An eye of eyes pulsed above him, shifting in endless recursion. The sky churned, its layers folding over one another like a vast, living machine. The ground beneath him wasn’t solid—it pulsed, breathed, something vast and unseen shifting below.

  Aaron stood with one hand on his hip, outwardly calm. Inside, nerves stretched tight as wire. This didn’t even crack my top ten. That’s worrying.

  GREETINGS.

  EXPECTATIONS SURPASSED.

  INVESTMENT YIELD: NEARLY ACCEPTABLE.

  EXISTENCE REMAINS VIABLE.

  EVEN IF YOU FAIL ALL ELSE.

  The words pressed into his mind, weightless and absolute. Aaron twisted his mouth. Am I being insulted or praised? The voice shook the world. He cleared his throat. “Thank you?”

  The tentacles froze. The eyes churned. A hole grew in his stomach. Fear. As he began to shift about, the voice sounded again. Tentacles sprouted like grass under him, filling the circle of mirrored obelisks like a meadow of sea anemones. Their touches were oddly soothing. As long as he did not look at them. A cold dread had taken residence in his stomach. What can I do? Talk. I should talk.

  “What are my rewards?” he blurted out. Stupid. You don’t demand something from a cosmic horror that is caressing your legs.

  The voice boomed, affectless as ever.

  QUEST PARAMETERS: MET.

  POLIS INTEGRATION: COMPLETE.

  TRIAL PERFORMANCE: EXCEPTIONAL.

  ADDITIONAL BONUS: TRADE WITH MIND INTERFACE CONTROLLER ENABLED.

  TERMINATION LIKELIHOOD: LOW. NO FIRING REQUIRED.

  Aaron’s stomach dropped. His breath hitched. Termination? His voice came out hoarse. “You mean ‘fired’ like unemployed or like charcoal?”

  INCINERATION REGISTERED AS PREFERRED METHOD OF EXECUTION.

  Ice coiled through his gut. His breath came short, sharp. The image slammed into his mind—flesh crackling, bones turning to char. He clenched his fists, nails biting into his palms. No. I don’t want to die that way.

  NEURAL DELETION REGISTERED AS PREFERRED METHOD OF EXECUTION.

  Air whooshed from his lungs. He slumped. I won’t burn to death. Progress. He took a few seconds to steady his racing heart and breath. His confidence returned, as fragile and careful as weeds in spring.

  “Have I earned rewards for this?” Aaron kept his voice even, though his gut twisted. I need to know what I am dealing with.

  The world shook again with the professional voice.

  INDICATED REWARD OF AUDIENCE IN PROGRESS.

  REWARD FROM MIND INTERFACE CONTROLLER HELD BACK.

  SERVES PRESERVATION OF COGNITIVE INTEGRITY.

  Aaron bit down on his lip. Cognitive integrity. Does that mean I could lose my mind from what the god of magic offered me? Why can’t anyone just give me one-hundred gold?

  PERMISSION GRANTED FOR:

  FURTHER QUESTS.

  ADEPT-LEVEL SKILL GUIDE: COUNTER-SOCIAL ENGINEERING.

  CLASS TWO BLESSING REQUESTABLE.

  Silence. The tentacles began their swaying again. Aaron smiled. Something to resist the social manipulation I keep falling victim to. Is this actually a reward, or just the Weaver protecting its investment? Aaron narrowed his eyes.

  A grim thought entered his mind as he recalled the Watcher’s earlier words. Am I a champion or just an asset? Aaron shook off the irritation. Closed his eyes and took a calming breath. Do not complain about the language an eldritch god uses to hand out rewards. That is most unwise. And likely unhealthy. Pursing his lips, he focused on the last part. I can request a class two blessing?

  “What is a class two blessing? And thanks to you and your boss,” he added hurriedly. Maybe politeness matters here. It cost nothing to begin with. What do I do with the blessing?

