A few hours later, night settled quietly over the neighborhood.
A warm light filled the small house. The smell of freshly cooked food spreads through every corner.
Dinner was ready Sable kneeled on the floor in front of the low table, staring seriously at the dishes as if preparing for judgment day.
Across from him, Mira and Celi watched with suspicious eyes Mira clapped her hands once.
"So," she announced, "today's family meeting topic is Sable do you have anything to say to us "
Sable closed his eyes briefly.
(Why does this feel like a trial…well they are curious especially their mother)
Celi leaned forward with sparkling curiosity"Brother… are you part of a gangster?" she asked seriously.
Sable slowly turned toward her"…What kind of shows are you watching?"
"No one knows," Mira muttered. "She learns everything from television."
Celi puffed her cheeks. "Gangsters are cool."Sable ignored that completely and sighed.
"WPA found out something," he said calmly. "Something I didn't tell you both for the past year."
The room became quiet Mira gently reached forward and placed her hand on his head
"I see,do you know I'm a wife of an A rank player before he taught me a lot about WPA and other things " she said softly. "So… you're a player is that what you hide from us "
Celi tilted her head"What is a player, Mother?"
Mira smiled gently and pulled Celi closer.
"Players are like the Snow Princess you see on TV," she explained.
"People who fight monsters and protect cities."
Celi's eyes widened instantly"Like a big sister hero?! Form TV really"
She turned toward Sable with shining eyes"My brother is like that?!"
Sable scratched his cheek awkwardly "I don't know who this Snow Princess is," he said, "but… yes. Something like that."
Celi gasped dramatically and covered her mouth."Woaaah…"
Mira watched him quietly Her gaze held worry — but also acceptance.(What a trouble some kid this is but now I'm going to be mother of players if his father was alive he was happy)
She lifted Celi into her lap before speaking again"So… what happens next?" she asked gently.
Sable understood immediately
(She wasn't asking about today She was asking about his future Mother will always be mother…)
He lowered his gaze slightly Before he could answer, Mira reached out and patted his head again.
"Your father was a player too," she said warmly. "So there was never any doubt you are his son"
Her voice softened"Don't worry about anything. I will support you whatever you choose"
The sable froze slightly The tension he didn't notice carrying all day quietly loosened.
Celi suddenly raised her tiny fist"Brother! Beat monsters! Become super famous! Buy me ice cream every day!"
Sable blinked"…Your encouragement sounds expensive."
Celi nodded proudly. "Yes."
Mira laughed softly Sable exhaled and relaxed his shoulders.
"…Alright," he said. "Can we eat dinner now?"
"Finally," Celi said.
They joined their hands together "Thank you for the food."
The atmosphere returned to normal — warm, simple, peaceful.
For a moment, Sable almost forgot about WPA, players, awakenings, and unknown futures.
Just a small family and Sharing dinner.
Late Night Talk
A few minutes later, dinner was over.
Celi had already fallen asleep on the sofa, hugging a small pillow, her breathing slowly and peacefully.
The house grew quiet again In the kitchen, Mira and Sable stood side by side, cleaning dishes.
The sound of running water and clinking plates filled the silence.
Sable hesitated for a moment He glanced at his mother"…Mother," he said carefully, "can I ask something?"
Mira continued washing a plate and nodded without looking at him.
"Yes."
Sable dried his hands slowly, gathering courage"…Will you leave this house… if I ask you to?"
The plate in Mira's hand stopped moving For a brief second, everything froze.
She turned her head slowly and looked at him"You know,my answer" she said quietly, "after your father died… I bought this place to raise you both and there are a lot of memories and work is also stable"
Her eyes softened, but sadness lingered behind them"It was hard for me. Very hard. So… leaving this house isn't easy why did you ask something like this suddenly "
Sable lowered his gaze, then spoke again"What if we move to a safer place?" he asked.
"Before you talk about money — I'll handle it. I'll do anything to buy a safe house after graduation but still"
His voice became firmer"This place isn't safe for us anymore."
Mira frowned slightly"Did you have a bad dream?" she asked gently.
"We live inside the wall. Players patrol every day. This area is safe and if we move there safe house was in high society you know we didn't belong to that"
Sable lifted his head and met her eyes directly"Even so… what if one day the wall collapses?" he asked quietly.
"What will we do then? Isn't it better to prepare before something happens?"
Mira stared at him for a long moment Then she shook her head slowly.
"Sable," she said softly, "even if the wall collapses… I will die here."
His expression stiffened She placed the clean plate down carefully.
"This shop was mine and your father's dream, before Chaos " she continued. "You understand, right? Please… stop saying things like that."
Before he could reply, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek gently.
"Good night. Don't stay awake too long."
She turned off the kitchen light and walked away.
Sable remained standing there alone His hands slowly clenched into fists.
(I don't understand… because I'm not your real son.)
(I don't know your memories… or your story I'm sorry but you are the only thing in this world for me.)
He exhaled quietly"…Still," he murmured.
No answer came A few moments later, he walked to his room.
Kuro, the black cat, was already sleeping curled on the bed.
Sable lay down beside
him. The cat shifted slightly and pressed closer.
The warmth eased his heavy thoughts.
His eyes slowly closed And soon, sleep claimed him.
The house was silent Celi slept peacefully. Mira's room light had long been turned off.
Sable quietly opened the small metal door leading to the rooftop.
Click.
Cold night air greeted him.
Above, two bright moons hung in the dark sky, casting pale silver light over the city.
He stepped forward slowly and closed the door behind him The wind brushed his hair.
