The white screen flickered before Ashel's eyes.
SYSTEM: REBOOT SUCCESSFUL. ASHEL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHECK YOUR CURRENT STATUS?
"System! What happened to you? Are you kidding me?" Ashel snapped, her voice rising in disbelief.
SYSTEM: I AM SORRY, ASHEL.
"Chill. Calm down," Darius said with a faint smile, trying to ease the tension.
"Calm down? I literally died! And now I only have two life chances left!" Her tone cracked, panic slipping through her frustration.
Darius stepped closer, pulling her gently into his arms, but Ashel shoved him away.
"I'm hungry..." she muttered, and right on cue, her stomach growled.
Darius chuckled softly. "Oh, my dear villain is hungry, huh?"
"So what if I am? I don't even understand why I feel hungry-it's not like I'm in the real world. I'm just stuck in this stupid game!"
Darius said nothing, watching her with that same unreadable calm.
She glanced up at him. "Wait... you said this world is called Planet Yurth, right?"
"Yes, dear, you're right," he said, leaning slightly closer.
Ashel blinked, her cheeks flushing red. "What are you doing? Give me some personal space!" She pushed his face away with her small hands.
He laughed. "You're adorable." He caught her wrists and gently lowered them. "You want food? Come on, let's go."
"Where?"
"I know a place," Darius replied with an easy smile, reaching his hand toward her.
Ashel ignored it and stood up on her own. "Let's go," she said firmly.
Halfway through the path, she stopped. "SYSTEM! SYSTEM, ARE YOU THERE?"
SYSTEM: YES.
"I want to see my current status."
SYSTEM: DISPLAYING STATUS WINDOW.
---
STATUS
NAME: ASHEL
LEVEL: 10
RACE: HUMAN (?)
TITLE: VILLAIN
HP: 250 / 250
MP: 150 / 150
STR: 20 | AGI: 18 | INT: 25 | LCK: 1
SKILL: "SYSTEM OVERRIDE" (LOCKED)
---
Ashel frowned. "What... that's all? Ugh, fine. I guess that's normal for a beginner." She turned to Darius. "Anyway, what about you? What's your level?"
Darius smirked, brushing a finger against her nose. "Curious, are we, little one?"
"I'm not a child! I'm twenty-two!" she yelled, her cheeks puffing in annoyance.
He tilted his head, grinning. "You look about five. And you act like it too."
"Shut up!" she snapped, stomping ahead while Darius laughed softly behind her.
Ashel frowned. "What... that's all? Ugh, fine. I guess that's normal for a beginner." She turned to Darius. "Anyway, what about you? What's your level?"
Darius smirked, brushing a finger against her nose. "Curious, are we, little one?"
"I'm not a child! I'm twenty-two!" she yelled, her cheeks puffing in annoyance.
He tilted his head, grinning. "You look about five. And you act like it too."
"Shut up!" she snapped, stomping ahead while Darius laughed softly behind her.
"She's cute-ah! Wait for me, my little one."
Darius caught up and gently took Ashel's hand, smiling down at her. "You might get lost, child."
"I told you, I'm not a child!" She yanked her hand free, glaring up at him.
"Aww... so stubborn," Darius teased, amusement glinting in his eyes.
"No, I'm not!" Ashel huffed, crossing her arms. "Am I forgetting someone?" she murmured under her breath, confusion flickering across her face for a moment.
Darius's expression shifted, the easy smile fading into alertness. He reached for her hand again, but she slipped away just as quickly.
And so, they continued down the path, bickering and tugging at each other's patience all the way to town-two mismatched travelers bound by fate and irritation.
Ashel burst out of the dark forest, her breath uneven, boots brushing through tall grass. The shadows that had chased her vanished behind her as sunlight finally spilled across her face.
She slowed to a stop on the open grassland, the wind catching her hair and making it dance in the soft breeze. The air here smelled alive-fresh, wild, and free.
A few steps behind, Darius emerged from the treeline, his white coat fluttering gently. He watched her quietly, something like pride softening his usually calm expression.
"Isn't it a beautiful view?" he asked, his voice low and almost wistful.
Ashel turned toward the horizon. There it was-the kingdom. Its silver towers shimmered in the distance, framed by rolling green fields and clouds drifting lazily above.
"Yes..." she breathed, eyes wide. "It's so beautiful. So fresh."
Then, without warning, she grinned. "Let's go!"
Before Darius could respond, Ashel took off running, laughter trailing behind her like a melody.
Darius exhaled through a faint smile, shaking his head as he followed. "This girl..." he muttered, his tone caught somewhere between amusement and affection.