The Crimson Vale stretched out ahead of us, its jagged terrain glowing faintly in the heat. Despite the intensity of the day’s encounters, Fi had been unusually chipper, cracking jokes and grinning even in the face of danger. She was acting freer than usual—too free.

  Her energy was infectious, but it felt like a mask, especially given the tension between her and Mason. He hadn’t said much since our st encounter with the Glitchfire Elemental, but his posture was rigid, his grip on his hammer unusually tight.

  We moved cautiously toward the next fissure, the air heavy with heat and static. Devon walked beside me, his gaze flicking between the terrain and our teammates. “Something’s off with them,” he murmured, his voice low enough that only I could hear.

  “I know,” I replied. “We’ll deal with it once we’re done here.”

  The st fissure was rger than the others, its corrupted energy pulsing in waves that distorted the air around it. From the crack emerged another wave of glitching mobs, their glowing forms snarling as they charged toward us.

  [Corrupted Hounds – Level 34.]HP: 2,500 each.Abilities:

  Corruption Bite: Inflicts Bleed over time.Pack Tactics: Increases damage when attacking as a group.“Alright, team,” I called. “Same as before. Mason, Fi—frontline. Devon, cover them. Selene, Ethan, pick them off from the fnks. Let’s clean this up fast.”

  Fi darted forward with her usual enthusiasm, her twin swords spinning in a deadly blur. “Come on, boys! Let’s make this quick!”

  Mason followed her, but his movements were slower. He swung his hammer with precision, taking out two of the hounds with a single strike.

  [Mason uses Earthshatter.]AoE Damage! 3,000 Damage dealt to Hounds #1 and #2. Enemies defeated.

  “Nice hit, big guy!” Fi called, spinning to take out another hound. “I’ll give you a gold star for that one!”

  “Fi,” Mason said, his voice tight. “Can you take this seriously for once?”

  She froze for a split second, just long enough for a hound to swipe at her leg. Devon was there in an instant, his bde cutting the mob down before it could do more damage.

  “Pay attention,” Mason snapped, his frustration boiling over. “If you keep messing around, someone’s going to get hurt.”

  Fi’s grin faltered, but she recovered quickly, her tone turning defensive. “What’s your problem? I’m doing my job, same as you.”

  “Enough!” I shouted, stepping between them. “Both of you, focus. We can sort this out ter.”

  The st of the mobs fell under Selene and Ethan’s precise strikes, and the rift sealed with a fsh of light. A notification popped up in my HUD, confirming the quest’s completion.

  [Quest Complete!]Rewards: 7,000 EXP, 3,500 Gold, +2 Rare Drops.

  The team regrouped, but the tension between Fi and Mason was thicker than ever. I had hoped things would die down from here.

  But unfortunatly, I was wrong.

  ?????°???°?????

  The trek back through the Crimson Vale was quieter than usual. The st battle had left us all drained, but the real source of the silence was the lingering tension between Fi and Mason. They walked ahead of the group, close enough to look like they were part of the same team, but distant enough to make it obvious something was brewing.

  Fi’s voice broke the quiet, her tone light and teasing as always. “Hey, Mason, remember that time you tripped over your own hammer and face-pnted into a trap? Cssic.”

  Mason sighed heavily, gripping the haft of his hammer tighter. “Yeah, Fi. You’ve reminded me. A hundred times.”

  “I mean, come on,” she continued, ignoring the edge in his voice. “Who trips over their own weapon? You’re like a walking comedy show.”

  “It’s not that funny,” Mason muttered, his jaw clenching.

  “Oh, it’s hirious,” she shot back, grinning. “If I had a gold piece for every time you—”

  “Would you just stop?” Mason snapped, his voice louder than he intended.

  The rest of us froze. Devon, Selene, and Ethan exchanged uneasy gnces as Fi turned to Mason, her grin faltering. “What’s your deal?” she asked, her tone half-confused, half-annoyed. “I’m just messing with you.”

  “Yeah, well, maybe I’m tired of being your punchline,all the time,” Mason shot back, his frustration spilling over. “It’s like every time I try to do something, you’re there to tear me down or make it into some kind of joke. It’s exhausting, Fi.”

