Sweat beaded on Arif's forehead. In the cold, blue luminescence of the laptop screen, his reflection looked like a hollow ghost. The Editor's message echoed in the silent corners of his mind:
"Write a tale where someone else suffers; their vitality will then be deposited into your portal."
Arif's thoughts drifted to his former boss, Mr. Zaman—the man who had publicly humiliated him and fired him without paying three months of his hard-earned salary.
"He's not a good person anyway," Arif whispered, trying to stifle his conscience. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, trembling. He began to type with the desperate speed of a man possessed.
The Script of Malice:"Tomorrow at noon, Mr. Zaman will fall on the office stairs, shattering his leg. Simultaneously, a cyber-attack will cripple his servers, costing his company one million taka."
Arif paused, a sudden, sharp pang of guilt striking his chest. But the hesitation was met with an agonizing pressure in his lungs, as if the very air was being siphoned away by an invisible hand. Gasping for breath, he frantically clicked 'Publish.'
Instantly, the pain vanished. The screen flashed with a cold, mechanical confirmation:
"New Plot Point Registered. Target: Mr. Zaman. Impact: Physical & Financial."
The Miraculous Recovery
The next day at 2:00 PM, Arif stood before the mirror, stunned. The dark, sunken circles under his eyes had vanished. His sallow, wrinkled skin was becoming taut and radiant once more. He logged into the portal to check his stats:
Vitality: 92% (+7% absorbed from Mr. Zaman)
Just then, his phone buzzed. A message from a former colleague flashed on the screen: "Arif, did you hear? Zaman Sir broke his leg in two places falling down the stairs today! To make matters worse, the office server was hacked—he's facing a massive financial disaster. The whole office is in total chaos!"
A dark, almost predatory grin spread across Arif's face. This was too easy. He could dismantle his enemies one by one, extend his own life, and perhaps even conquer death itself. He could become immortal.
The Editor's New Gambit
His triumph, however, was short-lived. A new notification from 'The Editor' popped up, chilling the air in the room.
The Editor:"Excellent plot twist, Arif! The readers are truly enjoying your transition into a villain. But remember, minor misfortunes will only sustain you for a few days. To reach 500% Vitality and achieve true immortality, you must write a 'Major Sacrifice'."
Arif:"What do you mean by a major sacrifice?"
The Editor:"The suffering of someone you love deeply. The more raw the emotion, the more vitality you gain. Tell me... how is your beloved Ria doing?"
Arif's blood turned to ice. Ria—the only person who had stood by him when he had nothing. The game had just become a nightmare.