Giyuuforlife

and some shenaningans

a month ago, the internet had been on fire. not just because love and deepspace had announced a new love interest. because they'd taken him away before anyone had the chance to meet him. you still remembered where you had been when the notification appeared.

Official Statement from Infold.

your heart had leapt into your throat

Dear Miss Hunters,

We have decided to cancel both the launch and any further development of the new love interest. We also commit that no additional love interests will be introduced in future content plans.

you hadn't finished reading it the first time. the comments beneath it had said enough.

Justice for Valko.

Bring him back.

You can't treat us like this.

He deserved better.

within minutes, hashtags exploded across every platform. edits of his reveal trailer flooded tiktok. artists worked overnight, posting illustrations of the red-haired wolf beneath the glowing moon. theory channels insisted it was an elaborate marketing campaign.

"it has to be," one creator confidently declared. "there's no way they'd throw away a character with this much hype."

except...they did. a week later, the hashtags slowed. two weeks later, discussion shifted toward the next event banner. by the end of the month, it was like valko had never existed.

everyone moved on. everyone except you.

your monitor cast a pale blue glow across the bedroom as the trailer played for what had to be the hundredth time. moonlight poured through towering pine trees. a figure stepped from the shadows. red hair. golden eyes.

valko looked directly at you, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.

"do you dare follow?"

you smiled despite yourself, "i guess i would have."

you knew every second by heart. the slight raise of his eyebrow. the confident smirk that made the fandom collectively lose its mind. the glimpse of sharpened canine teeth.

the trailer ended. without thinking, you clicked replay. again. you leaned back in your chair, hugging one knee to your chest.

"this is getting pathetic."

maybe it was. but every time you tried logging into the game something felt...wrong. the game hadn't changed. the home screen still greeted you with the same music. events arrived on schedule. everything functioned exactly as it always had. yet there was an emptiness you couldn't ignore.

you should have been unlocking valko's memories. listening to his voice calls. reading anecdotes. grinding affinity levels. instead all you had were three trailers, a handful of promotional images and the outline of someone who had never been allowed to become real.

it felt like someone had quietly torn an entire chapter from a book before you'd ever gotten the chance to read it. you minimized the trailer and opened the official statement again.

maybe you'd missed something. some hidden clue. some promise. some tiny sentence that hinted they'd changed their minds. there wasn't one. just polished corporate language. carefully chosen words. an apology that explained nothing.

you sighed and closed the page, "i know it's silly."

your eyes drifted back to the paused trailer, "i know you're just...code"

the word tasted wrong. you had never met him. never played his route. never experienced his story. yet every teaser had made him feel...alive. not because of the graphics but because someone had poured genuine care into creating him. someone had written his dialogue. designed his smile. imagined the sound of his voice. and now, he would never get to become who they intended him to be.

your fingers absentmindedly reached toward the monitor. they rested lightly against the glass over his face.

"you would've been my favorite."

only silence answered you. outside, the city had grown quiet. a few distant cars drifted through the streets below before disappearing into the night.

still...you couldn't bring yourself to pull your hand away.

"i hope..." your voice was barely above a whisper, "wherever you were supposed to end up..."

you smiled sadly, "someone got to know you."

for just a second...the paused image seemed different. his eyes felt strangely warm, like they were looking back at you.

you blinked, "nope."

definitely sleep deprivation. you powered off the monitor, plunging the room into darkness save for the faint glow of the streetlights filtering through your curtains.

your phone read 2:37 a.m. you should have gone to bed hours ago. tomorrow you'd log in again and collect the daily rewards. pretend everything felt normal. maybe eventually it would. maybe one day you'd stop thinking about a character who never even had the chance to exist.

the thought settled heavily in your chest as you slipped beneath the blankets. you closed your eyes and within minutes, exhaustion pulled you under. until you heard a soft noise.

tink.

something struck the glass. you frowned without opening your eyes. probably a tree branch. except...you didn't have a tree outside your balcony.

tink. this one was louder.

you groaned, rolling onto your back, "what now..."

your eyes opened and the clock beside your bed glowed 4:43 a.m. you listened. nothing. maybe you'd imagined it. you were just about to lay back down when—

tink.

"you've got to be kidding me!"

heart pounding a little faster, you slipped out of bed and quietly crossed the room. you hesitated beside the curtains. every horror movie you'd ever watched suddenly replayed itself in vivid detail. someone was outside. but that shouldn't have been possible. you lived on the third floor. another pebble hit the glass.

before you lost your courage, you grabbed the curtain and pulled it aside and your mind went completely blank. there was a man standing on your balcony. not climbing. not hanging from the railing. just standing there as though appearing three stories above the ground in the middle of the night was perfectly reasonable.

moonlight caught auburn hair that shimmered in the breeze. sleeveless black shirt. broad shoulders. golden eyes. no, that wasn't—he smiled. the exact same smile you'd watched a hundred times on your computer. you forgot how to breathe.

"there you are," he said with an easy grin, relief softening his features as if he'd finally found someone he'd been searching for. "i was beginning to think i had the wrong balcony."

"i..." your voice barely worked, "you're..."

you rubbed both eyes and looked again. he was still there. every detail was perfect. every strand of hair. every sharp angle of his face. every expression you'd memorized from limited official content and countless fan edits.

this wasn't possible. you had finally lost it. a combination of sleep deprivation and stress. this was an extremely vivid dream. that had to be it.

he looked at the closed balcony door, then back at you, "so..." he asked, almost sheepishly, "can i come in?"

you don't move. you aren't entirely convinced you still remember how. the balcony door separates you from the impossible. maybe if you don't unlock it, you'll wake up.

your hand remains frozen around the curtain.

"i..." you swallow. "you're not real."

he frowns and scoffs, "i certainly hope i am."

