I leaned against the balcony railing of my room, looking at the night sky they never seems to get old no matter how many times I've looked at it. Then, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind.
I didn't even need to turn. Her warmth had a certain… serenity to it. She rested her chin against my back, humming lightly, and I could feel her smile through my shirt.
"You're too quiet. What's going on in that head of yours?"
"Too many things. But you're happy, huh?"
She laughed lightly and stepped beside me, brushing a strand of her hair back.
"You could tell?"
"Yeah. You hugged me before I even said anything."
"Well… your mother just made one hell of a move. Nefira and Radellei under Anastelle's command? That's basically securing them a future brighter than anyone in our House could have dreamed of. She's never done anything like that before in the main storyline."
"Yeah," I said, turning to face her. "You're really happy for them, huh?"
"You have no idea how much that means to them. We've all trained together since childhood... I mean Hinesia trained with them. I was scared of what would happen after Asmarion became heir."
"You mean in the MoDS storyline?"
"Yeah. I remember that version too. The one where he killed us all. But now? That is gone. I'll stay by his side when the time comes. If he ever loses control, I'll be there to stop him."
"You sound way too calm saying that you'll kill your brother if he turns rogue."
She blinked and then laughed, shaking her head. "You always make things sound worse than they are. I'm not happy about it, but it's necessary."
"Still, you say it like you're talking about a grocery list."
"Alright, fine. Change of topic then. Your mother's hot."
I choked on air. "Excuse me?"
"Don't act surprised. Everyone's thinking it. Anastelle is pretty and intimidating. She just exists and people start saluting."
I groaned. "You're unbelievable."
"Oh, come on," she teased, nudging me with her elbow. "Even you know it. But anyway, tomorrow's fight. You're going up against Nefira in the evening. You know what that means."
"Yeah. She'll have her vision ready by sunset."
"Exactly. You need to end it before that happens. Once her vision fully syncs, it will be over. Not even your Void element will give you an edge if she gets to that point."
I leaned on the railing again. "So, I've got until sunset. Great."
She looked at me and I could feel something heavier behind her eyes. "After that… we probably won't see each other for a long time."
I froze for a moment, the reality of that statement sinking in. Of course. Summer was coming close.
"Yeah. My mother said Radellei and Nefira are leaving with her after the CATF ends. And I've got six open-world quests lined up after that."
"The Azure Sword clue, right?"
"Yeah. Second one."
Silence settled between us for a while. She was tracing faint patterns on the railing, lost in thought. I was watching the moonlight flicker over the skyscrapers below. Then, she spoke again.
"You know, Phaser, it's been really fun. These few weeks, I mean. You're probably the first person I've met who managed to keep up with all of us physically, mentally, and emotionally."
"You mean I survived."
"Yeah, that too."
I glanced at her and for once, her usual stern expression softened completely.
"So what now?"
"Well," she said, straightening up and crossing her arms, "we hang out one last time."
"Like… a farewell dinner?"
"Like a date, genius."
"A date?"
"Yes, a date. I mean, unless you'd rather spend your last days in Nairobi training in your hotel room like some kind of lonely protagonist."
I stared at her. "You are aware that I'm broke, right?"
Of course I wasn't but I'm not paying like the way Radellei made me the last time we went on thet fake date she talked about.
"You're with a Rameses. You won't be paying for anything. I'll even buy you a tie if you behave."
"Wow, how generous."
She rolled her eyes, smiling as she turned toward the door.
"Be ready by tomorrow morning. You're going out with the eldest daughter of the House of Rameses. Try not to look like you just survived a boss raid."
When she left, the room felt oddly quiet again. I leaned back against the bed, staring at the ceiling for a while. The distant hum of Nairobi nightlife drifted through the window. I'd gotten used to this place and more than anything, I'd gotten used to them.
The Rameses sisters.
Each one was so distinct yet somehow, they all shared that same spark. I'd fought them, trained with them, eaten with them, gotten scolded by them, hell, I'd even learned to speak a bit of Swahili and Egyptian thanks to them.
"Yeah… I've come a long way."
On my phone were pictures we'd taken two weeks ago in downtown Nairobi. Phyri was throwing a peace sign, Vilythe was jumping, Hinesia had that faint smirk, and I looked like I had just been dragged into chaos unwillingly, which I was.
It was stupid but I loved it.
In the MoDS storyline, this would've all gone so differently. The Rameses sisters would've been killed but not this time. This time, I changed it just by being here. For the first time since being transmigrated into Altera Earth, I felt something like… peace.
I wasn't just some player stuck in a storyline anymore. I was rewriting it and I actually saw the results.
I stood up, stretching, glancing at the wardrobe. I'd need to wear something casual and discreet. The whole "Lone Nomad" thing had spread across the continent faster than I expected, and the last thing I needed was to get a paparazzi during what might be my first forced real date ever.
Tomorrow would be the fight against Nefira. After that, I would fight Hinesia and head back to the university.
Spring would fade into summer. The CATF would end and I'd begin the next chapter.