Leon held the silver pin in his hand for the entire afternoon, hyperaware of its weight in his pocket. Through Dungeon Studies, through Monster Biology, through every class, the Everhart family crest seemed to burn against his leg like a guilty conscience.
Just leave it at her dorm room door, he told himself. Quick drop-off. No conversation necessary.
But that was cowardly, and Leon knew it. The pin looked expensive—probably a family heirloom. Leaving it unattended, even at her door, was irresponsible. He needed to return it directly.
Which meant talking to Angela Everhart. Again.
[Timeline Deviation: 15.2%]
At least the percentage hadn't increased since lunch. Small mercies.
When classes ended, Leon asked around discretely about Angela's usual after-school locations. The answers were remarkably consistent: "The library. She's always in the library. Third floor, private study rooms. Good luck getting near her."
Of course she'd be in the library. Where else would a perfect, disciplined elite student spend her free time?
Leon made his way across campus as the afternoon sun cast long shadows through the academy's ornate windows. His snake—still unnamed, he really needed to fix that—seemed unusually alert, head raised, ruby eyes scanning their surroundings.
"Nervous?" Leon whispered.
The snake's tongue flicked out. If Leon didn't know better, he'd say the creature looked... excited?
The academy library was a masterpiece of modern architecture blended with classical design. Five stories tall, floor-to-ceiling windows, holographic catalog systems floating between traditional bookshelves. The smell of paper and old leather mixed with the sterile scent of climate control.
Leon took the stairs to the third floor, each step feeling heavier than the last. The third floor was quieter, more exclusive—private study rooms lined the walls, their frosted glass doors revealing only vague silhouettes of occupants.
He found her in the corner room, of course. The best view, the most space, the most privacy.
Through the frosted glass, Leon could see Angela's silhouette. She sat at a desk, back perfectly straight, reading something. Her Phoenix was visible too—a larger shadow perched nearby.
Leon raised his hand to knock, then hesitated.
What am I doing? Just leave the pin with a librarian. Why am I making this complicated?
But his hand knocked anyway, three soft raps against the glass.
The silhouette stilled. A moment of silence, then: "Enter."
Leon opened the door.
The study room was immaculate. Textbooks stacked with geometric precision, notes organized in color-coded folders, even Angela's bag positioned at an exact right angle to her chair. Her Crimson Phoenix perched on a stand near the window, flames dimmed to a soft glow.
Angela herself looked up from her tablet, ice-blue eyes narrowing when she recognized him.
"Leon Ashford." Her voice carried that familiar cold detachment. "I don't recall inviting you."
"You didn't. I just" Leon pulled out the silver pin, holding it up. "You dropped this in the cafeteria. I wanted to return it."
Angela's eyes flickered to the pin, and for a split second—just a fraction of a moment—something crossed her face. Surprise? Relief? Then the mask returned, cold and perfect.
"I see." She set down her tablet and stood, heels clicking against the polished floor as she approached. She took the pin from his hand, fingers briefly brushing his. Her touch was cold. "Thank you. You could have left it with the front desk."
"I could have. But it looks valuable. Seemed safer to return it directly."
Angela examined the pin, her expression unreadable. The Everhart crest gleamed under the study room's lights—a phoenix rising from a crown, wings spread in eternal ascent.
"My mother gave me this," Angela said suddenly, her voice softer than Leon had ever heard it. "Before she died."
Leon's breath caught. This wasn't in the novel. This moment, this vulnerability—it never happened. The story mentioned Angela's mother died when she was young, but the details were revealed much later, in a dramatic confrontation scene. Not here. Not now. Not like this.
"I'm sorry," Leon managed. "I didn't know."
"Why would you?" Angela's fingers closed around the pin. "We're not friends. We're barely acquaintances. You're just the boy with the strange F-rank snake who keeps appearing where he shouldn't."
"I'm not trying to—"
"Aren't you?" Angela's eyes locked onto his, sharp and analytical. "First, you help Kai Ryusaki in the cafeteria. Then you're assigned to Seria Moonlight's dungeon team. Now you're returning my personal belongings. Either you're incredibly unlucky with coincidences, or you're deliberately inserting yourself into situations involving people above your social standing."
Leon's mouth went dry. She was too perceptive. Dangerously so.
"I'm just trying to be a decent person."
"Decent." Angela repeated the word like it was foreign. "Do you know what happens to 'decent people' in this world, Ashford? They get used. Manipulated. Crushed by those with power who understand that decency is a weakness."
"That's a sad way to see the world."
"That's a realistic way to see the world." Angela moved to the window, her Phoenix shifting to accommodate her. "My father taught me that lesson early. Trust no one. Rely on no one. Power is the only thing that matters."
"Your father sounds lonely."
Angela's shoulders tensed. "Excuse me?"
