The first rays of morning light shone across Zaid’s room, but his eyes were already open, fixed on the screen of his phone. His thumb swiped down, refreshing the messages. But there was nothing. The familiar, gut-clenching disappointment settled in. Twenty-four hours still hadn’t passed. The System didn't send him the request yet.
He dragged himself through his routine, the anticipation a lead weight in his stomach. The walk to campus was a blur of autopilot, his mind replaying past tasks and their strange, often dangerous, rewards. He was so lost in thought he almost didn’t notice the figure step directly into his path.
“Are you Zaid?”
Zaid stopped short, blinking. The boy in front of him was short, with a wiry frame and eyes that darted around with a nervous, bird-like energy. He was
