#itolds

“Well, you’re doing wonderfully already,” the woman replies, tone smooth but warm, like she actually means it. “I’m Marceline. You can just call me MC though.” 

Aurora lets out a playful scoff which could be mistaken for a nervous huff, deadpanning. 

She is quite literally MC, huh.

Aurora swallows, daring a small smile. “My name is Aurora. It’s nice to meet you two.”

The man beside her—Caleb—finally speaks, his voice low and even. “Aurora. Fitting name.” His gaze is sharp, but there’s no malice in it. It’s the kind of look that weighs, measures… and, oddly, approves.

Heat prickles at her ears. She shifts on her feet. “Can I get you both started with drinks?”

The woman nods, rattling off an order with ease, while Caleb just murmurs, “The same.” His attention lingers on Aurora a second longer than necessary, like he’s cataloguing details he won’t forget.

Aurora scribbles down the order, but her fingers tremble slightly against the page. It’s not fear—it’s something else. Like being seen through.

---

SUNDAY June 30th, 2047 Aurora re-reads the email on her phone for the twelfth time.

Akso Hospital.

Board-level meeting.

Sunday. 9:30 AM.

Special case review.

Her stomach twists itself into an anxious pretzel.

“Yep,” she mutters under her breath. “This is the building.”

The towering hospital looms above her. An elegant monolith of glass, white alloy, and sharp geometric architecture. The morning sun reflects off its crystalline panels, scattering light across the plaza like fractured starbursts. Drones hum overhead. Holographic banners ripple with rotating medical announcements. Everything feels too advanced, too clean, too intimidating.

She takes a breath and steps inside.

The lobby is cavernous and bright, filled with the low buzz of staff and the gentle hum of hovering machines disinfecting the floors. The ceiling arches high enough to hold a small planetarium. Pale blue light pulses along the edges of transparent screens displaying patient wait times.

Aurora approaches the receptionist, palms clammy.

“Hi. My name is Aurora Doran. I have a meeting with the board?”

The receptionist scans her face with a practiced smile. “Yes, Miss Doran. You’re expected. Please follow me.”

Aurora tries not to trip as she trails behind the woman through a series of sleek corridors.

The door slides open with a soft chime.

A long table curves through the center of the room. Eight people and their titles sit spaced evenly along it.

Heads of departments, senior clinicians, administrative leads.

And one familiar man in a white coat with dark hair, golden-green eyes, and a composed presence that borders on intimidating.

Zayne Li.

Aurora internally screams.

Fantastic.

Cold, stoic, and sexy. 

She forces a smile as she steps inside.

“Miss Doran,” the Chairwoman greets. “Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat.”

Aurora bows slightly. “Thank you for having me.”

She goes around the table, shaking hands one by one.

Firm hands. Sharp eyes.

Professional smiles that feel more like assessments.

When she reaches Zayne, he offers his hand with polite neutrality, but there’s a flicker of curiosity in his gaze.

“Dr. Zayne Li,” he introduces.

“I—I know,” she blurts, then wants to fling herself out the nearest window. “I mean—nice to meet you.”

Aurora takes her seat, setting her phone face down to keep her hands from shaking.

Explain my case. Demonstrate. Impress. Then LEAVE.

One of the board members clears his throat.

“In your email, you mentioned you possess a… special Evol. One you could not describe digitally. Please elaborate.”

Aurora nods, inhaling deeply.

“I believe I have a healing-type Evol,” she begins. “It activated accidentally- twice. I didn’t want to risk writing details electronically in case it was intercepted or flagged.”

Several members exchange interested glances.

“What precisely happened?”

Aurora explains everything.

Finding the injured kitten.

The golden mist.

The leg healing fully.

The second test at the vet clinic.

When she finishes, the room goes silent.

Not disbelief.

But… calculation.

Finally a woman leans back. “Miss Doran… that’s a substantial claim. Can you demonstrate it?”

Aurora swallows. “I can try.”

“Bring in a low-priority ED case,” another member instructs. “Someone stable. Non-critical.”

A nurse steps out.

Aurora’s pulse hammers.

Minutes later, the nurse wheels in a patient—mid-thirties, pale, restless, gripping his abdomen. 

His chart indicates:

Severe kidney stone pain.

Stable, but in acute discomfort.

He groans softly, clutching his side.

“A stone stuck in the ureter,” the nurse explains. “Pain management is ongoing, but we can pause medication to allow demonstration.”

