Aiden Cross woke before sunrise—again.
Ever since Emma fainted, he barely slept at all. Even in their newly furnished apartment—far better than the one-room box they used to live in—the fear lingered like a shadow clinging to his ribs.
Emma was still asleep on the large bed, curled up peacefully beneath soft blankets. Her cheeks were a little pale, but her breathing was calm. That was enough to keep Aiden steady.
He gently brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead.
"She needs stability," he whispered. "A normal childhood. A life that doesn't collapse because of me."
But that was the curse he lived with:
Her lies were his reality.
And reality was becoming increasingly complicated.
Aiden stepped out into the living room, where stacks of unopened legal documents and financial contracts covered the coffee table. Their "late grandfather's inheritance" had expanded overnight—literally.
Not because Emma lied again…
But because the system kept "stabilizing the created history."
Meaning:
If Emma said he had a rich grandfather,
the system made a real one.
If she said the grandfather was extremely rich,
the system expanded his wealth.
If she said he left everything to Aiden…
The system rewrote the world to make it true.
Aiden rubbed his temples and exhaled.
He needed to understand the limits—before something catastrophic happened.
Suddenly—
DING.
A cold blue screen materialized in front of him.
[ SYSTEM ALERT ]
Reality Conversion Detected: Secondary Expansion
Source: Social Reinforcement
Effect: Widening recognition of "Aiden Cross — wealthy heir"
Aiden's eyes widened.
"Social… reinforcement?"
The screen continued:
[ Multiple individuals repeated the lie. ]
[ Reality stabilizes the information if spread by groups. ]
[ Influence range increased. Reality adjustment accelerating. ]
Aiden's heart began to race.
So it wasn't just Emma anymore.
If other people believed the lie… the system strengthened it.
This was beyond dangerous.
Because now it wasn't just Emma's innocent imagination shaping reality.
It was the world.
The system flashed again:
[ WARNING: Unchecked social reinforcement may result in large-scale reality shifts. ]
[ WARNING: Exposure risk increasing. ]
[ WARNING: Recommend adjusting social presence or controlling rumor spread. ]
Aiden swallowed hard.
"I need to control the narrative…"
Because if he didn't, reality would rewrite itself endlessly.
And Emma would be caught in the center of the storm.
—
He headed to the kitchen for coffee, but the moment he flicked the switch—
A heavy knock echoed from the door.
Aiden stiffened immediately.
No one should be visiting this early.
He walked silently toward the door and looked through the peephole.
A woman in a navy-blue blazer stood outside, holding a clipboard.
Aiden's stomach dropped.
He recognized her.
Ms. Rae Donovan.
A caseworker.
A social welfare caseworker.
A Visit That Shouldn't Have Happened
Aiden opened the door slowly.
"…Can I help you?"
Ms. Donovan gave a polite but firm smile.
"Aiden Cross? I'm from the Welfare and Family Support Bureau. We received a notification regarding your household situation and financial conditions. We're here to confirm the accuracy of all updates."
Aiden's mind blanked.
"Notification? You mean from the school?"
"Partly," she said. "But mostly from the sudden change in your registered income."
Of course.
The "inheritance."
It had spread through the system databases too quickly.
Too perfectly.
"What exactly… do you need to confirm?"
She flipped through her clipboard.
"Your employment history, your current financial state, the authenticity of the inheritance transfer, and your care arrangements for your minor sibling."
Aiden felt something sharp twist in his chest.
They weren't just checking income.
They were checking if he was fit to raise Emma.
If he failed this—
They could take Emma away.
No.
No.
No.
He forced a steady voice. "She's still sleeping."
"That's fine," Ms. Donovan said. "May I come in?"
Aiden hesitated.
Letting her in meant exposing everything—the luxury furniture, the expensive dinner leftovers, the new appliances.
Everything that appeared out of thin air.
But refusing her?
That was even worse.
He stepped aside.
"Please."
She entered, her eyes scanning the apartment with an experienced gaze. Aiden could practically hear her forming judgments.
"Mr. Cross… this is quite an upgrade compared to your recorded residence."
"We… inherited a property," he said.
"Quite a large one," she added. "And very suddenly."
Aiden subtly clenched his jaw.
If she suspected fraud or instability, Emma would be in danger.
He forced himself calm.
"Everything is legitimate. I can provide paperwork."
"Yes, I will need that," she said. Then she wrote something down—quick, subtle. "But first… I need to confirm your role as Emma's sole guardian."
Aiden nodded. "I've taken care of her since our parents died."
"According to your file, you were an adult at the time. Twenty-one, correct?"
"Yes."
"You're twenty-seven now."
"Correct."
She nodded slowly.
Then she asked the question Aiden feared most:
"Have you been financially stable during these years? Or has Emma been living in hardship?"
His throat tightened.
Because the truth was:
They'd been starving.
Struggling.
Suffering.
Barely surviving.
But if he said that—
It could trigger an investigation.
And with the sudden inheritance raising suspicion…
This was a deadly combination.
He inhaled deeply.
"Emma has always been taken care of," he said quietly. "Maybe not luxuriously… but she was never alone."
Ms. Donovan didn't react, but she wrote again.
Pen scratches that felt like knives.
"And your new financial situation?" she asked. "Would you say you're stable now?"
Aiden paused.
Because the system warning still echoed in his mind:
[ Reality reinforcement accelerating. Exposure risk rising. ]
"Yes," he answered carefully. "I'm stable now."
She closed her clipboard.
"I will need to verify your inheritance at the legal office. Depending on confirmation, we will determine whether your current environment is suitable for Emma."
Aiden's heart dropped.
"Determine… suitability?"
Ms. Donovan nodded empathetically.
"We're not here to cause trouble. We're here to ensure the child's safety."
But those words didn't calm him.
They terrified him.
Because the greatest threat to Emma…
Wasn't poverty anymore.
It was the truth.
The system couldn't fabricate everything perfectly forever. What if the caseworker found something inconsistent? A missing record? A fabricated date? A nonexistent signature?
Aiden forced a slow breath.
"When will you return?"
"Tomorrow morning."
Tomorrow?
Too soon.
Way too soon.
"One more thing," she said, handing him a card. "If anything about your financial situation is inaccurate… please inform us before the investigation begins."
She left.
Aiden locked the door and leaned his forehead against the wood, trembling.
He had less than 24 hours to make their impossible life…
look real.
—
The System Responds
The blue screen appeared again.
[ Threat Detected: Custody Risk ]
[ Recommended Action: Stabilize Reality of Inheritance ]
[ Required Component: External Belief Reinforcement ]
Aiden stared in horror.
"External belief? You mean… more people have to believe the lie?"
[Correct.]
"That's insane! That makes the lie even bigger!"
[Correct.]
"And if it expands too much—"
[ Reality Shift Could Become Irreversible ]
Aiden's breath stopped.
If reality shifts too far…
There may be no way back.
No way to undo it.
No way to keep Emma safe.
He clenched his fists.
"I don't care what I have to do," he whispered. "But no one will take her away from me."
He looked toward the bedroom, where Emma slept peacefully, unaware of the storm about to rip their world apart.
"Even if I have to rewrite reality myself…"
He straightened.
"I'll make sure tomorrow's investigation proves our life is real."
Because failure meant losing the one person he lived for.
Aiden turned to the table covered in legal documents.
Time to build a lie solid enough…
to become the truth.