The Skills Perfector

Jay was still half sprawled on his bed, heart racing from his earlier theft, when the door creaked fully open. He flinched so hard he nearly bit his tongue.

Jenn stood there, framed by the hallway light. Her damp hair clung to her shoulders, fresh from her shower, and her eyes narrowed at the way Jay stiffened like a cornered animal.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, voice cool and mildly irritated.

Jay forced himself to swallow the panic, wiping quickly at the sweat on his brow. "What? Nothing. I'm fine."

Jenn's stare was razor-sharp. "Then why do you look like you just saw a demon… again?"

Jay laughed awkwardly. "Ha…ha… Just tired, you know. Long day."

For a long, terrifying moment, he thought she might step inside and start searching around, somehow sniffing out the faint residual energy from the Skill Stone still settling in his veins. But instead, she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small cream-colored envelope.

"Anyway," Jenn said, holding it out, "this is for you."

Jay blinked, cautiously taking it from her fingers. It was surprisingly elegant, with a little gold-pressed seal that had already been broken.

"Nathan dropped it off. Said it was important." Jenn gave him one more long look—like she was daring him to try anything suspicious—then turned on her heel. "Don't stay up too late."

And with that, she was gone.

Jay let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, the tension in his shoulders draining. He turned the envelope over in his hands before carefully opening it. Inside was a single folded sheet of thick paper.

You are cordially invited to

the first official meeting of the expanded

Infinity Group.

Time: Today, 6:00 PM

Place: East Ridge Cafe, Private Room 2

— Nathan

P.S. Try not to chicken out if you see some strong faces. This is gonna be fun.

Jay's eyes widened, and a grin slowly pulled at his lips. Infinity. That was the name he and Nathan had half-jokingly come up with back in school when they'd first dreamed of becoming Awakened together.

Back then, their "group" had only been them—two kids with big fantasies and zero power. Now, after everything they'd survived, it was beginning to feel real. Nathan must've found others to join—people who were newly Awakened or interested in forming hunting teams. Jay's pulse quickened at the thought of meeting new potential allies… or rivals.

"New members, huh?" he muttered to himself, folding the letter with a soft chuckle. "This is going to be interesting."

He checked the clock on his wall. Just past four. That gave him under two hours. More than enough time to wash up and make sure he didn't smell like cold sweat and fear.

Jay peeled off his shirt and stepped into the bathroom, letting the hot water pound over his sore shoulders. As he lathered soap into his skin, he kept bringing up the system window again and again, fingers itching to tap on that tantalizing gray line of [Invisibility (F) - Locked].

Level 10, he thought, heart racing. I just need to hit Level 10. Then everything changes.

He wondered idly if the other new recruits Nathan found were stronger than him. Or maybe some had stranger powers. Either way, it would be good to know who he could trust—and who he might have to watch closely.

Jay finished up, toweled off, and changed into clean dark jeans and a fitted black tee. Something simple but not too casual. He didn't want to look like a total amateur next to whatever impressive faces Nathan might've dragged in.

As he grabbed his wallet and was just about to head for the door, his heart light with excitement, Jenn's voice rang out from the kitchen.

"Jay!"

He stopped dead, shoulders sagging. "…Yeah?"

"Go to the corner store and pick up some rice, eggs, and that tea your grandfather likes. We're low."

Jay's mouth opened, then shut again. He turned toward the kitchen doorway where Jenn stood leaning against the counter, scrolling through something on her phone. Her eyes lifted, meeting his.

"What?" she asked flatly. "You have somewhere more important to be?"

Jay sighed dramatically, slumping like his whole world had been crushed. "Actually, yes. I just got invited to—"

"To?" Jenn cut in, raising an eyebrow. "Something shady with Nathan again?"

He opened his mouth, paused, then just gave her a weak grin. "Sort of. But no demons this time, promise."

Jenn stared him down for a long, uncomfortable beat before exhaling. "Fine. Make it quick. And if you see any shady types following you home, take the long way."

Jay snorted. "You're one to talk about shady types."

Jenn didn't laugh. Just kept staring with that same unnervingly cold expression until Jay shuffled past her and grabbed the spare shopping bag off the hook.

Outside, the early evening sun was already dipping low, painting the streets of East Haven City in gold. Jay shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling that strange tingle of both dread and anticipation that had become his constant companion since awakening.

Infinity, he thought again, smiling faintly. Let's see what kind of future we can build now.

Jay strolled down the busy street, the city alive around him—vendors barking out prices, neon signs flickering, the distant hum of mag-rail cars zipping overhead. He had one hand stuffed into his pocket, humming under his breath, replaying the words on Nathan's invitation over and over.

That was when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"Excuse me, could you—"

The voice was soft, slightly hesitant, but whatever the girl had been about to say died instantly. Jay turned with a cold, almost predatory reflex—muscles still half wired for a fight, eyes sharp from days of fear and planning.

The young woman standing there froze, her breath catching in her throat. Her face drained of color, like she'd just stumbled across a wolf instead of a boy barely older than her.

"Hum?" Jay blinked, realizing how he must look. He forced his expression to soften into a casual, easygoing grin. "Yes, miss? What can I help you with?"

Slowly, she seemed to collect herself. She brushed a strand of dark hair behind her ear, her other hand clutching the strap of her shoulder bag. "Ah… sorry. I just wanted to ask if you know where the East Ridge Cafe is."

Jay chuckled, relief spilling out in a light laugh. "Oh, is that all? Funny timing—I'm actually headed there myself."

She looked mildly surprised, then gave a polite nod. "Really? Well, that's convenient."

Jay flashed a lopsided smile and motioned for her to walk with him. "Come on then, I'll show you the way. It's just about three blocks down."

They set off together through the flow of pedestrians. Jay took the opportunity to study her more openly now that she wasn't terrified—she had a small, elegant face, eyes that seemed a little tired, and moved with the careful posture of someone trying not to stand out.

"So…" he drawled after a moment, flashing her another playful grin, "you know, you've got the kind of look that makes a guy almost forget he's supposed to be serious right now."

Her expression didn't budge. "Is that so."

"Yeah. I mean—" Jay shrugged theatrically, "—most people don't approach strangers on the street. I figured this was destiny or something."

She sighed, her lips pressing into a faint, unimpressed line. "Don't get any ideas."

Jay laughed, unbothered, running a hand through his hair. "Alright, alright. Can't blame me for trying."

By the time they reached the modest two-story building with a glowing sign that read East Ridge Cafe, Jay was still cracking little jokes that earned him exactly zero giggles. Still, he felt oddly buoyant. It was a nice distraction from the darker thoughts swirling in his head.

He pushed the door open for her with a flourish. "After you."

The girl walked past him with only the briefest nod, leaving Jay to grin at her retreating back.

What a tough crowd, he thought, amused, then stepped inside himself—ready to see just what surprises this meeting of "Infinity" had waiting.