The governmental benefit requirements allowed Nil to spend one night a week away from the ludus—when not on a quest. He spent the rest of his Saturday at Andrew’s place. The pair discussed Symbiotech, watched action films, and grilled steaks. It would take a while for his device to sync with their system. There was no telling whether it would succeed or how long it would take for him to connect to it. Andrew wasn’t an Artisan, and his experience came from working with the Pit organizers. He doubted Symbiotech would have inferior security systems to them.

Nil was in no rush.

Qualifiers and the preceding training period at the venue would last an entire week. Nil imagined he would need to rest a few days before taking on another quest. He'd be happy if the bug uncovered any information in the two weeks before he met Layla again. If not, he would have more time to make money and prepare for the inevitable fallout from Symbiotech and Golden Aegis.

Andrew brought up Fatima once again. Nil didn’t have much to say. She was a decent companion, but he was sure she would choose Symbiotech’s sponsorship over any loyalty she felt toward him if it came to it. So, he refused to involve her in the investigation or even question her on the matter. Fatima had proven as sharp as her blades, and Nil didn’t want to risk her getting an inkling of what he was up to.

After a couple of beers, Andrew went into detail regarding how he had refined his artisanal skills. Nil might’ve given up on becoming a Summoned earlier in his twenties, but his childhood friend didn’t. He had continued to tinker with aethertech, hoping his improving skills would attract the Nexus’s attention. The brief period of growing and selling illicit substances was mostly to fund his tinkering habit. His growing skill attracted the Pit organizers’ attention, and selling to them forced him to improve his skills rapidly. Andrew had selfish reasons for helping with the Symbiotech investigation. He hoped to access their protected files and improve his knowledge and understanding of aethertech. Biology wasn’t a part of his expertise, but learning to replicate or cannibalize the scanners and other equipment they sold would make him a lot of money.

After a good night of sleep, Nil showered at Andrew’s changed, ate breakfast, and met Katherine near Harrow-On-The-Hill station. He ate a second breakfast with her. They chatted, flirted, and discussed the possibility of having a romantic getaway after qualifiers. Katherine had recently been on a quest involving a Cursed-One cult in a big city, and she told him about it. Meanwhile, he shared the tale of the vampire quest with her.

Katherine sympathized with his heartbreak over losing Misu. She usually fulfilled his role in group quests and had lost many rogues, knights, and brutes. Now, she only headed out into the multiverse alone or with people she knew. She evaded the topic when Nil brought up the possibility of questing together once he reached the Iron Realm.

After the meal, Katherine invited Nil back to her ludus to ‘show him around.’ He knew precisely what she meant and went along with it. It had been a while since he’d been with a woman, and the time they spent building their friendship only made the experience more pleasant. Neither of them brought up topics like the future of their relationship or what they meant to each other, and they spent a couple of hours indulging in each other. The lack of pressure and strings made it more enjoyable, and Nil spent a couple of hours successfully ignoring the visage’s presence.

When they finally left the ludus, the pair couldn’t stop smiling and felt refreshed. They had spent more time in bed than intended and had to rush to pick up a few ingredients before hailing a cab. Fortunately, Emily and Udit didn’t fuss over their arrival an hour later than planned.

Nil, Emily, and Katherine prepared lunch together while Sam and Udit ‘assisted’ and chatted. Everyone knew about the qualifiers, but they didn’t mention them. Instead, they discussed quests, sponsors, luduses, and current affairs.

“The benefits and discounts are pretty amazing,” Udit said. “I feel guilty claiming them, though. There are so many people worse off than us. Just think about how far the assistance would go for them.”

“It’s not fair, but it makes sense,” Katherine told him. “Even though they’re making your life easier, that’s not its purpose. Thanks to all the unregistered Summoneds and growing magic crimes, the government just doesn’t have the money to help everyone. The purpose here is to give people an incentive to register and reside away from the public. It doesn’t seem like much, but the discipline that comes from ludus residency and the regular sign-ins has curbed Summoned crime significantly.”

