“You don’t even have to try. People just... flock to you. That’s why I took the quest from Irwen,” Ian spat, his voice tight with frustration.

  “You did what?!” I shot to my feet, nearly knog over the delicate por teacup in front of me. The sharp k of it hitting the saucer echoed through the room.

  Kai lifted a hand, his fingers gracefully arg downward as if pressing invisible ripples bato pce. “Miss Charlie, embrace ess, like the moonlight settling over a still ke—gentle, unwavering, and clear.”

  I ched my fists, f myself to take a deep breath.

  Calm, like moonlight... sure.

  I exhaled slowly, settling bato my seat, though my heart still hammered in my chest. “You’re right…” I muttered, my gre softening as I shot Kai a brief nod. “Fine.” I turned back to Ian, narrowing my eyes. “I’m listening, Ian, my former friend. What did you do?”

  Ian scoffed, sharp and desding. “I just pyed the game,” he said, leaning back with an infuriating smirk, his fingers drumming zily oable as though he’d just delivered a finishing blow to a boss.

  My eyes locked onto his, trying to read the storm behind them.

  Where was all this anger ing from? Was it just jealousy, or was there something more? Is there truth in what he said? I wondered, a flicker of self-doubt creeping in. I did have knowledge about the future. I did have a knack fames.

  Maybe it was easy for me in ways it wasn’t for others.

  Am I a proud snob?

  Kai interjected, his toeady, as if oblivious to the rising tension. “Yes, knowing our fws is the first step toward a better future. It is like seeing cracks in the earth before pnting—only with awareness growth take root.”

  Ian snorted, smming his cup down oable with a force that made the tea ripple. “Nonsense. You always were clueless!” His voice rose. His hands gestured wildly, as if trying to physically throw his frustration at me. “Do you remember Dominica? I was trying to get her attention, but she had eyes only for you!”

  “Dominica?” I blihrown pletely off-guard by the sudden shift in topic. “Who’s that?”

  Ian’s eyes widened in disbelief, then narrowed with a fury that radiated off him in waves. He rose to his feet, his fists ched tight, knuckles white. “You bastard! She loved you!”

  What?

  I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could even process his accusation, Kai’s calm yet anding voice stopped us. “Bèn Dàn. You. Will. Not. Give in to anger—lest you bee like a wildfire, burning all without purpose, leaving only ash behind.”

  Kai’s gaze shifted to me, his eyes perceptive, as though he could see straight into my thoughts. “Please, ighis foolish apprentice. He ehis meeting with a clouded view of you, like mist obsg the m sun. But I have seen the real you—both in the way you wield your sword and irength of your as.”

  I g Ian, whose chest rose and fell with ragged breaths, his aill simmering just beh the surface. What the hell is going on? Why is he so angry at me? My mind inning, trying to piece together what I’d doo ighis level of animosity.

  A fotten girl?

  A missed signal?

  “The st year in high school. She eve you a Valentine’s gift, and you ignored her. She was heartbroken, and I was her friend. It was so frustrating…” Ian said, his voice calmer now, though the tension lingered. “You don’t remember her? How cold you were?”

  I blinked, a memory flickering to life—crumpled red paper, a heart-shaped box. I did not know who sent it back then, and in typical clueless-John fashion, I responded by getting wasted at the bar.

  “I… had no idea. I’m sorry,” I whispered, the words tasting bitter. “My social skills were in the ive back then. No, scratch that—they’re still bad… despite my ret improvement.”

  Great.

  Just what I oday. As if one frieraying me wasn’t enough. Now two? Fantastic. Truly, life’s on a roll.

  Ian grinned, a sharp, sour thing that didn’t reach his eyes. “Fine. You’re safe in the real world, so they’re targeting you in the game. As much as I’d like to see you fall, even I don’t like this. I sent her all the info she wanted, and now I’m going to join her. Sorry, not sorry.”

  “They ’t target… me? Who?” I shot to my feet, my movements quick. Lo fli my sudden motion, and I gestured for her to stand too. My voice was straieetering on the edge of breaking. “That’s the st thing I want to know before I go. Thanks for the tea, Kai.”

  Kai nodded slowly. “Your path is yours to choose, like a river deg its course through the valley. I am thankful for your attempt, however turbulent it may have been.”

  Sure talk like a philosophy book.

  Whatever.

  We all turoward Ia out an exaggerated sigh, as if we were invenieng him. “Fine. Some dy tacted me. Said she wants to ruin yame. I agreed. What’s done is done. You’ll lose everything. I don’t know how, but it’s iable. It’s my revenge, so… enjoy.”

  I stared at him, my heart thudding painfully in my chest.

  A million responses formed in my mind—anger, sarcasm, fusion—but none of them made it past my lips. What was the point? He was already gone, in his mind, and I wasn’t about to give him the satisfa of seeing me break.

  Without a word, I turned on my heel ahe room, my steps steady but my insides crumbling like brittle gss. The moment we were outside, my facade shattered. Tears welled up and spilled over before I could stop them, hot and bitter against my cheeks.

  “Uhm, Charlie…” Lo whispered, her voice soft, hesitant, like she was afraid toug the wrong nerve would make me fall apart pletely. “I don’t know what happened, but…”

  “Me her, Lo.” My voice cracked, and I sniffed hard, trying to steady myself. It didn’t work. “This… will take some time to soak in.” I rubbed furiously at my face with my sleeves, as if wiping the tears away could erase the mess of emotions swirling inside me. “Sorry. I ask you to take me outside through a side entrance? Somewhere with fewer people? I… I o get home.” I pulled myself together enough to add, “Jerry’ll call a taxi. Don’t worry.”

  “Done.” Jerry was quick.

