I made my way up the stairs, each creak underfoot giving me more time to stew. Rave followed me like a shadow—it was hot, but really unnerving.

  In the bathroom, I peeled off my clothes and stepped into the shower. The pipes groaned like they didn’t appreciate the sudden request, but the water came, lukewarm and clean enough. I let it run over me for a long moment, letting the hiss drown out my thoughts.

  “I forgot what this was like,” I said, my fingers dragging along beneath my eye.

  Then the door creaked open again.

  I cracked an eye and gnced toward the blur beyond the curtain. Rave’s boots padded against the tile, and a second ter, the lid of the toilet seat ccked down.

  “What are you doing?” I asked over the water.

  Her voice came without hesitation. “Rex. I’ve seen you naked before.”

  I blinked. “That’s not reassuring.”

  “I’m not gonna pull the curtain back and gawk at your bits. Calm down,” she said, a little too smoothly.

  “Take off your boots. What’s wrong with you? I’m sure you wouldn’t dare walk into Meredi’s bathroom with those mucky boots.”

  There was silence. And then the sound of csps being undone.

  “Wow, Tim. I just figured we could keep talking.”

  I snorted. “In the bathroom?”

  “You’re here. I’m here. We’ve talked in worse pces.” Then came silence. “And I don’t feel like leaving now.”

  I shrugged and accepted it. There was something strangely comforting about her being there, just outside the curtain, while the water’s steam built. It made it easier to stay out of my memories of my doomed world and stay in this world that still had hope.

  “My boots are off,” she mumbled.

  I could hear her scratching her head—a quick, awkward rasp. It made me smile.

  “You’re feeling awkward,” I said.

  “I’m not feeling awkward.”

  “You are. I can hear you scratching your head.”

  She grunted, but didn’t argue further.

  “I didn’t touch Meredi,” I said, gently. “We barely talked.”

  Another pause. Then a long sigh from the other side of the curtain.

  “Yeah,” she murmured. “I figured as much. She just wanted her little family portrait moment. The noble sister, the bck sheep, the lovely daughters, and the husband’s kid who’s been warmer to her recently.”

  I chuckled softly.

  “I’m not trying to stop you, Tim. Not from anything,” Rave said. “If you want to chase Meredi, or Elsbeth, or whoever—go for it. You’re allowed to want something for yourself… Especially when I cut you loose in a month or two.”

  I pushed the curtain open.

  Her eyes snapped to me.

  I stood there, water still running down my chest, droplets clinging to my arms. I didn’t cover up. I didn’t step back.

  Her mouth opened, then cmped shut.

  “It’s nothing you haven’t seen,” I said, responding to her reddening cheeks and ears.

  Her eyes darted down for a fraction of a second before jerking back up like she'd touched a hot stove.

  I didn’t smirk. I just looked at her. “Be honest with me, Rav. You came into the shop ready to y into me. So why talk about this like you can just ‘cut me loose’ just like that?”

  She looked at everything but me, her jaw clenched tight.

  Then, quieter, she spoke. “I... got caught off guard, alright? It bothered me. I reacted.”

  I waited.

  “I’m fine,” she added quickly, before I could press. “It’s not a big deal. I’m over it.”

  I raised a brow.

  And that’s when she peeked again. Just once. Just a quick, involuntary flick of the eyes downward, like gravity pulled them down.

  I caught it. Didn’t call it out. But she saw me see it. And man, I loved this game we pyed.

  Her cheeks turned a little pinker, and she clicked her tongue in frustration.

  I let the silence linger, just long enough for the weight of it to settle. Then, still standing there, I asked, “You gonna stay out there while I finish, or are you coming in?”

  She froze. I could practically hear her thoughts scrambling for a direction.

  I waited.

  “I’m not doing that. Please just get back to it.”

  I smiled, closed the curtain, and resumed my shower.

  Her sigh was clearly audible. “I’m gd you got to see her.”

  “I’m kind of done talking about Elsbeth for now. I want to talk about you now.”

  “Me?”

  “You know that if I thought you were in trouble, I’d get as twisted as I would for Elsbeth.”

  She grunted and seemed to shift uncomfortably.

  “Rave, do you know that?”

  “Come on, man. You don’t have to talk like that,” she said, her voice almost a whimper.

  “It’s okay if you don’t believe me. I know I haven’t earned your faith.”

  “H-Hey—”

  I opened the curtain and stepped out, snatching the towel from the rack. “You don’t have to worry about me, Rav,” I said with a grin. “Everything has its time.”

  She kept eye contact with me for a few beats and then looked away.