“I understand the purpose and the usefulness and agree with the implementation, Katie, but that doesn’t make it easier to accept. The last few years have been tough, and I know people who are struggling far more than we were. Watching our quality of life improve by such a degree while they skip meals so their children can have full bellies is difficult. I’m no pundit, but I’m sure there is some way to incentivize Summoneds to behave without shafting everyone else.” Udit glanced at Emily and Sam. “Excuse the language.”

“It’s alright, Baba.” Sam appeared amused, but the conversation enthralled him. Nil could see the young man intently drinking every word. Meanwhile, Emily appeared least interested and finely diced onions with intense focus.

“Katie, do you like chilies?” Emily asked. Avocados, tomatoes, coriander, and fresh green chilies sat around her chopping board. Nil had tasked her with making guacamole to go with their grilled fish tacos.

“I’m half-Korean,” Katherine answered. “Spicy food is life.” She hesitated, looking at the sheer number of chilies Emily had pulled out of the fridge. “Maybe not that many, though. It might be better just to chop them and leave them on the side. We can always sprinkle some on as and when needed?”

“That’s a good idea, Emmy,” Udit said. “Those little ones pack a scary punch. I don’t think my stomach lining can handle much anymore.”

Nil mostly listened to the conversation, only contributing when someone asked a question. Political discussions with his father rarely went well because of their conflicting views, and he was in too good a mood to sour with an argument. He and Katherine exchanged occasional glances and smiles as he focused on the fire, and she rolled out tortillas.

Cooking took Nil to the same zen place as fighting. No thoughts or guilt could infiltrate the domain. Nothing existed besides him, the fire, and the ingredients in between. Because of its location in a historically protected building, Misdirection avoided open-fire cooking, keeping nothing but a small Robata grill in the kitchen. It was Nil's favorite section to work when not plating or expediting food.

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After more than two months of not stepping into a professional kitchen and without the thrill of a busy, high-pressure service, he missed his old job. Cooking for friends and family wasn't the same, but it still brought him peace as he slowly grilled the monkfish on sheets of kombu. The seaweed protected the direct flame of the fish but let in enough heat and smoke to do the job. Meanwhile, Nil cooked the tortillas directly over the heat source, moving it when necessary as the dough cooked and the bread inflated. The sight was hypnotic, and he found himself lost in the act of making food. He tuned out all other wounds until he heard nothing but the crackling flame. Nil couldn't be sure how long passed until a sudden poke pulled him out of his trance.

“Sorry?” He almost jumped out of his skin as he looked up at Katherine. Her index and middle fingers sat in the gap between two of his ribs. “Were you talking to me? I zoned out for a moment there.”

“Emmy had a question for you,” she said, looking confused, amused, and apologetic.

A mischievous expression sat on Emily’s face. Sam and Udit stood just past the kitchen door, watching NIl intently.

“What’s going on with you and Katherine?” Emily asked. “She says you two aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend and can’t be sure whether you’re dating either. What’s going on between the two of you? You’re bringing a woman home but haven’t defined your relationship yet?”

“Don’t you think Katie and I should have this conversation privately before we discuss it with everyone else, Emmy?” Nil asked, trying his best not to look at Katherine or the visage.

“No.” Emily grinned. She appeared to be having far too good a time. “Katie is a lovely girl, and we like her. I don’t want you to mess this up.”

“Emmy, I really don’t want to discuss this right now or with you.” Nil kept his tone calm and remained composed. “It’s none of your business.”

“She’s just worried about you, Sunil,” Udit said. The man’s little smile and tone betrayed his intent to tease his son. “There’s no need to be like that. We just care and want to know. What are you doing with Katherine? Are you two together? Will we see more of her? Is this just a passing thing?”

Katherine no longer had an uncomfortable or apologetic look. Her eyes narrowed as she smiled. “I’m a little curious, too. What are we doing, Nil? Are we just friends or?”

“What is it, Nil?” Emily pressed. “Why won’t you commit to this lovely lady? When was the last time you actually had a girlfriend? Mum was always asking why you never—”

“Do you really want to know?” Nil asked, the previously good mood fading. He wasn’t angry, just annoyed, and didn’t appreciate getting backed into a corner.

“Yes, please!” Emily grinned, putting down her knife.

