At the sudden, unexpected situation he found himself in once again, Kael's attention was pulled away from thoughts of his expulsion from Axion and the uncertain shape of his future.
For a moment, all of that faded into the background as his focus moved to the messages glowing on his phone screen.
The content itself was ridiculous, yes. And while it was crude, even faintly distasteful, there was something about it that made it oddly intriguing. Still, more than the mission itself, Kael found his curiosity drawn toward the one behind it all. The mastermind pulling the strings.
Names surfaced in his mind one after another, only to be dismissed just as quickly. Colleagues, former acquaintances, people who might have the means or the inclination. In the end, a few possibilities lingered, but none felt convincing enough to settle on.
'Well… I'll find that out in due time anyway.'
Shaking his head, Kael refocused on the more pressing matter at hand.
'More importantly though… should I really lower myself and play this ridiculous game?'
He reread the message, no, the mission, skimming past the philosophical framing until his eyes landed on the crude goal and its conditions. His gaze lingered there for a moment before shifting down to the reward.
$10,000.
Not a small amount, but not an overwhelming one either. An oddly ambiguous sum.
But. For something as simple as fucking a stranger before the end of the day… was it really worth that much?
Kael frowned slightly as he considered it. After all, he wouldn't even need to spend a tenth of that amount to make it happen if he truly wanted to.
And even setting aside methods he found unacceptable, there were still other options. A low-level club, a few drinks, casual conversation. Picking up a woman wasn't exactly an impossible task.
That much, at least, he was confident in.
Despite this not being something he usually did, Kael was certain he could walk into a club tonight, find a beautiful stranger, and end the night with a one-night stand if he chose to.
The question wasn't whether he could.
It was whether he should.
So… was it really worth it? Doing something he normally wouldn't, just for the sake of an absurd game?
Then again, worth it or not, he had nothing pressing waiting for him anymore. Axion was done. His future, for the moment, was an empty stretch. Maybe going along with it wasn't such a bad way to fill the night.
The wind brushed his face, strands of hair slipping loose and briefly obstructing his vision. Kael pushed them back, exhaling through his nose.
He still hadn't made a firm decision, but his body moved before his thoughts fully settled. His finger slid across the phone screen, and a taxi was on its way.
Time was running out, after all.
If the mission were simply about fucking a woman, he wouldn't have cared about the clock. But that wouldn't be interesting. Even if he was going to play along with the hidden mastermind, he wanted to do it on his own terms.
He would raise the difficulty.
Instead of chasing someone down in a club, he would let women come to him. Let them approach first. Let them be the ones testing the waters, offering themselves.
To make that happen, preparation mattered. And now, time did too.
Kael returned to his apartment, stepping into the familiar yet faintly embarrassing chaos he'd left behind. Clothes lay scattered, half-finished food cluttered the space.
If he had free time, he would have liked to clean. But, he didn't. So, he ignored it all and went straight to the bathroom.
The shower was quick but meticulous. He scrubbed away the stale weight of the day, the hot water fogging the mirror before he wiped it clear again. Moving carefully through the mess on the floor, he returned to his room, dressed in clean clothes, and left the apartment once more.
This time, he took his own car.
The hair salon was one of the city's more expensive ones, and it lived up to its reputation. Kael had already made a reservation and made sure they understood how little time he had. When it was done, he studied his reflection in the mirror.
"It's good," he said, the praise directed at the middle-aged stylist beside him.
He didn't follow trends, nor did he usually care much about his appearance, but even he could tell the difference. His hair was neatly styled now, clean lines framing his face, giving him a sharper presence than before.
Shower and haircut done. One step remained.
Clothes.
He drove to a nearby mall and headed for brands that were decent, well-reviewed, but not outrageously priced. He tried on several outfits, mostly listening to the saleswoman's suggestions before making his final choice.
Brown trousers. A white T-shirt. A fitted jacket. Clean shoes. His newly styled hair completed the look, neat but not overly polished.
Still, something felt missing.
Kael stared at his reflection for a moment before it clicked.
A watch.
Specifically, an expensive one. If he was going to present himself as a wealthy young master, appearances needed to be convincing.
The thought made him chuckle softly, earning a strange glance from the saleswoman nearby. But, he simply cleared his throat, paid for the clothes, and moved on to the next store.
The irony wasn't lost on him. How much effort he was putting into looking like something he technically already was.
He was young. Handsome. Rich. Successful. Being kicked out of Axion didn't change anything. If he wanted another position, countless companies would line up to hire him.
That was his value.
And yet, without all of this, he would look unremarkable.
For women, appearance came first. Personality and context followed only after clearing that initial hurdle. Truth mattered far less than perception. What they believed they saw outweighed what actually was.
That was why Kael went through the trouble of finding an authorized shop to buy a Rolex worth over six thousand dollars.
It amused him, in a detached way, that he had just spent nearly eight thousand dollars on clothes and a watch for the sake of a mission promising ten thousand in return. But the money didn't bother him.
His interest had already been piqued.
Shaking his head, Kael checked the time on his phone. 8:40 PM. Still enough time.
Starting the engine, he drove toward one of the city's more prestigious clubs.