  “And about you cutting me loose… I hope you’re still going to give me a chance to convince you to stay with me.”

  “Tch, yeah, I told you I’m keeping an open mind.”

  “The next time I’m staying over… I’ll tell you. I left early because I wasn’t sure how I would deal with it… And maybe, I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have. And I’m sorry for that. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  Rave didn’t move from her spot. I walked to the door and opened it. Rave spoke up.

  “I want to shower. Can you fetch my change of clothes?”

  I grinned at her. “Is it in the bag?”

  Her bangs obscuring her expression, she nodded. “Yeah. It is.”

  “I’ll get them for you.”

  “Wait until you can hear the water running… And don’t peek at me… Please?”

  “Whatever you want, Rav,” I said with a smile.

  My smile faded as soon as she couldn’t see me. I got her clothes, waited until she was in the shower and the water was running, and pced the clothes on the toilet while keeping my eyes on the floor.

  Then I went to my bed and threw myself onto it, resting with my thoughts still swirling.

  After some minutes of thought, I nodded.

  “Yeah, I know you devs aren’t responsible for this world actually being real, but…” I rubbed my eye. “I forgot what it felt like to be so worried about someone so real.”

  I massaged my forehead and got my head back in the game.

  “I can’t just have moments where I lose my cool like that. This isn’t a game anymore. The game’s implied reality is fleshed out now. I can’t fall into the trap of thinking things are going to be as shallow as a pre-pnned story route. Everything’s richer!”

  I thought of Rave and all her little quirks. I thought of Meredi and her simple desires and innocence. I thought of Elsbeth and all the fgs she was raising—no speaking about it in game terms could cause me to not be as focused as I should be. No, those emotions were deep. I had to respect what I had forced out.

  This is real.

  I grinned at the ceiling.

  Not that much time had passed, but I had already gained so many things. Now more than ever, I wanted to prevent their deaths, and ensure that they would get to have their futures.

  “I’m only one person but… To just you three, I’ll devote everything. That’s reasonable, right? Especially in a world like this, where I might be able to make a difference.”

  I activated my Mana Vision and looked at the network in my hand. Before the brains, the network was so dim. During the reaction, the network was like va. After all the brains, it was just a little brighter. I was nowhere near the notable people I had met so far, but even if all I could get were Rank 1 Gloomspawn and their brains, I still had another avenue I could progress down.

  I have options.

  With the majority of the year still ahead of me, I had more than enough time to capitalize on everything I have gained.

  “Tim?” Rave asked, her voice quieter than normal.

  I looked over to see her in the doorway, hair wet, and white shirt covering her down to her thighs. When our eyes met, she cleared her throat and smirked.

  “About what you said—if I were ever in trouble. If I were the sort who would be in trouble at my age, I would have been dead at twenty-five.”

  “Is that how it works?”

  “Best believe,” she sang back. And then her bravado faded. “Can I lie down with you?”

  “You don’t have to ask.”

  Rave climbed over me, bracing herself with a hand on the mattress before dropping to my side in a huff of breath. For a moment, she just y there, eyes on the ceiling like she wasn’t sure what to say.

  Then she reached out and tugged at my arm.

  I raised an eyebrow. “What?”

  She didn’t answer. Just gently pulled my arm until it was under her head. She rested there, cheek warm against my bicep. Her hair was still damp, and the scent of the herbal shampoo mingled with the remnants of steam in the room.

  “You’re going to fall asleep like that,” I said.

  “That wouldn’t be bad. I need a nap.”

  “I meant you’re going to drool on me.”

  “Why stop there? I might bite you too.”

  “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”

  “Weirdo…”

  Her hand drifted to my chest. She didn’t say anything more. The room quieted again, the only sounds our breathing and the drips of water echoing from the bathroom.

  I looked down at her.

  She looked back up.

  It started with just a shift — the barest inch closer, like gravity pulled us together. My nose brushed hers. Then our lips met.

  It was soft, almost cautious at first, her fingers twitching against my chest. We parted, breathed, made sure we were both real. I kissed her again, slower this time, letting the quiet build between us again.

  We came back together closer than before, our bodies heating the other.

  Rave made a sound, small and involuntary, and I kissed her harder in response. I turned toward her, let my hand slip around her waist, pulling her tight to me. Her thighs brushed mine.

  I guided her onto her back.

  She went with my motion.

  Then—she tensed.

  Our lips parted, and her hands were suddenly on my chest, not pulling me closer, but pushing.

  “No, no, no. Stop. Stop!” she said, her voice cracking. “Get off me. Stop. Stop, Timaeus!”

