Nina returned home just as the sun began to dip beneath the horizon, casting an orange glow over the streets.
The moment she stepped inside, her mother looked up from the living room and gave her a disapproving glare.
"You're back late."
She said sharply.
Before her mother could continue with one of her usual complaints, Nina cut her off with a sigh.
"I'm tired. I'm heading to sleep."
She muttered.
"You're always tired. Despite not doing a damn thing all day! You think this house runs on air?"
Her mother snapped, loud enough to make sure Nina heard it as she walked away.
Nina didn't answer.
She didn't even glance back.
She trudged upstairs, dragging her feet like lead weights, and stepped into the comfort of her dimly lit room.
Her bed waited for her like a reward at the end of a long battle. She collapsed onto it, body sinking into the mattress. Just as her eyes fluttered shut—
BAM!
Her door flew open with a crash, slamming into the wall. Nina jolted upright.
"Nina!"
Her youngest sister, Luna, announced, stomping into the room like a hurricane in bunny slippers.
"No. Not now. I'm too tired to deal with you."
Nina groaned, flopping her head back onto the pillow.
"But I need your help! It'll only take a second. I just need to borrow your ridiculous luck."
Luna huffed.
"Use your own luck."
Nina mumbled.
"You don't understand. I've been working on this all day and I'm this close to cracking the formula. I just need your [Extreme Luck] to activate and stabilize the final reaction."
Luna said, holding up a glass vial filled with a glowing, swirling liquid.
Nina groaned again but pushed herself into a sitting position.
"Fine. Hand it over."
Luna beamed and handed her the potion.
Nina took the vial lazily in one hand and shook it once.
DING!
[Skill: Extreme Luck has activated.
Probability of desired outcome: 100%.]
The potion shimmered, shifted colors, and finally settled into a stable, brilliant blue glow.
Luna's eyes widened.
"It worked!"
Nina smirked and handed the vial back.
"Happy now?"
Luna pouted.
"Your Patron's too good for a lazy bum like you. If I had him, I'd actually use him properly."
Nina didn't even blink.
Her Patron's voice thundered immediately in her mind.
[How dare she! Insolent child. Say the word and I shall curse her with boils for a week.]
'No! She doesn't mean it. Don't do anything.'
Nina said quickly, waving her hand as if that would calm the entity down.
[She meant it]
Her Patron growled.
'She's jealous. And loud. And annoying. But not evil.'
[Close enough]
The Patron muttered, clearly unconvinced.
Nina turned to Luna and raised an eyebrow.
"You better stop before he gets unreasonable."
Luna's eyes widened. She clutched the potion bottle tighter and backed toward the door.
"Fine! Fine. I'm going. Don't sic your Patron on me."
She disappeared as quickly as she'd arrived, slamming the door shut behind her.
Silence returned.
Nina sighed again and fell back into her bed. Her muscles ached, her head was heavy, and sleep claimed her almost instantly.
The next morning, the pain arrived.
Nina groaned as she rolled over, her entire body screaming in protest. Every muscle ached. Her limbs felt stiff. Her back was sore. Her legs didn't want to move.
Her Patron was the first to speak.
[Told you. You're not built for this much physical exertion in one day.]
Nina didn't respond. She just groaned and covered her face with her blanket, already regretting everything.
And the day had only just begun.
Nina groaned as she sat up, her entire body stiff and aching from the night before. It hurt to move. Her muscles screamed with every stretch and shift.
"Am I coming down with something?"
She muttered, wincing as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.
[You're not sick. You overused a body that wasn't trained to handle your powers. These are the side effects. Do you want me to unlock a few skills to help with that?]
Her Patron said, his tone matter-of-fact.
Nina shook her head immediately.
"No thanks. I don't need them."
[You're sure? I can strengthen your physique. You wouldn't feel this weak again.]
"I told you already. I have no intention of saving the world. I'm not planning to fight in dungeons. So there's no need for all that."
Nina said, standing up with a wince.
Her Patron went silent, but she could still feel the disapproval lingering in the background.
After washing up and changing out of her pajamas, Nina made her way downstairs. Her stomach grumbled the moment the smell of breakfast hit her.
"You finally decided to wake up. You slept the whole morning away."
Her mother snapped the moment Nina stepped into the kitchen.
"It's only 11 AM,"
Nina said, plopping into her chair.
"It's Saturday."
"Don't get smart with me. Your siblings were up hours ago. Luna's already out doing her project, and Leo left for his training."
Her mother warned, scooping food onto Nina's plate.
Nina didn't bother replying. She was too busy trying not to drop her utensils with how sore her arms still felt.
She dug into her food slowly, each bite a bit of fuel for her aching body.
As she ate, her mother sat across from her and let out a dramatic sigh.
"I worry about you, you know. You don't study well. You have no interest in art, or music, or even athletics. What are you going to do with your life?"
She said, shaking her head.
Nina paused mid-bite.
Her Patron didn't speak, but she could feel his amusement like a quiet hum in the back of her head.
"I'll start looking for a part-time job. From today. I have some free time, and I should learn how to make money on my own."
Nina said after a moment.
Her mother raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Yes. Really."
Nina said with a sigh.
There was a flicker of relief on her mother's face, but she masked it quickly with a huff.
"That's fine, but don't get distracted from your studies. You still need to pass your exams if you want to do something meaningful."
Nina nodded, not bothering to argue. The faster this conversation ended, the better.
She finished her meal, rinsed her plate, and headed upstairs before her mother could launch into another speech about responsibility.
Back in her room, she shut the door and leaned against it with a sigh.
[That was dramatic]
Her Patron commented.
"She's always like that, but I know that she's happy deep down that at least one of her kids has a normal childhood. But whatever. I'll look for a job like I said."
Nina muttered, already rifling through her closet for something more casual to wear.
[You do realize that means leaving the house again, right?]
"Thanks for the reminder."
Nina said dryly. She pulled on a hoodie and jeans, tied her hair up, and slipped her phone into her pocket.
[You should still let me help enhance your stamina.]
"I said no."
[You're going to pass out if you keep ignoring your limits.]
"I'll manage."
[Stubborn girl.]
Nina rolled her eyes but smiled faintly.
"You say that like you're not used to it."
Her Patron grumbled something unintelligible in her mind, and she took that as a win.
With one last glance in the mirror, she grabbed her keys and headed out. Time to start pretending she had a future.
As Nina stepped outside, the sun hit her face, and she winced. Even the light made her headache worse.
Her legs still felt heavy, her arms sore, but she forced herself to keep walking. She couldn't let her mother think she was all talk.
[You're barely walking straight.]
Her Patron muttered.
"I'm fine."
Nina whispered back, passing by a group of kids running down the street, carefree and loud. She envied them a little.
She didn't really have a plan.
There were a few stores near the main market street that sometimes put out "Help Wanted" signs. She'd just check around and see if anything came up.
Halfway to the main road, she passed a cafe with a faded notice taped to the window:
Part-Time Staff Needed.
She paused, eyed the sign, then stepped in.
Finally, it seems as if she was getting somewhere with how things were.