I glanced at Adam, feeling a tangle of guilt tightening in my chest. I’d promised him I wouldn’t drink. And here I was, clutching an empty glass, caught red-handed.

Damn it, past Charlie.

“Hi, Adam,” I said weakly, my voice barely above a murmur. “No, thank you. I’ve had enough… for today,” I added, bitterness spiking my tone, unable to hide the sadness in my words.

He said nothing, just kept that piercing, disappointed dad stare. I resisted the urge to shrink under it. Instead, I turned to Lena, grasping for a way out of this awkward confrontation.

No, face it, Charlie. We’re not pushing problems away anymore!

“Lena, wait here with Lucas, okay? I think you already met him… he’s that friend I told you about.” I glanced at Lucas, who nodded and flashed Lena a warm smile, clearly relieved to have a task that didn’t involve emotional landmines.

“Okay, Auntie Charlie!” Lena chirped, hopping onto the seat next to Lucas with more energy than should be legally allowed. Within seconds, they were deep in conversation, her excited voice bouncing off the neon-lit walls.

I steeled myself as I moved toward Adam, who still hadn’t changed his expression.

His face was unreadable, but his eyes tracked my every movement, waiting.

Judging.

I gave him the weakest smile I could muster, the kind that said, Please don’t make me feel worse than I already do.

“So…” I started hesitantly, stuffing my hands into the folds of my skirt like I used to after getting caught by him sneaking cookies before dinner. “Have you seen my performance?”

To my surprise, a small smile crept onto his lips. “I didn’t expect you… well, neither to be that good with a sword, nor with acting.” He shook his head, his tone shifting to something lighter. “Remember the acting class? When you played a weasel and still managed to mess it up?”

The memory hit me like a surprise frost blast. I couldn’t help it—I burst out laughing. “Not fair! I was so nervous!” The giggles came out uncontrollably, fueled by the sudden shift in mood.

“And you weren’t nervous today?” He raised a brow, his smile turning darker. “How much?”

My grin faltered. Oh, here we go. I bit my lip, trying to think of the least incriminating way to answer. “I mean… only two. Total. Because Lucas told me something really… heavy.”

“And your first solution was alcohol?” His voice was calm, but the disappointment was unmistakable.

“Come on! I promise—” I started, but he cut me off.

“Like yesterday?”

I clenched my fists, frustration stirring up. “Am I drunk?” My voice came out sharper than I intended, irritation flaring in my chest. “Really, Adam?”

This again?

He sighed and held up a hand in a gesture of surrender. “Sorry. I’m not being fair to you, am I?” He shook his head, exhaling heavily. “Let’s put it behind us.”

I blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in his tone. His face softened, and for the first time since we started talking, I saw genuine joy shining in his eyes.

“I’m so proud of you, by the way… Charlie.” He gestured at me with both hands, as if framing me in an invisible picture. “This… this really suits you. I thought… well, I was wrong when I said you shouldn’t change. Sorry.”

Hearing that felt… odd. Warm, but odd. Like being wrapped in a blanket you didn’t expect but secretly needed. I didn’t know how to respond right away, so I just smiled—a real, unforced one this time.

“Thanks, Adam.” My voice was quieter, less biting for once. Yeah, maybe this really does suit me.

“Lena was so excited, and when she saw your performance… I couldn’t hold her back,” Adam laughed. “Never in my life did I imagine a day like this… but here we are. So congratulations,” he said, pulling me into a tight embrace. His voice softened, full of emotion. “My… sister.”

And just like that, I lost it.

Tears welled up, spilling over before I could even think about stopping them. I cried, burying my face in his shoulder, overwhelmed by a flood of emotions I hadn’t even realized I was holding back.

“Thank you…” I whispered, my voice trembling with gratitude. We stood there for a moment, just holding onto each other, the noise of the bar fading into the background.

Then, a delicate cough shattered the moment.

Lola.

I pulled away quickly, wiping at my tears with the back of my hand, trying to compose myself. “Yes, Lola?” I said, my voice still a little unsteady, but back to its usual edge as I turned to face her.

