Stelle and March 7th huddled in front of the computer, both pairs of eyes wide as saucers.
The story kept unfolding, but the camera angle suddenly shifted.
No more snowy plains. No more Babylon Tower. No more Kiana.
Instead, a slender figure stood with his back to the screen, his entire presence seemingly melting into the dim surroundings.
"Ha." A soft laugh escaped him, carrying an indescribable weight.
"How interesting. To think things would develop this far."
The screen split into several surveillance feeds.
Every single one of them lay within this man's grasp.
"What the hell!"
Stelle nearly launched herself out of her chair.
"Otto! That's Otto!"
March 7th nodded furiously, too excited to get her words straight. "Th-Theresa's grandpa! The head of Schicksal! The guy who's supposed to be ridiculously powerful in real life!"
"What's he doing here? Isn't he just background lore?"
"No idea, but that was so cool!"
The two exchanged a glance, the same thought written clearly across both their faces.
Otto Apocalypse, a name that existed only in rumors in the real world, had actually shown up in the game.
"Keep watching her."
His voice was low, yet carried the effortless authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed.
Two voices responded at once.
"Understood, Bishop. Leave it to me." That was Durandal's voice, steady and resolute, with the crisp efficiency of a soldier.
"As you command." The second voice was cool and flat, drifting in as though from somewhere far away.
Stelle blinked. "Durandal?! THE Durandal?!"
March 7th looked equally stunned. "Kiana's older sister?! She's in the game too? And she's calling Otto 'Bishop'?!"
The two stared at each other. The lore in this game just kept getting more complicated.
March 7th suddenly thought of something. "Wait, they're not going to get sued for using real people's names, are they?"
"Probably not?" Stelle wasn't entirely sure either.
They dropped the thought and turned back to the screen.
Inside the virtual space, at the entrance to Babylon Tower, Cecilia, Kiana, and Theresa were preparing to track down the Herrscher of the Void.
Just then, Theresa's communicator went off.
She answered, listened for a moment, and her brow furrowed.
"Understood."
She ended the call and looked at Cecilia.
"Bishop Otto has ordered me back to command base to oversee the overall operation."
Cecilia gave a single nod. "Go. I've got things here."
Theresa hesitated, then looked at Kiana.
"Stay with Cecilia. Don't wander off."
Kiana nodded vigorously.
Theresa turned and walked away at a brisk pace.
In front of the elevator, only Cecilia and Kiana remained.
Kiana stood there watching Theresa's retreating figure, unable to hold back the smile spreading across her face.
"Talk about lucky!"
She thought to herself, her eyes brimming with barely contained excitement.
"Theresa's gone. Isn't this exactly what I wanted? Alone time with Mom?"
Kiana stole a glance at Cecilia.
Cecilia was focused on the elevator ahead of them.
Her silver hair caught the dim light and shimmered with a soft glow. Her profile was so gentle, and Kiana found herself unable to look away.
If only Mom would compliment me just once.
She thought back to scenes from her childhood, watching other children get praised by their mothers. A small child tilting their head up, a mother reaching down to ruffle their hair, saying, "You did great. I'm so proud of you."
That had never happened to her. But now, maybe it could.
Kiana balled her hands into fists and gave herself a silent pep talk.
I'm going to give it everything I've got.
The two split up and began searching the lower floors of Babylon Tower for the key to activate the elevator.
Kiana threw herself into it with complete focus.
Every corner, every crack, every object, she left nothing unchecked.
I can't let Mom down.
Then, in one of the holding cells, she found a worn and battered journal.
"Huh?" She picked it up and flipped through it. "This is..."
The cover was ragged and faded, the pages yellowed and brittle, clearly old.
Kiana glanced at the writing inside and couldn't help but laugh.
"The handwriting is even worse than mine!"
She declared proudly, completely forgetting that Mei never missed a chance to tease her about her own scrawl.
Stelle and March 7th both burst out laughing.
"Worse than hers? What does that even look like?"
"Kiana, you've got some nerve!"
Kiana opened the journal and began reading aloud without thinking.
"The doctor told me to start writing a diary today. But... I've never written a diary before."
She blinked.
"A doctor?"
She looked around at the small, cell-like room. "Isn't this supposed to be a lab?"
Her brow creased.
"Why would there be a doctor here? Who were they telling to write a diary?"
She looked back down at the journal in her hands. Something tugged at the edge of her mind, a thought she couldn't quite catch.
Stelle and March 7th had gone quiet too.
"Who wrote this?" March 7th asked.
No one could answer.
On screen, Kiana closed the journal and tucked it away.
She didn't know what it meant.
She didn't know that this seemingly ordinary discovery was about to uncover a truth heavier than anything she could imagine.
She was only thinking about finding the key, getting upstairs, and catching up with the Herrscher of the Void.
About doing something that would make her mom proud.
The scene slowly shifted.
Otto still stood exactly where he had been, watching the girl on the screen who understood nothing.
Stelle and March 7th stared at that image, a chill creeping over them for no reason they could name.
"Something feels really off about this Otto. March..."
"Yeah."
March 7th nodded. "That smile is terrifying."
They looked at each other, then turned back to the screen together.
The story kept going.
And they had already fallen in, completely and without any hope of getting back out.