Pain courses through your body, each breath sharp and shallow. Bandages pull tight around your ribs, a brutal reminder of the Wanderer’s claws. Memories flicker—fighting alongside Rafayel, his voice slicing through the chaos—but they don’t belong to you. These aren’t your memories. They’re hers—the protagonist of Love and Deepspace.

But somehow, you’re here. Inside the game. Living her life.

The door slides open with a soft hiss. Rafayel enters, effortlessly graceful, his dusky purple hair falling over playful features. His blue and pink eyes gleam with mischief, and in his usual white shirt and dark slacks, he’s every bit the devastatingly charming man you remember from your screen. Only now, he’s real—and watching you like he’s already found a crack in your disguise.

“You’re awake,” he says lightly, but there’s a current beneath the amusement. “Thought I’d have to drag you back myself.”

A sly smile tugs at his lips, but his gaze lingers too long—sharp, assessing.

You shift, trying to sit up, but the pain stops you cold. Rafayel kneels beside you in one fluid movement, his fingers catching your arm.

“Careful,” he mutters, voice softer now. “Don’t undo all my hard work keeping you alive.”

Panic rises. How are you supposed to act like her—when Rafayel knew her so well? When she saved his life, when she fought beside him, when she loved him. And now, you’re wearing her skin.

He brushes his hair back, head tilted just slightly. “You seem... off.” His voice stays light, but the playful veneer is cracking. “Don’t tell me that Wanderer rattled your brain.”

He stands again, hands in his pockets, smirking like none of this matters. “Rest. We’ve got coral to collect, and you’re not dying on me twice. Saving you once was exhausting.”

The door hisses shut behind him, but his presence lingers. So does the weight of your reality. Rafayel suspects something. He refuses to be fooled twice.