"no." you shake your head. "no, you're—"

you gesture wildly toward him, somehow expecting that to explain everything.

"you're you."

a small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, "i'll take that as a compliment."

this isn't happening. it can't be. you pinch the inside of your forearm hard enough to sting. he's still here. you pinch yourself again.

"are you alright?" he asks, concern beginning to replace the playful expression on his face.

you stare at him then at the red mark forming on your skin, "you should disappear."

"i beg your pardon?"

"when i wake up."

a beat of silence passes before realization dawns across his face.

"ah." he laughs. it's soft and low. exactly like it sounded in the trailer.

"you think you're dreaming."

"i know i'm dreaming."

you squeeze your eyes shut. count to five. open them again. valko is still patiently standing on your balcony. still looking at you as though the strangest part of tonight is that you haven't invited him inside.

he glances over one shoulder at the neighboring apartments before lowering his voice conspiratorially.

"if it helps," he says, "i'd rather not explain to your neighbors why i'm loitering outside your balcony at this hour."

despite yourself a nervous laugh escapes. the sound surprises both of you.

you look back at the locked balcony door. every sensible instinct screams not to open it. but if this is a dream, it doesn't matter. and if it isn't - you don't even know what that would mean.

with trembling fingers, you unlock the handle. the door slides open and cool night air spills into your apartment. valko steps inside as though crossing that threshold is the most natural thing in the world. for a moment, neither of you speaks. he's taller than you expected. the promotional art hadn't quite captured the sheer size of him. nor had it conveyed the quiet warmth radiating from him, or the subtle scent of cedar and rain clinging to his skin.

your apartment suddenly feels much smaller. he takes a slow look around as curiosity flickers across his features.

"this is..." he pauses, "different."

you don't miss the hesitation, "different from what?"

he turns his attention towards the kitchen, the living room, the hallway that leads to your bedroom.

his brow furrows almost imperceptibly, "i can't quite explain it."

he continues looking around with growing curiosity, "the architecture is different...the lighting...the air."

his golden eyes settle on you again, "and..." a faint crease appears between his brows, "you look different."

your stomach drops, "i think," you say carefully, "you have me confused with someone else."

"i don't." he says matter-of-factly.

"you do...you've never met me."

his answer comes without hesitation, "but i have. i knew to come here."

you take a slow breath, "valko...sit down."

you close your eyes for the briefest moment. this conversation is about to become infinitely more complicated. you motion toward the couch, watching him carefully as he steps farther into your apartment. despite his general confusion, his movements are effortless and confident, like someone accustomed to occupying any room he entered.

you remain standing, keeping a healthy distance between yourself and the man who, as far as reality was concerned, should not exist.

he notices immediately, "i promise i'm not dangerous."

"i don't know that."

"and yet you opened the door." he says slyly

you sigh shakily, "i may regret that."

he smiles barring his pearly canines, "i hope not."

silence settles between you. it isn't uncomfortable. it's just...palpable, almost indescribable. he studies your apartment again, this time more carefully. books stacked beside the couch. a charging cable stretched across the coffee table. a mug that still smelled faintly of peppermint tea. then his eyes land on your computer monitor. the screen had gone dark after falling asleep.

he gestures toward it, "you were working?"

"not exactly..."

"then what kept you awake?"

you hesitate, "you."

his brows lift, "me?"

you nod slowly, "i was watching your...trailers."

"my..." the word dies on his tongue, "trailers?"

your heart pounds. there's no easy way to say this. no gentle introduction. no version of this conversation where he doesn't think you've completely lost your mind.

you finally take a seat across from him, fold your hands together and take a deep breath.

"i need you to answer one question honestly."

"you have my word."

"what city are we in?"

he answers without hesitation, "linkon."

you nod once, "and who am i to you?

his expression softens, then a small frown appears on his face. he seems confused and slightly offended by the question.

"you've always been..." he pauses and his gaze searches yours, "it's difficult to explain."

he presses two fingers lightly against his temple, "i remember wanting to find you."

"why?"

"i don't know...instinct is the only way i can describe it."

now he realizes that he sounds like the insane one.

"when did we meet?"

his brow furrows deeper, "i.."

his lips part, then close again. for the first time since arriving, uncertainty flashes across his face.

"i don't remember."

your stomach sinks. he remembers you. but not how, not when, not where. just that he had to find you.

you stand abruptly, and disappear into your bedroom, heart racing. when you return, your phone is already unlocked. the official love and deepspace youtube channel fills the screen.

you stop in front of him, "you're going to think this is insane."

"i'm beginning to suspect nothing tonight can surprise me anymore."

you ignore the joke and with a shaky thumb, you press play. the familiar trailer begins. the music starts then moonlight, and a line of text appears. then on the screen, standing exactly as he had a few moments ago on your balcony.

his own voice fills the apartment, "take me in for the night."

the trailer continues until the game logo fades into view. you pause the video.

the room is deathly quiet for a while. oh god you broke him. his yellow eyes remain fixed on the screen.

suddenly, "that's...me."

a part of you wants to gloat say 'i told you so' while the other doesn't know how to continue on.

"i don't remember saying any of that." his gaze slowly lifts to yours, "what is this?"

you inhale slowly, "this..." you gesture toward the phone, "is a promotional trailer."

"for?"

you almost can't bring yourself to say it, "a video game."

he laughs once not because he finds it funny but because the alternative is absurd.

"i think you've misunderstood something."

"i wish i had."

"i'm not..." he gestures vaguely toward the phone, "fiction!"

"i know you aren't."

"you just said—"

"i know what i said!"

your voice comes out louder than intended. you force yourself to continue.

"you are here! you're sitting on my couch." your throat tightens, "and yet...you shouldn't exist."

you open the official statement before handing him your phone. he hesitates before taking it and begins reading. the further down the page his eyes travel, the more the color drains from his face.

his grip on the phone tightens, knuckles turning white. "so they..." his eyes return to yours. "canceled me."

the word lands like a stone, tears welling up in your eyes.

