"This is month six of the apocalypse. Survive thirty days—earn crystals," the System announced as Laura's lungs burned.
"Who are you?" she spat, fingers white on the window frame. Her voice sounded too loud in the cracked apartment.
"Manager. Points: 0. Contract length: 30 days. Objective: acquire luminous crystals from specified targets. Reward conversion pending." The voice was flat and disinterested, like a scanner reading labels.
Laura laughed and it came out like a cough. "Great. Manager. I'm a dead woman who needs a job."
"Status: deceased. Subject uploaded. Interface active." The voice paused less than a second. "You have one interface. Basic menu unlocked."
She slammed a cupboard to steady herself. The sound punched the quiet. A cabinet door swung open and five packs of instant noodles tumbled onto the counter.
"No. No, no, no." Laura gathered them with trembling hands. "This can't be right. I can't be—"
"You died," the System said. "You may accept contract or forfeit existence. Time to accept: twenty-eight seconds."
Laura's mouth went dry. She stared at the cheap steel kitchen knife where she'd shoved it between the cutting board and the sink months ago. The blade was dull but it would do.
"Accept," she said. It was a single word. Saying it made the apartment feel colder. The System beeped and a small numeric display flashed against the inside of her eyelids: POINTS 0 / DAY 1.
"Interface notes: luminous crystals are present in certain deceased targets. Extraction yields crystals
