Aaron Miles learned something very important that morning.
The 51 Hearts Destiny System was terrifying, yes.
But his little sister?
She was a natural disaster with a face.
Morning sunlight leaked into the living room, warm and peaceful—a lie, much like Aaron's entire existence now.
The family gathered for breakfast.
Mother humming softly while flipping pancakes.Father reading the newspaper like the world hadn't personally targeted his son.Jason sitting proudly at the table, legs crossed, radiating the confidence of a man who had contributed absolutely nothing to society.
And then there was Aaron.
Sitting stiffly.Smiling carefully.Internally screaming at 120 decibels.
His phone vibrated.
Bank Notification: Account Balance Updated.
Aaron flinched.
Across the table—
Emily's eyes flicked down.
She froze.
Slowly, dangerously, she looked up.
"…Brother."
Aaron's soul tried to leave his body.
"Yes?" he replied, voice smooth enough to fool strangers, not enough to fool predators.
Emily tilted her head.
"When did you… start receiving bank notifications at 7:42 AM?"
Jason leaned over instantly."Bank notifications? Oh?"
Their mother looked up."You got paid already?"
Their father adjusted his glasses."Part-time jobs usually pay monthly."
Aaron's mind detonated.
Think. Think. THINK.
"I—uh—"
Emily's eyes sharpened.
"How much?"
Jason slapped the table."WAIT— YOU GOT A JOB?!"
Aaron opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Warning: Elevated Suspicion Detected.
Aaron swallowed.
"I—uh—freelance," he blurted.
Silence.
Emily smiled.
The kind of smile doctors see right before delivering bad news.
"Freelance… what, exactly?"
Aaron's brain ran like a hamster on fire.
"Online," he said quickly. "Remote. Confidential."
Jason's eyes lit up.
"Ohhh! Online money?" He leaned closer. "Crypto? Dropshipping? Pyramid scheme?"
"It's not a pyramid!" Aaron snapped.
Jason nodded."…So it is."
Their mother clapped her hands happily."That's wonderful! See? I told you college boys are smart."
Their father nodded approvingly."Just don't get scammed."
Emily stared.
Unblinking.
Unconvinced.
"Then why," she said slowly, "did your phone show six digits for half a second?"
The room went quiet.
Aaron felt cold sweat crawl down his spine.
Jason's jaw dropped.
"…Six?"
Their mother frowned."Six what?"
Emily didn't answer.
Her eyes never left Aaron.
Aaron laughed.
Too fast.Too loud.
"Haha! Six notifications, Emily. You know how spammy banks are."
Emily leaned back.
"Really?"
She pulled out her phone.
"Because I just checked your bank app history."
Aaron's heart stopped.
"You—WHAT?"
Emily calmly turned her screen toward him.
It was blank.
She smiled innocently.
"…Just kidding."
Jason burst out laughing."HAHA! You should've seen your face!"
Aaron nearly died on the spot.
Heart Rate Critical.
Emily crossed her arms.
"But your reaction," she continued, voice sweet and sharp, "was very interesting."
Aaron's mouth opened.
Closed.
Opened again.
Words stacked.
Lies piled.
"I mean— I just— privacy— you know— as a brother— financial independence—"
He was sinking.
Fast.
Skill Activation Available.
A new prompt flashed.
Perfect Liar (Beginner)Activated Automatically under Life-Threatening Exposure
Aaron didn't even think.
He accepted.
The world slowed.
Not visually.
Mentally.
His racing thoughts aligned like soldiers.
His breathing steadied.
His heartbeat normalized.
Words… arranged themselves.
He looked at Emily.
And smiled.
Not nervous.Not forced.
Just… tired.
"Emily," Aaron said softly, "do you really think I'd do something illegal?"
Her eyes flickered.
Just for a moment.
"I started doing online contract work," he continued smoothly. "Translation projects. Consulting. I didn't want to tell anyone until I was sure it was stable."
Jason squinted."…Consulting? On what?"
Aaron didn't hesitate.
"Time management and data analysis."
Jason blinked.
"…You?"
Aaron nodded.
"I help companies organize chaos."
Emily stared.
Silence stretched.
Suspicion Level: Decreasing…
Their father cleared his throat.
"That… actually fits him," he said thoughtfully. "Aaron was always good with numbers."
Their mother smiled proudly."And quiet."
Jason scratched his head."…Huh."
Emily leaned forward.
"And the amount?"
Aaron met her gaze.
"First payment was high. One-time bonus."
Lie Coherence: Stable
Emily searched his face.
Her eyes were sharp. Calculating.
Ten seconds.
Twenty.
Then—
"…I see."
She leaned back.
The tension broke.
Jason grinned."SO— since you're rich now—"
"No," Aaron said instantly.
Jason choked.
"…What?"
"No," Aaron repeated calmly. "I'm saving."
Jason slammed his hand on the table."BROTHER BETRAYAL!"
Their mother sighed."Jason, don't pressure him."
Their father nodded."Let the boy plan."
Emily watched Aaron quietly.
Too quietly.
Breakfast continued.
Normal conversation.Normal laughter.
Aaron smiled.Answered questions.Nodded at the right moments.
Inside?
He was drenched in cold sweat.
Skill Effect Ended.
The calm faded.
Aaron excused himself and locked his bedroom door.
He collapsed against it.
"…I almost died."
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
If Emily had pushed one more question—If he'd hesitated half a second longer—
Failure condition unknown.
He opened the system panel with shaking hands.
Skill Summary
Perfect Liar (Beginner)• Improves verbal coherence under stress• Reduces emotional leakage• Enhances believability• Limited duration• Cooldown active
Aaron stared.
"…This isn't optional."
The system wasn't giving him bonuses.
It was giving him life support.
He sat on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Lucy's smile flashed in his mind.
Twelve percent.
Warm. Real.
Then Emily's eyes.
Sharp. Dangerous.
Then the gods' laughter.
He clenched his fists.
"If I'm going to survive…" he whispered, "…I need to get stronger. Faster."
Not for money.
Not for women.
But because this system would not wait for him to grow up.
And next time—
It might not be his sister trying to expose him.
System Notification
Survival Priority UpdatedSkill Acquisition RecommendedAffection Progress Encouraged
Aaron exhaled slowly.
"…Fine."
A small, tired smile appeared.
"Let's do this properly."