They stared at me as if I might vanish at any second.
Like Abyss could change its mind and take me back.
Then Dim stepped forward.
He was taller than I remembered. Or maybe I had changed. The armor he wore was unfamiliar, but the look in his eyes wasn't.
Sharp.
Suspicious.
The same as always.
"You're late," he said.
I let out a quiet breath.
"Took the scenic route."
Carmine laughed — short, almost nervous.
"Damn… it really is you."
"Or a very convincing copy," Kata added, her hand resting on her weapon. Not hostile. Just cautious. In Abyss, there was no difference.
Dim slowly circled me.
"Status matches. Progression signature confirmed."
"Still the same," I muttered. "Not even a welcome back."
"Welcome backs are for the living," he replied. "And we weren't sure."
That hit harder than I expected.
"We thought you were dead," Carmine said, clapping my shoulder. "No System signals. You just disappeared."
"Not disappeared," I said. "Thrown far away."
Kata nodded slowly.
"Far enough to learn fast."
For a moment, none of us spoke.
We stood in the heart of our warped old base, trying to understand how much of what we were still remained.
Then I felt it.
Not a sound.
A presence.
The air shifted — as if Abyss itself had become more orderly.
Everyone turned.
From the highest broken structure descended a figure wrapped in soft, unreal light. Her steps made no sound. For a moment, it felt like the ground itself supported her.
She was young.
Too young, maybe.
And beautiful in a way that wasn't human.
Not just beauty — harmony.
Light hair flowed over her shoulders like threads of glow.
Her eyes reflected something deeper than Abyss itself.
An angel.
Or something pretending to be one.
I leaned slightly toward Dim without looking away.
"Dim," I whispered. "Who is that?"
He glanced sideways, amused.
"Oh. Right."
She stopped in front of us, studying each face. Then her gaze settled on me — curious, measuring.
Dim crossed his arms.
"That's Splenti."
I froze.
One second.
Two.
"…Splenti?"
"Clan leader," Carmine added, barely holding back a smile.
I blinked.
Again.
"Wait," I said. "Wasn't Splenti a guy?"
Silence.
Then she smiled.
And that single smile made something very clear.
Abyss hadn't just changed the world.
It enjoyed messing with us.
She tilted her head slightly.
"Technically," she said calmly, "yes. Practically? No."
Dim snorted.
Carmine burst out laughing.
Kata just shook her head.
I stared, then sighed.
"…Okay. I definitely missed something."
Splenti stepped closer.
Not invading my space — yet somehow shrinking the distance anyway.
Not magic.
Authority.
"In the real world," she said, "I was a girl too young to be taken seriously. In games, a female voice turned every decision into an argument."
She clasped her hands behind her back.
"So I stopped explaining myself."
"You pretended to be a man," I said.
She nodded.
"Neutral name. Filtered voice. No personal details."
"And it worked," Dim added.
"Too well," Carmine said. "No one questioned calls. No one challenged strategies."
Splenti looked at me again.
"I didn't want respect," she said. "I wanted efficiency."
I stayed quiet for a moment.
"And in Abyss?"
Her smile faded.
"Here," she answered, "I don't need to pretend anymore."
She gestured around us.
"This world doesn't listen to voices. It only looks at results."
Kata nodded.
"And hers speak clearly."
The System seemed to agree.
Status windows flickered in perfect synchronization.
As if Abyss itself had recorded the truth.
Splenti gave a half-smile.
"If it bothers you, you're free to leave."
I shook my head.
"No. Actually…"
I met her gaze.
"I think we finally have a clan leader Abyss deserves."
For the first time since I arrived, Splenti laughed.
And for a few seconds…
Abyss almost felt bearable.