  Aaron clicked his tongue. Essentially, it’s a genie problem. I can make wishes, but I don't know if they are interpreted favourably or what the scope of rewards is. He nodded and grinned, feeling happy for the first time in a long time. Let’s see if I can find a way to exploit this.

  “Alright. Genie rules.” He tapped his chin. “I wish for infinite blessings.” Silence. A silence so heavy it felt like the universe itself was judging him.

  Aaron coughed. “Too much?” Screw it, might as well go big if this works. The tentacles froze again.

  Then the entity spoke after a few heartbeats.

  DENIED.

  RECURSIVE PATTERN DETECTED.

  Aaron let out a breath. Try as he might, no annoyance could be found in the monotonous voice. Seems this thing is open to experimentation. I need to assume this isn’t a malicious genie that will fulfill the letter of the agreement while messing with me through the spirit of it. In that case forgetting the wish is the best choice.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Aaron tilted his head. I’m already immortal. Have magic. Riches? No clue how the economy works—dragon hoards mean hyperinflation. Fine. If in doubt, ask for wisdom.

  He straightened. “If this answer doesn’t count as my wish, tell me the three best options within my reward.” His mouth grew dry in the following silence. The frozen tentacles created a surreal landscape. Have I messed up again? He contemplated the frozen meadow of rainbow tentacles below and above him.

  ESTIMATION COMPLETE.

  Aaron clenched his fist in triumph. Yes! This is how you play a genie.

  FIRST OPTION:

  AID IN ACQUIRING SECOND TIER POLITICAL OFFICE WITHIN A SEASON.

  SECOND OPTION:

  EXTENDABLE MIND CONSTRUCT: CURRENT LIMIT: MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

  THIRD OPTION:

  MAJOR BOOST TO ONE MAGICAL AFFINITY.

  A broad smile crept over his face. Even the growing faint scent of vanilla could not overwhelm his excitement. It felt like a promise of more to come.

  So, which one do I choose? Political power. An imaginary therapist. Magic. Aaron’s gaze flicked upward, meeting a dozen shifting eyes. “If I took this, what position would I gain?”

  POSITION BELOW MAXIMUM INSTITUTIONAL RANK.

  CENSOR OR MINISTER.

  What is a cen—

  INTERNAL JUDGE ENFORCING RULES.

  Aaron exhaled slowly. His fingers twitched. Control. His mind raced. Slaves toiling in fields. Young mages thrown into death games. Rotting traditions choking the future. A vision flickered. A golden crown, gleaming under a torchlight. A throne of onyx and steel. A warm, steady tension settled in his chest. His lips almost curled into a smile. I want power.

  I just don’t know if I trust myself with it. The third option. It sounds like a good deal. I know a few disciplines of magic. Making a choice instead of having it assigned will be great. A sense of unease made him close his eyes. Why do I not like this? It is great. But…

  The second option. Mental health support. Aaron’s hands clenched into fists. His breath shook. I wanted power. Not… therapy. His pulse pounded against his skull. “I wanted power,” he rasped. “Not this.”

  The scent of vanilla thickened—warm, cloying, wrong. Another vision flickered. A battlefield. Fireballs arcing, bodies crumpling. He wasn’t throwing them at enemies. His stomach twisted. A breath. Another. That. Will. Not. Happen. Something in his mind laughed. He shook himself free. The mind construct. I wonder what this construct can evolve into once the current limit is gone.

  GENERAL GUIDANCE CONSTRUCT HAS MANY PATHWAYS

  OPTIONS INCLUDE:

  MANIFESTATION, ESPIONAGE, MENTAL ENHANCEMENT,

  AND MORE

  Political office can be stripped away. Magic means nothing if I break under the pressure. But my mind? If I let that slip… A memory slammed into him. The wet crunch of bone. A face half-caved in. His breath stilled. No. Never again. I take the construct. Then I grab all the power I need on my own terms.

  Aaron nodded to himself. This isn’t just damage control. It’s an edge. And if I do this right, I’ll be unstoppable.

  With a ragged exhalation, he spoke up.“I choose the second option. I need to stay sane,” he said with a heavy voice.