"it wasn't your fault. there was backlash online."

you sit beside him, careful to leave space between you and yet desperately wanting to reach out to him.

"people were devastated."

you pull the phone closer and open social media. old posts. archived hashtags. petitions. compilation after compilation. millions of views. millions of people excited to meet him. millions of people mourning someone they'd never even known.

he sits there for you arent entirely sure how long and scrolls quietly through every drawing. every edit. every comment. as his expression becomes harder to read.

"they...cared...so much" he says looking up at you

you nod, "they still do. i know i do."

he doesn't register the last part of what you said as questions flood his mind.

"then why..." his voice catches, "why wasn't i released?"

you lower your eyes, "i don't know. i've spent weeks trying to understand it. i thought maybe there'd be another announcement. a delay. a rewrite. anything. but there wasn't."

the apartment falls silent again. he sets your phone carefully on the coffee table. neither of you speaks for what feels like several minutes.

finally, his voice is distant, "so linkon and everyone i know...doesn't exist?"

you slowly nod, throat dry as you can't form anymore words. his shoulders slump ever so slightly. the realization comes in waves. not all at once. everything he'd believed to be true. every memory. every place. every person - reduced to data.

then another thought seems to strike him. slowly almost afraid of the answer he asks, "and you?"

your heart aches, "i'm..." you look down at your hands, "i'm just someone who plays the game."

"you aren't..." he searches for the right words, "the person i thought you were."

your blood runs cold, "i don't even know who that person is."

it doesn't make sense to you. why would he know he has to find you? you aren't the heroine. not a deepspace hunter. you are just well...you.

he leans back against the couch staring at nothing, "so if..."

his voice is barely audible, "i don't belong there...and i don't belong here..."

his golden eyes finally meet yours again. lost and vulnerable. nothing like the composed ceo from the trailers.

"where do i belong?"

you wake to the smell of coffee. for one blissful, fleeting second, everything feels normal. the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. the comforting weight of your blankets. the distant hum of traffic outside.

then your eyes snap open. your heart immediately jumps into your throat. you throw the blankets aside and hurry into the living room.

valko is standing in your kitchen. wearing the same clothes from last night, as he examines the buttons on your electric kettle with intense concentration.

"good morning."

the greeting is so casual that it takes your brain a second to catch up.

"you—" you point accusingly, "you're still here."

he looks over his shoulder, "i certainly hope so."

his smile is small, "well it's not like i have anywhere else to go."

so...last night wasn't a dream. you sink onto one of the kitchen stools. for a moment, neither of you says anything. valko returns his attention to the kettle.

"i believe i've lost."

"what?"

"it keeps beeping at me."

you follow his gaze. the kettle flashes an error because it isn't sitting correctly on its base. you walk over, adjust it, and press the switch. the water immediately begins to heat.

he watches with genuine fascination, "that's all?"

"that's all." you say patting his shoulder

"things are way more...advanced in linkon."

"and you've been awake for how long?"

"i'm not entirely sure."

your eyes sweep across the apartment. nothing appears out of place. the books are still stacked neatly. the couch cushions haven't moved. even the blanket you'd forgotten to fold has been draped neatly over the armrest.

"you cleaned."

he looks almost embarrassed, "i couldn't sleep."

something in your chest twists. you remember how the night ended.

"where do i belong?"

neither of you had found an answer. instead, you'd made up the couch with extra blankets while insisting he take it. the kettle beeped again signaling the brew was done.

you reach for two mugs, as he settles behind you. the only sound was your spoon tinkering, mixing cream and sugar before you cleared your throat, "so...we need a plan."

you turn passing valko a cup, your hands slightly brushing. he jolts lightly at the contact before nodding, "that's a good idea."

you settle on the couch, pulling out your laptop, "the obvious option..." you hesitate, "would be telling infold."

his expression changes immediately, "they made me?"

"they did."

"and you trust them?"

you don't answer because you don't know. you shouldn't. not after everything they have done.

"unfortunately that doesn't really matter. they know way more about this than i ever would."

"true..but they canceled me. who know's what they would do to me now."

he lightly shudders at the thought and you wince, "i know...but i don't think they'd hurt you."

"you don't know that."

you close the laptop before you'd even begun searching, "you are right i don't know anything."

you laugh quietly, "i don't even know how you got here."

"the balcony."

you roll your eyes, "you know what i mean."

you rest your elbows on your knees, "wait a minute. there was that astronomy article..."

he looks over, "what article?"

"last night before you appeared..."

you scroll until you find it, 'rare total lunar eclipse expected to coincide with heightened solar activity.'

he reads over your shoulder, "it says events like this haven't aligned in decades."

"it happened just after midnight. about the time i was watching the trailers and well...spiraling."

you both turn to look at eachother, before he speaks "about the time i arrived."

it's the closest thing to a lead you've found.

you set your phone down, "until we figure this out..." you glance around your tiny apartment, "you can't exactly wander outside."

he sits quietly for several moments then looks around your apartment, "but..." he begins standing, "if staying here puts you in danger, i should leave."

"what?! you have nowhere to go!"

"i'll figure something out."

"you don't have money."

"i'll earn some."

you sigh. he really is considering walking out your front door with absolutely no plan.

"please... don't leave."

he hesitates. but you reach for him anyway, touching his wrists and bringing him back towards you.

"we'll figure this out."

"together?"

the question is so quiet it almost breaks your heart. you nod, "together."

something in his expression softens. not relief. not happiness. something deeper. like a man who had spent the last twelve hours believing he belonged nowhere...had finally been offered somewhere to stay.

you sit at the edge of the couch, staring at the small pile of things you've already accumulated this morning. his shoes are by the door, the phone you used to show him the trailer, and the almost-empty coffee mugs sitting on the table.

valko stands near the window. he's been there for several minutes without moving much, just watching the street below like it might explain itself if he looks long enough.

you break the silence first, "you're going to need stuff."

he turns slightly, "stuff?"

