"…I've said sothing dumb again, haven't I?" The mont the words left my mouth, the silence was deafening.
And then, everyone turned to stare at .
Like, everyone.
Not one or two folks.
Not a casual glance.
I an full-blown, soul-piercing stares from all sides like I'd just announced I thought that the moon was fake or sothing.
Even Pixie, the soft-spoken snowy-haired fairy of death, blinked at like I'd grown gills.
Lucas's face was stone-cold, as usual but his eye twitched.
I saw it. The corner of his lips pulled up like his body was fighting between laughing and drop-kicking .
And then, from the very back of the bench row, Dario stood up with the drama of a man about to deliver Shakespeare in the park.
The guy had a pretty lean and athletic body, his electric blue hair shining like soone had dumped a bucket of glitter onto his head. His hazel eyes sparkled the sa way mine did, because of course, the Roro genes decided to be all about eye aesthetics.
"Noah…" he said, placing a hand on his chest like he was emotionally wounded. "Did you seriously think we've been in there for two whole days?"
I frowned. "Uh. Yeah? My legs feel like I ran ten marathons, Dario.
My hair's probably grown a centitre in there. That felt real."
Ciel burst out laughing while even the usually ice-cold Isla had to cover her mouth to keep from spitting water.
Dario just stared at in disbelief before dramatically dragging his hand down his face. "Noah," he said again, slowly, like he was talking to a toddler chewing on crayons, his tone annoying a little.
"Virtual hours. Are. Not. Real hours."
I squinted. "Co again?"
"One full day inside the simulation is one real-life hour. We've only been in there for two real hours."
I opened my mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
"…So all that agony? The crying, the running, the dying—was just two hours of nap ti?"
"Yes." Dario threw his arms up like he was surrendering to the gods. "And you're the only one who didn't know this.
Bro, do you not read the briefings?
The manual?
The giant flashing tutorial that literally said, 'Ti Ratio: 24:1' before we entered?"
I looked around.
Everyone nodded.
Every.
Single.
One of them.
"Oh co on!" I groaned, grabbing my head, realising that I may have skipped sothing like that in a hurry. "I thought that was, like, a random ping or sothing! I just clicked 'continue' like they do in fantasy novels I've read!"
Lina leaned toward Vayu and whispered loudly, "He thought the loading screen was a suggestion."
Pixie, bless her sweet, quiet soul, tried to smile politely.
But even she was covering her mouth with both hands to keep from laughing iut loud.
"I thought the blinking 'read this first' was optional!" I defended, arms flailing. "Who actually reads those?!
I thought it was going to be one of those 'click here to accept cookies' things!"
Dario face-planted onto the bench, laughing so hard he wheezed. "Bro, you're not even dumb. You're like, ancient-dad-asks-how-to-plug-in-a-mouse level dumb."
Aurelia was giggling behind her scarf. "You didn't even ask what virtual hours were?"
"I thought it just ant the hours felt virtual!"
"THAT DOESN'T EVEN AN ANYTHING!" Maxin yelled from behind, his body trembling.
Dario laughed. "Welco to future tech, my man."
I almost puked, unable to handle the first hand embarrassnt I had just served my own self on a platter.
God, I wanted to crawl into one of those pods and disappear again.
Around us, the VR chamber buzzed with faint blue lights.
Rows of glass pods stood like futuristic coffins, each open now with steam still hissing out from a few.
Cold black tiles spread across the floor, spotless and shiny.
Along the far wall, the benches were arranged in lines, long enough for all of us to sit down and take a breather after coming out of the simulation.
The ceiling above us glowed with that soft, artificial daylight that never quite felt natural, I rember people calling it a bulb.
Everyone had taken a seat by now. So still stretching. So drinking water. Others are just staring into the space.
I turned my head just in ti to catch Grandpa Venus dragging his palm down his face, hard—
He looked like a man who had just been told his grandkids were all idiots.
Again.
"Stars above," he muttered to himself. "I raised children, not brainless cattle."
"Ouch." I muttered, feeling targeted.
He turned to face us, sweeping his black-dyed hair back.
Yep.
The guy had started coloring both his hair and beard now. I'd overheard so old n in the House talking about how Venus wanted to 'match Sylvie's youthful energy' ever since she regained her vitality.
Even his robes were more fitted than before—like he was trying to out-age-reverse ti itself.
Still, those sharp hazel eyes didn't miss a single thing.
"Lucas. Pixie. Co with ," he said, his voice clear and loud.
Lucas stood imdiately.
With his black hair perfectly in place and that usual quiet composure, he looked like soone straight out of a royal painting.
His violet eyes scanned the room once before he followed Grandpa without a word, hands tucked into the pockets of his coat.
Pixie stood up next.
She looked almost like a ghost in motion—her long white hair flowed all the way down her back like a sheet of silk, swaying with every step.
Those black eyes of hers were calm as ever. No panic.
No hesitation.
Just a soft nod as she followed behind Lucas, her footsteps light.
I watched the three of them walk across the room and exit through the side door that led deeper into the House's private quarters.
They looked like a teacher and his two star students.
And we?
We were the class clowns left behind.
"Man…" Kael muttered from beside . "Didn't expect Pixie to be the other top scorer."
"Sa," Lina sighed, leaning back. "She's just so…ordinary, without having a single power or skill to herself."
Rin, a cousin of mine from Team D snickered, pointing at the family treasure vault's direction. "Maybe that's gonna change soon."
Vayu stayed silent, but I could still see the stubborn pride in his jaw.
As for ?
I leaned back on the bench, arms folded behind my head, and muttered just loud enough for a few to hear:
"Next ti I open my mouth, soone please, just please kick ."
***
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