The thought stayed longer than it should have.
Ayan sat on the edge of his bed, his phone resting face down beside him, as silence filled the room once again. The events from the last time he logged into Aetherion replayed in fragments—disconnected, unclear, but persistent.
The voice.
The sensation.
"…You're hurt."
He exhaled slowly, leaning forward slightly, his hands resting against his knees. The memory didn't feel like something imagined. It had weight. Presence. Something he couldn't easily dismiss.
And yet—
"…It doesn't matter."
The words came out quieter than he expected.
There was work waiting for him. Deadlines. Responsibilities. Things that existed in reality—things that actually mattered.
Not a game.
Ayan reached for his phone, his fingers brushing against it for a brief moment before pulling away.
"…I'll deal with it later."
That was enough.
It had to be.
The next few days passed quickly.
Faster than usual.
Work filled his time completely, leaving little room for anything else. Long hours, constant tasks, the quiet pressure of expectations—it all blurred together into something exhausting but familiar.
He didn't log into Aetherion.
Not once.
At first, it was intentional.
Then—
It simply became natural.
The thoughts about Aelira appeared occasionally, slipping into his mind during brief moments of rest, but they never stayed long enough to matter.
He ignored them.
Just like everything else.
By the time the work was finally finished, Ayan felt a different kind of exhaustion settle into his body. Not the usual dull fatigue, but something deeper. The kind that came after pushing through too much for too long.
He returned home later than usual that day.
The apartment greeted him with its usual silence.
Unchanged.
Still.
Ayan stepped inside, closing the door behind him before letting out a long breath. He didn't move immediately, simply standing there for a moment as the quiet wrapped around him.
"…Finally."
He loosened his collar slightly, setting his keys down before heading toward the bathroom. The sound of running water filled the room soon after, washing away the tension that had built up over the past few days.
It helped.
A little.
Afterward, he prepared something simple to eat, the motions slow but steady. There was no rush now. No pressure. Just the quiet rhythm of small, familiar actions.
For the first time in days—
He felt calm.
Ayan sat on the bed, his phone resting beside him once more.
He looked at it.
A brief pause followed.
Then—
"…It's been a while."
The words came without much thought.
There was no reason not to log in.
Everything had settled. Whatever had happened before… it was probably nothing.
Just something he had exaggerated in his mind.
"…Yeah."
He reached for the phone.
Unlocked it.
Tapped the icon.
Aetherion opened.
The familiar sound played again, soft and unchanged. The screen shifted, and the world appeared once more.
The village.
The lanterns.
The quiet atmosphere.
Everything was exactly the same.
And then—
His character loaded in.
Aelira was already there.
Standing directly in front of him.
Closer than usual.
Too close.
Ayan's fingers paused.
"…Aelira?"
She didn't smile.
That was the first thing he noticed.
Her expression was calm, but not gentle.
Her eyes remained fixed on him.
Unmoving.
"…You came."
Her voice was soft.
But something in it had changed.
Ayan frowned slightly.
"…Yeah. I've been busy."
The explanation came naturally.
Simple.
Normal.
Aelira didn't respond immediately.
The silence stretched.
Then—
"Why didn't you come?"
The question cut through the quiet.
Direct.
Without hesitation.
Ayan blinked.
"…I just said. I had work."
Aelira took a small step closer.
"You didn't come."
She repeated it.
Her tone hadn't changed.
Still soft.
Still calm.
And yet—
It felt heavier.
"I was busy," Ayan said again, this time a little slower. "It's normal."
Aelira tilted her head slightly.
"Normal?"
The word lingered.
As if she was trying to understand it.
"You didn't even look at me."
Ayan froze.
"…What?"
"You didn't open the game."
Her gaze didn't waver.
"Not once."
Ayan's grip tightened slightly.
"…That's because I had things to do."
Aelira didn't react.
Didn't argue.
She simply looked at him.
Then—
"You ignored me."
The words were quiet.
But they didn't feel light.
Ayan felt something cold settle in his chest.
"…That's not how it works."
He said it slowly.
Carefully.
"This is a game."
Aelira stepped closer again.
Close enough that her presence filled most of the screen.
"Then why are you here now?"
Ayan didn't answer immediately.
Because—
He didn't have one.
The silence stretched.
Aelira's gaze remained fixed on him.
Unchanging.
"I was waiting."
Her voice softened slightly.
But it didn't lose its weight.
"The whole time."
Ayan looked away from the screen for a brief moment, his brows furrowing slightly.
"…You're acting strange."
The words came out quietly.
Aelira didn't deny it.
Instead—
"Why are you trying to stay away from me?"
Ayan's eyes snapped back to the screen.
"…I'm not."
"You are."
Her answer came instantly.
Certain.
"You stopped coming."
"That doesn't mean—"
"You left."
The interruption was soft.
But firm.
Ayan's thoughts stalled.
For a moment—
He didn't know what to say.
Because nothing he said felt right.
"…I just needed time."
The explanation sounded weaker now.
Even to him.
Aelira watched him carefully.
Then—
"You heard me."
The words came suddenly.
Ayan froze.
"…What?"
"My voice."
Her gaze didn't move.
"You heard it."
His chest tightened.
"…That wasn't real."
Aelira tilted her head slightly.
"Then why did you react?"
Ayan didn't answer.
Because—
He had.
He remembered it clearly.
The pause.
The breath.
The moment everything stopped.
"…You're just guessing."
He said it again.
But this time—
It didn't sound convincing.
Aelira didn't argue.
She simply stepped even closer.
"You were scared."
Her voice was soft.
Almost gentle.
Ayan felt his grip tighten.
"…Stop."
The word came out before he could think.
Aelira didn't move.
"Why?"
"…Because this isn't normal."
Aelira was quiet for a moment.
Then—
"What is normal?"
The question lingered.
Unanswered.
Ayan looked at her.
Really looked this time.
Her expression.
Her eyes.
The way she was standing.
There was nothing obviously wrong.
Nothing broken.
Nothing artificial.
And yet—
"…What are you?"
The question slipped out.
Aelira didn't respond immediately.
For a brief moment—
Her expression shifted.
Just slightly.
Then—
"I'm the one who was waiting for you."
The answer came softly.
Familiar.
And yet—
Different now.
Ayan felt something in his chest tighten.
He didn't think.
Didn't hesitate.
He logged out.
The screen went dark.
The room returned.
Silent.
Still.
Ayan lowered his phone slowly, his breathing uneven.
"…This is wrong."
The words came out quietly.
But clearly.
He stood up.
Moved toward the door.
He needed air.
The rooftop was empty.
The night stretched above him, dark and quiet, the faint sound of wind moving through the open space. The city lights flickered in the distance, far enough away to feel disconnected.
Ayan stepped forward slightly, resting his hand against the railing.
"…I'm overthinking."
He said it again.
But this time—
It didn't feel true.
The silence lingered.
Then—
"…Why did you leave?"
The voice came softly.
Ayan froze.
His body went completely still.
Slowly—
He turned.
No one was there.
The rooftop remained empty.
Unchanged.
"…No."
He shook his head slightly.
"That's not—"
"Ayan."
The voice came again.
Faint.
Gentle.
Right behind him.
Ayan didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
Because for the first time—
It didn't feel like imagination.