Under the moonlight, a lone young man sat quietly on a weathered bench, his eyes closed and his breathing slow and calm.
Every fiber of Kyle’s body throbbed with restless energy. It urged him to rise, to sprint, to fight, to do anything except remain still.
Yet tonight, beneath the pale glow of the moon, he sought something far more important.
A connection.
He wanted to reach someone he had been thinking about ever since they were separated. Someone he missed more than he has yet to admit.
Ethara.
Neither the System nor Aleda had been able to offer him any answers. Left with no other choice, he could only rely on himself.
The moon was the only thread that could ever linked the two of them.
So he sank deeper into his consciousness, pushing aside every distracting thought as he searched for that faint, familiar presence. Again and again, he called out to her, clinging to the hope that somehow his voice would reach across the impossible distance separating them.
But no matter how many times he tried, only silence answered him.
There was no response.
No sign of Ethara.
"Haah... if I only had a minute."
But what would he even ask?
Whether she was alright?
Ethara would simply tell him she was, even if she wasn’t. She would never burden him with her troubles.
The problem was that he knew almost nothing about her world. Its laws, its customs, the people she answered to. Everything beyond what she had told him remained a mystery.
Asking the System about the immortals was like trying to bore a hole through a mountain with a stick of butter.
Completely pointless.
"So who else can I ask..."
His thoughts drifted to the chat.
"System, start the stream. I haven’t shown them the campus yet," Kyle said as he made his way along the quiet path leading toward the academic block.
[Host, this is unlikely to achieve anything.]
[However, your request has been acknowledged.]
[Initializing stream...]
Tharos: [An unexpected stream?]
One-Eyed: [Such a beautiful night. How has your day been so far, Kyle?]
WarHorse: [Idols of the ancestors? A fine place to spar and honor those who came before.]
Kyle smiled faintly. "My day has been fine so far. And those are just statues of ancient warriors. I’m not sparring anyone." Letting out a quiet sigh, he asked, "I’ve noticed something. Especially you, WarHorse. You always talk about battles, honor, and pride. Why is that?"
From what Tyr had told him, he had survived countless battles in the past. He had even forged every weapon he ever wielded with his own hands.
Myuri: [Because he’s just a meathead.]
WarHorse: [...]
Kyle couldn’t help but grin.
"Ah, there you are," he said after spotting his missing viewer’s message.
Myuri: [He smiled at me. My day is complete. I can survive on this until next hour.]
Kyle let out a chuckle.
"Then tell me, what do you usually do in your free time, Myuri? I’ve learned quite a bit about Ethara and WarHorse lately, but I barely know anything about you."
Tharos: [I was ignored.]
Kyle laughed. "No, sweetie. I know a little about you too. Mainly that you have a rather short temper. I can already picture how adorable you must look when you’re pouting."
He had coaxed Tharos enough times to know she was exactly as One-Eyed had described her. A timid little girl who struggled to trust others but wore every emotion on her sleeve.
Myuri: [Kyle wants to know more about me? Wait... is this how love stories begin? Someone stop me before I start planning our wedding.]
"Easy there." Kyle shook his head with an amused smile. "I’m just curious about your life."
Among all his viewers, Myuri and WarHorse were easily the most expressive.
Myuri: [Hmm... what do I do? You could say I watch over growth, perseverance... and life itself. Sounds impressive enough?]
Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"So... Goddess of Birth, Growth, and Life? That sounds like a pretty important position."
Myuri: [Hehe. It is. But don’t worry. As long as my favorite believer keeps cheering for me, I can manage.]
Kyle simply nodded before turning his attention elsewhere.
"What about you, One-Eyed?"
Out of everyone watching his streams, One-Eyed carried himself like the oldest among them. He was always composed, never spoke more than necessary, and would occasionally disappear for several streams before quietly returning. From that alone, Kyle had long assumed the man carried responsibilities far beyond what he let on.
One-Eyed: [Hmm? Why are you suddenly so interested in learning about us, Kyle? Is there something you really want to ask, and you’re simply taking the long way around?]
The question caught Kyle completely off guard.
As expected, there was no fooling someone as perceptive as One-Eyed. His sudden curiosity had been too deliberate, too unnatural to escape the man’s notice.
Kyle let out another weary sigh.
"...Yeah."
He didn’t bother hiding it anymore.
"I’m worried about Ethara. I was hoping that by learning more about you... I might understand her world a little better."
Tharos: [Kyle...]
Myuri: [You really don’t have to carry her on your mind every waking moment, you know.]
Kyle lowered his gaze.
"How can I not?" he murmured. "I know she’s in trouble because of me."
Silence settled over the chat.
For a few moments, no one replied.
Then One-Eyed finally spoke.
One-Eyed: [I understand how you feel.]
[But before you concern yourself with her world, you must first prove yourself.]
[Prove that you can become someone capable of giving her the reassurance she deserves.]
Kyle’s eyes grew cold with resolve.
"Whatever you ask of me," he said without the slightest hesitation, "I’m ready."
One-Eyed: [Very well.]
[Tonight, you will face two entities capable of taking your life if you make even a single mistake.]
[But should you overcome them... I will help you reach Ethara.]
Kyle’s brows drew together.
Not because of One-Eyed’s words.
Something in his surroundings had changed.
A subtle disturbance rippled through the night, causing every instinct in his body to flare.
He slowly lifted his head.
There they were.
Two figures hovered high above the campus, gazing down at everything beneath them.
They possessed human forms.
Yet there was nothing human about them.
Kyle let out a quiet snicker.
"I understand."