"Fresh Ink"
Nick wasn't expecting anything more than an excuse to skip school and mark his eighteenth birthday with a little rebellion. A tattoo. Nothing too crazy -- just something permanent, something clean, something that looked cool.
He chose a crown.
Five sharp black points stretched just above his forearm, bold and centered. Regal, powerful, a little cocky. It felt right.
The tattoo shop was dimly lit, tucked between a vape store and a liquor mart in a strip mall downtown. The guy running it was covered in ink and attitude -- probably in his late forties, with mirrored sunglasses he didn't take off the whole time and a gold tooth that flashed every time he grinned.
"First tattoo?" he asked as he wiped Nick's arm down with alcohol.
"Yeah," Nick said. "Birthday present to myself."
The guy nodded approvingly. "Good choice. You want the real version?"
Nick raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
The artist reached under the tray and pulled out a tiny black vial filled with dark, glimmering liquid. "Special ink," he said. "Infused with nanotech. Reacts to certain apps."
Nick laughed. "Like what, sci-fi stuff?"
The artist gave a sly smile. "Ever heard of Master PC?"
Nick's heart skipped.
"Yeah. Those old internet stories? That weird fantasy where a guy controls people using some computer program?"
"Exactly. This is like that. Except no computer. No keyboard. Just you, your crown, and a phone." The guy's grin widened. "Check your phone when we're done."
Nick smirked, assuming it was some dumb gimmick. Still... he didn't say no.
βΈ»
The tattoo was done in forty minutes -- black ink, sharp and perfect, shaped like a five-point crown just above his wrist. Each point ended in a smooth black circle, like gem settings. It tingled faintly beneath the wrap, a pulsing warmth under his skin.
Outside the shop, Nick's phone buzzed.
New app installed: MASTER CROWN
He stopped walking. Blinked. Opened it.
The interface was simple: five gem slots, all empty. A glowing button at the bottom that read:
SYNC SUBJECT
Nick snorted.
"This is literally Master PC," he muttered to himself. "What a trip."
For fun, he tapped the first gem.
Enter subject name.
He hesitated. Then, with a grin:
"Aubrey Cross."
His stepmom.
The screen blinked.
Subject synced. Ready for voice commands.