When we reappeared back at the pyramid, I had to blink a couple times because teleportation still feels like someone stuffing my whole body through a keyhole. The first person we see is Nefira with no blindfold this time.
"Sister, what are you doing with him?"
Hinesia, who was completely unfazed (because of course she was), just crossed her arms and replied matter-of-factly, "We went to the library today."
Nefira's expression flickered for a second when her gaze landed on me. I swear, she looked at me like I was supposed to be her project, not her sister's. It felt like someone had stolen her favorite toy.
"Phaser, come with me to my room."
I swear I heard something crack in the air when she said that. Nefira's voice spiked an octave higher than I'd ever heard it.
"Wh—what?! Why?!"
Hinesia just tilted her head like Nefira had asked the dumbest question on the planet.
"Because we have a lot to talk about."
Then she turned on her heel, gave me a glance that said 'you're coming whether you like it or not,' and started walking.
I waved casually at Nefira, because what else do you do when someone's glaring at you like they'd happily stab you with a golden spear?
"Later."
And then I followed Hinesia up, leaving Nefira fuming like an active volcano.
°°°°°°
Hinesia led me into her chamber and when the doors shut behind us, I just stopped and stared.
Gold-framed walls with with lotus flowers carvings and obsidian pillars carved with hieroglyphics I couldn't read but swore were glaring at me. The ceiling painted like a night sky except we were inside a pyramid, which made no sense. Instead of windows, there was a balcony carved into the stone, overlooking the pyramid's heart. A massive brazier burned there, casting light across the room.
"You really are royalty around here."
Hinesia gave a small laugh, though there was a sadness in it.
"It took me days to get used to this. I lived in Japan in my past life. Massive apartment, ramen, vending machines and such. And now, this. It feels like I'm role-playing, except it never ends. And I can speak a lot of languages too."
She moved over to her bed, which was the size of a ship deck and draped in silks that shimmered like water.
"Sit. I want to show you something."
I stayed standing, because my instincts were screaming trap.
"What exactly?"
Her eyes softened in a way I hadn't seen before. Then she blinked, and a faint shimmer flickered in her irises, like a second lens sliding into place. A hologram popped open in the air beside her. It was her System, glowing in white.
"Truth Sight. That's my Enchantment."
I leaned closer, reading the details as they scrolled across the projection:
[Truth Sight]
[Anyone seen through the user's eyes cannot lie. All falsehoods appear as distortions. Truth appears as clarity. User can discern hidden intentions, false words, and concealed motives.]
I exhaled through my teeth. "Damn. That's… terrifying."
"It is useful but terrifying too, yes. Since we met, you haven't lied. Except…"
Her gaze sharpened and I instantly knew where this was going.
"The part where I said Nefira tried to pin me for sexual assault?"
"That was a lie."
I held my hands up defensively. "Okay yes, but to be fair, she was trying to trap me. That's not exactly lying. It's… narrative reframing."
Hinesia rolled her eyes. "That's called lying. Anyway, you want to know why I showed you this?"
"Go on."
"Because I want you as an ally. Phaser, you're part of the main story. You influence how everything plays out. Me? I'm just an NPC. The daughters of the House of Rameses all die at the hands of our brother. I'm not supposed to live past half the story. You could change that."
I froze. Then, slowly, I asked "Do you want me to save your House?"
"Yes."
"Then yes. I can do it."
Her pupils dilated. I knew what that meant. Truth Sight confirmed I wasn't lying. Her lips trembled, just slightly.
"Do you have motives that will harm me?"
"No."
She blinked, and I saw her shoulders loosen. "Do you plan to betray me?"
"No."
"Would you fight for me if it came to it?"
"Depends on your safety and mine."
One after another, the questions fell, and every time Truth Sight confirmed what I said. I saw her looking at me differently now, not as a stranger caught in their family's politics, but as someone she could actually lean on. When it ended, there was silence.
"Are you okay now?"
She shook her head, then gestured. "Lower yourself a little."
"Why?"
She crossed her arms. "Because you're literally tall and I'm… not."
I sighed but crouched down, bending my knees until we were eye-level. Sometimes I forget I'm 180cm. Seriously, I wasn't this tall.
"Happy?"
"Almost."
She raised her hand and before I could react, pressed her palm to my forehead.
I felt something warm like molten sunlight, threading into me. My vision blurred, then sharpened. My System flickered alive, and a new notification appeared.
