Chapter 28: Offline Chapter: This shouldn't feel right, so…why does it?

The world of Eidolon Nexus dissolved around me into pixelated fragments, fading into darkness.

The VR helmet lifted off my head with a faint hiss of air. My room came into focus—the soft glow of my monitor screensaver, the scattered mess of art supplies on my desk, and the pile of oversized hoodies draped across my chair.

The silence felt heavy compared to the lively atmosphere of Willowshade Haven.

I rubbed my face and let out a deep sigh before glancing at the clock. 11:47 PM.

Barefoot and still wearing my oversized sleep shirt and shorts, I flopped back onto my bed, staring at the ceiling.

What did he want to say so badly that he had to pull me out of the game?

Before I could spiral into overthinking, a soft knock sounded at my bedroom door.

I froze.

“…Kiera?”

It was Devon. His voice was quieter, more hesitant than I was used to hearing from him.

“Uh, yeah, come in.”

The door creaked open, and Devon stepped inside, his dark hair slightly messy, damp as if he’d just run a hand through it. He was shirtless, wearing only loose black pajama pants that hung low on his hips. His lean, toned build was evident even under the dim light spilling in from the hallway.

For a brief moment, neither of us said anything. His dark brown eyes met mine, lingering there as if searching for something.

“…Hey,” he said softly, closing the door behind him.

“Hey,” I replied, my voice equally quiet.

Devon hesitated before stepping further into the room, his bare feet padding against the carpet. He sat down at the edge of my bed, leaning forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees.

The silence stretched between us, heavy but not uncomfortable.

“You actually logged out,” Devon said, breaking the silence with a faint, almost self-deprecating chuckle. “I wasn’t sure if you would.”

I sat up slightly, crossing my legs under me. “You asked me to. That’s… not something you usually do.”

He nodded, his head dipping forward slightly. “Yeah. You’re right.”

Devon’s voice was softer now, more vulnerable than I’d ever heard it before—both in-game and out.

“Kiera, I…” He paused, dragging a hand through his hair before looking at me again. “Tonight. At the festival. You looked—”

He stopped himself, swallowing thickly before continuing. “You were stunning. And not just because of the dress or the glowing runes. You… you lit up the entire square. And everyone saw it. I saw it.”

I felt heat rush to my face, my fingers curling against the fabric of my blanket. “Devon…”

He shook his head slightly, his eyes fixed on me. “And then I saw you with Selene. The way you looked at her. The way she looked at you. And… I hated how it made me feel.”

His voice cracked slightly at the end, and I felt my chest tighten.

“I hated that I felt… jealous.” Devon exhaled slowly, leaning back slightly on his hands. “I shouldn’t. You’re—you’re not mine, Kiera. But I can’t stop feeling like you are. Like… you’re my responsibility. My priority. Like I can’t let anyone else get too close to you because… because what if they hurt you? What if I’m not there when it happens?”

His words hung in the air, raw and unguarded.

My heart was racing, shadows twitching faintly in the corners of my room—an instinctive reaction despite not being in the game anymore.

“Devon…” I said softly, reaching out to touch his hand where it rested against the blanket.

His eyes flicked to where our hands touched, and for a moment, I thought he might pull away.

But he didn’t.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I don’t know what this is,” he said, his voice low. “What I feel when I see you. What I feel when I think about you being hurt, being scared, being gone. But it’s there. And it’s real.”

My breath hitched, and I felt my chest ache at the raw honesty in his voice.

“Devon… I—” My voice trembled as I tried to find the words. “I feel something too. I think. I don’t know. It’s… it’s confusing. You’re my brother, but… you’re not. And sometimes it feels like we’re something else entirely, and I don’t—”

Devon reached out, his hand cupping my cheek gently, his thumb brushing against my skin. The warmth of his touch anchored me in place, and for a moment, it felt like the world narrowed to just this—just us.

“You don’t have to figure it out right now,” he said softly. “Neither of us do.”

I leaned into his hand, my eyes fluttering shut briefly before meeting his gaze again. “Okay.”

