Rin opened his eyes.
The rustling of leaves, the soft chirping of birds—natural sounds he hadn't heard in what felt like years. Not Paris. Not the white void. Something else. Something... gentler.
He sat up, disoriented.
A small hut stood a few feet ahead, sunlight dappling across its weathered roof. Inside, through a partially open door, he could see a woman with long black hair and eyes the color of the ocean in a storm. She was speaking softly to a younger girl with brown hair that shimmered under the morning light.
They looked... normal. Peaceful.
A gentle chime echoed in his ears.
---
Ding!
System Hint – Persona Integration:
> You are now Rin Poo.
Story Info: You have one mother and a younger sister. Your father died long ago. You are now your family's only hope.
They love you deeply. Take care of them.
---
Rin's eyebrows shot up.
"Wait—" he muttered, eyes narrowing. "I have a family now?"
The system board glowed for a second longer before fading away, leaving him standing there on the edge of something he didn't understand.
"I've been an orphan my whole damn life," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "I don't even know how to react to... that. What the hell am I supposed to do, hug them?"
He looked down at his left hand—the golden clip faint reflection still hidden in the ring storage. A sharp guilt pricked the back of his throat.
"Great," he muttered. "And now I have to walk in there with stolen goods like I'm some tragic family man."
Still, he had no choice.
Rin took a deep breath and stepped forward, his boots brushing over the soft, dew-soaked grass. The hut felt oddly welcoming... dangerously so.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"Mama! I'm back!" he called out, instinctively hiding his left hand behind his back, fingers curled around the ring.
The woman turned to him, her face softening. Those green eyes shimmered with warmth—too much warmth.
"Come in, Rin," she said, waving him in. "You're early today... What happened? Did you get beaten up again? Or—" her voice shifted ever so slightly, "—did you try to steal something?"
Rin blinked, caught off guard.
"Nothing like that," he lied. "Just got bored."
He stepped fully inside, his gaze sweeping over the interior. The hut was minimal—mud stove, a few scattered utensils, a single blanket in the corner—but it felt lived in. Real. Homey, even. The kind of place he'd never had.
His fingers clenched tighter behind his back.
"My, my," his mother said, still calm. "If boredom keeps driving you out there, how are you ever going to find a job?"
Before he could answer, the girl at her side turned. Her hair bounced slightly as she moved, but her most striking feature were her eyes—bright pink, glowing faintly, like gems under light.
"Big brother, you're lazy," she said bluntly, arms crossed. "If you don't find a job, how are you gonna pay for my school fees?"
Rin opened his mouth, then closed it again.
"I'll manage it. Like I always do."
The words came out before he could think. But they sounded rehearsed. Programmed. Like they belonged to this version of him more than the real one.
"Again with that line!" she groaned, rolling her eyes. "You say that every time."
His gaze lingered on her face, and then something shimmered in front of his eyes. A small icon blinked into view—Character Info.
Before he could react, the interface automatically opened.
---
Name: Iris Blue
Relationship: Mother
Age: 39
Name: Chi Chi Blue
Relationship: Younger Sister
Age: 16
---
Rin stared at the glowing names. Not data. Not code. Not just part of a game. These were people, scripted or not, who believed he was theirs.
He looked back up.
His "mother" was humming softly now, stirring something on the stove. Chi Chi had returned to folding paper birds—origami, ironically.
Max—Rin—stood frozen, his heart pounding in a way it hadn't since he first landed here.
He was used to fighting. Running. Lying.
But this?
This was a trap of comfort.
And it might be the most dangerous one yet.
Rin discreetly slipped the ring off his finger and tucked it into his pocket.
It didn't feel right wearing a sleek, system-forged artifact in front of his "family" — not when his mother's wrists were bare and his sister's dress was stitched with the kind of thread you only use when you don't have a second option.
He glanced at them again — the mother and sister who knew his name, who spoke to him like he mattered. It was wrong. Too warm. Too real. A softness he'd never been given, now offered like it had always been his.
"Sit down, dear," his mother — Iris — said gently, patting the worn mat beside her. "You seem tense."
He hesitated, then lowered himself beside her, the stiffness in his shoulders refusing to relax. His chest tightened.
He hated this.
He hated that he felt like he didn't deserve to be here — even if it was fake.
"Big brother, look!" Chi Chi's voice cut through the quiet like a spark. She held up a small paper bird, its wings slightly crooked but clearly folded with care. "I made a bird!"
Rin tried to smile. "That's beautiful."
He reached toward it instinctively, but she yanked it away before his fingers touched the paper.
"Don't touch!" she snapped. "Last time you ripped two, and I couldn't buy a new book!"
Her pout was exaggerated, but the sting in her voice wasn't. Rin rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, caught in guilt for something he never actually did. At least... not this version of him.
He looked away, toward the low-burning fire in the clay stove. The hut smelled faintly of smoke and herbs. There were no windows, no furniture. Just warmth. Familiarity. A place he didn't belong.
---
What am I doing?
This is a trap. A fake family. A designed environment meant to make me forget what I'm really here for.
He clenched his fists.
Don't fall for it, Max. You've seen this before. This is how you get soft. This is how you lose.
And yet... he couldn't help but feel something like gravity pulling him in.
This little hut. These people. Their affection. It wasn't just immersive — it was designed to make him want to stay.
Now it all makes sense, he thought. Why K warned us. "Reach a stable status... and you'll be allowed to stay, but never return."
A beautiful lie in a rigged game.
---
Ding!
A new system notification hovered into his vision like an unwanted ghost.
---
Task Assigned:
> Objective: Upgrade your house
Reward: 500 gold coins, 5 diamonds
Time Limit: 4 days
Condition: Gain materials by stealing them
---
Rin's eyes narrowed.
Of course. Of course the only way to earn resources is by doing the one thing I'm trying not to be anymore.
He looked around the hut again.
His "mother" was humming softly.
His "sister" was back to folding another bird, quietly mouthing the fold steps to herself.
And he?
He was already back to square one.
Thief. Mask. Liar.
Except this time, the game wanted him to build a home out of it.