"yeah...like clothes"

he gestures to his outfit, "what's wrong with this?"

you laugh lightly, for how smart he is supposed to be he is a bit dense.

"you're going to live here."

the word hangs between you both for a second longer than it should — live.

you stand, walking toward the kitchen counter as you start listing things on instinct.

"toothbrush. soap. food. more clothes. chargers, actually i don't even know if you need chargers—"

"i don't think i do."

"you see? that's the problem. i don't know what you need."

valko finally turns fully toward you. there's no panic on his face. just focused, steady attention like he's evaluating a situation he intends to solve.

"you are treating this like i am unprepared."

"you are unprepared!"

"yes well i am adapting."

"you arrived here twelve hours ago!"

you exhale, rubbing your forehead, "okay new plan, you need supplies and i can't just…improvise your entire existence out of my apartment."

you grab your phone, "we're going out."

valko watches you unlock the screen, "outside? you just advised against that."

"i still advise against it! but we don't have any other choice."

ten minutes later, you're both standing at the door. you've done what you can. cap, mask, sunglasses — it still doesn't feel like enough.

valko adjusts the cap once, then looks at you smiling, "good enough?"

"no but it'll have to be."

you open the door and the outside world feels too normal — too bright, too loud. unaware of what's walking beside you. valko stays close, not crowding you, but matching your pace with quiet precision. every few steps, his gaze shifts, observing and processing his new surroundings.

the first stop is a general store, it's practical and less risky. you grab a basket and hand him one. he takes it like it's standard procedure.

"so," you say, "we're starting with basics."

you move methodically through the aisles. every item you place in the basket, he studies like it matters more than it should. like he's rebuilding an entire system from scratch.

the clothing aisle is next. you slow down instinctively.

"what's wrong?"

"it's… personal stuff."

he tilts his head slightly, "then i will follow your lead."

that's it. just trust again. you pick out essentials quickly and you try not to think too hard about the fact that you are now actively selecting the building blocks of his life.

at checkout, the total flashes on the screen. you pay before he can even look at it too closely. you gather the bags. they are heavy and real — it's evidence. as you step outside, valko adjusts the strap of one of them over his shoulder. you notice something then. he isn't struggling with the weight. certaintly not physically. but most surprisingly not mentally. he just…accepted it.

you look at him as you start walking back, "you're handling this really well."

he glances at you, "you are doing most of the adaptation work."

"i'm not the one who got dropped into another world."

"no...but you are making it really easy to choose to stay next to you."

that stops you mid-step. you don't respond right away. life continues like nothing unusual is happening. but for you—that sentence lingers.

time passes in a way you don't really notice at first. not in days or weeks that feel defined. just...repetition.

there is a rhythm now. morning light seeping through the blinds and quiet conversation. afternoon silence broken by small experiments—him learning how your world behaves, you learning how little confusion he actually carries about it. evenings together on the couch. sometimes talking. sometimes not.

you don't remember falling asleep. one moment you were sitting on the couch with a book half-open in your lap, valko's voice somewhere in the background asking something you can't quite make out then, there’s warmth.

soft fabric pulled over you. the faint scent of clean laundry and something faintly woody. his scent, you knew it by now. the way it envoloped your entire apartment.

you blink slowly and the room is dimmer. you realize you're on your side, curled slightly, a blanket tucked neatly around your shoulders.

you didn't do that. you shift a little and hear movement nearby. valko is sitting at the edge of the couch. you try to sit up, but the blanket resists in that too-comfortable way that makes your body betray your argument.

"how long was i out?"

"forty-seven minutes."

you stare at him through sleepy eyes, "you were counting?"

his gaze doesn’t move away, "i wanted to make sure you were still breathing normally."

the city outside continues like nothing unusual is happening but inside your apartment, something has quietly shifted shape without asking permission. later, you don't notice when it becomes routine. that's the strange part. it just… happens.

you reach for his hand on the off chance you leave the apartment. the first time, it's instinct. the second time, it's habit. by the third, it feels wrong not to. valko looks down at it once when it happens. he doesn't ask you to let go. instead he tightens his grip and tries to hold back a grin that wants to take permanent shape on his face.

"is this necessary?" he asks one day, lifting your intertwined hands up

you hesitate, "no...i guess not"

"then why do you do it?"

your brain short-circuits cause the honest answer feels too simple.

"because i want to," you say finally.

that seems to satisfy him and he brings your hand up to his lips leaving a gentle kiss there that has you blushing.

you start sharing things without thinking about it. a childhood story while making instant noodles. a memory you didn't mean to say out loud until it's already out there.

"why did you start playing the game?" he asked while you were eating dinner one night

you poke absentmindedly at your food before answering.

"in case you haven't noticed..." you say with a small laugh, "i don't really have a life."

you meant it as a joke. he doesn't laugh, instead, he tilts his head ever so slightly.

"i don't think that's true."

you shrug, "it kind of is. i worked, came home, ate whatever was easiest. went to bed then did it all again the next day."

valko listens head propped in his hands like everything you say is stored somewhere important.

"i guess..." you sigh. "life wasn't bad. it just wasn't...fulfilling."

you laugh quietly, "but it still felt like i was watching everyone else live."

his expression softens, "and the game changed that?"

you smile at the memory. of creating your character. choosing your main love interest when your real love life was tragic.

"it gave me something to look forward to at the end of the day."

"i don't think you were searching for a game." he responds

"you were searching for connection."

you hadn't thought about it like that before.

"maybe." you smile to yourself, "you might be right."

"and now?"

a slight smug smirk forming on his lips, already knowing the answer but asking you anyway.