He let out a long sigh"…Everyone is sleeping. Peacefully"
He walked toward the edge of the rooftop and sat down, his legs hanging slightly over the side.
The massive outer wall could be seen from here, stretching endlessly across the horizon. Beyond it — darkness.
The barrier shimmered faintly like invisible glass He pulled a canned coffee from his pocket, opened it, and took a sip.
The bitter taste steadied him"What should I do… if they don't want to leave this place? I never thought this possibility"
His voice was quiet, swallowed by the wind.
Silence answered His eyes moved toward the wall again.
(This world is a TRPG In the game, there was no single main hero)
No destined savior.
(Players raised heroes and heroines. The story branched endlessly depending on choices, growth, relationships.)
Countless routes and Countless endings.
"Everything depended on how each character developed."
Even then…
"…Even when I was in the top five ranked," he muttered, "I never cleared it."
His lips curled faintly "Ridiculous."
The ending always depended on decisions. On unseen flags. On variables that shifted like sand.
And now—"This is reality No reload No reset No second screen."
He placed the empty can beside him.
"…Status. Open."
A faint translucent panel appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Sable]
[Class: Tamer]
[Rank: S]
[Level: 5]
Skills:
[— Merge : S]
[— Tamer's Charm: A]
He stared at it quietly "These two skills…"
[Merge /Tamer's Charm.]
Nothing flashy. Nothing destructive And yet—"The worst part," he said softly, "is that an extra like me is S-rank it's a joke right "
He laughed under his breath.
In the game, S-rank players were leaders. Symbols. People who moved the storyline forward.
He was never meant to be one of them Just background data.
Just an adjustable side character.
He leaned back slightly and looked at the moons again"Well… it's not like I can do everything."
!There were people stronger than me
Smarter than me More talented.)
Names flashed through his mind."The Players Academy…it's looking like I can't avoid this fate "
That was where monsters were born.
Where future heroes and heroines sharpened themselves.
Where the real storyline began.
He slowly raised his hand in front of his face, staring at his fingers under moonlight.
"The future I know… and the future I create…"He clenched his hand gently"…are different."
Knowing events wasn't the same as controlling them.
Knowing disasters didn't mean he could prevent them"What exactly… am I supposed to do?"
The wind grew slightly stronger His heart felt heavy.
Confusion wasn't something he experienced often in the game.
There, choices were calculated Here, choices carried lives His mother's words echoed in his mind.
(Even if the wall collapses, I will die here.)
He closed his eyes briefly.
(No way i need to make a decision soon.)
He couldn't allow that ending But forcing her to move would break something precious.
For several minutes, he simply sat there, staring at the sky.
No system notification came No answer appeared Only silence Finally, he spoke quietly."…Future is not fixed and this is reality that can be forged."
He opened his eyes again"What I need to do isn't clear so i need to make clear"
But one thing was certain He would not allow regret
The rooftop remained silent as Sable sat beneath the twin moons — a player with no clear path, holding knowledge of destruction in one hand and uncertainty in the other.
Sable walked alone along the road near his school.
The afternoon sun was already lowering, stretching long shadows across the pavement.
Students passed by in groups, laughing, talking, living normally.
He walked quietly Too many things had happened recently.
Too many thoughts (I need a break.)
His head felt heavy.
Without thinking much, he turned toward a narrow street where an old internet café stood.
A place filled with cheap keyboards, dim lights, and the sound of constant clicking.
A place where he used to escape"Just one hour," he muttered. "Clear my head."
He reached for the glass door.
Before he could push it open—A hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"…!"
He turned sharply.
"It's you. What are you doing here?"
A familiar voice.
Standing in front of him was Yachiyo.Her long brown hair swayed slightly in the wind.
Her hazel eyes stared directly at him Sable stiffened (Yachiyo… what bad luck we meet again as if I say that on her face)
He was already mentally exhausted"I was planning to play some games," he replied casually.
Yachiyo tilted her head slightly"How was your exam, Sable?"
"It wasn't bad," he answered with a small laugh.
His tone was light.
But inside—(Why is she here again? I don't want to deal with her right now.)
He gently pulled his hand back from her grip
Yachiyo noticed Her expression changed immediately.
She frowned"What's wrong with you?" she asked. "First you ignore me, and now this."
Her voice softened slightly"Am I really that troublesome?"
Sable blinked"Of course not," he said quickly. "It's just… you know…"
He didn't finish the sentence Because he didn't know what to say.
She sighed For a moment, her confident expression disappeared.
"Sable," she said, "I'm free tomorrow."
She looked at his and face turned crimson
"Let's go somewhere together."
She turned away almost immediately after saying that"I'll see you tomorrow."
She walked toward a group of girls waiting across the street.
One of them whispered something in her ear. They both glanced back at him briefly.
Sable stood there Blank and confused
" Did she just…Ask me out? For date"
His brain froze"No way."
He shook his head slightly (She's my best friend we both Both didn't have that kind of relationship.)
"Yes and Best friend That's all It's just hanging out," he muttered.
He looked at the internet café door again.
Then at the direction she left.
His chest felt slightly uneasy.
In the game timeline—Yachiyo wasn't look like someone who casually invited people out.
She looked the type who prioritized efficiency. Training. Schedule. Results.
Yet just now—Her tone was not strategic.
It was personalSable scratched the back of his head.
"…This is getting complicated seriously what the heck is going on before my possession"
The wind blew gently down the street.
He suddenly realized something small.
that—Was the problem
"fuck i need to go shopping for Celi pudding I forgot that"