Aether is it?

The library door swung shut behind her with a muted thud.

Silence fell.

Vale didn't move.

He sat at the little study table, arms resting on the worn wood, fingers still curled as if her hand was still there.

Ava.

The name felt carved into his bones now.

Lyra.

No—Ava.

He let out a long breath, shoving his hair back from his face. The lamplight made it shine black and gold.

It was too quiet in here.

He could hear the scratch of a quill in the far corner where some studious upperclassman was ignoring them, the slow creak of old wood settling.

Mostly he heard his own heart pounding.

You kissed me.

It kept echoing in his head.

She kissed me.

Noctis Vale Lumire—youngest son of a damned count—was supposed to be smooth, cold, calculating. That was the character, the "noble third son" with icy eyes and a reputation for disinterest in anything but swordplay.

But Vale wasn't really that person.

He was Noctis.

Just a high school senior from Earth who used to stay up late gaming and cramming for exams and worrying about getting into college.

Who had a little sister who looked up to him.

Who was so sure his biggest problem was going to be finals.

God. What even is this world?

He swallowed hard, the burn in his throat making it hard to breathe.

He wasn't supposed to feel like this.

About her.

When they'd been dumped in the game world, he'd thought: I'll keep her safe.

That was it.

That was the whole plan.

He hadn't planned on caring so much it felt like it would break him.

He glanced at the empty chair across from him.

Lyra's chair.

Ava's chair.

She'd been crying.

He'd made her cry.

"Idiot," he muttered aloud.

It sounded too loud in the quiet library.

He scrubbed a hand over his face.

Part of him wanted to chase after her.

Grab her.

Hold her.

Kiss her back.

But he didn't.

Because he couldn't say the words yet.

I like you too.

It would've been so easy.

It would've killed him.

He wasn't even sure who he was anymore.

Vale Lumire?

Noctis from Earth?

Both?

The synchronisation thing kept haunting him.

When they slept, they'd seen memories.

He remembered being Vale as a child. Sword lessons. The cold voice of his father. The older brother's dismissive sneer. His little sister's shy smiles.

He remembered learning to fence at nine.

And he remembered being Noctis.

High school lunch breaks with Luna pestering him for his fries.

Cram school.

Manga.

A cheap plastic trophy for finishing second in a local kendo tournament.

They were merging.

It was messy.

He'd thought he could keep them separate.

Act the part of Vale Lumire, keep Ava alive, get them both home.

But every day he felt more real here.

Every time he called her Ava, it was like it anchored him.

He exhaled shakily.

She kissed me.

He shut his eyes.

It had been soft.

Cool.

She'd been shaking.

But she'd kissed him anyway.

He remembered how her fingers trembled against his shirt.

How his stupid brain short-circuited.

How he hadn't even kissed her back.

He slammed his fist onto the table. Not too hard—but hard enough to make the lamp flicker.

Idiot. Coward.

He wasn't supposed to like her.

Not like this.

Not when he was supposed to be figuring out how to get them home.

But the thought of going home—alone—made him sick.

He sighed and slumped back in his chair.

She'd told him to think about it.

So he was.

He thought about her laugh when she got too tired at training.

The way her eyes lit up when she was explaining something she actually understood in theory class.

The way she'd nearly knocked over an entire bookshelf in the library trying to look casual.

She's so stupid.

He smiled faintly.

I'm worse.

He wondered if she was crying in her room.

If she was hugging her pillow.

If she was beating herself up for kissing him.

He wanted to see her.

To tell her she wasn't wrong.

That he wanted her to like him.

But he couldn't say it.

Not yet.

He needed to be sure.

Because if he said it, he wouldn't be able to take it back.

He looked down at his hands.

Sword-callused.

Bigger than they'd been in high school.

Stronger.

He could feel the difference in his stats.

Even his bones felt denser.

He was turning into Vale Lumire.

But he was still Noctis inside.

Who am I if I tell her I want this?

He remembered the system message flashing in his head:

Quest: Attend the Winter Solstice Ball. Reward: Unlock True Potential.

Pending. Task 2/10: Learn what Synchronisation is. Complete.

And that garbled message afterward:

Good…completing fast…attention…way to gain synchro…zzzttt…

Attention.

Focus.

The way he couldn't not think about her.

Is that why it's working?

He shivered.

What if the system wanted them together?

What if they didn't have a choice?

He hated that idea.

But he also couldn't deny the stats didn't lie.

Their synchronisation was nearly 30% now.

The memories, the dreams—they were getting clearer.

And when they called each other by their old names—Ava and Noctis—it was like the world clicked.

He rubbed his temples.

God, Luna, he thought suddenly.

His little sister back on Earth.

Her goofy grin.

Her pleading "Nii-chan, help me with math!"

He hadn't thought about her all day.

He felt sick with guilt.

I'm forgetting.

He didn't want to forget.

He wanted to go home.

But…

He wanted her too.

"Dammit," he whispered.

The librarian shushed him from across the room.

He ignored it.

He stayed there until the lamps burned low.

Until the cold night air seeped through the old windows.

Until he felt calm enough to stand.

As he finally left, he glanced back at the chair she'd sat in.

He could almost see her there.

Eyes bright.

Cheeks red.

Calling him Noctis.

He swallowed hard.

Tomorrow, he promised himself.

Tomorrow I'll tell her.

But even as he closed the door behind him, he wasn't sure if he really meant it.

Because all he could think about was her soft, cool lips.

And the way she'd whispered his old name like it was a secret.