"what do you look forward to?"

you open your mouth trying to come up with a joke or something to ease the tension. yet nothing comes because the answer is embarrassingly obvious.

"you."

then the world interrupts. a notification from infold. you open it without thinking.

Infold Official Statement

your stomach tightens immediately. that same dreadful feeling you had before. valko notices your expression before you even speak.

"what is it?"

you hesitate then turn the phone slightly toward him.

To our Hunters,

Following recent developments and renewed interest in Valko’s character, we would like to address ongoing speculation regarding his future.

At this time, we confirm that while there were internal discussions regarding the possibility of reintroducing Valko into future content, unforeseen complications involving his existing character data have rendered further development unstable.

We appreciate your passion and continued support.

you lower the phone slowly, "they were going to bring you back."

valko completely seems to ignore the words on the screen. picks up his fork and starts eating again.

"i see."

"that's it?" you stutter out

"what would you like me to say?"

"i don't know...something."

that night, you start researching...again — lunar eclipse timing. celestial alignment anomaly. rare atmospheric event cycles

"there's another one. the same kind of alignment that was happening the night you showed up."

he studies the data without interrupting you as you scroll further.

"there are articles about unusual energy fluctuations during these events. some people think they're just atmospheric interference. others think—"

you stop yourself, because it sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud. valko finishes it anyway.

"that it's some kind of portal."

you nod once, "yeah."

he leans back slightly, "and what does your research suggest?"

"that it could explain how you got here."

then you add, quieter, "and maybe how to send you back."

the word back sits differently now. he hears it but he doesn’t react immediately. instead, he looks toward the window. the night outside is still.

then he speaks, "and if it can...what happens then?"

you close the laptop slightly, "i don't know. do you want to go back?"

it comes out softer than you intended. and you hope he doesn't hear the fear and disappointment in your voice.

valko is quiet for a long time, contemplating your question.

then, "i do not think i know what 'back' means anymore."

you should feel relieved. this is solvable. there is a mechanism. a way to fix what broke.

instead you feel something tightening quietly in your chest. because neither of you sounds like you are talking about a problem anymore. you sound like you are talking about a choice.

later that night, after everything has gone quiet again, you somehow end up curled up by his side. his warmth radiating over you. it's comforting in a way you have never felt before.

valko breaks the silence first, "if i leave through this event" he says, "i will return to a world where i was never completed."

you look at him. this is closest you have been. you notice every bit of texture on his face. and for a moment he is as real as he as ever been.

"and you will remain here."

you swallow, "we should probably fix this."

it should sound certain but it doesn't.

valko studies your expressions for a moment. looking for any hint of doubt or sadness.

then says, quietly brushing a piece of hair behind your ear, "i do not think i want to be undone."

that word lands differently than everything before it. undone. not returned. not reset.

then you say, "neither do i"

ever since discovering there was another celestial event approaching, sleep had become a stranger. not because you were afraid. at least, that's what you kept telling yourself.

you had spent days searching for an answer—for a way to undo the impossible, to return valko to the world he came from if such a thing was even possible. but now that there was finally a lead, now that there was something tangible to work toward, yet...you couldn't bring yourself to keep researching. every article about the eclipse felt less like hope and more like a countdown. you caught yourself looking at the calendar far too often. every crossed-off day tightened something in your chest.

and somehow neither of you could bring yourself to speak about it anymore. valko lingered near open windows. he spent longer on the balcony at night. sometimes you would catch him standing perfectly still, his attention fixed on the moon.

"what is it?" you asked once.

he didn't look away. the gravitation pull drawing him closer.

"it feels..." he searched for the word, "louder."

"the moon? i don't hear it."

his brow furrowed slightly, "i feel it."

you remembered what he'd told you before. the closer the full moon became...the harder it was to ignore the wolf within him.

but that night, neither of you slept. the clock on your nightstand read 2:07 a.m. you sighed and threw the blankets aside. just like the night he arrived. you stepped into the living room to see the balcony door was already open. moonlight spilled across the floor and valko stood outside, one hand resting lightly against the railing.

he turned as you approached, "you couldn't sleep."

it wasn't a question. you leaned against the doorframe.

"neither could you."

a quiet smile touched his lips, "no."

the night air was cool and the city was unusually still. you looked up at the moon hung low and bright above the rooftops.

"come on."

he glanced at you, "where?"

you smiled faintly, "just around the block."

"but it's late."

"exactly." you slipped your shoes on, "there won't be anyone around."

after a moment's consideration...he nodded.

you had grown so used to seeing valko in disguises that it took you a second to realize something was different. halfway down the quiet sidewalk, you looked over—and stopped walking. he wasn't wearing his cap. the breeze stirred his short red hair away from his forehead. nestled among the crimson strands were two soft wolf ears, tipped with darker fur, as naturally as if they'd always belonged there.

one ear twitched. valko noticed your silence.

he looked over, "what is it?"

you couldn't answer immediately. you were too busy staring.

"your ears..."

understanding dawned across his face. instinctively, his hand lifted to cover them.

"i apologize. i should have concealed them."

"no!" the word came faster than you intended. "they're..." you smiled before you could stop yourself. "beautiful."

for perhaps the first time since he'd arrived in your world...valko looked genuinely surprised.

"you think so?"

"i know so."

he watched you for a long moment. his golden eyes turning brighter.

"i forgot that they were visable." he admitted quietly

"the moon?"

he nodded, "it becomes... difficult."

you stepped closer, very slowly. "so this is what you meant."

one flicked again at a distant sound you couldn't hear.

you laughed softly, "can i ask something?"

"you may."

you hesitated for a moment. then almost whispered, "can i...touch them?"

the question seemed to catch him completely off guard. for a heartbeat, he simply looked at you. then...he nodded bringing his head down to meet your height.

you reached up carefully and your fingertips brushed impossibly soft fur. one ear twitched beneath your touch and valko inhaled sharply.

