—I… protected you…
The echo of Silver’s voice, and the warmth of his smile, still lingered in the boss chamber.
Yuiha stared as the shards of light that, only a heartbeat ago, had been Silver, began to drift apart and dissolve into the air.
The world sank into a grave, suffocating silence.
She took a few unsteady steps, weak, clumsy, toward the spot where he’d been standing. She reached out and tried to catch one of the fragments, but the light slipped through her fingers without resistance. She tried again with her other hand. Same result.
Then she started flailing, desperate, as if she could gather the pieces scattered across the room. As if, somehow, she could stop him from leaving.
It was pointless.
Yuiha didn’t speak. Didn’t scream. Didn’t cry.
Her gaze was completely hollow, as if her avatar had been abandoned in that chamber.
She thought of the morning. Of breakfast together at the Tolbana inn. Of the trivial conversation about what they’d do next. The laughter. But more than anything, she remembered the promise: that they would keep going together.
And now he was gone.
She looked down.
She saw the Tempered Plate, scarred by the fight. She saw the Aegis split clean in two; irrefutable proof he’d held the line to the very end. She saw his sword, ruined from forcing a skill through a weapon it was never meant to carry.
Her legs gave out and she dropped to her knees.
She still wasn’t crying. Her mind refused to accept what had happened right in front of her.
A few meters away, the reward chest had spawned. Yuiha looked at it with contempt; almost with hatred. If she’d had the strength, she would’ve poured all her rage into that absurd object.
With trembling hands, she grabbed the Tempered Plate and pressed it to her chest.
Aincrad’s scent system didn’t include a “human smell.” Silver wasn’t the type to wear perfume either. And yet, Yuiha would’ve sworn the armor still held his scent.
That was when reality struck with full force.
Silver had died right in front of her.
The dizziness was so violent she had to shut her eyes.
—You left me alone… —she whispered.
And, for the first time, a tear finally escaped, falling onto the armor.
She didn’t notice the new system notification that had appeared among her alerts.
* * * * *
April 12, 2023. 10:18 AM — ???? , ????
“You are dead.”
Silver stared at the message hanging in front of his eyes. Cold. Absolute. Red letters suspended in total darkness.
He didn’t feel fear. He felt curiosity.
There was no smell. No sound. He couldn’t feel his body. He didn’t even know if his eyes were open or closed.
—Am I really dead? —he thought.
Maybe it was some cruel prank. Maybe now that he’d lost, the system would log him out and he’d wake up in the real world, with life continuing like nothing happened.
But logic asserted itself fast. No joke could last this long.
Then, in the void, he began to hear a sound; like distant electrical current. A low, steady hum that slowly grew louder.
—The helmet’s getting ready to fry my brain.
He tried to form a crooked smile, though he had no idea whether his face could obey him.
He was going to die any second. And still, that wasn’t his biggest regret.
His biggest regret was never confessing his feelings to Yuiha.
—You idiot, Montalvo —he told himself, flat—. You had so many chances these past months.
After every raid.
On Christmas.
On New Year’s.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
On Valentine’s Day.
Even on those improvised “vacation days” at the beach on Floor 14.
He thought of every day with her. The way she smiled at something as small as finding a perfectly round stone. The way her eyes lit up when they discovered a landscape she hadn’t seen during the beta.
He remembered the kiss she’d given him on the cheek on New Year’s, still lingering like it had burned itself into him.
Every time they’d held hands.
That night on Floor 25, sleeping under the same blanket.
Every time she called him “Ba-ka,” with that uniquely musical cadence.
He let out a breath heavy with frustration.
—Now she’ll never know I loved her.
The NerveGear hum deepened, denser, like a microwave motor climbing toward its peak.
—Goodbye, Mom.
Goodbye, Valeria.
Goodbye, Yuiha…
And forgive me for not being able to protect you anymore.
Then the sound stopped.
For an instant he thought it was over. But nothing changed.
A new system message unfolded in front of his eyes.
Initiating event “The Queen’s Blessing.”
