Alright, that's enough celebrating for one night," Ella announced.
"Aw, come on!" Lucifer protested. "We just made gaming history!"
"And you'll still have made history after getting eight hours of sleep."
"Eight hours?! What am I, a houseplant?"
"A very loud one," Shadow observed.
Buck laughed.
"Listen to your mother, you little gremlin. We've got a big day tomorrow."
"She's not my—"
Ella cleared her throat.
"...Yes, ma'am."
Soma nearly fell out of his chair laughing.
"See?" Buck said proudly. "That's how you raise children."
"You've done a wonderful job, honey," Ella replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Thank you, darling. I appreciate the recognition."
Lucifer made a gagging sound.
"Please stop being married in front of me."
That earned another round of laughter. Eventually, the goodbyes began. Lucifer disappeared first, promising to celebrate their victory properly when everyone arrived at the convention. Shadow lingered long enough to congratulate Soma.
"Good work tonight, Klutz."
"Couldn't have done it without you."
Her avatar gave a small nod.
"You would've found a way."
Then she vanished into a shimmer of blue light. Soma watched the empty space for a moment. Coming from Shadow, that might have been the longest compliment she'd given him all month. Buck and Ella were the last to leave. Well, almost.
"Hey, kid," Buck said.
"Yeah?"
"Seriously. Get some sleep tonight."
Soma sighed.
"I'm starting to think everyone in this guild believes I'm incapable of taking care of myself."
"Because you once worked for sixteen hours straight and forgot to eat."
"That happened one time!"
"Three times," Ella corrected.
"Two and a half."
"How do you forget to eat half a time?" Buck asked.
"That's not important."
"Exactly my point!"
Ella chuckled.
"Just promise us you'll rest, sweetheart."
Something in her voice softened Soma's expression.
"I promise."
"Good. We'll see you tomorrow."
"Can't wait, kid!" Buck added. "And don't forget, you're getting one of my famous bear hugs whether you like it or not!"
"That sounds more like a threat."
"It absolutely is!"
Their avatars dissolved into particles. For the first time that evening, the guild headquarters grew quiet. Only two players remained. Tactical Klutz. And Elvenwonder04. Outside the enormous arched windows, a simulated night sky stretched across the game's landscape. Countless stars shimmered above the distant mountains, their reflections rippling across the dark waters surrounding the guild's fortress. The hall itself was magnificent.
Polished marble floors reflected the soft light of enchanted chandeliers. Banners celebrating the guild's past achievements hung between towering pillars, while rows of ornate display cases housed trophies from their greatest victories. But Soma barely noticed any of it. Raven was standing beside him.
"So..." she began.
Soma turned toward her.
"So?"
Her avatar shifted slightly closer.
"Tomorrow."
He smiled.
"Tomorrow."
And somehow, after everything they'd accomplished that night, the thought of finally standing in front of Raven made him more nervous than facing the Harbinger ever had. It was ridiculous, really. They'd known each other for over a year. They talked practically every day, sometimes spending hours on Discord discussing everything from games and movies to the most meaningless details of their lives.
He knew how she liked her coffee, what foods she absolutely refused to eat, and that she had a habit of scrunching her nose whenever she was concentrating. She knew he preferred working late at night, that he always ordered extra-crispy wings, and that he had an unhealthy habit of forgetting meals whenever he became absorbed in a project. They'd talked on the phone, laughed through countless video calls, and occasionally fallen asleep while still connected.
There was very little about Raven that felt unfamiliar. Except the thought of finally being close enough to touch her.
"So, are you nervous?" she asked.
"About what?"
"Soma."
"What?"
"You're doing that thing again."
He frowned.
"What thing?"
"Where you answer a question with another question because you don't want to answer the first one."
Soma chuckled.
"That's a very specific accusation."
"And an accurate one."
"Allegedly."
She laughed. Even through the headset, the sound made something warm stir in his chest.
"Okay, fine," he admitted. "Maybe a little."
"A little?"
"Moderately."
"Soma."
"Extremely."
"There we go!"
He could practically picture her smiling on the other side of the screen.
"Good," she said.
"Good?"
"Because I'm nervous too."
That surprised him.
"You are?"
"Of course, dummy."
"But we've FaceTimed, like, a hundred times."
"Exactly!"
He blinked.
"You're going to have to explain that one."
Raven sighed dramatically.
"There's a difference between talking to someone through a screen and actually standing in front of them."
"I mean, technically—"
"If you start explaining the technical differences between video communication and physical interaction, I swear I'm hanging up."
Soma laughed.
"Fine. No technical explanations."
"Thank you."
A comfortable silence settled between them.
"Hey, Soma?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you really okay with tomorrow?"
