World Quest: Kill Her

The crack in the ceiling had been there since the beginning of the semester. Evelyn Holloway was fairly certain it had gotten longer. She tilted her head slightly, following the thin, uneven line from the projector toward the ventilation system. It disappeared behind a fluorescent light before reappearing a few inches farther along.

Someone really ought to have that checked.

She glanced at the clock.

10:43 AM.

Forty-seven minutes left.

Wonderful.

"Miss Holloway?"

Evelyn straightened so quickly that her knee struck the underside of the desk.

"Ow."

A few students laughed. Professor Whitmore stood at the front of the lecture hall, one hand resting on the podium.

"Perhaps you'd like to share your thoughts?"

"Um."

Evelyn looked at the presentation.

THE BYSTANDER EFFECT: DIFFUSION OF RESPONSIBILITY

Right. Psychology. She was studying psychology.

"People are less likely to help someone when other people are around?"

Professor Whitmore raised an eyebrow.

"Correct, although I was asking about the relationship between perceived authority and individual moral judgment."

"Oh."

"Perhaps a little more attention, Miss Holloway."

"Sorry, Professor."

He returned to the presentation. Evelyn sank into her seat. Beside her, Hannah leaned closer.

"Excellent analysis."

"Shut up."

"Very insightful."

"Hannah."

Her friend grinned. Evelyn shook her head and opened her notebook to a fresh page.

She actually liked psychology. That was the annoying part. Understanding how people thought, why they behaved the way they did, and what influenced their decisions genuinely interested her.

Unfortunately, Professor Whitmore possessed an extraordinary talent for making even fascinating subjects sound like instructions for operating a washing machine.

She tried to concentrate.

"Authority," Whitmore continued, "plays a significant role in human decision-making. People are often willing to perform actions they would otherwise consider morally unacceptable when those actions are presented as legitimate instructions."

Evelyn copied the heading. Her right knee throbbed. She stretched her leg beneath the desk, carefully adjusting her position until the discomfort eased.

Four years.

Four years since she'd torn a ligament during a school football match, and the stupid thing still bothered her. The doctors had told her it might.

She'd been offered magical treatment, naturally, but advanced healing skills weren't cheap. Her family's insurance had covered conventional surgery and physiotherapy, not a specialist healer charging more than her father earned in several months.

So she'd recovered the ordinary way. Mostly.

Walking was fine. Stairs were manageable. Running was something she preferred to avoid.

Not that she had much reason to run these days.

Her phone vibrated. Evelyn glanced at the screen beneath her desk.

Lucy: Mum says you're picking up milk.

She typed a response.

Evie: Why me?

Lucy: Because you're coming home first.

Evie: You're literally at home.

Lucy: Busy.

Evie: Doing what?

Lucy: Important things.

Evie: You're watching videos.

Lucy: Very important videos.

Evelyn smiled. Her younger sister had recently decided that being a university student meant Evelyn was available for errands whenever Lucy didn't feel like leaving the house.

Evie: Fine. But you owe me.

Lucy: Love youuu ❤️

Evie: Milk isn't free.

She put her phone away.

Another ordinary Thursday. Another boring lecture. Another argument about groceries.

Nothing particularly exciting had happened to Evelyn Holloway in months.

And she was perfectly happy with that.

***

Twenty years ago, the System had appeared.

Nobody knew where it came from. One morning, every human being on Earth had simply received a translucent blue window displaying their name, level, attributes, and skills.

The event had caused considerable panic. Governments declared emergencies. Scientists scrambled for explanations. Religious organizations offered competing interpretations.

Then people discovered that the numbers meant something.

Strength made people stronger. Agility improved coordination and movement. Intelligence and Wisdom influenced abilities that scientists still struggled to quantify properly.

Skills could be learned, improved, and sometimes transformed into something entirely new. Classes emerged from a person's abilities rather than determining them. A swordsman who learned magic might eventually become a Spellblade. Someone who spent years developing healing abilities could acquire a class reflecting that specialization.

And the System rewarded progress.

People gained experience through meaningful activities, developed skills through practice, and occasionally received quests.

The world changed.

Then the Dungeons appeared.

