ENCHANTED ESSENCE

TWO – MILO

Milo Anders adjusted his glasses for the third time, but they still slid down his nose. They always did. He sat cross-legged on his bedroom floor, surrounded by wires and computer parts.

His desk was littered with energy drink cans and half-finished projects—his safe haven from the outside world. He knew people thought he was weird, but at least machines made sense. They didn't laugh at you.

He powered on the custom PC he'd been building for weeks. The lights flickered to life, and Milo couldn't help but smile. At least I can get this right.

The smile didn't last long.

School was… as usual.

The hallway chatter dipped for half a second as Milo walked in, then picked right back up.

He wasn't bullied the way some kids were—no one bothered wasting the energy. They just ignored him.

Today, though, Milo was determined.

He spotted Cara Matthews by her locker, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He'd been working up the courage for weeks to talk to her.

"Hey, um—Cara?" Milo started, forcing his voice not to crack.

She blinked at him. "Do I… know you?"

"I'm Milo. We, uh, had biology together last year."

Cara's lips curled in faint recognition. "Oh. Yeah. Right."

Milo took a shaky breath. "I was wondering if, maybe… you'd want to hang out sometime? Like, grab coffee or—"

Her laugh was sharp, cruel in its effortlessness.

"Oh my God. You're serious?" she said, turning to her friends. "He actually asked me out!"

One of the girls pulled out her phone, smirking. "Say it again, Milo. For my story."

Heat surged into his face. His chest felt like it was caving in.

He turned and walked away, fast, their laughter echoing behind him.

Later, in the computer lab, Milo kept his head down as he tinkered with a circuit board. Through the reflection in the dark screen, he saw Avery Quinn passing by in the hallway—head down, books clutched tight to her chest.

Their eyes met for half a second.

Hers were startling—so bright they almost didn't seem real.

Milo blinked, breaking the moment, and went back to his work. Wasted on her face, he thought bitterly, hating himself a little for thinking it.

That night, Milo sat in front of his finished computer, the glow from the monitor lighting up his room.

His rejection replayed in his head on an endless loop.

He wanted to be someone—anyone—else.

As he closed a browser window, something strange happened.

An unfamiliar ad blinked to life on his screen, unprompted:

"Eterna Beauty Salon – Transform Your Life."

The tagline read:

Confidence. Power. Desire. The only price is what you're willing to give.

Milo frowned, leaning closer.

Maybe it was just a pop-up. Maybe it was spam.

But the words wouldn't leave his head.