"i'm sorry!" you pulled your hand back immediately.

"did i hurt—"

"no." his voice was breathier than before but his hand reached up to your wrist to hold it in place against the weight of his ear.

you laughed, relief washing through you, "they're softer than i imagined."

he peered up to look at your expression, "i wasn't aware you'd imagined them."

the two of you continued walking beneath the moon, unaware that across the street, someone walking their dog had stopped. their phone rose slowly. the camera zoomed in. the recording lasted only twelve seconds. it was uploaded before sunrise with the caption —

i went for a walk at 2 a.m. and... am i losing my mind, or is this literally valko from love and deepspace?"

you didn't know any of it — not yet. you returned home just before three. for the first time you dragged him into your bedroom. your safe space. and fell asleep on the bed, your body curled up against his while an old movie played quietly in the background.

valko stayed awake because he knew these moments had become precious. because he had someone he wanted to protect. the eclipse drew closer. and somewhere, beyond the safety of your apartment, twelve seconds of borrowed happiness had already begun spreading across the internet.

the day of the eclipse arrives quietly. no warning that the world is about to ask both of you to make a choice neither of you is ready for.

it is simply another day. one that hangs over the apartment from the moment you wake. neither of you mentions it as you cross it off on your calendar. not while making breakfast or while washing dishes. but every glance at the clock reminds you that time is moving whether you want it to or not.

by evening, the silence has become unbearable.

"i can't stay here."

across the room, he looks up immediately concern washing over his face, "you wish to leave?"

"if we're going to wait..." you force a weak smile. "i'd rather not do it staring at four walls."

he studies your expression. not that he really needed to. his senses had been hightened. he could physcially smell your emotions

"you've been afraid all day."

you laugh softly, "i've been pretending not to be."

the looming eclipse and the exposure of valko has been the only thing on your mind. they know now without a doubt that he exists in this world - that he is with you.

he stands without another word, "then let's go."

"i used to come here sometimes," you say after a while. "when things became...too much."

the woods sit just outside the city. far enough away that the skyline is only a distant glow beyond the trees. the air is cooler than usual. everything smells clean after the afternoon rain. you walk slowly along an old trail, your flashlight mostly forgotten at your side. tonight, the full moon is bright enough to guide you.

your hand finds his without thinking as his fingers lace with yours almost immediately. you shouldn't be touching, what if he goes all wolf mode and mauls you. you should be afraid of that possibility. except you aren't. because you trust him now. more than you have ever trusted anyone in your real life.

he looks around, "it is peaceful."

"it usually helps me think." you sigh

"is it helping?"

you shake your head, adjusting your grip on his hand giving it a tight squeeze. a reminder he is still here.

as the moon climbs higher, you notice the changes in him beginning. his hearing sharpens first, head turns toward sounds you can't detect. leaves rustling somewhere deeper in the forest. an owl taking flight. the distant snap of a branch.

then his eyes. their familiar gold grows brighter, almost reflecting the moonlight.

finally...his ears. they appear gradually this time. the breeze catches the dark tips of the fur.

"i can hear your heartbeat."

your breath catches, "can you?"

he nods, "it changes when you're worried."

you look away, embarrassed, "i was hoping you couldn't tell."

"i always can."

it was true. it didn't take super werewolf powers to figure you out. just gentle observation.

you find a small clearing where the trees part just enough to reveal the sky. the eclipse has begun. a shadow slowly creeps across the moon. the forest grows strangely still. even the insects seem to quiet. you sit together on an old fallen log.

finally, you whisper, "if this works...you could disappear tonight."

the words sound unreal like saying them aloud might make them true.

he takes a deep breath before asking, "and if i do?"

you swallow the forming lump in your throat, "i'll have to keep living."

now he looks at you, "you say that as though it's difficult."

"it will be."

the confession escapes before you can stop it and you close your eyes.

"i wasn't supposed to..." your voice cracks, "fall in love with someone who wasn't even supposed to exist."

the forest is silent carrying your words far away.

"i kept telling myself this was temporary."

you laugh once through the tears gathering in your eyes.

"but somewhere along the way..." you finally meet his gaze, "you stopped feeling that way."

he reaches for your face carefully, as though afraid you'll disappear if he moves too quickly. his thumb brushes away a tear before it can fall.

"i have been trying to understand what i feel."

his voice is barely louder than the wind.

"at first i believed it was instinct. then i believed it was a memory. but neither explanation remained true."

his eyes never leave yours, "the life i remember belongs to someone i no longer recognize."

his hand slips gently to cup your jaw while the other moves to guide you by the waist closer to him.

"the choices i have made since arriving here...they belong only to me."

the eclipse darkens another fraction of the moon as your vision blurs.

"i love you."

the words leave you before fear can stop them.

"i know this situation is impossible, and maybe it's selfish, and maybe i should want to send you back, but..."

your voice breaks, "i don't want to lose you."

he rests his forehead against yours. steadying himself. anchoring his emotions to the one thing he can control. his feelings for you.

"i love you...my mate."

the world seems to stop and for one perfect moment there is nothing except the two of you. lips nearly meeting to solidify a bond. then—flashlights.

"over there!"

voices echo through the trees and the spell shatters. he turns immediately, creating a shield between you and the approaching lights.

several figures emerge from the darkness wearing jackets marked with the developer's logo.

one steps forward, "there he is."

another raises a hand towards you, "please remain calm."

you let out a disbelieving laugh, "calm?"