The first one opened beneath a shopping center in Tokyo. Forty-three people died inside. Hundreds more died when monsters emerged.

After that came more Dungeons, monster-infested territories, and the occasional Dungeon Break that required military intervention.

Humanity adapted.

Adventurers became a profession. Dungeon materials created entirely new industries. High-level craftsmen transformed construction and manufacturing. Healers revolutionized medicine. Farmers developed skills that increased crop yields beyond anything previously possible.

But ordinary life continued.

People still went to school. They still worked. They still paid taxes.

And university students still suffered through lectures they found painfully boring.

Evelyn belonged firmly to that last category. She had grown up with the System. Opening her status window was as natural as checking the time.

Her own statistics were nothing special. Her physical attributes were slightly below average, partly because she'd never been particularly athletic and partly because her old knee injury discouraged exercise.

Her Intelligence was decent. Her Wisdom was a little higher than average. Her skills were mostly academic.

She'd recently acquired the class Novice Scholar, which sounded impressive until she realized that several other students in her course had received the same classification.

She had never entered a Dungeon. Never fought a monster. Never seriously considered becoming an adventurer.

Those people were brave, reckless, or both.

Evelyn preferred libraries, coffee shops, and occasionally spending an entire weekend watching shows with her sister.

There was nothing wrong with that.

Professor Whitmore changed slides.

"Now, consider a situation in which an established authority instructs an individual to perform an action that directly contradicts their personal moral beliefs."

Evelyn reached for her pen.

"Under what circumstances might an otherwise ordinary person comply?"

A student near the front raised his hand. Whitmore nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Foster?"

"Depends on the authority, doesn't it?"

"Precisely."

The professor smiled.

"And what determines whether we perceive an authority as legitimate?"

Evelyn began writing. She managed three words.

Then something appeared in front of her face.

***

A blue window.

That wasn't unusual. System notifications happened occasionally. Evelyn had received one the previous evening after completing a particularly difficult assignment.

[Focused Reading has reached Level 4.]

She'd been mildly pleased.

This notification was different. For one thing, it occupied nearly her entire field of vision. For another, it had a golden border.

Evelyn blinked. She tried dismissing it. Nothing happened.

Around her, several students stopped writing. Someone gasped. Professor Whitmore fell silent.

Evelyn looked toward the front of the room. Everyone seemed distracted. A student two rows ahead was reaching toward something invisible.

Hannah sat upright beside her.

"What the hell?"

Evelyn turned back to the window. Two words appeared at the top.

WORLD QUEST

She frowned.

World Quest?

That couldn't be right.

She knew about personal quests. Everyone did. Sometimes the System assigned minor objectives connected to a person's activities or abilities.

Complete a difficult task. Defeat a particular monster. Learn a new skill.

Dungeon quests were common enough among adventurers, and regional quests occasionally appeared during major emergencies.

But a World Quest?

There had never been one. Not once in twenty years.

"Is everyone seeing this?"

"What does that mean?"

"World Quest?"

"No way."

The lecture hall filled with voices. Professor Whitmore raised a hand.

"Everyone, please remain calm."

Evelyn read the notification.

[WORLD QUEST]

KILL EVELYN HOLLOWAY

Objective: Permanently eliminate the designated target.

Rewards:

- 100,000 Gold

- Legendary Equipment Set

- Additional Reward: ???

Quest available to all eligible participants.

Evelyn stared. She read the title again. Then a third time.

Her name.

That was her name.

Evelyn Holloway.

For a moment, she felt strangely detached from the words. They didn't seem real.

It had to be a mistake. Or someone else. There were billions of people in the world. Surely there was another Evelyn Holloway somewhere.

She looked at Hannah. Her friend was staring at the window. Then Hannah slowly turned toward her.

"Evie?"

Evelyn swallowed.

"What?"

"That's your name."

"I know."

"Is it...?"

"I don't know."

Hannah looked confused.

"Maybe it's someone else?"

"Yeah."

Evelyn nodded.

"Yeah, probably."

Someone behind them spoke.

"Wait. Isn't there an Evelyn Holloway in this class?"

Evelyn went completely still. Another voice answered.

"Yeah. The girl sitting over there."

