The room was quiet in a way Leon wasn't used to.
Not the tense silence of waiting for monsters.
Not the hollow quiet after screaming stopped.
This was softer. Heavier.
Leon sat on the edge of the bed, hands resting awkwardly on his knees. The stone beneath the mattress still hummed faintly with mana, like the city itself was breathing beneath them.
Elena sat beside him.
Not touching.
But close enough that he could feel the warmth of her arm through the thin space between them.
Neither spoke.
Minutes passed.
Finally, Elena broke the silence.
"…I didn't think they'd believe me," she said, staring straight ahead.
Leon let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "I didn't think you'd say it."
A faint, nervous smile tugged at her lips. "I didn't think either. It just came out."
She glanced at him, then quickly looked away again. "I'm sorry if that made things weird."
Leon shook his head. "It's already weird. The world ended. Twice, apparently."
That earned a quiet laugh—short, shaky, but real.
They sat there, shoulders brushing now and then as they shifted, the contact sending unfamiliar sparks of awareness through Leon's chest. Not mana. Something else.
Elena folded her hands in her lap. "When everything went white… I really thought I'd lost you."
Leon's throat tightened. "I thought the same."
Another pause.
This time, Elena leaned back slightly—then hesitated, as if asking permission without words.
Leon didn't move away.
She rested her head against his shoulder.
Just that.
No System messages.
No skills activating.
No cosmic eyes turning their way.
Leon's body stiffened for a second—then slowly relaxed.
Her hair smelled faintly of smoke and soap. Her breathing evened out, syncing unconsciously with his.
"This doesn't mean anything has to change," Elena said quietly. "I know we lied."
Leon looked down at her. "But it didn't feel like a lie."
She didn't answer.
She just closed her eyes.
Leon hesitated, then gently rested his hand over hers. Not gripping. Not claiming.
Just there.
Outside the window, Aurelion's lights drifted like stars trapped too close to the ground.
Far away, worlds continued to merge. Races awakened. Gods watched other stories unfold.
But in that small stone room—
Two survivors sat on a bed, sharing warmth, sharing silence, pretending—just for tonight—that the end of the world could wait.