"we're not here to hurt either of you." another voice says

"we're here to resolve an unprecedented situation."

the lead representative looks directly at him, "you don't belong here."

before he can answer, you step in front of him, "no!"

the representative's attention shifts to you, "we understand you're emotionally involved—"

"you don't understand anything!" your anger surprises even yourself.

the representative remains annoyingly composed, "this isn't the time—"

you take another step forward, "it is exactly the time! you decided his story was over. you treated him like defective data. and now that he's standing in front of you..."

you gesture toward him, "breathing, thinking, choosing..."

your voice trembles, "now you suddenly remember he's valuable."

"this isn't about value." the man says to you

"no?" you laugh bitterly, "then why did it take him becoming real for you to come looking?"

another member of the team moves closer. the word 'developer' written on the pocket of the jacket.

"we need him to come with us voluntarily."

"he has a name!" you snap.

the developer finally looks past you, "for what it's worth..." he speaks directly to the wolf, "the decision is yours."

the clearing falls silent. the moon slips deeper into shadow and the air begins to hum. leaves lift from the ground without wind. the world itself seems to hold its breath.

for the first time in valko's life...no one else can choose his story. only him.

no one moves as the eclipse has swallowed nearly the entire moon. the air vibrates with a strange pressure. valko's claws and canines now growing to their full size.

the employees remain several feet away, careful not to provoke him further.

"look you've become something we never anticipated."

another member steps forward carrying a small tablet, "the anomaly is stabilizing."

the director nods, "the eclipse is creating a temporary bridge. if you choose to return, we believe we can restore you to your world."

then he looks at you, "if you choose to remain...we cannot predict the consequences."

you instinctively tighten your grip on his hand. every atom in your body screaming at you to run. to take him away and hide somewhere in these woods.

the representative notices as your panic begins to set in

"so...what's it going to be?"

no one argues. no one tells him what his purpose should be. no one writes the next line for him.

he closes his eyes, a faint salty rim of tears appearing as he turns toward you.

"you once told me something."

"i did?"

"you said that being alive meant choosing."

he smiles gently, "i finally understand."

Ending One

he reaches for both of your hands, "i have thought about the world i left. the one that was created for me."

he pauses, "but i have never felt more alive than i do in this world...with you."

he turns to speak directly to the crowd of professionals in white lab coats.

"i have learned what it means to live. to choose. to fall in love."

he smiles as he wraps his furry burgundy tail around your waist.

"i appreciate what you created but...i am no longer your creation."

the eclipse brightens and the strange light surrounding him begins to fade instead of pulling him away.

the representative watches quietly, as the earth around valko accepts and grounds him as one of it's own children.

"understood."

another member protests, "we can't just—"

the man interrupts, "if he has the ability to choose...then our responsibility is to respect it."

infold moved on again, no relaunch, no new love interests. some players continued while others like yourself stopped playing all together. at times part of you felt guilty that you couldn't share him with the world, but this version of him was yours.

slowly he began building his own life. he learned about computer science and mechanical engineering. determined to make the world a more "user friendly" place.

one night after a long day of working on his passion project, there you both were, standing on the same balcony where everything began.

he slips an arm around your waist, "you know...what would you have done if you hadn't opened the balcony door that night?"

you laughed slightly nudging him in the side, "i probably would've gone back to bed...or called the cops."

"oh really and how would you have explained that to them? you thought you were dreaming."

"sometimes i still wonder if i am..." you say softly as you looked up at the night sky.

there was no eclipse. no portals. no one chasing you. this time it was just the two of you.

"want me to prove this is real?" he asks eyes flickering to your lips.

you didn't need to answer. his hand cupped your cheek. and when his lips met yours, the kiss was soft and unhurried. a promise of a choice unbroken.

when you finally pulled apart, your foreheads rested together.

he smiled nuzzling his chin against the top of your head, "see you didn't pinch yourself this time."

you wrapped your arms around his waist, "i don't have to anymore."

Ending Two

the wolf stands quietly beneath the eclipsed moon. then he smiles, sadly yet also peacefully.

"when i first arrived...i believed this world was my home."

he gently brushes a strand of hair behind your ear.

"you taught me what ordinary life felt like. you taught me love."

tears spill freely down your cheeks, "so stay." the words break apart as you say them, "please."

he closes his eyes for just a moment, "if i stay...millions of people lose someone they have been waiting for."

you shake your head, "they'll be okay."

"but i know they won't."

he smiles sadly, "because i remember the look on your face when we met. i remember what you showed me that night."

he glances toward the representatives, "it was hope...that i would return."

he looks back at you, unable to hold back his own tears "i finally understand why i was created."

"it's not to belong to a company but to remind people that stories can make them feel less alone."

you begin crying harder, "i don't want to let you go."

he presses his forehead against yours, "i know. and if our lives had been different..."

he smiles gently, solemnly, "i would have stayed."

the eclipse reaches its peak as golden light surrounds him.

"i will remember this life." he whispers holding onto you for as long as he can. memorizing your touch.

"i will remember you."

"and every time someone chooses kindness..."

he kisses your forehead gently, "i think a part of me will find its way back here."

you force yourself to release his hand. not because you want to but because you love him enough to let him choose. he steps backward into the light. the forest glows. then— he is gone.

six months later, the game relaunches his story. the announcement crashes every server within minutes. when you finally load into the opening chapter...he appears exactly as you remember.

for just a second he looks directly toward the screen. a glimmer flickering in his eye, almost as though he recognizes you.

you smile through your tears, "welcome home."

a/n: yeah....soooo im crying i want him back so bad and i want to remain hopeful so that is what against all odds i will choose to do.

zayne

you wake up injured in a world you were never meant to touch, and the first face you see is zayne. his hands are steady, clinical but something lingers in his gaze, like recognition buried under years that never happened.

at AKSO hospital, your existence becomes a quiet anomaly. records don’t align. your injuries don’t match any known incident. and yet, he feels tied to you in a way he can’t justify.

then she appears, the one who was always meant to stand where you are not. his partner, the constant in his life. her presence sharpens everything. her instincts are immediate, precise, and unrelenting. the more she watches you, the more the world begins to feel unstable.

and somewhere deep in zayne’s past buried beneath ice, research logs, and forgotten expeditions something begins to surface. not a memory. a fracture.

read full story here!