Aurora steps forward, heart pounding.

She hovers her hands over him.

…

…

…

Nothing.

No warmth.

No glow.

No mist.

Aurora stiffens.

One member raises an eyebrow.

Another scribbles something.

Zayne watches quietly—but with focus sharpened like a blade.

Aurora’s palms sweat. “I swear- it usually works- ”

One man sighs, sitting back down. “Miss Doran, you were informed that misuse of departmental time comes with financial penalties. The entire board is present today. I hope you understand the gravity-”

The rest of the words blur out. Her heart thumps in her ears.

His tone is cold.

Clinical.

Borderline accusatory.

They all walk towards their seats.

Aurora’s chest tightens painfully.

Why isn’t it working?

Why now of all times-?

She lifts her eyes just in time to see the patient wince, his face contorted in agony. His breath stutters. Sweat beads along his temple.

“Sir?” Aurora whispers, stepping closer. “Please… look at me.”

He lifts his head weakly. Their eyes meet.

A sharp, stabbing pain tears through her own lower abdomen, fast and brutal.

She gasps quietly.

The board barely notices—they’re watching the patient, not her.

Her heart stutters.

Her breath shakes.

The pain keeps pulsing.

Matching his.

Perfectly.

Her hand trembles and heat blooms in her chest.

A spark.

A glow.

A golden warmth rising like a held breath finally released.

Light crawls down her arms.

And then—the mist pours out.

Chairs hover backwards as the members scamper out of their seats.

Soft, golden, effervescent light swirls from her hands, weaving itself around the patient’s abdomen. The fog thickens, glows brighter, and begins sinking gently into his skin.

The room goes silent.

The board watches in stunned disbelief.

The patient’s breathing slows. His heart rate and blood pressure stabilises. His muscles relax.

He exhales shakily, eyes widening as the pain dissolves from his face.

But Aurora is still hurting.

The pain doesn’t leave her.

In fact, it gets worse as the healing finishes, stabbing hot and relentless through her abdomen.

She bites her lip, forcing her expression still.

One minute.

Four deep breaths.

Hold. Don’t react. Don’t expose anything.

Slowly and mercifully,

the pain fades.

The ache melts away.

The moment it disappears, the golden mist dissipates.

Aurora sags forward slightly, dizzy but composed.

Zayne’s eyes narrow ever so slightly.

“Miss Doran?” he asks quietly.

“Yes?” She stumbles out.

He raises an eyebrow. 

“I’m fine.” she lies.

The Chairwoman steps toward the patient. “Sir? How do you feel?”

He sits up cautiously.

His eyes widen.

“…The pain is gone.”

“Gone?”

“Completely.”

A murmur of astonished voices fills the room.

“A regenerative Evol?”

“Advanced healing—never documented at this level.”

“Incredible…”

Zayne remains silent, assessing Aurora.

Studying the faint tremor still in her hands.

She forces them still.

“This could revolutionize—”

Zayne’s voice cuts through cleanly. “Miss Doran, please sit.” He pushes the glass of water towards her as he, along with the other members of the board, moves to his seat.

She collapses into her chair, trembling.

A board member leans forward.

“Miss Doran… with an ability like that, why would you want it hidden?”

Aurora lifts her eyes, voice small but steady.

“Because people get kidnapped for powers like this,” she says. “Weaponised. Forced into military branches. Tracked. Hunted. I don’t want to be a target. I don’t want to be used.”

Another voice says, gentler, “We understand. And confidentiality is… negotiable, especially since hiding something like this from the Evol Department…is risky.”

“Althought, there is no doubt you would be joining us. But we require formal testing.”

A holographic machine is wheeled forward.

“Please place your hand on the sensor.”

Aurora nods shakily.

The board watches.

Zayne watches closer.

She places her hand on the glowing panel.

It lights.

Flashes.

Her chest squeezes sharply.

Her vision tunnels.

“…W- wait…”

“Miss Doran?”

She hears Zayne’s voice, too far away.

The world thins.

Light engulfs her.

Everything goes black.

---

??? ??? ?? ???? Aurora abruptly opened her eyes. 

If this was all just a dream, I might jump.

“Why hello again… Aurora.” The owner of the deep voice swishes the shimmering, white liquid around his wine glass.

What-

------------

Her gaze drops.

And her heart stops.

She’s on all fours.

Directly at his feet.

He looks down at her with a slow, amused smirk.