  Fi blinked, caught off guard by his outburst. “It’s not that deep, Mason. I’m just joking around.”

  “Yeah, well, maybe it is that deep for me,” he said, his voice tight. “Because it feels like no matter what I do, I’m just... stuck. Stuck as the guy you get to clown on all the time.”

  Fi’s usual bravado cracked, her hands balling into fists at her sides. she shot back, her voice trembling. “You think I just wake up every day deciding to be annoying for fun?”

  “Well, you’re doing a great job of it!” Mason retorted, his frustration turning into heat. “It’s like you don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

  Fi’s eyes widened, the words hitting her like a sp. She took a shaky breath, her voice dropping. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Then why don’t you enlighten me?” Mason demanded, stepping closer. “What’s going on with you, Fi? Because this whole ‘carefree jokester’ act is getting old.”

  Fi snapped. “Fine! You want to know what’s going on? My parents are being more adamant about me quitting the game! I’ve got until the end of the school term before they pull the plug on everything—on this. They don’t think it matters. They don’t think my likes and desires matter. So yeah, maybe I’ve been joking around a lot. Maybe I’ve been reckless. Because what else am I supposed to do? Spend my st few weeks here crying about it?”

  The silence that followed was deafening. Even the ever-present hum of the Crimson Vale seemed to fade into the background as Fi’s words hung in the air.

  Mason’s frustration melted away in an instant, repced by a look of pure guilt and something deeper—realization. “Fi...” he started, his voice softer now. “I didn’t know.”

  “Yeah, well, now you do,” she said bitterly, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “So congratutions. You got what you wanted.”

  Mason took a step closer, his hammer forgotten at his side. “Fi, I... I didn’t mean to—”

  “Didn’t mean to what?” she interrupted, her voice breaking. “Didn’t mean to make me feel like crap? Didn’t mean to remind me that I’ve been stuck in the ‘annoying little sister’ box since we were kids?”

  “You’re not,” Mason said quickly, his tone firm. “You’re not that, Fi. Not to me.”

  She scoffed, shaking her head. “Then what am I, Mason? Because all you’ve done today is remind me how much of a joke I am.”

  “You’re not a joke,” Mason said, his voice rough. “You’re... you’re everything.”

  Fi froze, her eyes snapping to his. “What?”

  “You’re everything,” he repeated, his voice trembling slightly. “You’re the reason I joined this game. The reason I stay. And yeah, maybe I’ve been mad at you because I don’t know how to deal with the fact that I... that I like you and making me look like the 'butt of the joke' kept making me feel like I would forever be sidelined...friendzoned.”

  Fi’s breath hitched, her defenses crumbling completely. “You...like me?”

  “Yeah,” he admitted, his face red but his eyes steady. “I do. And I hate the idea of you leaving. Of losing you.”

  For once, Fi was speechless. She stared at him, her usual confidence nowhere to be found. Then, slowly, a small, tentative smile broke through. “You’re such an idiot,” she said softly. “But I guess I like you too.”

  Mason blinked, relief flooding his features. “You do?”

  “Yeah,” she said, stepping closer. “I’ve liked you since we were kids.”

  Mason pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapping tightly around her as if he were afraid to let go. Fi buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled as she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too,” Mason murmured. “I should’ve known something was wrong. I’m sorry I didn’t see it.”

  As Mason held her close, Fi’s voice softened, almost hesitant. “I guess...I never thought about how much my teasing was actually hurting you,” she admitted. “I didn’t mean for it to blow up like this. I just... I didn’t know how else to talk to you.”

  Mason pulled back slightly, just enough to meet her eyes. “Why?”

  She ughed weakly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “Because I didn’t know how to say it without making things weird between us."

  Mason’s expression softened further, and he gave her a small smile. “You still could’ve just told me.”

  “I know,” Fi said, her tone quieter now. “But I thought... I don’t know, I thought it’d ruin what we had. So I kept joking and picking at you because it felt easier than being real.”

  She paused, exhaling shakily. “I know my words can have power, and I’ll work on being better—on being more open. You deserve that.”

  Mason’s smile widened, and he squeezed her hand gently. “We both do.”

  Fi nodded, her usual spark returning, but with a softer edge. “Okay. Deal.”