  Lo hesitated for a moment, then nodded, her usual bright expression dimmed by worry. “Of course, Lady Charlie. Follow me.”

  I followed in silence, each step feeling heavier tha.

  Orayal. Two betrayals.

  How many more before I break pletely?

  But I wasn’t broke. Not today.

  Roberto was avaible again, and the moment his brakes screeched to an exaggerated halt, I stepped in, still in my cospy.

  The car smelled good again, the engine’s low rumble vibrating through the floor. I g the mirror, noting how surprisingly fwless my makeup looked despite everything.

  Mia must’ve used some -level sci-fi etics—because even after g like a waterfall, it’s holding up.

  “Woah, signorina! You look fantastica!” Roberto excimed, his grin as wide as ever. “Just like on stage, eh?” He punctuated his words by revving the eh a roar, clearly delighted to be driving me around again.

  “Ah, you saw that?” My voice came out quieter than I intended, still tinged with lingering sadness.

  “Of course! Mio o made sure I didn’t miss it!” he said with a hearty ugh, looking as cheerful as ever—a stark trast to the storm inside me.

  “Sorry, Roberto… but I’m…” I hesitated, staring out of the window as the world blurred by neon signs refleg off the gss like ghostly afterimages. “Two people I thought were my friends stabbed a dagger in my back. One I could five, but the other…” My voice faltered, barely above a whisper now. “He hates me, and I don’t even know why…”

  My throat tightened, ae my best efforts, tears pricked at my eyes again. I blinked rapidly, trying to push them back, but they slipped through anyway, hot and unwele.

  Roberto’s grin faded slightly as he g me, flickering in his eyes. He didn’t say anything for a moment, just letting the engine’s steady hum fill the silence.

  Then, in a geone, he said, “Signorina, life… it be like a rough road—full of potholes and sharp turns. But you? You’re a racer. You keep going, eve feels like you’ll crash.”

  I let out a shaky breath, managing a weak smile despite myself.

  A racer, huh? More like a wreck waiting to happen.

  “Today was… supposed to be fun,” I muttered, leaning ba the seat as the city lights streaked past in colorful blurs. “I even e. Pushed my feelings about Lucas out of my mind…”

  “The boyfriend from the tower?” Roberto cut in, eyebrows raised, his grin already f.

  “He’s not—” I shot back quickly, my voice agitated. “Despite him thinking so. He… loves me, but not me, me? Ugh, damn, that’s plicated…” I rubbed my temple, as if trying to physically smooth out the tangled mess of emotions. “He used to be my dear friend long ago, and I fot…” I trailed off, shaking my head to dispel the thought. “Sorry, you’re not Jerry. That’s apparently my therapist AI.”

  Roberto let out a booming ugh, his hands tightening briefly oeering wheel as he navigated a sharp turn with ease. “Signorina, the things I hear! A boyfriend who’s not a boyfriend, a therapist AI, and friends stabbing you in the back—it’s like I’m driving a character from a drama series!”

  Despite myself, I couldn’t help but let out a small, tired ugh. “Yeah, well, drama queen fits the Sword Queen, doesn’t it?”

  As always, Roberto was quick—too quick, holy. We were already slowing down before he even responded. “Hey, signorina, Roberto’s here—always ready to drive. And talk,” he added with a grin, turning off the eh a smooth flick of his wrist. “Gratis, no worries. Free of charge.”

  “I have to catch a prince waiting,” I said, fshing him a genuine smile for the first time today. “Don’t ask—long story.” I sent him the payment anyway, with a nice, fat tip. “Thanks for the offer, Roberto. But seriously, take this.”

  He g the transfer notification and gave me an exaggerated shrug. “No worries! Ci vediamo prossima volta!” he called out with a cheerful wave before speeding away, the engine r like it was thrilled to be free.

  I stared after the reg car, puzzled. “Uhm… see you ter?”

  Jerry’s voice chimed in with his usual precision. “It means ‘see you ime’ in Italian, acc to a transtion database.”

  “I didn’t need… okay, thanks anyway, therapist,” I muttered, already walking toward home. The cool evening air my arms, the distant hum of traffic blending with the occasional chirp of night is.

  “Were you serious when you—” Jerry started, sounding oddly excited for an AI.

  “No.” I cut him off before he could get any ideas. “At least not now. That was… a mess, Jerry.” I sighed, the weight of the day settling bato my shoulders.

  “You ime to process everything that happened. I suggest you take it easy for the few days,” Jerry said, his tone unusually ed as I stepped into my apartment.

  “Yes and no, Jerry.” I kicked off my amazing heels, the soft thud eg in the quiet space. “I won’t push myself too hard, but the battle with Irwen means a lot to me; I o win.” I gnced around. “Where should I put you?”

  “You pce me orip o the capsule’s sole,” Jerry replied, sounding a little too excited. “Thank you for doing this for me. I’ve learned so mahings today and… well, I felt alive.”

  “Sure, anytime, my dear friend,” I said with a faint grin, carefully pg him where he’d asked. His words lingered with me for a sed lohan I liked. Jerry, an AI, talking about feeling alive?

  Maybe he’s still human?

  Straimes. “And I wasn’t joking—I still have a few pces to visit today. Let’s just hope the Duchess doesn’t blow a fuse when I… borrow that thing.”

  I peeled off my cospy; the fabric ging stubbornly from all the movement earlier. The cool air of my apartment brushed against my skin, a wele trast after the heat of the day. Without wasting another sed, I stepped into the capsule. The familiar hum surrounded me as the lid sealed shut.

  Time to get to work.

  I popped bato Rimelioly where I had logged off. I took a slow breath, taking it all in—the more vivid, tangible world of Rimelion. My world. My reality. I smiled, the tension of earlier fading just a little.

  “Pretender! You are te!”