Aurora scrambles backward instantly, hands slipping slightly on the polished, mirror-like floor. She half-stumbles, half-crawls to the nearest chair, the one opposite his throne, and practically throws herself into it.

“What- what the hell! Thanatos?!” she sputters, breath shaking. “Why am I here again? I didn’t call for you. I didn’t do anything. I was at the hospital- Oh my god! I’ve got a bone to pick with you! You just threw me there! Into that world! Without letting me finish-”

He swirls the white liquid again, the motion elegant, effortless, and lifts up a hand.

“Ugh.” He recoils. “So many words in ten seconds. Calm down.”

Her eyes narrow, choosing to close her mouth for a bit.

He lifts the glass slightly, studying her over its rim.

“Aurora,” he says languidly, “you don’t have an Evol.”

She stares at him.

“…What?” she demands. “Um yes, I do. I literally just healed someone. In front of a whole board of doctors.”

A soft laugh drips from his lips.

“If that was the joke then I’m leaving. That was very funny.”

She gets up dramatically.

“Let me finish…please.” Thanatos side-eyes her.

He leans forward slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper that curls around her spine,

“What you used today was not an Evol.”

“…Then what was it?”

Thanatos tilts his head, watching her like a curious little puzzle.

“Aurora,” he says softly, almost indulgently, “what you wield… is divine power. A gift I bestowed on you.”

Her breath catches.

“Divine-? The hell is divine power supposed to mean? And why would you give me something like that?”

Her eyes widen.

“-and what’s happening at the hospital? Did I die again?!”

Thanatos sighs. A slow, elegant exhale, as though she is a child asking why the sky is blue.

The air shifts.

Behind him, the void ripples — dark and vast, filled with drifting lights like floating green embers. 

“You’re not dead,” he says finally. “Your body is still lying quite peacefully in Akso Hospital. Your heart beats. They believe you fainted. They are examining you as we speak.”

Aurora swallows hard.

“Okay… so… why am I here?”

Thanatos leans back in his throne, the obsidian surface shimmering beneath him.

“I didn’t let you go there for free, Aurora.”

A shiver crawls up her spine.

“What does that mean?”

“I appointed you,” he says, “as my vassal.”

“…Your WHAT. Your vessel?”

“My vassal,” Thanatos repeats calmly. “A servant of higher order. Bound by divine tether.”

He gestures loosely with his glass. “A very old arrangement. Quite standard, actually.”

“STANDARD?!”

She nearly chokes.

“I didn’t agree to ANYTHING like that-!”

“You didn’t disagree,” he counters smoothly. “Which, in cosmic law, is very similar.”

Aurora gapes at him. 

Don’t ‘um actually’ me. What the fuck.

Thanatos sets his glass aside, and with a flick of his wrist, a thick, ancient-looking book materialises in his hand — bound in dark metal and inked, neon glyphs that shimmer faintly.

He offers it to her.

She doesn’t move.

He arches a brow.

“Take it.”

Aurora reaches out reluctantly, and the book lands in her palms with surprising weight. It feels… alive. Warm. Wrong.

“What is this…?”

“A manual,” he says casually.

“For dark magic. An ability you acquire as my vassal. It will come to you in time, with practice.”

“Dark… magic.”

She says it like it tastes weird in her mouth.

“Yes,” Thanatos says, amused.

“Though for now, you are only newly appointed. Barely awakened. You won’t wield it properly yet.”

“But why dark magic? Why would celestial beings use dark magic?”

Thanatos tilts his head, leaning it on his hand. “Dark magic is a bit more flexible. It fills in the gaps of Divine power, since Divine power is pretty limited to a specific focus.”

Aurora flips the book open.

Black pages. Dark green ink. Symbols that shift when she tries to read them.

“Divine power obeys rules. Dark magic doesn’t.”

She lifts her eyes up from the book and snaps it shut.

“And the healing thing?” she demands. “How does that even work? Why do I have it?”

Thanatos steeples his fingers.

“Because,” he says, “some of the divine power must be passed down to the vassal when appointment happens. I cannot keep it forever. The cycle of souls requires succession.”

“Succession,” she repeats blankly.

“Yes,” he says. “Promotions, Aurora. Even deities have them.”

She stares at him, horrified.

“And my healing divine power,” he continues lightly, “is merely what I chose to bestow upon you. A fragment of what I once held. Now that you have it, I no longer possess that ability.”

