The laughter inside the room refused to die down even after Arin exposed everyone so casually.
What started as teasing toward him and Liora somehow turned completely against the rest of the group within seconds, and now the atmosphere inside the massive chamber felt lighter than it had in weeks.
Riven stood near the balcony looking personally betrayed by existence itself.
"I still don't understand how this became about us."
"Because," Arin answered calmly while leaning back against the window beside Liora, "you made the mistake of opening your mouth first."
"That's unfair."
"That's accurate," Selene corrected immediately.
Liora quietly laughed again beside Arin while the others continued arguing across the room. Even after everything they had learned tonight—the cycle, the System, the first Karna, Gandiva—this moment somehow felt more real than any of it.
Just seven people sitting together late into the night, exposing feelings nobody wanted exposed.
Riven pointed dramatically afterward.
"No seriously. Explain yourself."
Arin raised an eyebrow slightly.
"About?"
"How do you even know what everyone feels?"
Kael immediately looked uncomfortable afterward.
"…actually yes, I'd like an answer too."
Selene crossed her arms suspiciously.
"This better not turn into some ancient soul-reading nonsense."
Arin looked genuinely confused for a moment.
"…you people really think you hide things well?"
"Yes," Aira answered instantly.
"No," Liora answered at the exact same time.
Everyone looked toward her immediately afterward.
Liora blinked once before quietly looking away.
"…what?"
"That betrayal came from inside the group," Riven whispered dramatically.
Arin sighed softly afterward before finally answering properly.
"Look…"
A faint smile crossed his face afterward.
"I've lived through two lives already."
The room grew quieter immediately.
Arin continued calmly,
"I had two wives in the first one."
Riven nearly choked instantly.
"Still insane hearing you say that casually by the way."
"And one girl I loved in the second."
For a brief moment his eyes shifted slightly toward Liora again before continuing.
"I have way too much experience with this stuff."
Selene immediately groaned.
"Oh god he's using ancient reincarnation wisdom for relationship analysis."
"It's working though," Darin muttered quietly.
Kael slowly narrowed her eyes afterward.
"…wait."
A dangerous realization crossed her face.
"You already figured out who likes who."
Arin's silence answered immediately.
The room exploded again.
"NO."
"Absolutely not."
"Don't say anything."
"I'm leaving."
Riven looked the most horrified somehow.
"Arin if you value our friendship you will stop talking immediately."
Arin looked completely unbothered afterward.
"Too late."
Liora quietly buried her face against his shoulder while laughing softly again.
Selene immediately pointed toward her.
"Why are you enjoying this?"
"Because for once it's not us being teased."
"That's fair," Aira admitted quietly.
Arin finally pushed himself away from the window afterward before calmly looking across the group.
"Alright then."
The atmosphere instantly became tense again.
"Let's start with the obvious one."
Darin froze immediately.
Selene slowly closed her eyes like she already knew what was coming.
Arin pointed between them casually.
"You two."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Riven slowly looked between Darin and Selene afterward.
"…wait."
Then realization hit him violently.
"OH MY GOD THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE."
Selene immediately grabbed a pillow and threw it directly at his face.
"You're the last person allowed to react like that."
Darin looked genuinely defeated already.
"…was it really that obvious?"
"Yes," the entire room answered together.
Even Kael nodded immediately.
"You two practically act married already."
Selene looked horrified afterward.
"WE DO NOT."
"You absolutely do," Aira answered calmly.
Riven pointed dramatically toward Darin afterward.
"You literally carry extra food because 'Selene forgets to eat when annoyed.'"
Selene's face immediately turned red.
"…you noticed that?"
"Everyone noticed that."
Darin quietly looked away afterward while rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Arin folded his arms afterward with complete confidence.
"See? Obvious."
Selene groaned dramatically before dropping backward onto the couch.
"I hate all of you."
"No you don't," Darin answered automatically.
The room instantly became silent again.
Then Riven slowly turned toward them.
"…wow."
Even Selene looked betrayed by her own instincts now.
Liora laughed softly again while Arin looked entirely unsurprised.
"Exactly my point."
Kael immediately pointed toward Arin afterward.
"Okay enough about them."
Her expression narrowed suspiciously.
"What about the rest?"
Arin looked toward her calmly afterward.
"That gets more complicated."
Aira immediately stiffened slightly beside the couch.
Riven looked confused now.
"…why do I suddenly feel threatened?"
"Because," Selene answered instantly while finally sitting upright again, "you're stupid."
"That did not answer anything."
Arin looked directly toward Riven afterward.
"You really never noticed?"
"Noticed what?"
The room fell silent again.
Kael immediately looked away toward the windows.
Aira crossed her arms tightly afterward.
And suddenly—
Riven's expression slowly changed.
"…hold on."
Arin nodded once.
"Yes."
Riven pointed toward Kael first.
"…wait."
Then toward Aira.
"…WAIT."
The realization completely destroyed him afterward.
"NO."
Kael immediately buried her face in her hands.
"This is humiliating."
Aira looked equally ready to disappear entirely.
"I genuinely hate this conversation."
Riven stared between them like reality itself betrayed him.
"You're both joking."
"Nope," Selene answered instantly.
Darin tried very hard not to laugh.
Riven pointed toward himself dramatically afterward.
"WHY?"
That finally broke everyone completely.
Even Kael started laughing despite herself now.
Arin shook his head slightly afterward.
"You really are hopeless."
Riven looked personally attacked.
"I'm trying to process this emotionally."
"Take your time," Liora answered softly.
Kael finally lowered her hands afterward before glaring toward Arin.
"You could've stayed silent."
"I could have."
Another pause.
"But this is more entertaining."
Aira immediately looked toward Liora afterward.
"How do you deal with him?"
Liora looked up toward Arin briefly.
Then quietly smiled.
"…I don't think I want to."
That answer somehow silenced the room again for several seconds.
Riven slowly pointed afterward.
"See that?"
He looked toward the others dramatically.
"That's terrifyingly sincere."
Selene sighed heavily.
"They're becoming worse together."
"We should've separated them earlier," Kael muttered.
Arin ignored all of them afterward before finally speaking again.
"There's still one more."
The room immediately froze.
Riven looked exhausted already.
"There's MORE?"
Arin calmly nodded.
Then looked directly toward Kael and Aira again.
"You two should probably confess eventually before the world ends."
Kael nearly threw another pillow at him instantly.
Aira actually did.
Arin caught it effortlessly.
The room erupted again afterward while everyone started talking over each other at once.
And through all the chaos, laughter, embarrassment, and teasing—
something warm settled quietly between them.
Because despite everything waiting ahead—
the Fractured Expanse, the Entity, the System itself—
they still had moments like this.
Moments where they could forget destiny for a little while and simply exist together.
As friends.
As idiots.
As people hiding feelings far too obvious for their own good.
And quietly, while the others continued arguing around the room, Liora rested her head lightly against Arin's shoulder again.
This time—
he didn't even hesitate before pulling her closer.