Joe realized the goatee was starting to make its own decisions. It began to twitch whenever he told a lie. It would point toward the nearest high-quality deli like a divining rod. Most concerningly, it started to grow. Not longer, but smarter . The Great Grooming

By Wednesday, Joe was the most popular man in the city. He was solving cold cases by glancing at files. He was cooking five-course meals using only a toaster oven and sheer confidence. The goatee didn't just give him magic; it gave him . But magic always has a fine print.

Joe found it in a velvet box: the . It wasn't hair; it was an artifact. It was a perfectly groomed, salt-and-pepper facial hair extension that pulsed with a faint, rhythmic glow. The Transformation

He picked up a guitar and played a flamenco solo despite never touching a string.

The moment Joe pressed the adhesive to his chin, his spine straightened.

He ripped the goatee off in a dramatic flourish. The glow faded. The room went quiet. Joe looked at his cards, looked at the billionaire, and bluffed anyway. The Aftermath