Her blood runs cold. “You- you GAVE me your healing?”

Thanatos laughs softly.

Aurora grips the book tighter, heart racing.

“So what now?” she whispers.

Thanatos smiles.

“Oh, Aurora,” he says, leaning forward, eyes glinting like dying stars.

“Now… you begin learning what you truly are.”

Thanatos watches her clutch the book with that same amused, patient-but-not-really-patient expression.

Click!

He snaps his fingers.

The book vanishes instantly from her hands.

Not faded.

Not dissolved.

Just gone, like reality forgot it was ever there.

Aurora gasps.

“What-?!”

Click!

Thanatos snaps again.

The book reappears in her lap, heavy and humming with a dark pulse.

He twirls his finger in his hair lazily.

“Your turn.”

“My turn?”

“To cloak it,” he says, tone clipped as if this is basic kindergarten magic. “I don’t need Akso’s little monitors discovering you brought forbidden texts into their sterile world. Or anyone knowing, in fact.”

She stares at him.

He stares back expectantly. He makes a snapping gesture sharply.

“You are my vassal now. Act like it.”

Aurora panics. Hands shaking, she lifts the book in front of her.

“O-okay- uhh-”

Thanatos taps his foot.

“Aurora. It works through intention. Command the power from your head and imagine it running all the way through to your hands, then fingertips, then out to the book.”

She sucks in a breath.

Fine.

Okay.

Focus.

Hide.

A swirl of deep purple mist bursts outward from her fingertips.

It wraps around the book like ribbons of smoke, coiling elegantly up its spine, across the dark metal, through the neon glyphs.

The mist thickens, tightens, and sinks into the book’s surface swallowing its presence.

Aurora’s eyes widen.

“…I did it?”

Thanatos pauses and lifts one brow.

“Well. Good job. First try.”

He tilts his head slightly.

“Perhaps you are not as hopeless as I assumed.”

She groans internally. 

Was that a compliment or an insult. 

Probably both.

Thanatos rises from his throne with fluid, unnatural grace.

“Good,” he says. “Now let’s not waste any more time.”

He snaps his fingers one last time.

A luminous summoning circle ignites beneath Aurora’s chair — sprawling lines of green, white, and black flame weaving into geometric patterns that rotate like a clock and a star map layered together.

The floor hums.

Her stomach drops.

Thanatos’s eyes glow with a pale, inhuman light.

“Time to go back, Aurora.”

“W-wait-! I still have questions-!”

“Ask them when you survive your next fainting spell,” he says dryly.

Aurora feels herself falling.

Air rushes past her.

Light flickers.

And everything blacks out once again.

------------

…

…

…

…

Her stomach twists.

NOO! They hate me already!

Did they hear me talking to myself earlier?! Maybe they peeked through the peephole and saw the cupcakes and thought I was weird-

She inhales sharply, mood switching instantly.

What if they aren’t home?

She looks down at the tray.

I guess someone else is getting these cupcakes. You missed out for real, stranger.

She shakes her head side to side and lets out a playful huff.

Maybe I’ll try the apartment in front of mine.

Aurora takes a few steps back, pivoting on her heel. She prepares to march off and offer her cupcakes to her new victim-

Click!

The soft whirr of a door unlocking, echoes.

The very door she was at had creaked open.

She turns quickly, shuffling back in place.

“Hi! My name is Aur-”

Her words shrivel on her tongue.

Dark blue eyes blink at her, hazy from sleep, slowly adjusting to the light around him. He peers curiously at the plate of cupcakes.

Tousled, greyish-blonde hair frame the top half of his pale face.

He rubs his eye and lets out a yawn he barely conceals.

Her brain stutters.

I- What. No way. Haha. I’m seeing things.

But the height. The hair. The face. The vibe.

It’s Xavier. From Love and Deepspace. From my phone. From the app. Created by infold.

And I interrupted his beauty sleep.

Shit. I also forgot to complete my sentence.

Aurora’s cheeks begin to warm and she clutches the plate slightly tighter.

“Uh- My name is Aurora.” She blurts. “I moved in yesterday. To the apartment right next to yours. I’m new to Linkon so I hope we can be friends…”

Would he even want to be friends with me? She mentally sank into the floor.

Aurora awkwardly pushes the plate towards him. “Please take this as a gift. These are some lemon cupcakes I’ve baked. Wait- I hope you aren’t allergic to anything- Are you?” She stumbles on her words.

