Morning broke softly over Rome, the sunlight slipping between the l velvet curtains. The city outside was still drowsy. Inside the hotel suite, the air was heavy with the scent of linen, faint perfume, and the subtle hum of the air conditioner that had been running all night.
Hinesia stirred first. Her eyes fluttered open, her lashes brushing against the pillow as she blinked away the haze of sleep. It took her a second to remember where she was. The ceiling wasn't hers. And the bed was too big and soft.
Then it hit her. She was in Phaser's room.
She groaned softly and sat up, running a hand through her messy hair.
"Right… last night."
She yawned wide enough to stretch her whole body, arching her back like a cat before letting out a quiet hum. Her eyes wandered around the room and stopped when she saw him.
Phaser was asleep on the couch, slouched back with his head tilted slightly to the side. His laptop rested loosely in his hands, the dim blue glow of the screen still illuminating his face. His half-unbuttoned shirt hung loosely off his chest, the sleeves slightly rolled up, exposing his forearms. For a moment, she just stared. The morning light made him look unfairly good, especially his long crimson hair and bangs. She bit her lip.
"You just had to fall asleep looking like that, huh?"
Quietly, she got out of bed and padded barefoot toward him. She gently pried the laptop from his hands, careful not to wake him. The screen flickered as she tilted it, revealing what he had been reading before passing out.
"Flavian Amphitheater… Duel of Champions?"
She scrolled a bit. The images loaded with old architectural diagrams, holographic reconstructions of the Colosseum and archived recordings of past Duels.
"Ah, of course. The Duel of Champions."
She leaned against the armrest beside him, her curiosity pulling her in. It was one of the biggest Fluxer tournaments in all of Altera Earth, held once every four years, right when summer began. The entire Roman Empire would transform into a grand stage of spectacle. The event wasn't just for show. It was the testing ground for the strongest Fluxers across the world, warriors who fought using nothing but pure Xana and their weapons.
And this year's tournament started on July 3rd, just a few days away.
Her pulse quickened a little as she read on. Phaser must have been studying the details all night. The prize wasn't just prestige. It was recognition by the Empire itself. The winners' names would be inscribed on the Luminal Tablets of Rome, making them officially recognized champions of Solaria Aurea's dominion.
A soft smile crept across her lips.
"Of course you'd get obsessed with this."
Her gaze shifted to another tab he had open, one that made her freeze for a second. They were his notes.
MoDS Lore: Duel of Champions, Verdamona and Thales Route.
Her heart gave a faint thump. She remembered this. They were the two world quests that blew up the player base when it first dropped. It was an open world questline that ran parallel to the main Dominia Quest. Verdamona and Thales had teamed up to participate in the Duel after obtaining the Azure Sword, using it to showcase the weapon of legend.
The fans had loved it. The tension, the rivalries, the battles that took place in front of tens of thousands inside the amphitheater and millions more watching across the world... it was cinematic, immersive and felt alive. The entire event lasted seven days in real-time, though in the game's timeline, it spanned two months of summer. It was one of those storylines everyone talked about for years. Hinesia's fingers lingered on the laptop trackpad.
"So you really plan to go through with this."
Apparently, Phaser had already agreed with Thales about participating. She looked back at him, still sleeping. A sigh escaped her lips.
"You reckless idiot… you never change, do you?"
Her eyes lingered again. The way his chest rose and fell slowly, the faint hint of stubble on his chin and the unbuttoned shirt that framed his collarbone was way too distracting this early in the morning. She had to admit, even if the man inside that body wasn't the real Phasnovterich, the guy from her world had certainly adapted well.
Her cheeks flushed slightly.
"You're… actually kind of sexy like this," she muttered before immediately catching herself. "No. Nope. We are not doing this."
To distract herself, she closed the laptop and set it on the coffee table. Then, with a deep breath, she leaned forward and gently shook his shoulder.
"Phaser. Hey. Wake up."
He groaned softly, his voice a low, husky rumble that sent an unexpected shiver up her spine.
"Mmm… morning already?"
His eyes opened—still heavy with sleep, but sharp enough to find her face right away.
"Hey," he said, smiling faintly.
"Morning," she replied, trying to sound casual and not at all flustered. "You fell asleep mid-study again."
He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Yeah… the Roman lore hit harder than I expected."
She chuckled softly, leaning back against the couch arm.
"You were reading about the Duel of Champions."
That got his attention. His expression shifted from groggy to intrigued almost instantly.
"Yeah. I figured it's time to prepare. Thales already confirmed his registration and I'm planning to join under the House of Argemenes."
"Of course you are. You do realize that's basically stepping into a coliseum filled with world-class Fluxers, right?"
He gave her a lazy grin. "Wouldn't be fun otherwise."
Hinesia rolled her eyes, though her lips curved into a small smile.
"You're crazy."
"Maybe," he said, stretching, his shirt slipping a little lower across his chest.
She looked away immediately, pretending to focus on anything else.
"S-so, what's your plan, exactly? Win and become the Empire's poster boy?"
"Something like that. But more importantly, it's part of the main path forward. We need the visibility. Once we enter the Duel, we can move freely without drawing suspicion. Plus…"
He tilted his head slightly, giving her that half-lidded smirk that always made him look like he knew more than he let on.
"You'll get to see Verdamona and Thales in action again, like old times."
"You're doing this for me?"
He shrugged. "Let's just say I like giving my partner front-row seats to legendary fights. You can join but I doubt it would interest you."
That… caught her off guard. She smiled faintly, hiding it by brushing her hair back.
"Smooth talker."
"Thanks."