She felt something cold settle in her stomach.

"Seriously?"

"That's her?"

"Are you sure?"

Several students turned around. Evelyn looked down. Her heart was beating much too quickly.

This was ridiculous. Nobody was actually going to do anything.

Surely.

It was just a notification. A strange, impossible notification. The System couldn't seriously be telling everyone to murder her.

Could it?

"Miss Holloway?"

Professor Whitmore's voice sounded distant. Evelyn didn't look up. She could feel people watching her.

Someone whispered something. Another student laughed nervously.

"That's insane."

"One hundred thousand gold, though."

"Don't be stupid."

"Has anyone checked whether there's a picture?"

Evelyn's stomach twisted.

A hundred thousand gold.

That was an absurd amount of money. Enough to change someone's entire life.

And a Legendary Equipment Set?

Even professional adventurers rarely possessed equipment of that quality. She knew that much. Everyone knew that much.

The System was offering a fortune.

For her death.

Her hands began to shake.

"Evie?"

Hannah touched her arm. Evelyn flinched.

"Are you okay?"

"No."

The answer escaped before she could stop it. Hannah's expression changed.

"Okay. Listen, maybe we should—"

"I need to go."

"What?"

"I need to leave."

"Evie, wait."

Evelyn reached for her bag. She shoved her notebook inside. Her pen rolled off the desk. It hit the floor.

She bent to retrieve it. Her fingers slipped. The pen fell again.

Forget the pen.

She pulled her bag over her shoulder. Hannah grabbed her sleeve.

"Evie, just calm down for a second."

"I'm calm."

She wasn't. She could barely breathe.

"We should talk to someone."

"Who?"

"I don't know. The professor? Campus security?"

Evelyn glanced toward the front. Professor Whitmore was looking directly at her. So were several other students.

Someone near the aisle had stood up.

Why had he stood up?

Was he coming toward her?

Her chest tightened.

"I need the bathroom," she whispered.

"Then I'll come with you."

"No!"

The word came out much louder than intended. Several people turned. Evelyn swallowed.

"Sorry. I just... I need a minute."

Hannah looked hurt. Evelyn hated that. But she couldn't think about it. Not now.

She stood. Her chair scraped loudly against the floor. Professor Whitmore stopped speaking.

"Miss Holloway?"

Evelyn kept her eyes down.

"Sorry. I don't feel well."

"Given the circumstances, perhaps it would be better if everyone remained seated until—"

She was already moving.

***

The aisle felt impossibly long. Evelyn walked quickly toward the exit. She could hear people talking.

Someone said her name. Another person asked whether the quest was some kind of test.

A student near the door stood up. Evelyn stopped.

He was taller than her, with broad shoulders and a dark jacket. He looked surprised when she stared at him.

"Uh, sorry. I was just going to—"

She hurried past. Her shoulder struck the doorframe. Pain shot down her arm. She barely noticed.

The door swung shut behind her. Evelyn stood in the corridor. For a moment, she didn't move.

She could still hear voices from the lecture hall.

Her name. The reward. The World Quest.

She started walking.

Fast.

The corridor was crowded with students moving between classes. Most were looking at their System windows.

A girl near the vending machines was laughing.

"One hundred thousand gold? Are they serious?"

Her friend shook his head.

"Who the hell is Evelyn Holloway?"

Evelyn lowered her head.

Keep walking.

Just keep walking.

A man near the stairs looked up. His gaze settled on her. She recognized him vaguely. Someone from another course.

He frowned. Then his eyes widened.

Evelyn's heart lurched.

He knew. He recognized her.

Or maybe he didn't. Maybe she was imagining it. She couldn't tell anymore.

She turned toward the stairs.

"Hey!"

Someone called behind her. Evelyn froze.

"Wait!"

She ran.

Her knee immediately protested. Pain shot through her leg as she stumbled down the first few steps. She caught the railing. Kept going.

Her bag bounced against her hip.

"Hey!"

Footsteps sounded behind her. She didn't look back. She couldn't.

She nearly collided with two students coming upstairs.

"Watch it!"

"Sorry!"

She pushed past them. Her lungs were burning. She hadn't run properly in years.