Leon knew he should stop talking. Should thank her for her time and leave. But something in her voice—that carefully controlled coldness that couldn't quite hide the pain underneath—made him continue.
"If power is all that matters, if you can't trust anyone... that sounds lonely. Isolating."
"Isolation is safety." Angela turned back to face him, but her expression had shifted slightly. Less cold, more uncertain? "You wouldn't understand. You're just a middle-class nobody with an F-rank monster. You've never had to worry about people befriending you only to use your family's resources. Never had to question every smile, every kind word, wondering what they really want."
"You're right. I don't understand that specific situation." Leon met her gaze steadily. "But I understand loneliness. And I think... I think maybe your mother wouldn't want you to be alone."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Angela's Phoenix raised its head, flames flickering brighter. For a moment, Leon thought he'd gone too far, that he'd be escorted out by security or worse.
Then Angela's expression cracked, just slightly. A hairline fracture in her perfect mask.
"You presume too much, Ashford." Her voice was quieter now, missing its usual cutting edge. "You know nothing about my mother or what she would want."
"You're right. I'm sorry. That was out of line."
Silence fell between them. Angela clutched the pin tightly, knuckles white. Her Phoenix watched Leon with intelligence that seemed almost human.
Leon's snake chose that moment to emerge from his jacket, slithering down his arm to rest on the desk. The small green serpent looked at Angela—really looked at her—with those ruby eyes that seemed far too knowing for an F-rank monster.
Angela stared at the snake. "Your monster is unusual."
"So I've been told."
"What's its name?"
"I... haven't named it yet."
"That's neglectful. A monster without a name has no identity. No purpose." Angela reached out slowly, and to Leon's shock, she gently touched the snake's head with one finger. The snake didn't flinch, didn't recoil. Instead, it leaned into her touch slightly. "It's not afraid of my Phoenix. That suggests either stupidity or power. Which is it?"
"I honestly don't know."
Angela withdrew her hand. "You should name it. Soon. The bond will strengthen, and you'll need that for the dungeon raid." She paused. "I heard you're on a team with Kai and Seria."
"Yes."
"Interesting combination. The scholarship protagonist, the guild master's daughter, and the mysterious nobody with the abnormal snake." Angela's analytical gaze returned. "Tell me, Ashford—why did you really help Kai in the cafeteria?"
Leon had prepared for this question. "Because it was wrong. What your friend did to him was wrong."
"Melissa isn't my friend. She's an associate." Angela's lip curled slightly. "But you're avoiding the question. Why risk drawing attention to yourself? You could have stayed invisible. Instead, you chose to involve yourself."
"Would you have preferred I let him be humiliated?"
"I would have preferred you didn't force me to intervene." Angela crossed her arms. "Do you know what it signals when someone like me stops someone like Melissa? It tells everyone that I noticed. That I cared enough to act. That gives you and Kai a connection to me, however tenuous. It complicates things."
"I'm sorry if my basic human decency complicated your social chess game."
The words came out sharper than Leon intended. Angela's eyes widened fractionally—the most surprise he'd seen from her yet.
Then, impossibly, her lips quirked upward. Not quite a smile, but close.
"You have more backbone than I thought, Ashford." She walked back to her desk, setting the pin down carefully on a small velvet cloth. "Most people don't talk back to me. They either fawn desperately or avoid me entirely."
"Which would you prefer?"
"I prefer honesty. Even when it's inconvenient." Angela sat down, but didn't immediately return to her work. Instead, she studied Leon with new interest. "You're an anomaly. F-rank monster, middle-class background, no notable achievements. Yet you insert yourself into situations involving the academy's most prominent students. You show courage that borders on stupidity. And your monster..." she glanced at the snake, still resting calmly on the desk, "displays characteristics that defy its ranking."
"Is there a question in there somewhere?"
"What are you really after, Leon Ashford?"
The question hung in the air. Leon could feel the weight of it, the genuine curiosity behind Angela's cold facade. This was a pivotal moment—he could feel it in his bones. How he answered would shape their entire relationship going forward.
Tell her the truth? That I'm from another world, that I've read her story, that I know she's destined to die unless I change things?
Insane. She'd never believe him.
Tell her a lie? Make up some motivation that sounds plausible?
She'd see through it. She was too smart for comfortable lies.
So Leon chose something in between—a truth that wasn't the whole truth.
"I'm after survival," Leon said simply. "And maybe... maybe trying to make things a little better while I'm at it. Help where I can. Not make the same mistakes others have made."
Angela tilted her head slightly. "Cryptic. But honest, I think." She picked up her tablet again, a clear dismissal. "You can go now, Ashford. Thank you for returning my pin."
Leon collected his snake—who seemed reluctant to leave—and moved toward the door. His hand was on the handle when Angela spoke again.
"Ashford."
He turned back.
Angela wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were on the pin, her thumb tracing the phoenix emblem.
