"Haah… Haah… Haah…"
My breathing slowed little by little, my chest rising and falling. The room smelled faintly of sweat and perfume. Mira's pink hair was scattered across my chest, her body still trembling from lingering effects of what we just shared. My hand moved on instinct, brushing strands away from her face.
For a while, I just stared at the ceiling. My mind wouldn't stay still — it never does after things like this. Every path I took, every stupid decision that brought me here, they all played back again like a movie I never wanted to rewatch.
If I'm being honest… it's been rough. Way too rough.
"Uhn~"
A soft sound slipped out of her. She shifted, her expression calm and satisfied.
"Uhn~ Nero…" she murmured, voice laced with drowsy affection.
I ran my fingers through her hair again, and she settled. Her breathing steadied. I exhaled and let my head fall back.
"Stem," I called.
[What is it?]
"You still haven't told me what you want from me. Who brought me here? Why? I'm getting sick of being left in the dark," I said. "Just tell me what I need to know so I can at least understand what I'm up against."
A transparent interface blinked into view.
[You do not have the required privilege to access such information.]
"Of course," I muttered. "Same old bullshit."
I rubbed my face with both hands, fighting back the frustration. "How much longer do I have to stay blind like this?"
Silence.
I sighed. Then, quietly, I closed my eyes. My thoughts drifted — back to the beginning, back to the first mistake that started everything.
Sometimes I wonder if this is just a nightmare stretched over years. But I know it isn't.
Everything that happened… happened.
That meeting with the so-called goddess.
That time trapped in the neither realm.
Those endless days wandering a place where even time refused to move.
The pain. The insanity. The loneliness.
All of it was real.
But now? I'm lost. Completely.
Who brought me here?
Why me?
I don't have the answers.
"Huh?"
I opened my eyes. Mira was awake now, blinking up at me, face flushed and hair a mess.
"Rise and shine, princess," I said, forcing a small grin.
She blinked a few times before recognition set in, and then her face broke into a bright smile.
"Nero~" she whispered.
Honestly, that smile still throws me off.
If someone told me months ago, a day would come when she would look at me and smile like that, I would've laughed in their face. Back then, she would've killed me without a second thought. Both she and her brother.
Now? Things are different.
Honestly, I feel a little guilty.I kind of stole the protagonist's girl.Just a little guilty though. Survival first. Always.
"I still can't believe you snuck into my room again," she said suddenly, voice faintly scolding. "If anyone finds out, you'll get expelled. You know that, right?"
I chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "And?" I tilted my head. "What happens then?"
"You get expelled, idiot. You know what that means, right? It's basically a one-way ticket to hell in the League." she said.
She's not wrong.In the League of Guardians (LOG), background means everything.Anyone without a Defense Academy (DA) record is branded weak. Worthless.Even commoners get into DAs these days, so if you didn't… it means you were kicked out or rejected. Either way, your placement in the League would be rock-bottom. And down there, "low rank" just means "soon to die."
"You're right," I said quietly, "but it doesn't matter. Besides… this might be the last time we ever meet. I figured you'd want a proper goodbye."
Her expression froze. Then she grabbed my face, eyes locking with mine.
"What do you mean last time?" she asked, voice trembling. "You're not planning to run away, are you? You'll be branded a Defaulter!"
I didn't answer immediately. Just took her hand and held it tight.
"I won't survive the League, Mira," I said.
She shook her head. "Don't say that, we—"
"Let's not lie to ourselves," I cut her off. "You know it too. I'm not as strong as you. I'm not even close. My placement will be at the bottom, and that means death. Maybe not instantly, but soon. With every mission, every Riot attack, the odds drop lower. Tell me, what's the difference between dying there and running away now?"
She bit her lip, hard enough to draw blood.