By the time she reached the ground floor, her knee felt as though someone had driven a nail through it.

She stumbled into an empty section of corridor and leaned against the wall. Her breathing came in short, painful gasps.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted someone to explain what was happening.

Her phone vibrated.

Again.

And again.

She pulled it out.

Seven notifications. Three messages from Hannah. Two from unfamiliar numbers. One from her brother. And a message from Lucy.

Lucy: EVIE???

Another appeared.

Lucy: PLEASE ANSWER

Evelyn pressed the call button. Her sister answered immediately.

"EVIE?"

"Lucy."

Her voice sounded strange. Small.

"Evie, what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know."

"Why is your name on a World Quest?"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

A student walking past turned toward her. Evelyn lowered her voice.

"I don't know, okay? I don't know what's happening."

"Where are you?"

"University."

"Are you safe?"

Evelyn looked around. A man near the entrance was watching her. He was holding his phone.

Was he taking a picture?

She turned away.

"I don't know."

"Come home."

"I—"

"Evie, come home right now."

"I'll try."

"Where's Hannah? Is she with you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I left."

"Why?"

"Because everyone was looking at me!"

Her voice cracked. Lucy went quiet. Evelyn pressed a hand over her mouth.

She was going to cry. She could feel it.

"Okay," Lucy said softly. "Okay. Just come home. I'll tell Mum."

"Don't."

"What?"

"Don't tell her yet."

"Evie—"

"Please."

A pause.

"Okay."

Evelyn closed her eyes.

"Thank you."

"Just be careful."

"I will."

The call ended. She stared at the screen.

Another message appeared.

Unknown Number: Are you Evelyn Holloway?

She blocked it.

A second later, another message arrived.

Unknown Number: I can help you.

She blocked that one too. Her hands were shaking so badly she nearly dropped the phone.

She needed to leave. Get home. Lock the door. Call her parents. Call the police.

Would the police even help?

The System had issued the quest. Everyone had received it.

Even police officers.

Her breathing quickened again.

What was she supposed to do? Where was she supposed to go?

"Evelyn?"

She jerked around.

A familiar voice.

For one glorious second, relief washed through her.

"Daniel?"

***

Daniel Mercer stood at the far end of the corridor. He wore jeans, a grey hoodie, and the same battered trainers he'd been wearing for months. His brown hair was a mess.

He looked worried.

Very worried.

"Evie!"

He hurried toward her. Evelyn nearly cried.

Daniel.

Of course.

Daniel would know what to do. Or at least he'd help her figure something out.

They'd known each other since they were children. Their families lived on the same street. They'd gone to school together, spent entire summers playing games, helped each other through exams, and shared more embarrassing memories than Evelyn cared to count.

Daniel wasn't some stranger.

He was Daniel.

"Thank God," she whispered.

He reached her.

"Are you okay?"

"No."

The answer came immediately.

"No, I'm not okay."

He looked her over.

"Are you hurt?"

"No. I mean, my knee, but—"

She shook her head.

"Daniel, what the hell is happening?"

"I know."

"Everyone got this quest!"

"I know."

"It's my name!"

"I saw."

"They're telling people to kill me!"

Her voice rose. Daniel glanced around.

"Hey. Lower your voice."

She swallowed.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on. Let's get somewhere quieter."

Evelyn nodded. She followed him through a side corridor. Only after they'd passed two empty classrooms did something occur to her.

"Wait."

Daniel looked back.

"What?"

"What are you doing here? I thought you had the day off."

For a fraction of a second, he didn't answer. Then he smiled faintly.

"I heard what happened. I came to find you."

"Oh."

That made sense. Of course it made sense. Daniel was her friend. He'd come because he was worried.

She felt a fresh wave of relief.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

They stopped near an emergency exit. The corridor was empty. Daniel glanced toward the door. Then back at her.

"Evie, listen."

She looked up.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted.

He nodded.

"I know."

"I didn't do anything."

"I know."

"I swear, Daniel, I didn't—"

"Hey."

He stepped closer.

"Nobody's saying you did."

"The System is!"

Her voice broke.

"Why would it do that? Why me?"

Daniel didn't answer. Evelyn wiped her eyes.

