The interview on March 2nd was held in a massive open conference hall in New York that had been converted into a temporary international press center. By the time it started, millions were already watching the livestream while thousands gathered outside the building hoping to see her in person.
Security was absurdly tight. It wasn't because they thought anyone could hurt Narisva. They were terrified somebody would try something stupid. The journalists sat in organized rows while cameras pointed toward the empty stage. Hundreds of reporters from different countries waited with nervous excitement, occasionally whispering among themselves.
A starry-colored portal unfolded in the middle of the stage and Narisva stepped out. The entire room went dead silent.
Even after weeks of seeing her online, seeing her in person was completely different. She was tall, elegant and almost unreal in appearance. She wore a dark outfit with silver patterns flowing across the fabric. Several journalists forgot their questions instantly.
Narisva looked around calmly before opening a small portal beside herself and pulling out an actual chair from her inventory. The audience watched in complete confusion as she positioned it herself before sitting down elegantly and crossing her legs.
"You may begin."
Immediately, almost every hand in the room shot upward. Narisva pointed toward a woman near the front row. The journalist stood up nervously.
"How long are you and your beloved planning to stay on Earth?"
"I don't know. We're stranded here for now, so we may remain for some time while searching for a way back home. Earth is... interesting, even if your world is extremely fragile. Still, our home is Spheraphase. We can't remain here forever."
Another hand immediately shot up.
"Do you plan on returning with an army or invading Earth in the future?"
Narisva stared at him for a few seconds before looking confused.
"You would die immediately upon entering Spheraphase."
The room became silent.
"The gravity alone would crush your bodies into pulp. Your atmosphere resistance is nonexistent compared to ours. Even your pressure tolerance is weak. Your spacecraft would implode before reaching most populated regions. If by some miracle you survived that, the energy density in our atmosphere would burn your organs."
Several scientists watching the livestream immediately started panicking over the implications.
"So if you fear enslavement, you are not worth enslaving. Your world lacks resources useful for ours and our population already exceeds ten billion. Also, slavery has never existed in our recorded history."
That statement caused visible surprise across the room.
"To answer your question clearly: no. We have absolutely no intention of invading Earth."
Another journalist stood up quickly.
"Then what do you think of humanity?"
Narisva immediately answered.
"You are strange."
The room laughed nervously.
"No, I'm serious. Your species is fascinating but extremely contradictory. Humans are capable of incredible kindness and horrifying cruelty almost simultaneously. Your world is technologically creative but emotionally unstable. You destroy your environment while trying to save it at the same time. You fight wars constantly yet dream about peace more than anything. You are confusing."
Another reporter raised his hand.
"Are there gods in your world?"
"Yes."
The room froze.
She continued casually.
"Actual gods, not symbolic ones. Deities exist in Spheraphase. Some are Primordial beings older than civilizations themselves. Some govern concepts. Others govern natural laws."
A journalist nearly dropped his microphone.
"Then... are you a god?"
"That's a complicated question."
That instantly made everyone even more suspicious. Another journalist spoke up quickly.
"What is the strongest thing in your world?"
Narisva immediately answered.
"Vasreveilder Nov Aeteria."
The way she said the name carried weight.
"Who is that?"
"The creator of the Hidden Citadel. The being who created realms and altered universal laws."
She looked at the camera.
"And before anyone asks, no, you absolutely do not want his attention."
The internet immediately exploded with theories. Another journalist nervously raised her hand.
"Is it true you can destroy Earth?"
The entire room became tense instantly. Narisva answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
Everyone froze.
"But I do not want to. Destroying weak worlds is pointless. There is no honor or satisfaction in it. A black hole from me would eventually erase your planet entirely, but why would I do that? Earth has done nothing to me. Besides, your food is excellent."
The tension shattered immediately into laughter. One younger journalist nervously adjusted his glasses.
"What exactly is your relationship with Vastarael Richinaria?"
"He is my beloved. We are romantically involved. Is that surprising?"
A reporter shouted from the back, "The internet thinks you two are the greatest couple alive!"
"That sounds dramatic."
Another journalist immediately asked, "So all those videos of you being affectionate with him are real?"
Narisva looked offended.
"Why would they be fake?"
"What do you think about Earth men?"
Narisva looked thoughtful for a moment.
"They are smaller than Spheraphasian men."
They all laughed again.
"That is not an insult. Your species is simply weaker. Though some of your men are reasonably attractive."
Half the male population watching suddenly regained hope.
Then she added:
"None are as handsome as Veneri though."
That hope died instantly. Another journalist raised her hand carefully.
"What is the most shocking thing about Earth culture to you?"
"Your internet. I searched my own name and found drawings of myself fighting dinosaurs while wearing a wedding dress. One human edited me into a cooking competition against a famous chef. I think he was from Europe? Why are humans like this?"
Even the journalists started laughing harder now. Another question came up quickly.
"Do aliens from other worlds know Earth exists?"
"I think so? Earth is not hidden. It's simply weak and isolated. Most advanced civilizations would ignore it because there's little reason to interact with it."
That bruised humanity's ego a little.
"However, Earth is unusually creative for a young civilization. Your entertainment alone is more emotionally expressive than many advanced worlds."
That immediately made humanity feel better again. Another journalist stood up near the center.
"If you could tell humanity one thing, what would it be?"
Narisva looked around slowly before answering.
"You are not alone in existence anymore. That truth will either unite you or destroy you. Decide carefully which future you want. And stop making conspiracy theories about me laying eggs. I saw those online. I give birth normally like you humans. It's a trait all humanoids share."
°°°°°
Los Angeles was loud.
Veneri walked quietly through the streets with his hands inside his pockets. Unlike Narisva, he chose to hide his appearance slightly using Body Reconstruction. He still looked handsome but not enough to cause public riots anymore.
He finally stopped walking and looked at Precious Hearts Private School. The gates stood in front of him exactly as he remembered. For a moment, he just stared.
The school looked smaller now.
Back then, it felt huge to him. But after living in Spheraphase, it now looked painfully ordinary. Somehow, that hurt more. It was a weekend so the campus was empty. Veneri slowly pushed the gate open and walked inside.
The familiar scent of polished floors, grass, and old classrooms hit him immediately. Memories surfaced faster than he expected. Walking through the hallways half asleep in the mornings, falling asleep during lectures, arguing with classmates, pretending to study before exams and watching the rain outside classroom windows while wondering whether life would ever become interesting.
He laughed quietly to himself.
"If only that idiot knew what was waiting for him."
He climbed the stairs slowly until he reached the second floor. Classroom 2-B was his old classroom. The door creaked slightly as he opened it. Veneri walked to the back corner of the room and stared at the desk he used to sit in. He sat down. The chair groaned under his regulated weight.
"So this is where it started."
No one answered him.
"I died in the seventh loop. I remember that much clearly. The Convergence happened in 2021. Then I ended up in Spheraphase... but why me?"
That question had bothered him for years. Why him specifically? Why did he become involved with the cycles? Why did he retain memories? Why did he end up connected to Phaenora's System? Why did Vasreveilder notice him? Why did the Hidden Citadel exist around him so unnaturally?
There were too many coincidences and Veneri hated coincidences.
He slowly stood up and walked towards the teacher's desk.
Dust lightly coated the surface. Everything felt frozen in time.
"You're here?"