The silence stretched between us, the faint glow of my desk lamp casting Devon’s face in soft light. His hand lingered on my cheek, thumb brushing faintly over my skin. His dark brown eyes were locked onto mine, searching, hesitating, as if weighing every unspoken word that hung heavy in the air.

“Kiera…” His voice was soft, rough around the edges. “I don’t… I don’t want to do anything you’ll regret. Or something that might cross a line we can’t uncross.”

His breath brushed against my lips as he spoke, his face inches from mine, so close I could feel the faint warmth radiating from his skin.

I swallowed hard, shadows flickering faintly along the floor of my dimly lit room—a remnant habit from the game, even here in reality.

“I won’t regret it,” I whispered.

The words felt fragile, yet certain, like glass held carefully in trembling hands.

For a heartbeat, Devon hesitated. His thumb stilled against my cheek, his jaw tightening as he seemed to make a decision within himself.

And then he leaned in.

The first brush of his lips against mine was hesitant, cautious—testing boundaries neither of us had dared to cross before. But the moment our mouths fully met, it was as though something between us clicked into place.

Devon deepened the kiss, his hand slipping from my cheek to cradle the back of my neck, pulling me closer. My arms rose instinctively, wrapping around his shoulders, fingers curling against the warm skin of his back.

His other hand rested lightly on my waist, fingers twitching slightly as if he was still holding himself back. But I leaned into him, pressing closer, and his restraint began to waver.

The kiss grew bolder, less careful—our breaths mingling, the faint scent of his shampoo and lingering traces of something warm and familiar filling my senses. My heart hammered in my chest, every nerve in my body alight with something I couldn’t name.

We broke apart briefly, just enough to catch our breaths. Devon’s forehead rested against mine, our noses still brushing, his eyes half-lidded and heavy with emotion.

“…Kiera,” he murmured, his voice almost a rasp.

I didn’t let him finish whatever thought he was trying to voice. I leaned up and kissed him again, softer this time, but no less intense.

Time seemed to blur. The quiet sound of our breaths, the faint creak of the mattress as we shifted closer, the warmth of his arms around me—it all became a hazy blend of sensations. Devon’s hands stayed steady, firm but gentle as they rested at my waist, his touch grounding me even as my thoughts spun.

Eventually, the kiss slowed, the feverish intensity fading into something softer—something almost tender. Devon pressed one last lingering kiss against my lips before pulling back slightly, his thumb brushing over my lower lip as he looked at me.

His gaze was heavy with something raw and unspoken, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to.

We stayed like that for a moment—caught between something fragile and something undeniably real.

I exhaled shakily, my hands still resting lightly against Devon’s shoulders. “Devon…”

He raised an eyebrow slightly, his lips quirking into a faint, crooked smile. “Yeah?”

I hesitated, glancing away briefly before looking back into his eyes. “Stay with me. Tonight.”

His expression softened, the tension in his shoulders easing as he let out a small breath of relief. “You sure?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

Devon’s lips twitched upward into a faint smile before he pressed one last kiss to my forehead.

“As you wish.”

The night settled over us as Devon slipped under the blankets beside me. It wasn’t awkward, or strange—it felt… natural. His arm draped casually around my waist as I rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

His warmth was comforting, grounding me in a way I hadn’t realized I needed.

“Hey,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “You okay?”

I closed my eyes, letting myself sink into the safety of the moment. “Yeah. I’m okay.”

There was a long pause, only the sound of our quiet breaths filling the space between us.

“Get some sleep, Kiera,” Devon murmured, his voice heavy with exhaustion but still carrying that protective edge I’d grown so used to.

“Goodnight, Devon,” I whispered back.

His grip around me tightened slightly before he finally let himself relax.

I sat there in the quiet of my room, my heart still racing.

Everything felt tangled, messy, and impossible to untangle. Selene’s sharp amber eyes, Devon’s raw honesty, our kiss, and my own confused feelings spiraling out of control for both of them.

I laid against Devon’s chest, staring into the darkness of the room as the faint hum of my computer and Devon’s beating heart filled the silence.

One day at a time, Kiera. Just one day at a time.

And slowly, exhaustion pulled me into sleep.