"I just want to go home."

Something changed in his expression. Not much. Just a slight tightening around his mouth.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"Can you help me?"

He looked at her for a long moment. Then nodded.

"Of course."

Evelyn exhaled.

"I don't even know if I can get home. People are staring at me, and someone was following me, and Lucy keeps messaging, and—"

"Evie."

She stopped.

"It's going to be okay."

She wanted to believe him. More than anything, she wanted to believe him.

Daniel opened his arms.

"Come here."

She stepped forward. He wrapped his arms around her. And Evelyn finally started crying.

"I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know."

"I don't want to die."

Daniel held her a little tighter.

"I know."

His voice sounded strange. Almost sad.

"I'm sorry, Evie."

She frowned against his shoulder.

"For what?"

Something struck her stomach.

Hard.

At first, she thought he'd accidentally pressed something against her.

Then came the pain.

Sharp.

Deep.

Wrong.

Evelyn gasped. Her body jerked. Daniel's arms tightened around her.

She looked down.

There was a knife.

A knife.

In her stomach.

For several seconds, her mind refused to understand what she was seeing.

The handle was black. Daniel's hand was wrapped around it. Blood was spreading across her shirt.

She looked up at him.

"Dan...?"

His face was pale. His eyes were wet.

"I'm sorry."

He pulled the knife free.

The pain exploded.

Evelyn screamed. She stumbled backward. Her legs gave out. She hit the floor hard.

"Daniel!"

He dropped to his knees beside her.

"I'm sorry, Evie. I'm so sorry."

She tried to crawl away. Her hands slipped against the tiles.

There was blood everywhere.

Her blood.

She pressed both hands against her stomach.

It hurt.

God, it hurt.

She couldn't breathe properly.

"Why?"

Daniel reached toward her. She recoiled.

"Don't!"

"Evie, please—"

"WHY?!"

He looked devastated.

"I couldn't let someone else do it."

She stared at him.

What?

What was he saying?

"I know what people will do," he whispered. "For that kind of reward. You know what they're like. I couldn't let them hurt you."

Evelyn shook her head.

"No."

"I thought... I thought if I did it quickly—"

"No..."

Evelyn tried to push herself backward, but a sudden spasm of pain tore through her abdomen. She curled onto her side with a strangled cry, pressing both hands against the wound.

Something warm seeped between her fingers.

Too much.

There was far too much blood.

"Please, Daniel. Please."

"Evie—"

"Call someone!"

She tried to draw a breath, but the movement sent another wave of pain through her stomach.

"An ambulance!" she screamed. "Please!"

Daniel's expression crumpled.

"I'm sorry."

Evelyn looked down. Blood was spreading across the pale floor tiles, creeping past her knees. Her hands were slick with it, and no matter how hard she pressed against her stomach, more kept coming.

She tried to straighten her legs.

Couldn't.

Her whole body was trembling.

"Daniel..."

Her voice had become terribly small.

He wasn't reaching for his phone. He wasn't calling for help.

He was just watching her.

He was going to let her die.

"I don't want to die," she whispered.

Daniel's expression crumpled. For a moment, she thought he might finally do something.

Call an ambulance.

Use a healing skill.

Anything.

Instead, he gently took her hand.

"I'm here."

She stared at him.

"Please..."

"I'm here, Evie."

Her vision blurred. The corridor tilted.

She was so cold.

Why was she cold?

She tried to breathe. Something wet caught in her throat. She coughed.

Daniel said her name.

She couldn't answer.

Her chest hurt. Her stomach hurt. Everything hurt.

She thought about Lucy.

About the milk.

She hadn't bought the milk.

What a stupid thing to think about.

She wanted her mum. She wanted to go home.

She didn't want—

Her vision darkened. Daniel's face became a pale shape above her. His mouth was moving.

She couldn't hear the words anymore.

And then—

Nothing.

***

For the first time in twenty years, the System had issued a World Quest.

For the first time in her twenty-one years, Evelyn Holloway had been murdered.

And somewhere beyond the darkness, a notification appeared.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Death Confirmed.

Fatal damage sustained.

Unique Skill Activated:

UNDYING

***