They met at a café two blocks from the studio.
It wasn't a place Daniel usually chose—too bright, too exposed—but CrystalFeather had suggested it, and he didn't argue. If this was going to be a real conversation, it probably shouldn't happen in the shadow of keyboards and monitors.
She was already there when he arrived.
No headset. No hoodie. Just a dark coat draped over the back of her chair and a cup of coffee she hadn't touched.
She stood when she saw him.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi."
That was it. No titles. No IDs.
For a moment, they both seemed unsure what came next.
She was younger than she sounded in-game, but not by much. More composed than most players her age. The kind of calm that didn't come from confidence alone, but from restraint.
"You look different," she said after they sat down.
"So do you," Daniel replied.
She smiled. "I meant… quieter."
Daniel considered that. "Offline tends to do that."
They talked about nothing first.
The weather. The city. How loud the subway was during rush hour.
It was deliberate avoidance, and both of them knew it.
Eventually, she broke.
"I got your message about the team," she said.
Daniel nodded. "I didn't want to push."
"You didn't," she said. "That's why I wanted to meet."
She wrapped both hands around her cup, even though it had gone cold.
"Daniel," she said, using his name for the first time. "I need to know something before I answer you."
"Ask."
"This isn't a ladder project, is it?"
"No."
"This isn't just City League either."
"No."
She exhaled slowly.
"That's what scares me."
Daniel didn't interrupt.
She continued, choosing her words carefully.
"I've trained under systems that look perfect on paper," she said. "Strict schedules. Clear roles. Coaches who tell you what you should be."
She looked up at him. "They also tell you what you're not."
Daniel remained still.
"I don't want to gamble my future on another voice that sounds confident."
Silence settled between them.
Not uncomfortable. Just heavy.
"I'm not offering certainty," Daniel said finally.
She watched him closely.
"I'm offering direction," he continued. "And responsibility."
"For whom?" she asked.
"For myself first."
That surprised her.
"You don't join to be carried," Daniel said. "You join to be exposed. Wins and losses won't hide anyone."
She tilted her head. "Including you?"
Especially me."
She didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she asked, "What role do you want me to play?"
Daniel didn't hesitate.
"Mid. Full control. No safety leash."
Her fingers tightened slightly around the cup.
"That's different from what I've been taught."
"I know."
"And if I fail?"
Daniel met her gaze. "Then we'll know it was real."
The café noise faded into the background.
This wasn't a recruitment pitch.
It was a line being drawn.
She leaned back, eyes drifting toward the window.
"City League," she said softly. "People think it's small."
"It's honest," Daniel replied.
She smiled faintly. "You really believe that."
"Yes."
She stood first this time.
"I won't give you an answer today," she said.
Daniel nodded. "I didn't expect one."
"But," she added, slipping her coat on, "if I say yes… I won't play safe."
Daniel's lips curved slightly.
"I'd be disappointed if you did."
She paused at the door, then turned back.
"One more thing."
"Yes?"
"If this works," she said, "people will come looking."
Daniel's expression didn't change.
"Let them."
When she left, Daniel stayed seated for a while longer.
The coffee in front of him was untouched.
His phone buzzed.
A message from Zhou.
Zhou:How did it go?
Daniel typed only two words.
Nightwalker:Real.
Zhou replied almost instantly.
Zhou:Then it's begun.
Daniel stood, pulled on his jacket, and stepped back into the city.
For the first time, the team wasn't just an idea.
It had weight.