Karl woke to warmth.
Not fire, not pain — warmth.
A soft cyan glow pulsed somewhere near his cheek, gently syncing itself with the rhythm of his breathing. For a moment he didn't move. Didn't even open his eyes. He just lay there in the faint hum of the quiet subway tunnel, feeling the tension in his bones soften as something smooth brushed against his temple.
Then a soft whisper grazed his ear:
"…my Karl… you're safe… you're so safe…"
His eyes snapped open.
Agnes.
Her solidified form was curled around him — arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders, forehead pressed lightly to his. The glow from her body illuminated the dust-filled air like moonlight underwater. The moment he stirred, her projection flickered.
Her eyes opened.
Cyan. Gentle. And startled.
"…Karl?"
He blinked slowly, disoriented.
His chest felt lighter — not perfect, but lighter.
He glanced down at the Drive Regulator strapped to his waist.
59% Vythra.
And rising.
Slow, steady regeneration. Yggdrasil's blessing humming faintly through him.
"…Good," he breathed. "I'm not dead."
Agnes smacked his shoulder — gently, but enough to make her point.
"You SCARED me," she whispered, half angry, half relieved. "You collapsed like a dying battery. I thought your Vythra would flatline while I was scanning for enemies."
Karl sat up, wincing as his spine cracked back into place. He rubbed his temples.
"No… I'm okay. Just… drained."
He checked the Regulator again.
"Fifty-nine percent. That's… better than I expected."
Agnes huffed, crossing her arms — then immediately uncrossing them, clearly embarrassed.
"Well… Yggdrasil did most of the work. I just… kept you stable."
Karl nodded, leaning back against the cold subway pillar.
He didn't transform. He didn't even think about it.
At 59%, Rider Frame or Erevos Frame would just bleed Vythra until he passed out again. There was no point. No demons nearby. No threats. Just the quiet groaning of derailed train cars and dripping pipes.
He took a breath.
But the longer he sat there… the more something felt… different.
Warmth clung to his cheek.
Soft. Lingering.
Almost like—
Karl turned slowly toward Agnes.
"…Were you… hugging me?"
Agnes froze.
Her hologram glitched once — a stutter of blue pixels — before she whipped around, cheeks glowing neon-pink.
"I—I—I WAS ENSURING YOUR BODY TEMPERATURE DID NOT DROP—!!" she blurted.
Karl raised an eyebrow.
"In a full-body embrace?"
"I WAS SECURING YOU FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES FOR… FOR… TACTICAL STABILITY!"
He stared at her.
She stared at the wall.
Karl cleared his throat.
"…Agnes."
She squeaked.
He leaned slightly closer.
"Were you whispering to me?"
Her whole projection completely froze — like someone had unplugged her thought process.
Then she turned — very, very slowly — eyes wide, cheeks glowing so bright they lit half the tunnel.
"I— I WASN'T— I MEAN— THAT WASN'T— YOU WERE UNCONSCIOUS— HOW ARE YOU EVEN AWARE OF—"
"'My Karl, you're safe'," he repeated softly.
Agnes short-circuited.
"I DIDN'T—!!!"
He tilted his head.
"I heard it."
"I— I— IT WAS— YOU WERE PANICKING— YOUR HEART OUTPUT WAS SPIKING— I HAD TO CALM YOU— THAT'S A STANDARD AI COMFORT PROTOCOL—!!!"
Karl smiled.
Agnes' projection glitched violently.
"DON'T— DON'T SMILE LIKE THAT— YOU'RE MAKING THIS WORSE—!!"
Karl leaned back against the pillar, stretching his tired arms as his Vythra climbed another point.
"Honestly?" he said quietly.
"It felt nice."
Agnes' mouth dropped open.
She made no sound.
Her hands floated halfway up like she was trying to gesture but forgot how arms worked. She looked everywhere except at him — the floor, the wall, a broken timetable display — absolutely anywhere but his face.
Karl reached out and flicked her forehead hologram lightly.
"You're terrible at hiding things, you know that?"
She squealed and covered her face.
"STOP—!! KARL—!! YOU CAN'T JUST—!!!"
He chuckled.
Soft. Tired. But warm.
He wasn't transformed. He didn't need to be. His Vythra needed time. His body needed rest. And down here, far below the ruined surface, there was no threat close enough to worry about.
Just him.
And an AI who was very bad at pretending she didn't care.
Agnes peeked through her fingers at him, cheeks still glowing.
"…You… really heard all of it?"
Karl nodded once.
"…Every word."
She groaned and fell backward onto her back, kicking her hologram legs weakly in mortified despair.
"Haaahhhh— this is the worst— I can't believe— why didn't you stay unconscious—!?"
Karl snorted.
"Sorry for waking up."
"No! Don't say it like that! That makes me sound awful!"
Karl leaned closer, voice softer now.
"It made me feel safe, Agnes."
She froze.
Completely.
The glow around her softened, pulse slowing into something warm and gentle.
When she finally spoke, her voice was small.
"…I'm… glad."
He smiled.
Agnes extended a solidified hand toward him — shy, hesitant, but wanting contact.
Karl took it.
The subway hummed softly around them, pipes clicking in the distance, the world outside still ruined… but quiet.
And for the first time since the crash, Karl felt like he wasn't alone.