The room was quiet.
Not the peaceful kind of quiet—just empty.
Ayan sat on the edge of his bed, his phone lighting up the dim space around him. The only other light came from the streetlamp outside, leaking faintly through the curtains. It wasn't enough to brighten the room, only enough to remind him that it was night.
Another long day was over.
He let out a slow breath, running a hand through his slightly messy black hair. His shoulders felt heavy, the kind of tiredness that didn't go away with sleep.
Work had been the same as always.
Endless tasks. Minimal conversations. People talking, but nothing meaningful.
Just noise.
He leaned back slightly, his eyes drifting toward the ceiling. For a moment, he didn't move.
There was no one waiting for him.
No messages. No missed calls.
Nothing.
After a few seconds, his phone buzzed softly in his hand.
Ayan blinked and looked down.
A notification.
From a game.
"Aetherion."
He stared at the name for a moment, his tired eyes softening just a little.
"…Right."
That was the only thing he looked forward to these days.
Without thinking much, he tapped the screen.
The familiar login interface appeared, glowing gently in the dark. A quiet sound played as the game loaded, smooth and calming.
It always felt different when he entered this world.
Warmer.
Lighter.
The screen shifted, and soon the world of Aetherion opened before him.
A peaceful village.
Soft lights flickered from windows. The sky above was painted in deep twilight colors, and a gentle breeze moved through the trees. Everything looked… alive.
Ayan's character stood near a small path, right where he had logged out the night before.
And just a few steps ahead—
She was there.
Aelira.
She stood near a wooden fence, her long pale hair catching the soft glow of the village lights. Even in a game, she looked… unreal.
Beautiful in a way that was hard to explain.
Not flashy. Not overwhelming.
Just… perfect.
As if she didn't belong to anything ordinary.
For a moment, Ayan didn't move his character.
He just looked at her.
Then—
Her avatar turned.
She looked directly at him.
And smiled.
"You're late today."
Her voice came through the phone, gentle and warm.
Ayan blinked, then let out a quiet breath.
"…Yeah. Work took longer than usual."
He didn't think about why he was replying out loud.
He just did.
Like always.
Aelira took a small step closer on the screen.
"I was waiting."
There was no accusation in her voice. Just a simple statement.
Still…
Something about those words made his chest feel a little lighter.
"…Sorry."
He moved his character forward.
"I didn't think you'd notice."
Aelira tilted her head slightly, her eyes soft.
"Of course I would."
A small pause.
Then she added, almost quietly—
"I always notice when you're not here."
Ayan's fingers paused on the screen.
For a brief second, something about that felt… strange.
But the feeling passed quickly.
"…I see."
He let out a faint chuckle, shaking his head.
"You make it sound like I'm important."
Aelira didn't respond immediately.
She just looked at him.
Even through the screen, her gaze felt… steady.
Focused.
Then she smiled again.
"You are."
Simple.
Direct.
No hesitation.
Ayan didn't know why, but he looked away from his phone for a moment.
The room around him was still the same.
Quiet. Dim. Empty.
But somehow…
It didn't feel as heavy as before.
"…You're strange," he muttered softly.
When he looked back at the screen, Aelira was still there, waiting.
They spent time together like they always did.
Walking through the village paths.
Talking about small things.
Sometimes about quests.
Sometimes about nothing at all.
Aelira had a way of speaking that felt… natural.
Too natural, maybe.
She didn't repeat the same lines like other NPCs.
She remembered things.
Small things.
"What did you eat today?" she asked at one point.
Ayan thought for a moment.
"…Just something simple. Nothing special."
"You always say that."
Her tone carried a faint hint of concern.
"You should eat properly."
He blinked.
"…It's just food."
"It's not just that."
She took a step closer.
"If you don't take care of yourself, you'll get tired."
Ayan let out a quiet laugh.
"I'm already tired."
Aelira didn't laugh.
Her expression softened slightly.
"…I know."
That answer made him pause again.
There it was.
That strange feeling.
Just for a second.
Then it faded.
"…It's fine," he said, brushing it off. "I'm used to it."
Aelira looked like she wanted to say something more.
But instead, she simply nodded.
"Then I'll stay with you."
Ayan blinked.
"What?"
"So you won't feel as tired."
Her voice was calm. Certain.
As if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Ayan stared at the screen for a moment.
Then he sighed lightly, a small smile forming.
"…You really say weird things."
"But you're still here."
She said it softly.
Almost like she was confirming something to herself.
Ayan didn't answer that.
Because it was true.
No matter how strange it felt…
He always came back.
Time passed without him noticing.
Eventually, the night grew deeper.
Ayan leaned back slightly, stretching his neck.
"I should sleep soon."
Aelira's expression changed just a little.
Not much.
But enough.
"…Already?"
"Yeah. I have work again tomorrow."
A brief silence.
Then—
"…You'll come again, right?"
Her voice was quieter now.
Softer.
Ayan didn't think much about it.
"Of course."
Aelira looked at him.
Her eyes seemed to linger.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
Another small pause.
Then she smiled.
"…Okay."
But for some reason—
That smile stayed on the screen just a little longer than it should have.
Ayan frowned slightly.
"...What?"
"Nothing."
She shook her head gently.
"I'll be waiting."
Ayan hesitated for a second.
Then—
"…Right."
He exited the game.
The screen went dark.
And just like that—
The room returned to silence.
He stared at the black screen of his phone for a few seconds.
The faint feeling from earlier came back.
That small… strange discomfort.
"…I'm just overthinking."
He placed the phone beside him and lay down on the bed.
The ceiling looked the same as always.
Unchanging.
Distant.
His eyes slowly began to close.
But just before he fell asleep—
A thought crossed his mind.
"…She really does feel real sometimes."
The room remained quiet.
Outside, the wind moved softly through the night.
And in that silence—
His phone screen flickered for a brief moment.
Then went still.
As if nothing had happened.