"So, what do you remember?" Aurora quietly began as our food came out.

[Hey... is this really the place to be talking about this sort of thing...?]

Though I ignored Sephera, she did have a point. We were at a public place- less than ideal for what I suspected to be a heavy conversation.

"Er, are you sure you want to talk about it here?" I repeated Sephera's question. "I mean, I know I said I wanted the truth, but that was before I knew all of... that."

Aurora smirked, her usual confidence creeping into her eyes. "Fine by me, Lu. Guess we'll eat and talk at my place?"

"I don't think I'd wanna go–"

"Gigi should be home by now, so I can let her know when we're on the way."

"We can take the food to-go."

[??? Do you even know if Gigi's single? ._. ]

Aurora seemed relieved that I was cooperative, though she didn't notice it was because she mentioned Gigi. Sure, I had a little crush on her, but Gigi was also a good moderator. If something were to happen between my sister and I, Gigi would be of great help in defusing the situation.

We fell silent, awkwardly waiting for our server to bring us our food. It was even more uncomfortable when we asked him to box it up immediately, though Aurora tipped him handsomely before we left.

I followed after my sister to her car, trailing behind as I struggled with the new information she had dropped on me. Sure, it was traumatic- decidedly a lot worse than what I went through, but I couldn't stop the irrational resentment I had towards Aurora. Maybe it was because I hadn't seen her in so long that it overpowered any fondness I used to have for her, but it didn't sit right with me regardless.

[Holy-]

"-Shit." I finished for Sephera.

Aurora's car was a shiny black beauty of machinery, sleek and slim with no smudges in sight. Even under the moonlight, I could literally see my reflection in the stainless metal. She had always been materialistic, even as a child. I sighed, opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat. The leather was cold against my skin, and the smell of lavender filled the air. The radio was on, playing some pop song I didn't recognize.

"So, what have you been up to?" she asked, looking over at me with a small, forced smile. I glanced at her, unable to decide on how to respond.

"Just... getting stronger." I replied.

"I noticed. Even if you Shrouded your stats, I can tell you're stronger than me now." Aurora's voice was soft, her eyes meeting mine for a brief moment before she turned her gaze back to the road. "I'm glad you're doing okay... I know it's been hard for you."

Hearing a bit about what my sister had to go through made me feel conflicted.

"Well, it couldn't have been worse than what you had to go through," I mumbled back. I didn't know what else to say.

Aurora chuckled softly. "Lu, this is one competition I don't want to win."

I glanced at her before looking away, feeling guilty. "Yeah, well... I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

We drove in silence for a while. I knew the tension between us was due to a lot of fucked-up shit in the past, but there was a point where we were close as siblings. It wasn't the closeness one would typically think of, where we were communicative and open about our feelings, but rather a closeness where we were comfortable sitting in silence.

However, this wasn't the case now. I could tell my sister was struggling with herself, trying to think of something to talk to me about. But we weren't that type of siblings. If I was honest, I think our strongest point was when it came to games. Because of the things our parents made us go through, we pretty much escaped our realities through video games, picking up niche skills along the way. I was the more tactical and daring of us, while Aurora preferred to bide her strength and time in order to go all-out.

"Hey Lu," Aurora began, clearing her throat. "Since you're more into gaming than I am, would you happen to know what 'PK' stands for?"

"Player kill, or player killing," I responded almost instinctively. "Let me guess, those types of people exist in this world?"

"Unfortunately. Many of them were former criminals, too. I don't know what the Admins were thinking when they pulled them over to Last Stand, but turning them into Players added another layer of threat," Aurora explained, a slight edge to her voice. She paused, glancing at me before continuing. "Of course, the GPA branches all over the sectors are helping with authorities to discourage Player Killers, but it's not easy."

"So, what's the point of-" I caught myself. I knew why she was bringing it up. What else was comfortable and familiar enough for us to talk about? "What are they doing to stop PKs?"

"Well, Players can very well die in the tower floors or dungeons. The only places where Players can't die are on the Safe Zones or in a duel. Other than that, it's fair game," Aurora kept her focus on the road, but she seemed much more relaxed now that she was able to keep a conversation with me, albeit cautiously. "Many PKs happen in those floors or dungeons, but a fair amount actually happen within sectors as well. Do you know why?"

"Well, I'd assume it's to steal their Items or gold... maybe just for the thrill of it because they can," I mused, morbidly engaged now. "I've done a fair share of it in actual video games, so I guess I can see where they're coming from."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

[I'm not sure that's something you WANT to relate with...]

"You're right on the mark," Aurora confirmed with a slight nod, "But there's one reason that's been extremely popular with the PKers."

"And that is?"

"Experience. For some reason, it's more beneficial to kill Players than it is to grind floors or dungeons. Want to know why?"

"Because some don't expect to be killed?" I shrugged. "Easier to kill Players than dangerous monsters?"

"Because they directly gain the levels. Meaning, if you're level 10 and kill a level 30 Player, you'll add the full 30 levels, immediately shooting to level 40."

"Oh. That does seem quite easy–"

"The experience isn't shared, so everyone gets the same full amount. Not to mention you gain 5 Stat Points every time you level up, right? Well, you'll also gain Stat Points in proportion to the levels you stole."

[!!! Wait, that means-]

"You're getting double the amount..." I finished for Sephera. "No wonder it's so popular. You could trick a high-leveled Player and kill them to gain a ridiculous amount of levels and points in one go."

