”

  Luna nodded — but her eyes lingered on the water. “Yeah… but why does it feel like she owns us now?”

  Above them, the city hummed quietly — and far away, in the dark, unseen eyes were watching through the System’s endless threads of code.