The childhood friend I grew up with is the final boss of this survival horror game. And he just fell in love with a female player. He spends his days parading her in front of me, his voice practically dripping with pride. “Kendra is brilliant,” he’d say. “She actually beat me at chess. Not like you, Hazel. You’re so slow you can’t even grasp the basic rules.” “Kendra is striking. She’s a creature of ice and glass. Not like you, always sick. Always breaking.” I have this strange, incurable affliction. A glitch in my code, perhaps. When the flare-ups happen, the only thing that stabilizes my core temperature is Valerian’s embrace. He never explicitly refused me, but the deep furrow between his brows always betrayed his annoyance. “Next time you have an episode, figure it out yourself,” he told me yesterday, his tone clipped. “I have someone I care about now. It’s not appropriate for me to be your medicine anymore.” I just nodded and said okay. When the next attack hit, I bit my lip until it bled, refusing to seek him out. Right before I blacked out, I collapsed into a pair of arms. It wasn’t Valerian. It was his older brother. Later, Valerian cornered me against a wall, his voice rough and tight as he demanded to know why I hadn’t come to him for the pain. I looked up at him, a genuine smile reaching the corners of my eyes. “No need to bother you anymore,” I said softly. “I found a new cure.” 01 Valerian is the apex predator of “The Abyss”, the game’s most notorious boss. Because of his devastatingly handsome face and lean, sculpted build, female players constantly enter his dungeon just to catch a glimpse of him. When he draws his bow, the sheer lethal grace of the movement is so mesmerizing that some players forget to run. They just stare, wide-eyed, right until the arrow pierces their chest. But Valerian is utterly devoid of romance. One loose string, one lost life. That’s his rule. Everyone in the forums agreed that his heart was made of obsidian. He would never look twice at anyone. Until now. A player named Kendra logged in. She didn’t fawn over him or play the helpless maiden like the girls before her. She kept her chin high, her expression glacial, and challenged him directly. She announced, in front of the entire server, that if Valerian lost to her three times, he would have to marry her. And if she lost? The girl offered a chilling, beautiful smile. “If I lose, my head is yours.” Standing under the blooming canopy of the digital cherry blossoms, she radiated pure, unadulterated pride. Valerian slowly lowered his crossbow. For the first time in the history of the game, he didn’t immediately kill an intruder. Instead, a spark of dark amusement flickered in his eyes, and he murmured, “Deal.” 02 I happened to be walking by when this cinematic moment occurred. I was carrying a woven basket on my back, my face ghostly pale as I drifted like a specter toward the Verdant Slopes to forage for herbs. Valerian stepped into my path, blocking my way. “Hazel,” he said smoothly. “Stay and be our witness. Let’s see how many rounds she survives.” I shook my head, shifting the strap of my basket. “I can’t. I need to gather medicine.” Valerian’s eyelids fluttered lazily. He smiled, a soft, dangerous curve of his lips. “If you refuse, I won’t help you the next time your illness flares up.” I froze. My condition is terrifying. When it hits, it feels like my blood turns to liquid nitrogen, followed by the sensation of being roasted alive from the inside out. For years, I’ve harvested herbs, brewing countless bitter concoctions, but nothing cures it. The only thing that eases the agony is the ambient aura of Valerian’s embrace. Terrified that he would actually leave me to burn and freeze, I nodded frantically. “Okay, okay. I’ll be your witness.” The female player shot me a sideways glance. Her scrutinizing eyes darted between Valerian and me. She let out a scoff. “I heard the Phantom Archer had a clingy little sidekick. A childhood friend who sticks to him like glue and refuses to take a hint,” she sneered. “That’s you, isn’t it?” I shook my head, my face entirely serious. “You have the wrong person. I’m way too busy trying not to die from my illness to follow him around.” The girl rolled her eyes. “Right. Sure you are.” If she didn’t believe me, that was fine. I didn’t have the energy to argue. 03 If she had said that six months ago, she would have been right. I was incredibly attached to Valerian back then. In the lore of this world, he is an ancient Forest Guardian. I am a flora-born sprite, materialized from a medicinal root. He used to be kind to me. Whenever I had an episode, he would hold me. Breathing in the crisp, pine-and-rainwater scent of him would anchor my fraying mind, and the agonizing pain would slowly melt away. In my naive, sheltered way, I fell for him. I gathered every ounce of my courage and confessed my feelings to him. Three times. And three times, I was met with cold rejection. The first time, he frowned, looking almost pitying. “Hazel, don’t be ridiculous. You’re like a little sister to me.” The second time, his tone turned mocking. “If I were to choose a partner, she would have to be sharp, brilliant. Why would I ever choose you?” The third time, he just looked exasperated. “Do you still not get it? You are inadequate in every single way. We simply don’t match.” When someone spells it out for you that clearly, you’d have to be a fool not to understand. Especially when he looked at me, and I could see the unfiltered disdain in his eyes. My heart felt like it had been soaked in acid, but I forced my lips into a smile. “Okay. I won’t bring it up again.” From that day on, I stopped following him. I locked myself in the apothecary, burying my nose in medical compendiums, praying for the day I could cure myself and never have to rely on him again. Over the past six months, I’ve only seen him twice. Both times were emergencies when the pain pushed me to the brink of blacking out. Before he stopped me today, I hadn’t laid eyes on him in three months. So… a clingy little sidekick? I absolutely reject the label. 