Late at night, in the courtyard.

Claire was sitting on the ground, looking at the stars. Her reddish eyes shined dimly reflecting the moon, and her black and crimson hair waved softly with the wind, giving her a kind of solemn beauty.

A desolate feeling could be felt around her. In her mind, the words of Leona resounded time and time again. She had to decide, either living a normal life or struggling to become a level-six and take the risk of dying two years later.

For Claire, it was not an easy decision.

Even more when she remembered Alice’s words.

‘To protect, or to be protected huh?’ Claire thought about those words repeatedly.

At that moment, someone else came to the courtyard.

A tall black-haired and blue-eyed young man walked silently toward Claire. He was dressed in casual clothes and wearing a concerned expression while looking at Claire. In a few seconds, he reached her.

He then heaved a silent sigh and sat down.

“Chocolate?” He asked and offered a mug filled with hot chocolate to Claire.

Claire smiled softly and received it, whispering a soft thanks. Aleen just grinned and observed her without speaking.

In the dark of the night, a sibling sipped chocolate while looking at the moon while the other looked at her silently.

Finally, Claire opened her mouth.

“Big bro, what do you think I should do?”

Aleen stared at Claire and smirked. “Whoa, it has been a while since the last time you called me like that.”

“… Stupid Aleen. Just answer my question.” Claire muttered softly with a small blush on her face. Aleen then looked up to the night sky and pondered for a moment.

“Actually, I’m not sure either…” Aleen finally said. He did not know what is the right choice, but he wanted to help Claire, even if just a bit.

“To be honest, I would prefer if you give the Eternal Flame up. I don’t want to see you in any danger, Claire; and if you continue holding it, only to die two years later, I don’t know what I would do.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Claire heard Aleen’s words and lowered her head. She put her arms on her knees and hid her face on them, sitting in a fetal position.

“But,” Aleen continued. “No matter what do you choose, I’ll continue participating in Dimensional Paradise.”

“…”

“In the beginning, I decided to continue in the game to find a method to cure you, and now, regardless of your choice, I found it. But, now that so many things have happened, I realized how important is to have strength.

“You heard Alice’s words today. The world is changing and it's going to become chaotic. I don’t want to go through today’s experience again. That feeling of powerlessness knowing that someone played with you and your loved one’s life, without you being able to do anything, is horrible. And to not go through it again, I must become strong.

“So, I’ll continue participating in the games. I’ll overcome the dangers and grow stronger. Strong enough to have control over my own life. Strong enough to protect you regardless of the danger.”

Once he finished speaking, Aleen fell silent.

Claire did not speak too. She remained silent, thinking about Aleen’s words and feeling the cold wind blowing against her body.

Finally, after a while, she replied.

“… Thanks.”

Aleen’s lips curved up. “Have you decided?”

“… Yeah. I know what to do now.”

“It's good.”

Aleen did not ask her about her choice. Instead, he continued seated beside her, enjoying the soft and cold breeze and gazing at the moon and the stars.

The next morning, Leona came again.

She stood before the group with an expressionless look and looked straight into Claire’s eyes.

“Did you come to a decision?” She asked.

“I did.” Answered Claire with a gaze filled with determination. “I want to become a level-six.”

Leona looked fixedly at Claire, observing her expression carefully. Finally, she nodded and smiled at the group for the first time. “Very well, pack your things. We will leave immediately.”

“… I understand.” Claire put on a complicated expression and nodded. She wanted to spend a bit more time with her brother before leaving, but now that she made her choice, she was determined to see it until the end.

“… Aleen, I’m leaving.” Claire stood before Aleen and said after packing everything. She did not know how long she would be gone this time, so she wanted to engrave his face on her mind.

“Good luck.” Aleen smiled and patted her head. To be honest, he expected that things would come to this. Although he would have preferred if Claire exchanged the flame for the cure, he would respect and support her choice.

Claire looked at Aleen and her eyes turned wet. She then hugged him tightly while suppressing the tears that wanted to escape from her eyes.

“Take care, brother.” She said softly before releasing him. She then looked at Aya and nodded towards her. “Aya, I let my brother in your hands. Please take care of him.”

Aya just nodded silently in acknowledgment.

Finally, Claire walked towards Leona.

Leona gave her a nod and looked at Aleen and Aya. “You will be compensated three days later due to what happened in the last game. Make preparations to leave for a long while.

“Also, don’t worry about miss Claire’s wellbeing. She will receive our best resources and guidance to make her grow as fast as possible. Once her condition stabilizes, she will be allowed to come back.”

Once she finished speaking, she grabbed Claire’s hand. “Then, it’s time to go.”

In the next second, a portal swallowed them.