--Kepler—

He was never sure what to do with himself when Clare was asleep.

It wasn’t that he had nothing to do. There was the system to learn from, the dungeon to maintain, he even worked on designs sometimes.

Just… Nothing was all that important without Clare. She was his prime directive, his core instinct.

And he wasn’t sure who he was without that.

For now, Kepler cradled her sleeping mind in his arms.

* Aren’t you too much?

The system had been contacting him more, lately. Things like it didn’t get lonely, but it did have a kind of melancholy curiosity.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Kepler bared his teeth. [It is none of your business.]

* You know dungeons die sometimes, right? If their core is destroyed.

[I don’t see your point, degenerate thing.]

The system ignored the jab.

* You’re not the dungeon. You’re like me.

Kepler turned back to Clare, who had started to whimper. He stroked her hair. Stared at his misty-black hand.

It wasn’t a real body.

[I know.]

* You can be more.

He clutched Clare in his arms, making soothing noises. Her hand dug into his fur, fingers blurring in the black.

In their territory, Astrid was sitting at the base of the silvery tree Duchess lived in. While the two were usually antagonistic, Kepler could hear them conversing softly now.

* Are you ignoring me?

There was no offense in its tone.

[Yes.]

Clare whimpered more loudly. Began shivering. Kepler knew sleep was important for her soul, but…

* You are a strange being.

Kepler clenched his teeth against a retort, and shook Clare awake.