By the time the sun started dipping into the horizon, the whole park had that golden haze that makes everything look like a scene out of a dream. It was weird seeing kids laughing, people taking selfies and vendors yelling about prizes all while knowing I had a fight in less than an hour that the continent was waiting to watch. But right then? I didn't care.
Hinesia had somehow dragged me through every single ride that looked remotely dangerous, from roller coasters to that spinning wheel of nausea. I'm not going to lie, I screamed once, maybe twice. But, I'll deny it to my grave if she brings it up again.
We played the ring toss. She missed every single one and claimed the rings were "obviously rigged by fate." I won a stupid stuffed bear on my third try and handed it to her, and she grinned like a little kid before declaring she'd name it Nomaddy. Because apparently, mocking my alias is comedy to her. But honestly, it was… nice. We were just two idiots trying to win overpriced prizes and acting like life wasn't out to crush us tomorrow.
Except, of course, everyone knew who she was. Hinesia Rameses, the eldest Egyptian princess, was a walking magnet for attention. Everywhere we went, people pointed, whispered and snapped pictures. Once, a guy literally tried to take a selfie with her mid-bite of her ice cream. We had to bolt three times, sprinting through crowds while she laughed like it was the best thing that had ever happened to her. I was half convinced she was doing it on purpose just to see me run.
By the time we stumbled into the Ferris wheel area, we were both out of breath and laughing so hard we could barely talk. She leaned against the railing, catching her breath, her hair a little messy from the wind, and I swear, for a second, I forgot to breathe.
"Being the eldest princess is fun sometimes. And other times, it's absolute hell."
"Yeah? I can't imagine the kind of hell that comes with people calling you 'Princess.'"
"Try having a hundred bodyguards watching you every time you sneeze. It gets old."
Fair point.
We got into the Ferris wheel cabin as the sky started bleeding into that deep orange-red that always signals the day's last breath. The noise of the park faded the higher we went. It was just us, the quiet creaking of metal, and the slow spin above the world. I leaned back, watching the horizon. The city beyond the park shimmered with holographic ads and the soft hum of hot sit balloons. The arena lights were already flickering to life in the distance. My fight was less than an hour away. And here I was, sitting beside a princess, eating cotton candy residue off my fingers like a kid.
"You look calm. Shouldn't you be, I don't know, preparing mentally to fight Nefira?"
"I could. But I'd rather enjoy this view a bit longer."
She tilted her head, a teasing glint in her eye. "Is that your way of saying I'm part of the view?"
"If the shoe fits."
She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "You're lucky you're cute when you flirt."
I didn't even get to come up with a response before she suddenly said, "I'm about to do something."
That sentence should have been a warning but before I could even ask what, she leaned forward and kissed me. It wasn't a long kiss. Just a brief, soft press of lips. It was over before my brain even caught up. She pulled back immediately, her cheeks flushed, a small, mischievous smile on her face.
"What was that?"
"I've always thought this kind of thing only existed in anime. The whole 'amusement park date, fun all day, Ferris wheel at sunset' cliché. I just… wanted to make it memorable."
I just stared at her for a second, probably looking like I'd just seen a paradox unfold.
"You... yeah, okay, that was definitely memorable."
"Good. Mission accomplished."
The silence stretched for a bit, comfortable but heavy in its own way. Then she looked at me again and said, almost sheepishly.
"You know… I'm kind of glad I kissed the Phasnovterich of MoDS. I kept my first kiss for a fictional character. Go figure."
"Well, lucky you. I didn't."
Her eyes widened. "Wait, what?!"
"Lost mine to Nefira. And before you ask, no, it wasn't romantic. It was… uh, let's call it a necessary action."
She laughed so hard she almost doubled over. "You're telling me your first kiss was forced?"
"Pretty much," I said, taking off my sunglasses and rubbing the back of my neck. "Guess I have a type."
"Are you… a player?"
"No."
"Then how about we make it simple? Let's make a bet."
"Uh oh. Those words never end well."
"If you win against Nefira, I'll do more than just kiss you."
I blinked at her, trying to decide if she was joking.
"What's your angle, Hinesia?"
She looked away, out the window where the park lights shimmered below.
"I won't be around for a while after this. Things are… changing. So I thought, why not have fun while I can? And besides, where else am I going to get the chance to mess around with the male lead of a game I'm apparently stuck in forever?"
I sighed. "So it's friends with benefits, huh?"
"Yeah," she said casually, like she was talking about the weather.
I laughed softly, shaking my head. "You're unbelievable."
"You're not saying no."
"Because I know you're kidding. You'll forget about it anyway. You're not the type to actually go through with something like that."
She gave me a small, sly smile.
"You think so?"
"Yes. There's no way someone would just willingly give themselves to me just because I'm in the body of a fictional character."
She hummed quietly, her eyes still locked on me.
"You'd be surprised what people are willing to do for fiction."
The Ferris wheel creaked softly as we began descending. The park lights below looked like a scattered constellation. For a moment, neither of us said anything. It was peaceful. When the cabin touched down, she stood and stretched, the playful princess mask slipping back over her face.
"Come on, Lone Nomad. The continent is waiting to see you fight."
I stood too, adjusting my hood and pulling my sunglasses back on. The crowd noise outside was growing.
"Guess the date's over."
"Yes. But it was a good one, wasn't it?"
I looked at her and felt that strange, quiet ache in my chest again.
"Yeah. It was perfect."
We walked side by side toward the exit, the sounds of the park fading behind us. The date was over, the night was coming, and somewhere out there, Nefira was waiting.
But for a few stolen hours, I wasn't the Lone Nomad. I was just Phaser and that was enough.
And at least I got a sincere kiss from an Egyptian princess so there a win, right?