Overriding system parameters>
* * * * *
Yuiha was still clinging to the Tempered Plate, tears sliding down in silence.
Then the armor began to glow.
Yuiha’s eyes flew open. The broken pieces of the Aegis started to shine too.
Her stomach clenched as she thought the equipment was about to shatter now that its owner was gone.
—No… please, no… Don’t take the only thing I have left of him… —she begged, her voice breaking.
The chest containing the last piece burst open, and the boots shot upward into the air, wrapped in the same radiance.
The two halves of the Aegis and the Tempered Plate moved on their own, arranging themselves midair as if they were being equipped by an invisible user.
Only then did Yuiha notice that Silver’s name—and his empty HP bar—still hadn’t vanished from her interface.
She pushed herself to her feet on shaking legs, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it might tear out of her chest.
The blue fragments still floating in the air began to glow brighter, rushing toward the equipment as if pulled by an unseen force.
A blinding flash filled the chamber, forcing Yuiha to squeeze her eyes shut.
When she opened them again, Silver was standing in front of her—eyes closed—wearing the full set.
Yuiha clapped both hands over her mouth, choking back a scream as tears poured down uncontrollably.
—SILVER! —she cried through sobs.
Silver’s eyes began to open, slow and dazed.
Yuiha threw herself at him with all her strength, nearly knocking him over. Only the set’s effect kept him upright.
—You’re alive! You’re here! —she was laughing and crying at once, hugging him like she was afraid he’d vanish again.
Silver wrapped his arms around her and gently rested his chin on top of her head.
—I don’t really understand what happened… but I’m here.
She kept crying against his chest, holding on, trembling.
Then Silver’s words stole the breath from her lungs.
—I love you, Yuiha.
Simple. Direct. Completely honest.
She lifted her face to look at him, and her tears mixed with laughter again.
—Why did it take you so long to say it, Ba-ka?
Silver could only smile awkwardly, still stunned by everything that had happened.
Yuiha looped her arms around his neck and rose onto her toes to erase the height difference. She leaned in and kissed him.
A long kiss, packed with everything they hadn’t said for months. With all the terror of the minutes before.
She pulled back just enough to whisper against his lips:
—I love you too, Silver.
* * * * *
April 13, 2023. 6:31 AM — Tolbana, Floor 1
Morning sunlight began to seep timidly through the inn curtains.
Silver opened his eyes slowly.
He didn’t remember getting back to the city. Everything after the fight with Bloodfang was a blur.
He even doubted the battle had really happened.
A boss identical to Illfang?
He scoffed at himself and sat up carefully.
That was when he felt something warm beside him.
He turned his head...
...and almost screamed.
Yuiha was in his bed. Asleep. Naked.
He ran a hand through his hair, stunned.
He tried to remember what had happened the night before, but everything was covered in thick fog. He almost punched the mattress in frustration at not being able to piece it together, but stopped himself so he wouldn’t wake her.
She moved slightly, still asleep.
His mind was chaos, but every one of his senses was screaming the same thing:
It had been the most important night of his life.
A sweet voice pulled him back.
—Good morning.
Yuiha’s smile shone as brightly as her eyes.
—G-good morning —he managed, still completely thrown.
She smiled wider and sat up a little, letting the sheets slide down her body. She leaned in and kissed him softly.
Silver tried to look away, but his eyes betrayed him.
Yuiha blushed and pulled the sheets back up.
A strange silence settled between them while Silver searched for something—anything—to say. Yuiha watched him with a small smile.
I have to say something… and not ruin everything.
After a few more seconds, he found the only sentence that fit.
—I love you.
She smiled and tucked a strand of hair back.
—And I love you.
Yuiha snuggled into his chest.
—Can we stay like this for a while? —she asked quietly—. Yesterday’s quest was… too much.
—I like that idea —he replied with a smile—. The conquest of the game won’t be delayed because we don’t go out today.
They stayed wrapped around each other in that room, knowing something had changed forever.
Even though, in Aincrad, a “forever” could end tomorrow.