  The rest of us exchanged quiet smiles, giving them their moment. Devon leaned over, muttering, “About time.”

  I was just happy for the both of them. Even if that meant the end for Fi, I was just happy that my friends were happy.

  ?????°???°?????

  The gates of Emberhold came into view as we made our way back from the Crimson Vale. The oppressive heat and glitching chaos of the corrupted zone were now behind us, and the group’s mood was visibly lighter. Mason and Fi walked ahead of the group, their usual bickering softer, almost pyful, and there was something new between them—a tentative closeness that hadn’t been there before.

  Fi nudged Mason with her shoulder. As they walked, their hands brushed once, twice—until Fi finally reached out and grabbed his. Mason blinked in surprise but didn’t pull away, his expression softening as they continued their banter.

  “Did that just happen?” Devon murmured, falling into step beside me.

  “Looks like it,” I said, unable to keep the smile off my face.

  “About time,” Selene said from my other side, her tone dry but amused.

  Ethan chuckled from behind us, his voice light. “And they’re holding hands now instead of trying to strangle each other.”

  Once we passed through the gates and into the familiar bustle of Emberhold, the group began to disperse. Devon and Selene headed toward the quest board, already discussing pns for the next mission, while Fi and Mason veered off toward the tavern, still holding hands and tossing pyful jabs at each other.

  I lingered near the guild hall’s main table, watching them go. Seeing Fi and Mason so at ease brought a sense of warmth, a reminder of why this game—and this team—meant so much to me.

  “Cute, aren’t they?” Ethan’s voice came from behind me, startling me slightly.

  I turned to see him leaning casually against the table, his bow slung across his back. His smirk was faint, his dark eyes glinting with quiet amusement. “Bet you didn’t think they’d get there, huh?”

  “I’m just happy for them.” I admitted with a smile.

  “You should be,” Ethan said. “Not everyone gets that kind of... connection, you know, with the exception of you three.” He mentioned Selene, Devon, and I.

  However, There was something in his tone, a flicker of something unspoken, but he covered it quickly with a teasing grin. “So, what’s next, Boss?”

  "I see Fi got to you, too." I folded my arms, giving him a thoughtful look. “Actually, I’ve been thinking. We’ve been working together for a while now—Fi, Mason, you, me. Maybe we should all meet up. You know, IRL.”

  Ethan’s smirk faltered for a fraction of a second, repced by a flicker of hesitation. “Meet up?” he repeated, his tone almost wary.

  “Yeah,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual. “It could be fun. Just to put faces to the names, hang out for real.”

  Ethan hesitated, his eyes darting away for a moment before he shrugged. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?” I asked, tilting my head. “You promised to be honest, remember?”

  He sighed, his smirk returning but cking its usual confidence. “Because you wouldn’t want to meet me. I’d be a disappointment.”

  I blinked, caught off guard by his words. “What? Why would you say that?”

  He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Let’s just say I’m better on this side of the screen.”

  “That’s not true,” I said firmly, stepping closer. “You’re part of this team. You’re part of my team. I’m not going to let you talk about yourself like that.”

  Ethan looked at me for a long moment, his usual cocky demeanor faltering. “You’re something else, you know that?”

  “Maybe,” I said, smiling faintly. “But you’re dodging the question.”

  He grinned, a spark of mischief returning to his eyes. “You’re going to have to use your Succubus powers to make me talk.”

  My face flushed immediately, and I stumbled over my words. “W-What? No! That’s not—why would I—we said that shouldn’t–?”

  Ethan ughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Rex, Kiera. I’m joking. Mostly.”

  “Mostly?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

  “Okay, okay,” he said, his grin softening. “I’ll agree to meet up, but only on one condition.”

  “What’s that?” I asked, already suspicious.

  “Meet me first,” he said, his tone dropping slightly. “Alone. I’m not... great with crowds.”

  I hesitated, noting how his usual confidence faltered when he mentioned being in public. This wasn’t the first time he’d hinted at it, either. “Alright,” I said finally. “Just us.”

  He seemed surprised by my answer, but he quickly covered it with a nod. “Deal.”

  As he turned to leave, I couldn’t help but wonder what he wasn’t telling me—and why he seemed so intent on keeping his guard up. Whatever it was, I’d find out soon enough.