The chatroom that chose me

CHAPTER 1 THE INVITATION THAT SHOULD’NT EXIST It started with something simple. A notification. Except… there was no app for it. No name. No icon. Just a black box that appeared on Mira’s phone at exactly 12:00 a.m. “You have been selected.” Mira stared at it for a few seconds. Then laughed. “Selected for what? Am I in a movie or something?” She tried to swipe it away. It didn’t move. She pressed home. Still there. She even restarted her phone. When it turned back on… The message was still waiting. But now there was something new. A glowing button. [ENTER CHATROOM] Mira frowned. “This is definitely a virus.” Still… something about it felt wrong. Not scary. Not loud. Just… too real. Her finger hovered. She shouldn’t press it. But curiosity is a dangerous thing when you’re alone at night. And Mira was alone. She tapped it. The screen went completely black. No loading. No lag. Just silence. Then— A new interface opened. A chatroom. Minimalist. Dark. Empty. Except for one message waiting: WELCOME, MIRA. She froze. “How do you know my name…?” Another message appeared instantly. BECAUSE WE PICKED YOU. Her heartbeat sped up. This was not normal. She tried to exit again. No buttons worked. Then the chat started typing on its own. YOU HAVE ONE RULE. ONE CHOICE. ONE WISH. Mira blinked. “…wish?” A second message followed. ASK FOR ANYTHING. She scoffed nervously. “This is some kind of joke. Like AI prank or something.” But the chat didn’t stop. It waited. Patient. Alive. Then it added: BUT EVERYTHING HAS A PRICE. Mira hesitated. Something about that line didn’t feel like a prank anymore. It felt like a warning. Still… She typed slowly: “If this is real… I want money.” Instantly, the chat responded: HOW MUCH? She paused. Then typed: “Enough to change my life.” There was a long silence. Long enough to make her uncomfortable. Then— GRANTED. The screen went dark immediately. “Wait—what?” She pressed every button. Nothing. The phone shut off completely. Mira frowned. “This is so stupid…” She placed it on the bed and turned over. Trying to ignore it. Trying to sleep. But sleep didn’t come easily that night. Because at exactly 6:13 a.m. Her mother screamed from the living room. “MIRA!” Mira rushed out, confused. “What happened?” Her mother was holding the phone. Shaking. Pointing at a bank notification. A single message: 500,000 DOLLARS DEPOSITED Mira froze. Her stomach dropped. That wasn’t possible. Her mother turned slowly. Confused. Afraid. “…Who are you?” Mira blinked. “…Mom, what are you talking about?” Her mother frowned. “I don’t have a daughter named Mira.” Silence. Heavy. Impossible. Mira felt her throat go dry. Because at that moment— She realized something terrifying. The chatroom wasn’t just granting wishes. It was rewriting reality. And somehow… She had already paid the first price. Even if she didn’t know what it was yet. To be continued...............