So, Nil told them. He started with his secret relationship with Aisha before moving on to the incident at Hyde Park. His chest tightened when he saw the color drain from Udit’s face. Faces fell when he told them about seeing Aisha everywhere since. Nil told his family and Katie about how he thought he was crazy or falling apart. He went into detail about Dr Mendez and how he had considered checking himself into a psychiatric ward. Finally, Nil explained how everything changed after his summoning. He described the soul weapon, the Cursed Energy, and the visage, as well as his desire and work to eliminate the latter two. A heavy silence hung over the room for several minutes afterward.

“Why did you never tell us?” Udit asked, sounding heartbroken.”We’ve always been here for you, Sunil.”

Nil shrugged. “I almost brought it up a couple of years after Aisha’s passing, but then mum got sick. It didn’t feel right to burden you or Emmy with more worry. Then, after she passed and things started improving, I resigned to living with it. It felt like too long had passed, and it wasn’t important anymore.”

“Of course, it was important.” Emmy threw her arms around Nil and squeezed. “I’m sorry for pushing, dada. I should’ve backed off when you said. I'm so sorry.” Her voice quivered.

Sam didn’t seem to know what to say, and Katherine still appeared horrified. She broke eye contact and kept her eyes on the grilling fish. The Summoned police officer seemed to be stiff and guilty.

“I’m sorry for letting this conversation happen, too, Sunil.” Udit pressed a comforting hand on his son’s shoulder. “This is a heavy burden. I wish you hadn’t carried it all alone. Is this the real reason you’re doing this whole nonsense with Apocalypse Arena?”

Nil nodded. “I want to get strong enough to ensure nothing of the sort happens to someone I love again. The strength will help me stand up and do something. I can use the money and power from climbing the ranks to move you guys somewhere safer where you have better lives. I have to do this to move past the thing with Aisha and for myself.”

“I understand.” Once Emily let go, Udit hugged his son. “I’m sorry, son. Take all the time you need. There is no pressure.”

“Go at your own pace, dada.” Emily nodded. “Are you sure you can get rid of this visage and soul weapon?”

“I know I can get rid of Cursed Energy. I’ve already shed some of it; the rest will follow in time. The visage and soul weapon, though? I don’t know. Keeping the soul weapon would be great, but if getting rid of the fake Aisha ghost means giving it up, I’ll gladly do so. It’s difficult getting invested in someone with the visage still around.”

Nil didn’t expect any reassurance from Katherine and didn’t receive any. He understood it was a lot of information to process. She didn’t say much when they ate while Nil fielded questions regarding the visage and curse. The floodgates were open. They received all the answers they wanted. He hoped the information wouldn’t scare Katherine away. It was no surprise when she called a taxi after the meal. Nil walked her out, and they hugged.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier,” Nil said.

“No. I get it.” Katherine looked everywhere but into his eyes. “It's a lot. I understand why you’ve been holding back.”

“It’s why I agreed to help Nexus with the investigation.”

“It makes sense,” Katherine replied, nodding. “I’ll talk to you soon. Just give me a little time. All right?”

Neither tried kissing each other goodbye.

“I’m sorry,” Emily said tear-eyed when Nil returned. “I just screwed everything up, didn’t I.”

“It’s alright, Emmy,” Nil told her even though it wasn’t. He was unhappy with his little sister but saw no point in making her suffer. She didn’t need to know. In fact, shedding the years-old burden left him feeling lighter. He had an excellent support system all along and felt like a fool for not using it. Aisha was long gone. She no longer cared if her family found out about the relationship. There was no reason he needed to keep everything silent for her sake. It was time he started his journey toward healing. “Katie needed to find out sooner or later. I think it's for the best that she got the information before things got too serious. She needs to know what she’s getting herself into and figure out for herself whether I’m worth the accompanying baggage.”

“Don’t say that, Sunil,” Udit said. “You’re a good man, and even when you’re selfish, you’re really not. I’m proud of you, son, and, of course, you’re worth it.” He squeezed Nil’s hand. “I understand why you need to do this Apocalypse Arena nonsense. I’m not happy about it or for it, but I understand. If this will help you get past the trauma and the pain, you have no other choice. You have our support always.”

Tears welled in Nil’s eyes as he felt like an even bigger fool for not telling them sooner. “Should we have dessert? I need something sweet.”