  INSANITY WILL BE CORRECTED TO MAINTAIN UTILITY.

  CHOICE ACKNOWLEDGED.

  Aaron rolled his eyes. Well, that is comforting to hear. My sanity is now a line item on an eldritch spreadsheet. Do I dare ask what that correction will look like?

  EVALUATING.

  GENERALIZE CONSTRUCT TO MORE GENERAL MENTAL SUPPORT MANIFESTATION.

  ABILITIES DENIED.

  Something popped into existence. Aaron recoiled. A blur spiraled toward him—fur, scales, teeth. Black eyes locked onto him, gleaming with far too much energy. The creature undulated, twisting through the air like a deranged ribbon. Squirrel. Snake. Tiny, over-caffeinated dragon.

  It shot toward him at terminal velocity. “Hiiiiiiii!”

  Aaron barely caught himself before stumbling. What the fuck is that? It was cute? Monstrous? It was as long as Aaron’s arm. Huge black eyes stared at him with a curious expression—a chimera of questionable evolutionary choices. The adorable monster undulated like a watersnake. Its tail was a mixture between a squirrel’s and a rat’s. A guardian. A handler. A backup system? Or all three?

  The creature spiraled, then spoke—fast, high-pitched, like a squirrel on an espresso bender. “MeQuetzy!”

  Aaron blinked. Oh no.

  “IWillHelpYouFixIssues!” And around it went. “TalkInMindVoid!” It set off toward the horizon. Aaron looked after the undulating furry flying snake with a careful smile. What. The. Hell. He raised an eyebrow at the Watcher.

  AN UPLIFTED DRAGONSQUIRREL.

  EMPATHIC COMPANION DESIGNATION.

  Dragonsquirrel. Well, that answers all my questions.

  QUEST:

  EXCEL IN ACADEMY.

  UNDERSTAND ISSUE WITH SLAVERY.

  REWARDS:

  AUDIENCE WITH GUIDANCE

  ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COMPANIONS.

  With a loud pop, all the eyes and tentacles vanished. Aaron stood in a grey void. Surrounded by five three-men-tall mirror-finished obelisks. The sudden silence felt unreal. Aaron paced back and forth. Worry crept up on him. Have I chosen the right thing? I could have gotten land or magic. Instead, I got—.

  Pop!

  “Meeeeeeee!” Quetzy popped into existence, did a barrel roll, and popped out of existence again. Aaron flinched and ground his teeth in frustration. This thing can read my mind? Why am I given that sort of bullshit? I have enough issues already.

  Pop!

  “Issues!” Circle.

  “WannaTalkBoutIssues?” Barrel roll.

  “CanPretendNotToReadMind.” Figure-eight pattern.

  Aaron stared daggers at the swirling winged snake thing. A slight smile crept onto his lips, despite himself. It is kinda funny. Still, the acrobatics are annoying.

  “CouldLandForYou—” It shot toward Aaron’s head. He stumbled back. But Quetzy was faster. It wound itself around Aaron’s neck, like a noose trying to cuddle with him. As soft paws steadied themselves on his back and shoulders, Aaron fell, landing on his ass. He moaned.

  “UpsiSorry!” The thing rubbed its head against Aaron’s cheek. It was amazingly fluffy. The tension lifted from Aaron. I just can't stay angry at this hyperactive little monster.

  As Quetzy lifted its upper body with the support of its second set of legs and swiveled its head in a rapid shake like a marmot on cocaine, laughter burst out of him. This is absurd. And absurdly cute. Aaron fell back and closed his eyes. Let out a deep breath and began petting the Dragonsquirrel. Its smooth, long body was perfect for petting.

  As he lay back to relax for a while, his closing eyes saw the different standing versions of himself in the mirrors surrounding the obelisks, looking at him.

  Upload schedule: Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri 4:47 PM EST / 10:47 PM CET → Each chapter is 1500 +/- 500 words long.

  What do you think of Aaron's decisions? Would you have done the same?

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