[Outer 40,0001 has shared the Enchantment: Truth Sight.]
The words burned themselves into my consciousness and just like that, I could feel it. I pulled back, stunned.
"You just… gave me that?"
Hinesia smiled faintly.
"Now you can see the world the way I do. No lies between us. Ask me questions if you want to."
And for once, I didn't feel like I was just walking into a trap like I did with Lucaren.
"So, now that I've got this, I have some very important questions for you. First off, favorite food?"
"What?"
"Favorite food. Don't dodge it. I'll know if you're lying."
"Phasnov... no, Phaser, I just told you about saving my entire family from scripted death, and that's your follow-up?"
"Exactly. Lighten up. You think I want to have an existential crisis every time I open my mouth? I'm just trying to balance the mood. It's Fool's Day today anyway. I have to get at least one dumb question in."
I could see the exact moment her Truth Sight confirmed I wasn't lying. Her lips twitched, like she was trying to keep her composure, but then she shook her head slowly.
"You're childish."
"I managed to fool you earlier with that little Nefira thing and have an Outer ally."
That earned me an actual laugh.
"There it is. You should smile more. Seriously, Hinesia. You can't go back home. None of us can. At least enjoy this new life you've been given. You transmigrated as an Egyptian princess, not some poor Commoner Fluxer so be glad. You can make a good manga about it too."
She went quiet. Her expression was beautiful in a way I hadn't seen before.
"I know. Sometimes I just forget. It's easier to get lost in the dread of what's scripted than to remember what I actually have."
"Then remember. And for the record, you've got a very beautiful body too. You could have been stuck in something far worse."
Her cheeks colored faintly, but she didn't look away. "You're too forward."
"I call it honesty."
For a while, silence settled between us. I'm ready glad someone like her is an Outer. This means that there must be some Outers in other houses too.
"You know, I didn't expect to have a good interaction with an Outer. Most of the time, we're just… reminders of the fact that we're all meant to die early in the story. You and me aren't supposed to matter."
"And yet, here we are."
"Yeah. Here we are."
I pushed off the pillar, stretching my arms overhead.
"I've got two months before my training ends. After that, summer begins, ends and then the second and third acts kick off. So until I leave, we've got planning and recapping too. MoDS isn't exactly merciful with how it rolls out its plot."
Hinesia nodded, but then she tilted her head slightly. "Phaser, aren't you worried about getting in trouble for being in my room?"
"Should I be?"
Her smile turned sly. "Not at all. Father actually expects you to marry into the House of Rameses."
"What?"
"It's not uncommon. You're an Outer of influence, and the House needs stability. You could marry me."
I stared at her for a full three seconds before flicking her forehead. She flinched back, rubbing the spot.
"Hey!"
"This isn't a historical manhwa. We're not doing some dumb contractual marriage where we slowly fall in love between palace intrigues and tragic deaths. No."
"It's worth a shot," she muttered under her breath.
"I'm not interested in romance. Honestly? I want to enjoy life first, have fun and be with a lot of women before I settle with one person. That's just me being real."
"So you admit you're a player."
"Completely normal behavior, especially with this handsome face and sexy body."
She let out a laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. "You could go for the heroine, then."
"Ew, no thanks. She's way too predictable. The 'chosen one' act doesn't do it for me."
That sent Hinesia into another fit of laughter. When she finally calmed down, she shook her head.
"Well, either way, you don't need to worry. You being here won't be a problem. I'm twenty-four, both here and back in the real world. I'm an adult, Phaser."
"Wow. You just dropped your age like that?"
She tilted her head. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Because most girls freak out about age and weight. You said that like it was your favorite color."
"I'm not like other girls."
"Fair enough. For the record, I'm twenty-one here, twenty-three back on Earth. So technically, you're my senpai."
Her eyes rolled so hard I thought they might fall out. "Don't start with that."
"It's true though! Hinesia-senpai has a nice ring to it."
She sighed, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her.
"You're insufferable to be with. I wonder how the heroine tolerates you."
"Yeah, but I make things fun."
And just like that, the tension evaporated. We weren't talking as "main cast" or "NPC," not as "Outer" or "the first daughter." We were jst two people, weirdly comfortable in each other's presence.
For the first time since landing in this cursed story, I didn't feel like the universe had a knife at my throat.