He hesitated. It was such a simple question. Yet somehow, he knew exactly what she meant. Buck and Ella had been talking about the convention for months. They'd practically adopted the responsibility of getting everyone together, organizing travel arrangements, booking hotels, and making sure nobody found an excuse to back out. Especially him. Soma wasn't oblivious. He knew they worried about him. He also knew Raven worried more than she admitted.
"I'm looking forward to it," he said.
"I know you are. That's not what I asked."
He smiled faintly. Of course she wouldn't let him get away with that.
"Yeah," he answered after a moment. "I'm okay with it."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Because you know nobody's going to be upset if you need a little space, right?"
Soma looked toward her avatar. Raven continued before he could respond.
"Buck's probably going to tackle you the moment he sees you, and Lucifer's almost definitely going to do something stupid within the first five minutes."
"Five? You're giving him a lot of credit."
"True. Three minutes."
"Two, tops."
They laughed.
"But seriously," she continued, her voice softening. "You don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with. We're just excited to finally hang out with you."
Soma's smile faded into something gentler. He understood what she was doing. She wasn't treating him like he was fragile, and she wasn't asking him to explain feelings he'd already struggled to put into words. She was simply making sure he knew he had a choice. Just like she always did.
"I know," he said quietly. "And I really do want to be there."
"Good."
"Besides, somebody has to keep Lucifer out of trouble."
"That's a full-time job."
"And I don't think Buck and Ella could handle him alone."
"Oh, please. Ella could handle all of us with one hand tied behind her back."
"Fair point."
Raven giggled. Then, after a moment, she spoke again.
"There's something else I'm looking forward to."
Soma tilted his head.
"What's that?"
She hesitated. For once, the girl who always seemed to have something clever to say fell silent.
"Well..."
"Raven?"
"It's stupid."
"Now I definitely need to hear it."
"No, you don't."
"Come on. You can't just say something like that and leave me hanging."
Her avatar turned slightly away.
"I was just thinking..."
"About?"
She let out a quiet breath.
"That it'll be nice to actually sit next to you."
Soma stopped smiling. Not because he was unhappy. Quite the opposite. His brain, which had successfully calculated hundreds of simultaneous combat variables less than an hour earlier, abruptly forgot how to function.
"Oh."
Oh?
That was his response?
Oh?
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could practically hear Buck laughing at him. Raven's voice grew uncertain.
"I mean, we spend so much time together already, and I thought maybe we could watch something, or play a game, or..."
"I'd like that."
The words escaped before he could overthink them. She paused.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Actually, I've been looking forward to that too."
Another silence. This one felt different. Warm. A little awkward. But comfortable in a way he couldn't quite explain.
"Good," she whispered.
"Good."
A notification suddenly appeared at the edge of Soma's screen.
[PRIVATE MESSAGE — DADDYWARBUCKS]
Kid. Friendly advice from a happily married man: if a pretty girl says she wants to spend time with you, don't respond like you're negotiating a hostage exchange. Soma stared at the message. Then he closed his eyes. I'm going to kill him. Another notification appeared.
[PRIVATE MESSAGE — ELLA_MENTAL]
Ignore my husband. You're doing fine, sweetheart. ❤️ Soma buried his face in his hands.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
"What?" Raven asked.
"Nothing."
"Soma."
"Absolutely nothing."
"Did Buck message you?"
He froze.
"...No."
"Soma!"
"Okay, yes!"
Raven burst into laughter.
"That man is impossible!"
"You have no idea."
"Oh, I think I do."
Her laughter softened.
"He's been sending me messages too."
Soma slowly lowered his hands.
"Wait. What?"
"Nothing!"
"Raven."
"Nope!"
"Raven, what did he say?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Oh, that's evil."
She laughed again.
"Guess you'll just have to ask him tomorrow."
"Great. Now I have two reasons to strangle him."
"Two?"
"The other one's for calling himself my father in front of thousands of people."
Raven snorted.
"To be fair, he was very proud of you."
Soma's expression softened.
"Yeah," he admitted. "I know."
For a moment, his gaze drifted toward the massive guild banner hanging above the hall. The Reclusive Avengers. Three years ago, he'd never imagined a video game could become such an important part of his life. Yet somehow, between impossible dungeon runs, late-night conversations, terrible jokes, and countless arguments about loot distribution, these people had become something he hadn't realized he was searching for. A family.
And tomorrow, for the first time, he would finally be standing in the same room as them.
"Hey, Raven?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm really glad Buck and Ella introduced us."
She went quiet. Then, softly, she answered.
"Me too, Soma."
Neither spoke for several seconds. Eventually, Raven let out a reluctant sigh.
"I should probably get some sleep."
"Yeah. Me too."
"Big day tomorrow."
"Big day."
Her avatar turned toward him one last time.
"Goodnight, Klutz."
"Goodnight, Raven."
"And Soma?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't stay up working."
He laughed.
"Did Ella put you up to that?"
"Maybe."
"Unbelievable."
"Goodnight!"