Lola stood a few steps away, looking ridiculously pleased with herself, her tablet clutched in her hands like a trophy. “Lady, I found the other ranker you asked me to track down. Katherine,” she said with a proud grin. “She is—”

“Cute princess!” a familiar voice squealed as a blur of red and yellow shot toward me.

Before I could react, Lisa zoomed in and crashed into me, nearly knocking me off my feet. Even in real life, she was taller than me, her long fiery red hair flowing behind her like a flame.

Her cosplay was awesome—vivid red robes with golden trim, runes stitched along the sleeves, and a staff strapped across her back that reflected the light faintly. She looked every bit the part of a high-level fire mage, complete with tiny flame-like patterns on her cheek.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Super cute.

Lisa wasted no time pulling me into a bear hug, her arms wrapping around me tightly as I found myself face-first against her chest.

Oh great. Suffocated by the fire mage. What a way to go.

She patted my head affectionately, like I was some kind of pet. “You were amazing!” she said, her voice brimming with excitement. “I saw the whole fight, and you were so cool! And now I finally get to see you in person! Look at you, all tiny and adorable!”

I tried to pull back, but her grip was relentless. Note to self: Lisa is just as intense IRL as she is in the game. I finally freed myself enough to speak, albeit a little muffled. “Lisa, I… can’t breathe…”

“Oh! Sorry!” She released me with a foolish grin, her eyes twinkling mischievously as she adjusted her cosplay. “I got carried away, but can you blame me? You were incredible out there!”

I straightened up, brushing myself off and trying to regain what little dignity I had left. “Yeah, thanks… but next time, maybe don’t go full mage tackle on me?” Lisa just laughed, as if she hadn’t nearly flattened me moments ago. Adam chuckled quietly behind me, clearly entertained by the entire scene.

“What?” I spun toward Adam, shooting him a glare as he grinned smugly. “You’re a natural,” he said, clearly enjoying my flustered reaction.

“I agree!” Lisa chipped in enthusiastically, her voice as intense as her fiery cosplay.

Then, finally, Katherine caught up with us, a little breathless but beaming. Lisa must’ve sprinted pretty far ahead. “Charlie,” she said, her smile wide. “Very good!” I blinked.

Wait… They know each other?

“Kit! Thank you…” My words faltered as I took in her outfit, my eyes widening in disbelief. “The berserker!” I said, pointing at her like a kid spotting their favorite superhero in real life.

A black and crimson leather with pauldrons that were oversized and spiked, and the chest piece had intricate rune-like red engravings. A massive two-handed sword was strapped across her back, its hilt wrapped in leather strips.

Even her boots had metal-like plating, clanking softly as she approached. She looked like she’d just stepped out of a high-level raid and was ready to smash anything in her path.

“Ya know it?” Katherine asked, surprised by my outburst.

“Of course. It’s—” I started, then caught myself mid-sentence.

Crap.

That cosplay was legendary… years later in the future.

Oopsie.

“I saw it in the repository…” I blurted, trying to sound casual. I glanced at Lola, hoping she’d help me out of this one.

Lola blinked, then, without missing a beat, pulled up her trusty tablet and began tapping away. Moments later, she turned on a holo-screen, displaying the berserker outfit in all its digital glory. “Yes, there it is,” Lola confirmed with a nod.

The model wearing it looked stiff and lifeless compared to Katherine.

Ha! Kit looks way better in it—like leagues better.

I grinned and waved everyone toward a nearby table, practically bouncing with excitement. “Let’s sit, guys!” I chirped, practically dancing my way over. Lucas was still entertaining Lena, who seemed utterly fascinated by whatever story he was telling her.

“This is Lisa and Katherine—my dear friends!” I announced proudly, gesturing toward them. “And this old man over here…” I pointed at Lucas, smirking. “…is Lucas, my personal hacker.”

Lucas gave me an unimpressed look, but didn’t bother to argue. Instead, he waved at the newcomers, offering a polite smile.

“And this young princess…” I continued, unfastening my tiara and placing it gently on Lena’s head. “…is Her Royal Highness, Lena!”

Lena squealed in delight, her tiny hands clutching the tiara as if it were a priceless crown. I scooped her up effortlessly and plopped her onto my lap; her giggles echoing in the alcove. “Behold! The future ruler of this realm!” I declared dramatically, making her laugh even harder.

