The room felt warmer than it should have.
Maybe it was the soft glow of the lamps.
Maybe it was the faint scent of tea drifting through the air.
Maybe it was the way everyone in the Occult Research Club looked at him—not with suspicion, but with quiet curiosity.
Chris stood just inside the doorway, unsure what to do with his hands.
Rias gestured toward the couch. "Sit. You're a guest."
Guest.
The word felt strange.
He wasn't used to being welcomed anywhere.
He sat carefully, like he might break something.
Akeno poured tea with practiced grace, her movements smooth and elegant. She handed him a cup with both hands, her smile soft.
"Here. It'll help you relax."
He accepted it, fingers brushing hers for a moment. Warm. Steady. Real.
"Thank you," he murmured.
Koneko glanced at him from her corner, golden eyes half-lidded as she munched on a cookie. She didn't say anything, but she didn't look away either.
Kiba offered a polite nod. "It's nice to meet you, Chris."
"You too," Chris said quietly.
It felt surreal.
He knew these people from a screen.
Now they were here—alive, breathing, looking at him like he mattered.
He took a sip of tea. It was sweet, calming. His shoulders loosened a little.
Rias sat across from him, hands folded neatly in her lap.
"So," she said gently, "how was your first day so far?"
He hesitated. "Overwhelming."
Akeno giggled softly. "That's normal."
Kiba nodded. "Kuoh can be a lot at first."
Koneko blinked slowly. "You smell sad."
Chris nearly choked on his tea.
Rias shot Koneko a look. "Koneko…"
"What?" Koneko said flatly. "He does."
Chris stared at the floor. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize," Rias said immediately. "She didn't mean it as an insult."
Koneko shrugged. "Just saying the truth."
Akeno leaned forward slightly. "You don't have to explain anything. But… if you ever want to talk, we're here."
Chris swallowed hard.
Why were they being so kind?
Why did it hurt?
He forced a smile. "I appreciate it."
Rias watched him closely, her eyes softening. "You carry something heavy, don't you?"
He froze.
She said it so gently.
So quietly.
Like she wasn't asking—just noticing.
He looked away. "It's nothing."
Rias didn't push.
She just nodded, accepting the lie for now.
But her expression told him she didn't believe it.
---
As the others chatted, Chris felt it again—that faint warmth in his chest. Like a hand pressed gently over his heart. Like someone whispering without words.
Alisa.
He didn't see her.
He didn't hear her.
But he felt her.
Watching.
Worried.
Close.
His breath hitched.
Akeno noticed immediately. "Chris? Are you alright?"
He nodded quickly. "Yeah. Just… spaced out."
Rias tilted her head. "You felt something, didn't you?"
He stiffened. "What do you mean?"
"Your aura shifted," she said softly. "Just for a moment."
Aura.
Right.
Devils could sense things like that.
He forced a laugh. "Probably just nerves."
Rias didn't look convinced, but she let it go.
The warmth faded slowly, leaving a hollow ache behind.
He missed her.
He didn't know why.
He barely knew her.
But he missed her.
---
Koneko stood abruptly and walked over to him. She held out a cookie.
He blinked. "Uh… for me?"
She nodded once.
He accepted it carefully. "Thank you."
Koneko sat beside him, close enough that their shoulders almost touched.
"You looked like you needed it," she said quietly.
Chris stared at the cookie for a long moment before taking a small bite.
It was good.
Sweet.
Comforting.
His eyes stung unexpectedly.
Koneko noticed. "Don't cry."
"I'm not," he whispered.
She didn't argue. She just stayed beside him, silent and steady.
Rias watched the scene with a soft smile. Akeno's eyes warmed. Kiba relaxed slightly.
For the first time since waking up in this world, Chris didn't feel like a ghost.
He felt… seen.
---
After a while, Rias stood.
"Chris," she said gently, "there's something I'd like to ask."
He looked up. "What is it?"
"Would you like to join the Occult Research Club?"
He blinked. "Join… you?"
Akeno smiled. "We'd like to get to know you better."
Kiba nodded. "You seem like someone who could use a place to belong."
Koneko munched her cookie. "And you're not annoying."
Chris let out a shaky laugh.
A place to belong.
A family.
A chance.
He didn't deserve any of it.
But he wanted it.
He swallowed hard. "I… I'd like that."
Rias's smile was warm enough to melt the ache in his chest.
"Then welcome to the ORC, Chris."
And somewhere far away, a goddess with trembling hands whispered his name like a prayer.