Chapter Nineteen – Paranormal Realm 17
[Okay, Host.]
INITIATING SCAN.
Rowan slowed his steps the moment Nyphrin's voice echoed in his head. The street was quiet, too quiet, the kind of silence that made him instinctively straighten his spine and scan his surroundings anyway. His fingers brushed the edge of his jacket, nerves humming beneath his skin.
Five seconds later—
SCANNING COMPLETED.
[Surroundings are clear.]
Rowan exhaled through his nose and shook his head as he reached the front door. "You sound ridiculous," he muttered while unlocking it. "Do you really have to sound that robotic every time?"
[Yes. Nyphrin is a very serious system. Being otherwise is inefficient.]
He snorted, pushing the door open and stepping inside. The familiar scent of the house wrapped around him, grounding but heavy. He shut the door behind him and leaned back against it briefly, eyes drifting shut.
"Are you being monitored by your Lord God right now?"
[No.]
Rowan narrowed his eyes, slipping out of his shoes and leaving them where they fell. "If you are, just beep twice."
[ . . . ]
"Nyphrin."
[Host should proceed inside and freshen up.]
His lips twitched, irritation flaring. He pushed off the door and headed further in. "If you don't want to answer me, then just say that. Don't suddenly change the topic like nothing happened. That's rude."
[ . . . ]
He climbed the stairs two at a time, each step creaking faintly beneath his weight. The silence pressed in on him, making his thoughts louder. When he reached his room, Rowan paused, hand hovering over the door handle, then pushed it open and stepped inside.
Before Nyphrin could say another word, Rowan's gaze swept the room, corners, windows, shadows.
[Do you distrust me that much? Nyphrin scanned the house not up to five minutes ago.]
"It's an occupational habit," Rowan replied absently, finally closing the door behind him. "You'd be surprised how many times 'safe' turns into 'too late.'"
He crossed the room, tugging his shirt over his head as he walked, the fabric bunching briefly around his wrists before he tossed it aside. His trousers followed, then his socks, discarded carelessly as he made his way into the bathroom.
The mirror caught his reflection, but he didn't look for long.
The shower roared to life, steam filling the space almost instantly. Rowan stepped under the spray and stood there, motionless. No soap. No scrubbing. Just hot water pounding against his scalp and tracing slow paths down his back.
Minutes passed.
The tension in his shoulders didn't fade.
"What am I doing…?" His voice came out rough, barely louder than a whisper. "I can't let myself get carried away just because things didn't go how I expected."
[Is Host okay?]
"I'm fine," Rowan said, though his hands curled against the tiled wall. After a pause, his shoulders sagged. "No. actually, that's a lie. I snapped at you earlier, and that wasn't fair."
The water continued to run as he spoke, words spilling easier with his eyes closed.
"I know you have to answer your Lord God whenever he calls. I still blamed you for leaving without warning. That was selfish." He let out a quiet breath. "I've had superiors before. I know what it feels like to drop everything just because someone higher up snapped their fingers."
[Host should not blame himself. Nyphrin was wrong for leaving without informing you. Nyphrin apologizes.]
Rowan opened his eyes slowly. "You… apologize?"
[Yes.]
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Then I forgive you. And I hope you forgive me too."
[Nyphrin forgives Host. However, Host should not get emotionally attached. Whatever happens must happen. There is no way to change it.]
Rowan leaned his forehead against the cool tile, the smile fading. "You really don't know how to comfort someone."
[Nyphrin states facts.]
"I heard you," he replied quietly. "And you're right. I let it get to me."
The water shut off moments later. Rowan reached for a towel, drying himself slowly before wrapping it around his waist and stepping back into his room. He moved more deliberately now, calmer, pulling on a loose shirt and a pair of trousers.
[Additionally, the body is not truly yours. Host does not need to care about what happens to it.]
Rowan froze mid-motion.
He straightened, fingers tightening in the fabric of his shirt. "That's where you're wrong."
Nyphrin stayed silent as he sat on the edge of the bed, elbows resting on his knees.
"It may not have belonged to me before I got here," Rowan continued, voice steady but firm, "but I'm here now. I feel what it feels. The pain. The emotions. The attachments." He lifted his head. "So it's my body. At least until I leave it. I am Rowan, and Rowan is me."
A pause followed, longer than usual.
[Nyphrin acknowledges Host's perspective. Nyphrin respects Host's choice.]
Rowan relaxed slightly. "Thank you."
[You're welcome, Host.]
He leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. "By the way, if you're not the system, why can't I access the control panel while you're gone?"
[Host. I am the system. The system is me.]
"Okay, loud and clear," Rowan said dryly. "But maybe you should still check how I can access the system when you're unavailable."
BEEP.
BEEP.
BEEP.
Rowan raised an eyebrow.
[It is not that Host cannot access the system. Host has not accumulated sufficient points.]
"How many?"
[100,000 points are required to access the system control panel.]
Rowan laughed, sharp and incredulous. "Of course it is. I knew it would be something ridiculous."
[The price exists to prevent Host from overly relying on the system.]
"I haven't even gotten any real benefits from it yet," he shot back. "How is that relying on it?"
[Those are the rules.]
"Who made them?"
[Host is not qualified to know.]
Rowan shook his head, pushing himself off the bed. "Figures. Keep your secrets."
Silence followed.
Then came a sound at the front door.