ROOOOOAAAAR!!!
The ground shook as the Fallen Wyvern swooped over the canyon, wings spread like a burning storm cloud. Players scattered, arrows flying, spells lighting up the sky.
Hana froze.
"WHAT IS THAT?!"
Her character barely dodged a fireball that turned the ground into molten lava.
"I didn't sign up for this!" she cried, slamming keys with no real idea what any of them did. She fired arrows—most missed, and one even hit another player's pet wolf. Her screen was chaos.
Meanwhile, Kaito—SpecterX—was deep in the fight. He moved with precision, weaving between attacks like he was dancing. His twin blades carved into the wyvern's wings, drawing damage numbers in the air like neon lights.
He glanced around mid-fight.
And there she was.
A Level 3 Archer.
Standing in the middle of a lava patch.
With her bow upside down.
Kaito groaned. "You've got to be kidding me."
He was about to ignore her and focus on the boss—until she got cornered by a group of lava wolves that had spawned behind her. She didn't even notice.
Something inside him twitched.
With an annoyed sigh, he changed course.
A blur of blades and sparks—wolves gone. The girl, unharmed.
Hana gasped as her screen cleared up. "Wait… someone saved me?"
Then, a private message popped up.
[SpecterX]: Don't stand still. Move and shoot. Stay behind the tanks.
She blinked at the name. "SpecterX…? That top player Miho was fangirling about?"
She quickly typed back:
[HanaQuest]: omg thx!! I'm super new lol. Sorry!!
No reply.
Not even a "np."
But he didn't leave.
Every time the wyvern attacked, SpecterX was nearby—never close enough to call attention, but always close enough to keep her alive.
It felt… weirdly safe.
Hana tried to mimic what he was doing—dodging, keeping her distance, shooting in rhythm. She was still awful, but she was improving.
And somehow, she made it through.
The wyvern screeched one final time and collapsed. The canyon shook. The event ended.
System messages popped up across everyone's screen:
World Event Complete! Top Damage Dealer: SpecterX
Lucky Drop Winner: HanaQuest — Fallen Wyvern Feather (Rare)
"What?!" Hana yelped. "I got a rare item?!"
Chat exploded.
[Player123]: who the heck is HanaQuest??
[LunaStar]: she was just standing there lol
[NoobSlayer]: must be with SpecterX or something
Hana blushed—even though no one could see her. She hurried to type:
[HanaQuest]: I'm not with him!! I just got lucky, I swear!!
Still no response from SpecterX.
And then… he vanished.
Logged out.
No friend request.
No goodbye.
Just gone.
Hana stared at the empty canyon, still catching her breath.
"…He didn't even say anything after saving me like three times," she murmured.
Back in his room, Kaito leaned back in his chair, pulling off his headset.
"She's terrible at games," he said out loud.
But there was a tiny tug in his chest.
A pull.
And for the first time, he left the game… thinking about someone else who was in it.