Daniel quickly cleared his throat, shaking his head. "No, nothing. Just thinking," he said. He forced another smile, his mind reeling. "Daniel. Nice to meet you."

Claire smiled again, that same easy smile. "So, Daniel, what exactly are you building here? Looks pretty intense for just precaution."

Daniel's instinct was to tell her to leave, that it was none of her business. But the bar above her head kept drawing his attention. The system claimed she had enormous potential. And she lived nearby. That meant she'd be around—possibly a threat or possibly an opportunity.

"Let's just say I'm getting ready for any kind of emergency," Daniel said, keeping his voice deliberately vague. "You never know when things might go wrong, right?"

She nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving his. "Fair enough. I guess it never hurts to be prepared."

There was a moment of silence, the hum of machinery filling the gap. Daniel's thoughts were racing, the irony of the situation making him grit his teeth. He had sworn off relationships, yet now he was staring at someone the system clearly deemed important.

Claire seemed unfazed by his silence, her eyes scanning the construction site before landing back on him. "Well, I won't keep you. Just wanted to say hi and see what all the fuss was about. If you ever need anything, I'm just down the road." She gave him a little wave before turning and walking away.

Daniel watched her go, his eyes narrowing. He didn’t trust her—he didn’t trust anyone—but the system had given him a directive, and he couldn’t ignore it. He clenched his jaw, the anger and frustration simmering beneath his calm exterior.

The system was toying with him, pushing him back into the very mess he'd vowed to leave behind. But he wasn't the same man he used to be. He wouldn't be manipulated—by the system, or by anyone else.

----------------------------------------

Later that day, after the construction crew had packed up and left, Daniel retreated to the large storage area he'd built inside the mansion. The underground bunker was still in the early stages, but the above-ground sections of the house were quickly filling with supplies.

He opened his inventory, the strange sensation still catching him off guard despite having used it dozens of times over the past few days. It was like a void—an empty, dark space that seemed to stretch on forever. And within that void, all the things he'd gathered were stored neatly, ready to be retrieved at any moment.

He began going over the list of supplies he’d amassed. Food, water, medical kits, seeds for growing crops, winter clothing, tools—anything he could think of that would be useful when the world froze over. He had to think beyond the basics. Most people would panic and try to grab the obvious things—canned food, bottled water, generators. But Daniel knew that surviving The Great Cold meant more than just food and warmth.

It meant being prepared for the long term. It meant having medicine, vitamins, clothing that could withstand freezing temperatures, and tools that could be used to fix anything that broke. He needed to think about growing food, about security, about what came next after the world thawed and moved into The Great Heat.

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He had even managed to get his hands on some high-grade insulated grow lights—equipment that would let him grow food underground during The Great Cold. It had cost a fortune, but he didn’t care. Money was meaningless now.

As he packed the supplies into his inventory, his thoughts drifted back to Claire. There was something about her, something that set off alarm bells in his mind. She was too observant, too curious. But the system had highlighted her potential, which meant she could be an asset—if he played his cards right.

The problem was that the system’s requirements were... complicated. He had to get close to her, and not just in a friendly way. The thought made his skin crawl. He didn’t want to rely on anyone, let alone be forced into a situation like that.

He sighed, his frustration mounting. “Of all the goddamn things...” he muttered to himself, shaking his head.

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Over the next week, Claire became a recurring presence. She would show up at odd times—sometimes just as the construction crew arrived, other times when they were packing up for the day. She always had some excuse, some reason to drop by. A pie she’d baked, a question about something happening in the neighborhood, even just a casual wave from across the street.

At first, Daniel found it annoying. He was focused on his preparations, and he didn’t have time for chit-chat or the kind of pleasantries that she seemed to expect. But as the days passed, he began to notice things about her. She was smart—smarter than she let on. She paid attention to details, her questions were pointed, and she seemed to know more about him than he’d ever told her.

It was unsettling. The bar above her head remained, faint but always present, a constant reminder that she was different. The system had marked her as special, and Daniel couldn’t ignore that, no matter how much he wanted to.

One afternoon, as the construction crew was finishing up, Claire showed up again. She leaned against the fence, watching the workers with an amused expression before turning her attention to Daniel.

“Busy as always, I see,” she said, her eyes glinting with curiosity.

Daniel sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Yeah. A lot to get done,” he replied, keeping his tone neutral.

Claire tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him. “You know, I’ve been thinking. You’re putting a lot of work into this place. It almost seems like you’re expecting something big to happen. Something that the rest of us don’t know about.”

Daniel felt his stomach twist, but he kept his expression calm. “Like I said, just taking precautions.”

She smiled, a knowing look in her eyes. “Right. Precautions.”

For a moment, there was silence between them, the hum of machinery filling the air. Then Claire took a step closer, her gaze locked onto his. “You know, I’m not just here because I’m nosy,” she said, her voice softer now, almost serious. “I’ve seen a lot of weird things happening lately. The weather, the news—it all feels... off. I think you know something, Daniel. And I want to know what it is.”

Daniel clenched his jaw, the alarm bells ringing loudly in his head. She was too smart, too perceptive. The system had been right—there was something different about her.

He took a deep breath, forcing a smile. “I think you’re overestimating me, Claire. I’m just a guy trying to make sure I’m ready for whatever happens. Nothing more.”

She held his gaze for a long moment before nodding slowly, her expression thoughtful. “Maybe. Or maybe you’re just not ready to trust me yet.” She smiled then, that same easy smile as before. “Anyway, I’m around if you need anything.”

She turned and walked away, leaving Daniel standing there, his mind racing. He had a choice to make. The system had given him a directive, and Claire was pushing her way into his life, whether he liked it or not. If she was going to be around, he needed to figure out how to handle her—how to use her potential to his advantage.

He watched her disappear down the street, his eyes narrowing.

“No one gets in without proving themselves,” he muttered to himself. “Not this time.”