Jennifer woke up to the faint glow of sunlight streaming through the window, her room bathed in a soft golden hue.

She stretched, yawning deeply. Sitting at the edge of the bed, she blinked groggily at her surroundings.

She smiled faintly, appreciating what she now had.

Her eyes drifted to the window, and she frowned slightly. "I should really get curtains," she muttered to herself, brushing a hand through her hair.

"Can’t be walking around half-naked with daylight pouring in." She muttered.

Standing, she made her way to her travel bag sitting on the floor by the wardrobe. After a bit of rummaging, she pulled out a simple bra and a clean shirt. Sliding them on, she frowned again, this time at the limited clothing in her bag.

"I need more clothes," she mused, a grin tugging at her lips. "I actually have the money to think that and *mean it*." Jennifer turned and flopped back onto her bed, the mattress bouncing slightly under her weight. Arms stretched out, she stared up at the ceiling.

"Buy something now? Or later?" she wondered aloud, kicking her legs lazily. Her original plan had been strict savings—hoard every coin she earned, stay frugal—but she was earning ten silver coins a day now. Ten! More than enough to stop worrying over every little expense. Being super careful with her expenses was now unnecessary.

She thought hard, her brows furrowing in a mock-serious expression, before shrugging. "Later. Definitely later," she concluded, jumping off the bed with a burst of energy.

She dashed into the storage room, where her black armor sat neatly on the ground. *This shit is really mines.*

After brushing her teeth in record time, she strapped herself into the armor piece by piece, admiring how sleek it looked. The dark, polished metal hugged her form like a second skin. Turning to the mirror, she grinned and struck a dramatic pose, her fists on her hips like a valiant hero.

"Behold! The mighty Jennifer, slayer of monsters!" she declared, planting her fists on her hips in a classic hero’s stance, her chin tilted upward as though she were gazing out over a conquered battlefield.

She shifted her stance, raising an imaginary sword high above her head, her face the very picture of noble determination. "Fear not, citizens! Your savior has arrived!" She struck a regal pose, one hand resting delicately over her heart, the other gesturing outward with grand flair.

She pivoted into a new stance, bowing low and sweeping her arm dramatically as though she were a victorious queen addressing her loyal subjects. "Thank you, thank you," she said, miming a crown on her head with her free hand.

The queenly pose morphed seamlessly into a gallant knight kneeling in devotion, one knee to the ground, her hands clasped as if swearing fealty. She held the pose for a second before springing up and pointing dramatically at the mirror. "Evil beware! The Hero of the Gates is here to vanquish all foes!"

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Her energy shifted as she twirled in place, arms outstretched, letting her armor clink softly as she spun. "And the *princess* shall dance at the victory feast!" she announced, striking a delicate pirouette mid-spin.

Jennifer broke into a silly little dance, shuffling her feet and pumping her arms as though she were celebrating a hard-fought victory. "Oh yeah! Who’s the best monster slayer? That’s right, it’s me!" she cheered, throwing in a little hip sway for good measure.

But the moment wasn’t complete without a more commanding display. Jennifer pivoted into a royal stance, standing tall and solemn, one hand raised as though issuing a decree to an unseen kingdom. "As your empress," she announced in a mock deep voice, "I order you all to bow before my awesomeness." She chuckled and saluted herself in the mirror.

Finally, after what had to be at least a dozen poses, she fell back into her initial stance, her hands on her hips. "Alright, that’s enough messing around."

She left the apartment.

Opening her Gate Map, she stared at the glowing display of portals around the region. Her finger hovered over the blue gates, specifically the medium blue one—the one just a shade darker than the light blue.

Her thoughts wandered briefly to the dark blue gates. They were tougher, meant for higher level fighters. But for now, she’d stick to the medium ones. It was the smart choice.

The plan had been to tackle the gate alone—she preferred working solo—but as she took a step toward her destination, she hesitated.

"James," she murmured.

It would be selfish not to involve him. She turned on her heel and headed for his home. Reaching his door, she knocked firmly.

A muffled voice answered from within.

"Who is it?" came James’s groggy voice, thick with sleep.

"It’s me," Jennifer called back. "Come to a gate with me. I’ll help you level up."

There was a long pause, followed by a groan. "Jennifer, it’s so early..."

"Exactly!" she replied. "More time to get stronger, more money to make. Come on."

A shuffling noise followed, and the door creaked open. James stood there, his hair sticking up at odd angles, his face still half-asleep.

"Look, I was thinking..." He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze. "I don’t really want to be a monster slayer anymore."

Jennifer blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"I mean, I got into this because of my brother." He sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "But last night, when I just sat and thought about it... I realized it’s not really *my* thing. Not anymore. I know I said I wanted to help that other world... but I just don't know."

Jennifer stared at him for a moment, processing his words. "Then change your mind."

James blinked, his expression turning incredulous. "You’re not very empathetic, you know that?"

She winced. "Okay, yeah, that came out wrong. Sorry." She stepped back slightly, giving him space. "I *want* to force you to join me, but I get it. You were kind of forced into this already. Still... I want you to come with me. At least for the fun of it."

"Fun?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," she said. "Let’s be heroes together. Even if it’s just for a little while. It’s not just about slaying monsters or saving a world. It’s about... I don’t know, doing something that matters. With people who matter. Or who we want to make matter in our life. You said you wanted to be friends. Something along that lines anyway."

James stared at her, his tired expression softening as he considered her words. "I thought you were just trying to get stronger, famous and richer."

"I mean, yeah, that too," she admitted with a laugh. "But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun being rich along the way."

He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "You’re really bad at convincing people, you know that?"

"Noted," she said. "But I think the friends thing would work well on you."

"Yeah... it did. Give me a second," he said, stepping back inside. The door closed softly behind him.