"Be careful in the dungeon raid. F-Gates are generally safe, but accidents happen. Especially to people who attract attention." She paused. "It would be inconvenient if something happened to you before I figure out what you really are."
It wasn't quite concern. Wasn't quite a warning. But it was something, and coming from Angela Everhart, that something felt significant.
"I'll be careful," Leon promised.
"See that you are."
Leon left the study room, closing the frosted glass door softly behind him. He made it halfway down the stairs before his legs felt weak enough that he had to sit.
His snake crawled up to his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek.
"That was..." Leon took a shaky breath. "That was not in the novel. None of that was in the novel."
[System Notice][Timeline Deviation: 18.9%][CRITICAL ALERT: Character Development Accelerated][Angela Everhart Relationship Status: UNKNOWN VARIABLE][Warning: Original character arc severely compromised][New prediction models required]
Leon stared at the notification. 18.9%. In just two days, he'd deviated almost 19% from the original timeline. And unlike before, when he could pinpoint specific moments that caused deviations, this one felt different.
Angela had opened up to him. Showed vulnerability. Asked genuine questions. The cold villainess who should have barely registered his existence had instead engaged him in actual conversation.
"What have I done?" Leon whispered.
His snake hissed softly. This time, Leon was certain it sounded pleased.
A shadow fell across him. Leon looked up to find Kai standing on the stairs, his Divine Wolf beside him.
"Leon? You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Just tired. Long day."
Kai sat down next to him, Fenrir settling at his feet. "I was actually looking for you. Wanted to talk about the dungeon raid strategy. Marcus suggested we practice some coordination exercises tomorrow afternoon. You free?"
"Yeah, I'm free."
"Great." Kai hesitated, then continued. "Also I wanted to thank you again. For the cafeteria thing. I know it probably seemed small, but it meant something. Most people would've just walked past."
"It was nothing."
"It wasn't nothing." Kai's voice was firm. "I've been ignored or mocked most of my life because of where I come from. Having someone stand beside me, even briefly—that matters." He smiled that protagonist smile. "So thank you. I consider you a friend now, Leon."
No. Please don't consider me a friend. Friends get involved in plot points.
"I appreciate that," Leon said instead.
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment. Through the library windows, the sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. Leon could see students crossing the campus below, heading to dorms or evening activities.
Normal academy life. If only his could be that simple.
"Can I ask you something?" Kai said suddenly.
"Sure."
"What do you think of Angela Everhart?"
Leon's heart skipped. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know. She's confusing. Everyone says she's cold and cruel, but in the cafeteria, she stopped that girl from mocking me further. And I've heard rumors she volunteers at the academy's monster rehabilitation center. Things that don't match her reputation." Kai looked genuinely puzzled. "It's like she's two different people."
If you only knew, Leon thought. She's not two different people. She's someone who was hurt so badly that she built walls to protect herself. And in the original story, those walls become a prison that eventually destroys her.
"Maybe people are more complicated than their reputations," Leon offered.
"Maybe." Kai stood, offering Leon a hand up. "Come on. Seria wanted to grab dinner with the team. You should join us."
Leon let Kai pull him to his feet. As they descended the stairs together, his snake hidden back in his jacket, Leon couldn't help but glance back at the third floor.
Through the window of the corner study room, he could see Angela's silhouette. Still sitting. Still working. Alone except for her Phoenix.
And Leon wondered if she was thinking about their conversation, or if she'd already dismissed it as an inconvenient interruption to her perfectly ordered life.
His snake shifted against his chest, and Leon felt that strange warmth again—the bond between Tamer and monster, growing stronger whether he'd named it or not.
"Hey Leon," Kai said as they reached the ground floor. "Have you thought about what you'll name your snake?"
Leon looked down at where the snake was peeking out of his jacket, ruby eyes gleaming in the library's soft lighting.
A name. His monster needed a name. And somehow, after talking with Angela, after seeing that moment of vulnerability in someone who spent so much energy appearing invulnerable, a name came to him.
"Jörmungandr," Leon said softly. "Like the World Serpent from mythology. The snake that grew so large it could encircle the world."
Kai raised his eyebrows. "That's ambitious for an F-rank."
"Maybe. But I have a feeling he'll grow into it."
The snake—Jörmungandr—tightened slightly around Leon's torso, and Leon could swear he felt satisfaction radiating from the creature.
[Bond Strengthened][Monster Name Registered: Jörmungandr][Evolution Potential: Unlocked][Timeline Deviation: 19.3%]
As Leon followed Kai toward the cafeteria, toward dinner with his team, toward the dungeon raid that would surely deviate even further from the original plot, he made a decision.
He couldn't save the timeline. That was already broken beyond repair.
But maybe, just maybe, he could save the people in it.
Starting with a lonely girl in a library who'd forgotten how to trust anyone but herself.