Leon woke to sunlight that wasn't supposed to exist.
It filtered through tall arched windows, warm and gold, carrying with it the distant sounds of a living city—footsteps on stone, voices speaking a language half-familiar, the low hum of mana flowing through ancient wards.
For one peaceful second, he forgot everything.
Then he felt it.
Weight against his side.
He looked down.
Elena was still asleep, curled slightly toward him, her head resting against his shoulder, one hand loosely gripping the sleeve of his shirt as if her body had decided sometime in the night that letting go was not an option.
Leon froze.
His brain caught up several seconds later.
We… fell asleep like this.
Carefully—very carefully—he shifted just enough to look at her face. Her expression was calm, softer than he'd ever seen it. No fear. No tension. Just exhaustion finally allowed to rest.
A System notification flickered faintly at the edge of his vision, then vanished before fully forming.
Even the System knows better, Leon thought.
Elena stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first—then widened the moment she realized where she was.
"…Oh."
Leon swallowed. "Morning."
There was a long, dangerous pause.
Then Elena's face turned red so fast Leon was genuinely impressed.
"Oh my God," she blurted, sitting upright far too quickly. "I— I didn't mean to fall asleep, I swear, I just—"
"It's okay," Leon said quickly, raising his hands in surrender. "I didn't move either."
That only made it worse.
She buried her face in her hands. "I told the attendant we were married."
Leon groaned. "Please don't say it like that first thing in the morning."
She peeked through her fingers. "…You didn't deny it."
"I was in shock," he muttered. "I was still processing two moons."
Despite herself, Elena laughed.
The tension eased—just a little.
Then—
A sharp chime echoed through the room.
This one was not gentle.
---
[Daily System Update – Survivors of Earth]
[World Merge: Phase Two – 91% Complete]
[City Assignments Locked]
[Mandatory Orientation in 1 Hour]
---
Elena sobered instantly. "Orientation?"
Leon nodded. "That's when they explain how this world actually works. Rules. Races. Survival."
"And expectations," she added quietly.
As if summoned by the thought, Leon felt something shift inside him. His status window pulsed—still sealed, still quiet—but heavier than before.
The Emperor class was awake.
Watching.
Waiting.
Another chime—private this time.
---
[Private System Channel Opened]
[Participant: Lucas]
---
"Morning, sunshine," Lucas said dryly. "Please tell me you didn't die in your sleep."
Leon smirked. "Disappointed?"
"Always," Lucas replied, then paused. "You get assigned housing?"
"Yes," Leon said. "One room."
"…One?" Lucas repeated.
Elena froze.
Leon hesitated. "…Yes."
There was silence on the line.
Then Lucas sighed—long and deeply tired.
"Leon," he said carefully, "why do I have a very bad feeling about this?"
Leon glanced at Elena, who was staring at the ceiling with the intensity of someone pretending not to exist.
"…No reason."
Lucas snorted. "I'm in a shared barracks with six guys who all think charging monsters naked is a viable strategy. So if you tell me you somehow got a private room, I'm going to assume the universe hates me personally."
Leon opened his mouth.
Elena beat him to it.
"She told them we were married," she said calmly.
Dead silence.
"…What."
Leon winced. "She panicked."
"I improvised," Elena corrected.
Lucas exhaled slowly. "I leave you alone for one night."
"I didn't do anything!" Leon protested.
"That's somehow worse," Lucas muttered. "You know what—never mind. Focus up. Orientation matters. The Architect just made an announcement."
Leon's expression sharpened. "He spoke?"
"Yes," Lucas said. "System-wide. No visuals. Just words."
Leon felt a chill run down his spine.
"What did he say?"
Lucas's voice dropped.
"He said he would not monitor individual anomalies at this stage."
Leon and Elena exchanged a look.
"And?" Leon asked.
"And he wished us luck," Lucas finished. "Told us to survive. On our own."
The call ended.
The room felt colder.
Elena broke the silence first. "That doesn't sound like mercy."
Leon stood, rolling his shoulders, the calm of the morning already fading into steel resolve.
"No," he said quietly. "It sounds like confidence."
He offered Elena his hand.
"Come on. Let's go learn how this world plans to kill us."
She took it.
And together, they stepped out of the room—into a city that was never theirs, into a future that refused to wait.