[“Avner. The fleet you’re seeking is called LIGHTSHADOW.”]

Along with that came with the attachment of recorded apology videos made by those who attacked me two days ago.

Did they really think I would change my mind by doing something like this?

Do they think of me as a fool?

Whatever.

It’s over now.

Even if I had the name of the fleet, It’s not like I can do much.

I’ll just send this information to Radingo.

[“The fleet that captured Lucia’s father is most probably LIGHTSHADOW. Could you put in a word?”]

“Big bro, Alcron’s revision already has a pre-release! Have you seen some of the videos? It’s amazing!”

“Where?”

I allowed myself to be interrupted by my etler, Lia.

I was working on a set of illustrations for some guy online who commissioned me to do art for his NFT project. I just gave him my rate and he agreed.

Of course, I was charging less than what I feel like I should be earning. Though, I didn’t know what else I could do during the holidays to push my career forward besides this.

Plus, I wasn’t even sure why the commissioner opted for my art even though he could simply generate a hundred illustrations using the illustration generator for a fraction of the cost. Nevertheless, since the person is paying, I made it a point to do my best.

15 pieces of character, half body. I have to make sure the different elements like the hair, eyes, accessories and mouth remain on separate layers.

I’m already done with the 14th set. I’ll finish everything tomorrow and give it one last polish before confirming it with the commissioner.

Back to Alcron’s Revision.

“Will you be playing big bro?”

“Probably not.”

“Why?”

It’s a waste of time.

Shin would say.

What’s the point of life if not to enjoy?

Avner would say.

Why not?

The memory from the abyss would say.

I’m starting to think maybe these aren't memories from Avner’s past life.

I’m becoming weird.

“I’ll consider.”

“Then download the game now!”

[Do you wish to download Alcron’s Revision pre-release version?]

“Fine.”

[Congratulations Shin. You’ve taken a step to preserve your sanity.]

Was that the catchphrase for people that preorder the game or did Randell add that last part deliberately?

What has playing a game got to do with preserving my sanity?

Everyone was gathered in the living room. Grandoa and Grandma had been working on a 3D laser cut puzzle of some dome landmark since the afternoon. It looked cool. A few more pieces and they’re done.

The past few days we forgot to get groceries again. So grandoa did the shopping online and it was delivered to our doorstep.

“Yay! Now you get the pre-release rewards.”

I should delete the game file after this.

“Are you hungry yet?” Grandoa asked.

“What time is it?”

[It’s 5:19 pm Avner]

“Yes, I’m hungry,” Lia said.

“Hungry already?”

“I’ll reheat the leftovers from lunch, will that be alright?” Grandma said.

Leftovers would be bug soup with seaweed and steamed lab grown meat.

Yes, lab grown meat made from mixing plant based components such as soybeans and beetroot among other veggies.

I had no problems with it of course. As for Lia, xe took some time to adapt to the new diet of this household. If anything, xe looked much happier being with our grandparents.

Till now, there hadn’t been anything like family conflict. Nobody had given anyone a cold shoulder, everyone was being respectful to each other. All in all, our grandparents are really just genuinely nice people to be around.

I remember Shin had this worry about how living in such a peaceful environment affects the development of kids in the sense of: entitlement. Though I know no proof, I don’t want to believe that there’s a correlation between family peace and entitlement where children brought up from a good family are more of a brat than those from a broken one.

Entitlement is a choice.

“Leftovers would be alright.”

And so we had dinner.

Without Lucia around, I didn’t need to worry so much about shielding hir so that xe can eat in a way that wouldn’t make anyone think that a paranormal phenomenon was happening. Floating rice, as an example.

After dinner, I was about to resume working on my illustration when I received a peculiar message.

[“Hello, this is Trisha. I would first like to express my sincerest apology for having almost killed you yesterday. So to make up for it, I have a gift to compensate for our oversight. Carlos of Hades. Is this the pureborn you’re trying to find?”]

Trisha, this angel was the one who used the ricochet bullets and put up the wall to trap me in.

What? To think that this angel actually went so far as to find Lucia’s father for me?

This is a trick.

Not a trick.

It has to be a trick.

I went through Cain’s chat history.

I played the apology videos one by one.

What? Eugine is still alive?

Didn’t I kill him?

Or could this be fake?

Deep fake is a technology that exists in so it’s not surprising that someone would have posed for him.

The sincere way they expressed their regret was disturbing.

I replied after some deliberation with myself.

[“Yes.”]

It didn’t take a minute before the next reply came.

[“Good. Then let’s meet up at Ducklings. I’ll bring him over.”]

[“Which chain?”]

[“The one you usually go to.”]

I felt goosebumps on my skin.

She knows?

Or, perhaps it’s from data collected when I was still wearing the golden chains?

I don’t want to think that someone stalked me all this time.

[“When?”]

[“Tomorrow. In the afternoon. I’ll wait for you. I won’t bring anyone but myself.”]

This absurdity.

Another one of Eugine’s tricks?

The first time he almost killed me in the function room.

Now he says he almost killed me on the open rooftop.

So the next time we meet he’ll say he almost killed me with an entire army?

Can Trisha be trusted?

I don’t know.

I left the message dangling.

[“Lucifer. Tomorrow, there will be an angel coming to Ducklings. Keep an eye out on her, but don’t attack her.”]