"Goodnight."
Her avatar waved. Then, with a gentle shimmer of blue light, Elvenwonder04 disappeared from the guild hall.
[ELVENWONDER04 — OFFLINE]
Soma remained standing beneath the artificial stars. For a long moment, he simply stared at the empty space where she'd been. Then a smile slowly spread across his face.
"Tomorrow," he whispered.
A few seconds later, Tactical Klutz vanished from the world of Ascension Overdrive. Reality returned with the familiar weight of his VR headset. Soma lifted the device from his head, blinking against the darkness of his bedroom. The muted glow of his monitors illuminated the space around him. A half-empty glass of water sat beside his keyboard. Several notebooks were scattered across his desk, their pages filled with dungeon diagrams, damage calculations, and hastily scribbled observations.
One monitor displayed the guild's victory announcement. Another held his current freelance project: an unfinished combat-balancing document for a game development studio. He glanced at the unfinished work. Then at the clock. Then back at the document.
"Nope."
He closed it. Ella would somehow know if he started working again. He was convinced of it. Standing from his chair, Soma stretched his aching shoulders. His legs felt strangely unsteady after spending so long immersed in the game. He crossed the room and stopped beside a wooden bookshelf. Among the game manuals, novels, and various collectibles sat a framed photograph. Three people smiled at the camera. A younger Soma stood between his mother and father, their arms resting around his shoulders.
The photograph had been taken years earlier, back when his life had been very different. Soma picked it up. For a moment, the excitement of the evening gave way to a quieter emotion.
"I did it," he murmured.
His parents had spent their careers designing games. They'd been the ones who introduced him to programming, game mechanics, and the strange satisfaction of solving problems nobody else could figure out. His father had taught him to question every system. His mother had taught him to look for the person behind every problem. He wondered what they would have thought of the final battle. His father probably would have spent an hour analyzing the Harbinger's mechanics.
His mother would have told him to stop talking about the game long enough to eat something. The thought drew a faint smile. He carefully returned the photograph to its place. The apartment was quiet. It usually was. Since losing his parents, Soma had become accustomed to the silence. He worked from home, managed his finances carefully, and spent most of his evenings online.
His freelance game-design work paid well, and the money his parents had left him meant he didn't have to worry much about expenses. But financial security couldn't fill an empty apartment. The guild had done something his bank account never could. They had given him people to look forward to seeing. Or hearing, at least. Until tomorrow. His phone vibrated. Raven: Don't forget to charge your phone. And set your alarm. Soma smiled. Soma: Yes, Mom. The response arrived almost immediately.
Raven: Careful. I'll tell Ella you said that. Soma: Please don't. I fear that woman. Raven: As you should. A second message followed. Raven: Seriously, though. I'm excited to see you. He read it twice. Then a third time. His fingers hovered above the screen. There were so many things he wanted to say. Things he'd rehearsed in his head during countless conversations, only to lose his nerve whenever the moment arrived.
Instead, he typed:
Soma: I'm excited to see you too. Three little dots appeared. Disappeared. Then appeared again. Raven: Goodnight, Soma. ❤️ He stared at the heart for an embarrassingly long time.
"Yeah," he muttered to himself. "I'm definitely in trouble."
He plugged his phone into the charger and set two alarms. Then, after considering the possibility of sleeping through both, he set a third. Buck would never let him hear the end of it if he missed the convention. On his way toward the bed, Soma glanced at the small bag waiting beside the bedroom door. Clothes packed. Convention badge ready. Wallet, keys, and travel documents organized. Everything was prepared.
For someone who rarely left his apartment except for groceries, errands, or an occasional visit to his favorite wing restaurant, the idea of spending an entire weekend surrounded by thousands of people should have been overwhelming. And it was. A little. But for the first time in years, his excitement was stronger than his anxiety. He climbed into bed and pulled the blankets over himself. Across the room, the victory announcement continued to glow faintly from his monitor.
[THE RECLUSIVE AVENGERS HAVE CLEARED FLOOR 100!]
Soma smiled. It had been an extraordinary night. Tomorrow promised to be even better. He imagined Buck wrapping him in a bear hug, Ella scolding her husband for nearly crushing him, Lucifer causing chaos within minutes of arriving, and Shadow quietly watching the entire spectacle with an expression of absolute disappointment. And Raven. He imagined seeing her smile without a camera between them. Hearing her laugh without a headset. Standing close enough to reach for her hand.
His heart quickened.
"Tomorrow," he whispered.
He closed his eyes. For years, he'd grown accustomed to wishing the days would pass quickly, content to lose himself in work and games. But tonight was different. Tonight, he wasn't trying to escape anything. He was looking forward to something. For the first time in a long time, the world beyond his apartment door didn't seem quite so frightening. And as sleep finally claimed him, Soma Locke had no idea that the day he was so eagerly anticipating would change his life forever.