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xavier

you shouldn’t have survived the first night. the only reason you do is because xavier finds you before the wanderers finish the job. he brings you to the Association, where everything is measured, recorded, analyzed. you fail every category. your origin doesn't exist.

and yet, you keep reappearing. in places tied to him, in routines he never shared with anyone but one person. to him, coincidence is a myth. patterns mean something and you are becoming one.

the girl who belongs here notices too. where he sees irregularity, she sees intrusion. but unlike her, he understands what it means to not belong to this world. because he doesn’t either. the question isn’t who you are — it’s why the universe keeps placing you in his orbit.

read full story here!

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rafayel

the story was supposed to begin with her. instead, it begins with you standing on the shoreline, where rafayel was meant to meet someone else. from that moment, everything shifts. his attention locks onto you first, his curiosity, his interest, it all redirects and something subtle but catastrophic unfolds beneath the surface. because the world notices.

events begin to misfire, timelines hesitate, encounters happen out of order. and somewhere within the system of this reality, the one who was meant to find him feels it immediately —a disconnect.

you weren’t written into this moment but now that you’re here, the story doesn’t know how to correct itself and rafayel doesn’t know how to stop his shifting feelings.

read full story here!

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sylus

you fall into the worst place possible and somehow ironically in your circumstances — the safest. the n109 zone isn’t meant for survival, yet it’s where you remain unseen. hidden within a fragile routine, protected by people who shouldn’t trust you but do anyway.

luke and kieran become your cover, your silence, your proof that you exist. but sylus knows from the beginning. not how you got there but that you don’t belong.

unlike the others, he doesn’t question your presence he accepts it as a problem to solve. while the world above reacts to the massive metaflux disturbance your arrival caused, he works in the shadows to understand it —to understand you.

and when she’s assigned to uncover the truth, the balance fractures. because for the first time, he withholds something from her. and you become the reason.

read full story here!

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caleb

you arrive too early. before the explosion and the version of caleb the world remembers. at the aerospace academy in skyhaven he’s still becoming someone sharpened by discipline, shaped by expectation, but not yet broken.

and you meet him there as something unexplainable that slips past every system unnoticed. nothing flags your arrival —no alarms, no containment. your presence doesn’t disrupt a system, it rewrites a possibility. he gravitates toward you without knowing why. just an instinct that feels almost like a choice.

somewhere else, the version of the story that was meant to unfold starts slipping out of reach. the one who was supposed to be with him since they were children feels that absence. and for the first time his future is not inevitable. because if he chooses you he never becomes the man shaped by loss. he never walks the path that leads to ruin. he becomes someone else entirely. someone the world was never written to hold. and that makes you more than an anomaly. it makes you a fracture in fate itself.

read full story here!

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“He can get touchy but you just gotta shoo him away."

She waves you into the room where his tank is and you hesitantly walk in with all your cleaning gear. He gets a little secluded tank all to himself because apparently he bullies the other mers and likes scaring guests that come past the small observation window of the tanks.

You keep the door open for some sense of comfort, your steps echoing in the silent room. His head pops up from the water, only his eyes visible as he watches you get all your gear ready. You stand at the edge of the steps leading into his tank for a moment and he stays in his same spot, unblinking.

You shuffle around in your pocket and pull out a sardine, tossing it in front of him. He watches the dead fish sink into the water and then points his gaze right back at you.

You resist a shiver, sighing in defeat and taking the first few steps into the shallow waters. As soon as you reached knee deep, he sinks down into the water and you can see his huge figure swim deeper into the darker parts of the tank.

Hoping that he lost interest, you decide to just get this over with as quick as possible and start wiping down the thick glass of the tank. You wipe down the whole upper part of the tank closest to the surface while trying not to think about how you'll possibly clean everywhere else.

Every now and then you feel a brush against your leg or a force in the water next to you but you end up getting the whole top section of the tank done without much incident.

You sit on the edge of the tank, getting your scuba gear ready, eyes flicking around the pool every now and then. The silence makes everything so unsettling, it feels like he's just waiting for-

You don't even register the huge black blur moving towards you before he bursts out of the water, claws and teeth bared. You scream and swing your fist at the thing your instincts are telling you is trying to eat you, punching the mer right in the nose.

A gasp leaves you as you realise what you've done, holding in a tense breath as he groans and cradles his face. He looks at his bloody hand and then back at you in what appears to be shock. You wait for him to rip you in two but he just stares. Then his mouth slowly turns up in a sharp grin, blood still dripping from his nose.

He lunges forward and your scream is cut short when he wraps his thick arms around your waist, nuzzling his head into your stomach. You wheeze at the crushing hug, confused and still scared but if his happy clicking sounds are anything to go by, he definitely doesn't want to kill you.

You're not sure if you would've preferred cleaning the tank in constant fear for your life or if having a massive mer clinging to you the whole time was the better option.

You managed to get it done, with much struggle. He actually helped you a little at first, but got bored quickly and opted for seeing how far he could unzip your swimsuit before you swatted him away. He also stole one of your flippers at one point and only gave it back when you gave him sufficient head scratches.

Once the job was done, you knew he wouldn't just let you leave, and you kind of felt bad when you started packing up and he let out sad little whines, so you sat on the edge of the tank, patting his head until your superior came looking for you.

“So…you punched him?"

You sheepishly nodded to her, munching gratefully on the donut she brought for you since you missed your lunch break.

“and now he's in love with you?”

You give her a solemn nod this time, watching as he traces patterns on your thigh.

“Well, shit."

All you can do is nod once more in agreement to that accurate assesment of your situation.