Part 1The 1600 Deception

One month before the SATs, I started seeing my score floating above my head.

It was a curse. Every time I completed a practice test, the number dropped by ten points. But for every day I skipped school to party, it went up by ten.

I spent an entire month partying. The number above my head climbed to a perfect 1600.

But when the actual results came out, I scored a 400.

The 1600? That was my younger brother’s score.

My parents, furious and humiliated, disowned me and kicked me out to work in a factory. That same night, I was cornered in a dark alley by a group of thugs and beaten to death.

As I lay dying in a pool of my own blood, I heard my brother’s voice.

"You always thought you were smarter than me, Nathan. But in the end, you were just a fool who believed the number above his head."

That was when I realized: the score I saw was controlled by him.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back. It was exactly one month before the SATs. Above my head, the neon number read 1300.

"Nathan, let's do some practice questions tonight," my brother, Caleb, said with a sweet smile.

I looked at him, grabbed the practice sheet in my hand, and lit it on fire with my lighter.

"Exams are coming up. I'm done studying."

The number above my head ticked up by 10 points. Caleb feigned disappointment, but the moment I turned around, I saw the smirk curl the corners of his lips.

He has no idea. The show I’ve prepared for him is just beginning.

* * *

After rejecting Caleb’s invitation, I headed straight for my bedroom.

But Caleb wasn’t ready to let me off the hook. He followed me, suggesting we go see a tutor.

I slapped his hand away. "Cramming now is useless. Go by yourself if you care so much. I'm going to play video games."

"Nathan, I know you're smart, but don't get cocky," Caleb said, repeating the exact words he used in my past life.

He was testing me. He wanted to see if I truly believed the hallucination above my head.

I met his gaze and smiled lazily. "Even without studying, I'll score higher than you."

Caleb looked down, acting hurt, but he couldn't hide the gleam of triumph in his eyes.

Watching his retreating back, I sneered.

Caleb, this time, you’re the one who shouldn't get cocky.

Back in my room, the score above my head had jumped to 1350. But the moment I cracked open a textbook, it began to plummet. By the time I finished reviewing the last chapter of calculus, it had dropped to 1200.

I pulled up the feed from the micro-camera I had planted on Caleb earlier. On my screen, I saw him pacing his room, looking frantic.

"Why is Nathan's score dropping? I knew that bastard was lying! He says he’s not studying, but he’s grinding behind my back. Why doesn’t he believe the projection?"

A distorted voice replied from his phone speaker. "Calm down. If his score drops below 1000, the neural feedback will trigger a migraine so severe it’ll feel like an explosion. If he keeps studying, he’s just torturing himself."

My heart skipped a beat. Neural feedback?

Caleb laughed, his face twisting. "Good. If his brain fries, he deserves it for trying to play me."

Watching the score continue to freefall, I frowned. I needed a way to trick the system.

I spent the next hour testing variables. No matter what I did in the room, the score dropped. When it hit 1000, the number turned red and started flashing. A sharp pain stabbed at my temples.

I panicked.

I slammed the book shut, grabbed my keys, and drove straight to a high-end lounge downtown. I booked a private room and ordered a bottle.

Only when the score climbed back up to 1400 did the pain subside.

Back on the monitor, Caleb noticed the rise.

"I knew it. Nathan is an idiot. He fell for it."

"He’s probably out partying right now. He must be so happy seeing that score go up while he does nothing."

"That moron actually thinks he’s getting a 1400. That score belongs to me!"

Watching Caleb celebrate my "stupidity," I poured myself a drink and smirked.

He didn't know I had already figured out the glitch in his little game.