"That's not all," Aurora lowered her voice. "Aside from the fixed numbers, Risk also affects the Stat Points. I'm sure you know where I'm going with this."

I opened my mouth, then closed it. Holy shit. At my current level of 1511, if I only killed a level 1512, I'd immediately double my level, gain the appropriate amount of Stat Points, AND the equivalent amount of Risk points? I couldn't even do the math for that in my head, but it'd practically make me a god.

"Thankfully, a lot of the higher-leveled Players are aware of PK, so some of them cooperate with the GPA to help stop it from happening. At the moment, we're fairly sure there hasn't been a Player Killer who's grown strong enough to threaten the world, but we can't be complacent about that," Aurora pulled the car up to a lavish apartment tower, the driver's side door opening with a hiss. "Here we are."

I stepped out, craning my head up to gaze at the apartment skyscraper. It was sleek, modern, and easily the most ostentatious building I'd ever seen. The entrance was adorned with marble and gold trim, and a doorman stood at attention, looking us over with a critical eye. Aurora nodded at him, and he promptly escorted us inside, leading us to an elevator that whisked us to the top floor.

I knew Aurora was considered a top Player along with Gigi, but I didn't realize how wealthy that made them. I wondered if I'd ever get the chance to live in a luxurious building like my sister.

As if sensing my thoughts, Aurora glanced at me and smirked. "Join my guild, little bro. I'll get you set up with something as nice as this if you do."

"No... thanks," I refused, though I wasn't as adamant this time.

"I know it might've seemed random about why I brought up PK, but there's another reason why I did," Aurora said as we stepped out of the elevators and walked to her apartment. "It does have something to do with our past."

"The people that our parents were involved with are Player Killers?" I guessed, to which Aurora confirmed with a nod.

"That's right," she said as she unlocked her door. "There are multiple PK syndicates that have come out of the shadows, but there's one in particular that's been more secretive than the others. The ones that the people who tormented our family are a part of."

We entered her apartment, and I couldn't help but stare in awe at the opulence. The walls were adorned with expensive-looking paintings, the floor was covered in plush carpet, and the furniture was all made of high-quality wood and leather. Even the lighting was tasteful and warm.

In the living room, I saw Gigi lounging on the couch, watching TV. My breath caught in my throat as I admired how her blonde hair cascaded down her back. Since it was nighttime, she was wearing a loose-fitting tank top and shorts. Even though they were baggy, I could still make out the curves of her figure underneath. She glanced up at us, her amber eyes sparkling with warmth as she stood up.

"Oh, you two came early. I was going to unlock the door, but..." Gigi smiled wryly, casually stretching. This woman was an absolute goddess.

"Yeah, Lu couldn't wait to hear my side of the story, so we just took our food to-go. I'm not sure if this talk might be something we can eat during, though," Aurora casted a glance at me. I was extremely thankful that she didn't put two and two together and realized my growing infatuation for Gigi.

"Hey, love, I'm going out to grab some dinner, did you want anything?" A man stepped out from one of the rooms. His eyes scanned me, and I couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious under his gaze. He was handsome in a rugged sort of way, his dark hair mussed from sleep. Gigi glanced at him and nodded.

"Yeah, if you could just get another of whatever you're getting, that'd be great," Gigi replied, giving the man a smile.

No. Noo...

Sephera spammed my vision with both condolences and merciless humiliation as the man stepped up to Aurora and I.

"Hey, I'm Korben, by the way. I didn't catch your name earlier," the man said with a smile as he extended his hand towards me. I hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by the familiarity in his tone, before shaking it. His grip was firm and confident.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I should have told you two earlier. Korben, this is my little brother, Luquier. Luquier, this is my other roommate, Korben," Aurora said, gesturing between us. I felt a pang of annoyance at the way she said 'little brother', as if it were an insult. Though, it might have just been me. Korben smiled at me again, not seeming to notice my irritation.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Luquier. Aurora's told me so much about you," he said, taking another step closer. His proximity to me made me feel uncomfortable, but I forced a smile. My irrational dislike of Korben was obviously due to jealousy of him dating Gigi, but a part of me knew that she was out of my league anyway.

"R-really, now? What has she been saying?" I stammered, feeling even more self-conscious than before. I tried to focus on something else, anything else, but my mind kept going back to the fact that Aurora had told him about me. I wondered what she had said.

"Well, she's told me how you used to be so tiny and adorable, and how she was looking forward to having her little brother around," Korben smirked as Aurora gave him an indignant slap on the arm. "I have to agree with her, though. You are kind of adorable."

Hold on, what?

[?!?!?]

Both Sephera and I were at a loss for words as Aurora scowled at Korben.

"Cool it, big guy. Didn't you say you were talking to like, 5 other guys? My brother's off limits to you, then." I noticed she didn't mention that I wasn't swinging that way. Did she think...?

"Fine, fine," Korben sighed, turning back to Gigi. "I'm going to grab some burgers from down the street, if that's okay."

"Sounds good to me," Gigi agreed, nodding.

"What about you, loves? Want anything?" Korben asked my sister and I.

"We're good, thanks," Aurora replied for us. "We just grabbed some food already."

"Okay, well enjoy, then. It was nice meeting you, Luquier," Korben gave me a flirtatious wink and smile before he headed out the door.

[Um... are you going to tell Tommy about this, or...]

I almost snapped at Sephera's message before remembering that Gigi was there. I calmed myself down and turned to Aurora.

"S-so... let's get started then..."