  I was off her in an instant, rolling to the side and sitting up with my hands in the air.

  “I’m off. I’m off. I’m not touching you,” I said, chest thundering. “It’s okay.”

  Rave sat up slowly, arms wrapped around herself. She was panting, wide-eyed. Her eyes weren’t on me. They were locked on the bed, looking at something I couldn’t see.

  My heart cracked. Once more, I was reminded of how real this world was.

  I reached out, slowly, openly. “I’m here, Rav,” I mouthed.

  My fingertips brushed her cheek, and she flinched at first. Then leaned into it.

  “I just want to know that you’re okay,” I said gently.

  Her breath hitched.

  Then she looked at me, not with anger, not even shame. Just disbelief. Like she couldn’t understand what kind of person I was pretending to be.

  “Why are you being so nice to me?” she whispered.

  The question was like a knife to the gut

  “I’m a mess,” she said, trying to keep her jaw clenched.

  And then the tears came.

  They weren’t loud or dramatic. Just this quiet, crumbling sound from her throat as she pressed her hands to her face and curled forward.

  “I’m sorry,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry.”

  Her voice cracked. My heart cracked too.

  “If you want to cut me loose, I won’t fight you.” She wiped her eyes with trembling fingers. “I swear I won’t fight it.”

  I blinked. “Rav—what? No. No. Why would I ever do that?”

  She couldn’t look at me.

  “I don’t know. Because you’re tired of how much of a difficult bitch I’m being?”

  She shook her head violently.

  “Meredi wouldn’t give you this type of thing,” she said, voice raw and shaking. “I messed it up. I—I wanted to—I thought maybe I could—” She choked. “And then I just—I just couldn’t do it? What does that say about me—I’m crazy.”

  I put my arm around her shoulders and slowly and gently pulled her back.

  “You didn’t mess anything up,” I said. “Nothing’s ruined. Not for me.”

  She gave me the first little bit of resistance as she tried to pull away. “No, don’t, Tim… You’re tired of me!”

  “I’m not—”

  “How?!” she yelled, breathing hard, eyes on me again.

  I grinned. “I must really love you.”

  She froze.

  “That must be what it is. I think I really do love you, Rav.”

  She shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense. Me?” she asked, her voice breaking from sheer disbelief.

  “Sure it does. When you love someone, you’re able to be patient and take the brunt of their worst traits, right? Not saying that this is your worst trait. You’ve got others. Like taking boots into the bathroom.”

  “Pfft.”

  And there it was. The spiral faltered. She knew I knew it too.

  She let out a breath and directed a ugh toward the ceiling. “Why are you so dumb? I feel so crazy.”

  “I might just have that effect on you.”

  She gnced at me. “Yeah. Maybe you do… If you say it one more time, I’ll believe you.”

  “I think I love you, Rave. Hidden daggers and all.”

  She let out a roar of frustration. “Fuck, Tim,” she said, half roaring, half ughing. “Why are you saying this sort of stuff? Just tell me to suck your dick—I’d know how to react then!”

  I py winced. “That’s kind of fast, isn’t it?”

  She looked at me with a fierce, hastily made-up scowl. “Ha-ha. You’re a real jokester.”

  I grinned back. “Get on top of me, Rav.”

  “Pardon?”

  “We can go back to kissing. But you can stay on top of me.”

  She looked away slightly, sneaking peeks at me from behind her bangs. “Would that… really be enough for you?”

  “No,” I replied, drawing her full attention back. She looked wounded by the admission. “Let me use one arm to hold you. That’s all I really want. I just want to hold you.”

  Rave’s hands went to her face and she released a small groan into them. Then, while huffing, she straddled me. I thought she’d just fall onto me from there, but instead, she took off her shirt and let me see the bck brassiere holding back her breasts.

  “This is all the extra I’m going to give you.”

  “What’d I do?” I replied, mesmerized by the sheer beauty of this goddess.

  “You were being too sweet, fool!”

  She came down swiftly, catching my lips again. I was still a minute behind the action. She didn’t like that. She grabbed my right hand and pced it on her bare lower back.

  “Hold me, fool!”

  “Sorry, sorry,” I said while contending with the foreign tongue invading my mouth.

  Having her chest pressed so strongly against mine, and to have her so close and so vigorous. I couldn’t help but think that I was the luckiest guy in the whole city. If there was ever only one thing that I was allowed to do to repay her for giving me this joy, it would be snatching her away from the fate that wanted her dead.

  SpoilerAnother concept image. Gonna have to modify it to not be the modern room but a bit more grungy. Still, this is the reference the artist will use for her version.

  [colpse]