Lisa leaned in, resting her elbows on the table, eyes sparkling with amusement. “You know, Charlie, I didn’t expect you to be so… well, you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I shot back playfully.

“I mean,” Lisa said with a grin, “you’re not quite as in person as you are in the game.”

Katherine chuckled softly as she sat. “Game? Yar always strategy. Thinkin’.”

I glimpsed Adam speaking quietly with Lola in the background. Probably talking logistics or something boring. Whatever.

I had bigger things to handle, so I waved my hand dismissively. “There’s a time to think,” I said, my voice rising dramatically as I leaned forward, “and there’s a time to do things! So, Lisa, do you want to be my court mage?” I grinned at her with all the flourish of a noble.

Lisa sighed, the light in her eyes dimming a little. “I was so excited when I was so close to being a fire tamer. But then Dmitry swooped in and…” Her shoulders slumped as she trailed off.

“Sorry…” Katherine muttered, looking genuinely guilty. She nudged Lisa gently, clearly feeling bad about whatever had happened.

Why?

“Lisa!” I pointed at her with exaggerated theatrical flair, still feeling like I was performing. “Do not despair! There are still ways…” I grinned sneakily, the kind that made people question whether I was plotting something brilliant or ridiculous.

It’s usually both.

“But first… How do you two know each other?”

Seriously.

Katherine knew Lisa? Since when did that happen? This was news to me, not even future helping.

“We go to the same school,” Lisa said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, with Katherine nodding in agreement with her.

“Van Der Lys Academy,” Katherine added in that casual, slightly bored tone she always used.

“That school for rich people?!” Lucas blurted out before I could react, his voice filling up with surprise. “Super hard to get into, only the best teachers, and crazy tuition costs!”

“Yas. Tat.” Katherine nodded again, this time with a yawn that could’ve rivaled a cat’s in laziness. “Borin’.”

Lucas snorted, clearly amused by her utter lack of enthusiasm for something that… he? He would kill to be a part of. Meanwhile, Lisa locked eyes with me, her expression focused.

“You have ways, cute Charlie?” she asked with a hint of hope.

I tilted my head, letting a mischievous smirk spread across my face. “Always. Have you all seen the video of me battling the statues?”

The collective response was a resounding yes, each of them chiming in with varying degrees of excitement. But the most hyped was Lena, who practically launched herself off my lap and started engaging in an epic battle with invisible enemies, complete with sound effects and exaggerated swings.

I couldn’t help but smile at her antics. “That fight? It was in front of the sovereign. You saw her in the background, right?” I glanced at Lisa, who nodded. “The sovereigns are on par with gods. They can grant power on the same level as them.” I grinned widely, enjoying the way everyone leaned in. “Mythical tier!”

Lucas furrowed his brow. “Wait. Not actual god-tier? Aren’t gods they supposed to be, well, the gods?”

“Nope.” I shook my head with a smug smile. “There are some god-tier gods, but… These so-called gods are ridiculously powerful, sure. But they’re basically just super-high-level people with crazy abilities.”

And yes, you can fight them, I thought, not adding that last bit aloud. I always lost, though.

Every. Single. Time.

Lisa’s expression darkened slightly, her earlier excitement dimming as she likely thought back to Dmitry swooping in and stealing her moment.

I wasn’t having that. “So don’t despair, Lisa!” I smiled brightly at her, leaning forward like I was about to share the greatest secret in the world. “I have a ring that can bring you before someone who’s… fiery.” I hesitated slightly. “But fair warning, it’s not exactly a barbecue.”

My puns are the best.

Lisa’s eyes lit up immediately, and before she could speak, Katherine clapped her on the back, grinning. “Fire Sovereign? Tat’s perfect Lisa!”

“Not quite.” I shook my head, keeping my tone light. “Someone just as strong as a sovereign, but not him.”

Lisa blinked, her excitement now softened with curiosity. “Then who?”

I leaned back, fingers drumming on the table. “Let’s just say… if you like fire, you’ll love the challenge.” I gave her a wink. “But I’m not spoiling the surprise.”