04 Their first trial was chess. By dusk, the paper lanterns of the parlor glowed amber, illuminating the elegant bamboo silhouettes against the windowpanes. The devastatingly handsome Boss and the icy female player sat opposite each other. The room was cloaked in silence, broken only by the sharp, decisive “clack” of pieces hitting the board. I know nothing about chess. So I just stood there like an idiot, the heavy basket digging into my shoulders, pouring their tea and keeping the incense lit. Bored out of my mind, I activated my HUD and watched the golden text of Kendra’s livestream chat scroll across my vision: [Ugh, the sidekick is so pathetic. She’s literally a prop in their flirtation.] [Why feel sorry for her? Anyone who plays this game knows she’s obsessed with the Phantom Archer.] [Exactly! She’s so annoying. Like gum on the bottom of a shoe.] [Hey, that’s not fair. Valerian literally forced her to stay. She tried to leave.] [Oh, please. She only played hard to get so he’d insist. It’s pathetic. Not like our girl Kendra, putting her life on the line for love!] I blinked. The sidekick… they meant me. I quickly realized these were Kendra’s fans streaming into the server chat. “Checkmate.” Kendra’s clear, ringing voice shattered the quiet. She smiled triumphantly at Valerian. “Tell me, what’s our next game?” The chat exploded. [AHHH! KENDRA IS A QUEEN!] [As expected from a national chess runner-up! Genius!] [Look at Valerian’s face. He’s looking at her with actual respect. Omg, the softness in his eyes!] [He is totally falling for her!] I glanced at Valerian. It was true. The corner of his mouth was lifted in a rare, genuine smile. “Excellent strategy,” he praised. “As for the next round… the choice is yours again.” The chat lost its collective mind. [He’s smiling so softly! I’m screaming!] [He let her pick the first round, knowing she’s a chess master. Now he’s letting her pick the second? If this isn’t him throwing the game for love, what is?] [He’s completely whipped!] They had a point. Valerian hated my slowness. He explicitly said he liked brilliant women. Kendra was exactly his type. I pressed a hand against my chest. A thin, papery ache fluttered somewhere behind my ribs. But thankfully, the pain was like morning mist—thin, fleeting, and incapable of blinding me. Over the past six months, my feelings for him really had faded. I felt a profound sense of relief. Kendra tapped her chin, pretending to think deeply before saying, “I want to challenge you in archery.” The choice sent a shockwave through the room. The chat paused, then erupted in chaotic praise: [She’s so brave! Literally everyone knows Valerian’s AI is programmed for flawless marksmanship!] [Wait, does Kendra even know how to shoot?] [If she doesn’t, why would she pick it? What is she thinking?] Valerian began gathering the chess pieces, dropping them into the wooden box. Hearing her choice, his hands paused. He raised an eyebrow, his lazy arrogance returning. “Are you sure?” The girl stared boldly into his eyes. The evening breeze caught her hair, making her look effortlessly ethereal. She smiled, sweet and daring. “I picked your absolute best skill. You’ll go easy on me, won’t you?” She had a beautiful smile. The chat was frantic: [Omg, she knows exactly what she’s doing!] [I get it now. Her main skill is swordplay, but even with a sword, she might not beat his Boss stats. If she goes too hard, his aggro will trigger. But archery? She’s showing him her vulnerability. She’s throwing herself at his mercy, betting that he’s already too soft on her to kill her.] [Holy shit, Kendra is a mastermind. She’s literally betting her life on his feelings for her!] But what if Valerian didn’t feel merciful? I stared at her, dumbfounded. Betting your actual life on a man’s momentary affection? I thought she was a genius. Turns out, she was an even bigger idiot than I was. 05 When I finally stepped outside, a fine, misty rain was falling, immediately dampening my clothes. A young man in a violet tunic stepped around the corner, holding an oiled paper umbrella. When he saw me, his eyes widened slightly before he jogged over. “What a coincidence, Hazel. Your constitution is delicate, and this rain won’t help. I happen to have an extra umbrella. Why don’t you borrow it?” I looked up at him. A faint blush crept up his neck. Before I could answer, Valerian strolled out of the parlor, seamlessly inserting himself between us. He let out a dry, mocking laugh. “A coincidence? Or did you stalk her here and wait in the damp for two hours?” Valerian sneered. “Just happened to have an extra umbrella? Or did you see the clouds and run to the market specifically to buy one?” The boy in violet froze, his blush turning into a fiery, mortified crimson. He stammered, unable to form a word. Valerian’s voice dripped with condescension. “If you’re going to court her, at least do your research. She’s flora-born. She thrives in the rain. And you offer her an umbrella?” The sheer cruelty in his tone made the young man look as though he wanted the earth to swallow him whole. But Valerian wasn’t finished. “How much does a cheap paper umbrella cost? And notice he didn’t say “give”, he said “borrow”. That way, you have to meet him again to return it. My Hazel might be too thick to see through your desperate little tactics, but do you really think I don’t?” The air went dead. The wind stopped. Even the ambient noise of the game seemed to mute itself. The boy in violet turned on his heel, looking like he was about to flee. “Wait!” I called out. I recognized him. His name was Ash. I was always bumping into him in the most unexpected places. Over the past year, he had offered me countless gifts: a glowing koi lantern, a swallow kite, an expensive inkstone, a jade hairpin… I had never accepted a single one. But today, I curved my lips into a warm smile and reached out my hand. “The medicine I’ve been taking lately reacts terribly to the cold damp. Your timing is absolutely perfect. Thank you, Ash.” The boy stared at me, dumbstruck, before stuttering out, “Y-you’re welcome.” Valerian’s face darkened like a thundercloud. He spun around and stormed off without a word. I didn’t chase him. I wasn’t trying to make him angry, and I wasn’t lying, either. My current prescription strictly forbade me from getting chilled. It had been so long since Valerian bothered to check on me; he knew absolutely nothing about my current state. 06 The archery match took place the next morning. This was Valerian’s domain. He never missed. Even if he fired blindfolded, his stats would crush Kendra’s. Mounted on his white stallion, the lazy arrogance was gone. He looked lethal. Alive. He drew the bowstring back, his eyes narrowing as he locked onto the target. Three arrows rested on the string. When he let go, all three would fly simultaneously. If they all hit the bullseye, Kendra would lose her life. Kendra stared up at him, her lips pressed into a tight, trembling line. The pride from yesterday was gone, replaced by a gaze brimming with raw, desperate pleading. The live chat was a mess of anxiety: [Oh god, putting your life in someone else’s hands is so stupid.] [Shut up! She’s fighting for love! You wouldn’t understand!] [I’m literally shaking. Is she going to get a Game Over right here?] “Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!” The arrows tore through the air. Under the terrified gaze of the entire server, two arrows buried themselves dead center in the bullseye. But the third arrow didn’t even clip the edge of the wood. It sailed wildly into the dirt. He missed. Kendra’s face erupted in joyous relief. Tears spilled over her lashes as she sprinted toward Valerian’s horse, playfully slapping his thigh. “I knew it! I knew you couldn’t bear to kill me!” Valerian offered a lazy, indulgent smile. But his eyes slid right past her, locking onto me across the field. It was a heavy, loaded look. I didn’t know what he wanted. Probably just to show off. The great, untouchable Boss had finally found a girl worthy of his mercy. The chat was celebrating: [WHAT?! THE SYSTEM’S BEST ARCHER MISSED?!] [Lmao, as if Valerian could ever miss by accident. He threw the match!] [He couldn’t do it! He loves her too much!] [So sweet!!] [Look at his childhood friend though. Her face is completely gray. She looks like she’s going to pass out.] [She’s probably choking on her own jealousy. Imagine pining for a guy for centuries only for Kendra to steal him in a week. Sucks to be her.] I “was” going to pass out. But it wasn’t from jealousy. My fingers and toes were turning to ice, while a blazing inferno ignited in my stomach. The affliction was back. 07 I didn’t have the energy to watch their soap opera anymore. I turned and bolted from the training grounds, running blindly toward my apothecary. The summer heat was suffocating. Cicadas screamed in the trees, and black spots danced across my vision. I heard hoofbeats behind me. “Get on the horse,” Valerian commanded. He reached down to pull me up. I flinched and stepped back. Instead of getting angry, he laughed. “What’s wrong? You look terrible. Did seeing me with her upset you?” I didn’t have the breath to reply. I just kept walking. He kept the horse at a slow walk beside me, his voice oozing with smug satisfaction. “Kendra really is a brilliant girl. She suits me perfectly.” “Her mind is sharp. She actually beat me at chess. Not like you, Hazel. You can’t even follow the rules.” “She is striking. A creature of ice. Not like you, always so fragile, always breaking…” His voice droned on, making the ringing in my ears worse. The weakness in my limbs was profound. Cold sweat beaded across my forehead. His voice seemed to drift in from a great distance. “But I’ve thought about it. Even though you don’t compare to her, in my heart, you…” “Congratulations!” I interrupted, my voice cracking. “What did you say?” His tone shifted sharply. I stopped walking and forced myself to look at him, my vision swimming. “I said, congratulations! After all this time, you finally found the one! I wish you both a century of happiness, perfect harmony, and a house full of kids!” Valerian’s eyes darkened instantly. “Do you actually mean that?” I nodded, clutching my chest. “Every word.” He let out a cold, sharp laugh. For some reason, it sounded almost bitter. “Good. Excellent. She and I will be very happy together…” The world tilted. The ice and fire collided inside me, ripping a silent scream from my throat. I couldn’t form another syllable. Through the haze, I felt Valerian leap from his horse. His arms wrapped tightly around me, his voice suddenly laced with raw panic. “Hazel? What’s happening? Is it the illness?!”
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