He lets out a soft huff.

A small, sleepy smile tugs at his lips. “No, I’m not allergic to anything.” Xavier plucks it out of her hands. “Thank you. These look great.”

He adds, “My name is Xavier, by the way.”

I KNOW! Oh my god he’s talking to me… She exhales.

Do not scream. Do not combust. Do not melt into your socks.

FANGIRL LATER. I NEED TO LOCK IN.

Smile. Nod. Be normal.

“Hello Xavier…cooking is one of my hobbies so you can expect more of these whenever I get those urges to bake.” The timid girl shoots out a shaky thumbs up.

His smile curls a little higher. “I’ll be looking forward to it…” Xavier’s gaze lingers a second longer, blinking at her. “...How old are you? You seem quite young.”

“I’m eighteen.”

He nods. “Oh, you must be going to Linkon University...?”

OH NOOO.

Her stomach twists into a pretzel.

I don’t even have secondary education certificates that would be eligible here… do I?

“No…”

“Ahh apprenticeship?”

SHIT.

“Yes. Something like that…” She lies.

I just lied to Xavier. :(

…

Aurora clears her throat, breaking the awkward silence. “So…how old are you?”

“Twenty-two.”

LIAR. You’re two-hundred and fourteen years old. You old man.

“I see. Do you work?”

“Yes.” He nods, rubbing the back of his neck, gaze dropping slightly. “I’m a Deepspace hunter.”

Does he know he’s adorable when he pouts like that? He’s so cute. I need to squish his cheeks- NO! CONTROL.

“Wow! That’s great.” She slaps a smile onto her face, scratching her palm to distract herself. “Thank you for your service!”

Do not boop his nose.

“I’ll take my leave now. I think I disturbed your sleep, didn’t I? And I pressed the bell twice. And I knocked…I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright." He shakes his head. “I had to get up for work anyway. Now I’ve got breakfast too, thanks to you.” Xavier gives her a polite smile. “Don’t worry about it. Have a nice day.”

“You too. Bye.”

Click!

The door shuts with a final thud.

Aurora stands and blinks at the door for a second and then bolts back to her apartment.

Plopping onto the bed, she squeals into the pillow.

Xavier is SO cute and cuddly in real life! The animations don’t do him any justice at all! And now I’m neighbours with him!

That was smart of me to mention that I cook. With a body and cooking skill like his, he probably doesn’t cook at all. Now I can slide him some healthy dishes. Heh. It was all part of the master plan.

She smirks to herself.

…

Wait.

If I’m neighbours with him then…

Her gaze shifts down towards the floor as if it would suddenly become transparent.

Is she also?-

---

Aurora finds herself at the entrance of another apartment after finishing greeting those on her floor.

This apartment. The one right under Xavier’s.

This is it, isn’t it?

She presses the doorbell with more caution than usual.

…

…

…

“Dear.”

“AHH!”

Aurora flinches and whiplashes herself towards the sound. She almost drops the cupcakes.

An elderly woman stood just a few steps away, her hands folded behind her back and an apologetic smile on her face.

“Oh my god. I’m so sorry.” Aurora gasps, placing a hand on her chest. “Yes?”

“I didn’t mean to scare you like that.” The elderly woman giggles softly into her hand. “I wanted to let you know that no one lives in that flat. It’s been vacant for a while now, dear.”

Ah. Right. It's 2047.

MC said something about moving here a few months back to Xavier. Then, she must’ve moved here early 2048 or late 2047 then.

“Dear?”

“Yes. Sorry, I got caught up with my thoughts.” The cupcakes in her hand now felt heavy. “Thank you for telling me that. Would you like these instead?”

------------

SATURDAY June 7th 2025 A pulsing pain enveloped Aurora as she slammed onto the harsh ground.

Her empty stomach was long forgotten. She no longer felt its retaliation towards her choice of not having breakfast. Hunger had faded into something colder.

The crunch of gravel beneath passing tires of cars, rumbled in her ears. 

Aurora’s lips parted to speak – then stilled.

Her groceries, scattered on the asphalt, began to blur and bend into smears of colour.

“Hey, are you okay?! Can you hear me?!” 

The voice felt far away.

She could barely register a hand cradling her back, and the other under her legs. 

The touch had gone numb.

---

??? ??? ?? ???? Aurora abruptly opened her eyes. 

It was just a dream. 

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. 

“That was, in fact, NOT a dream.” A deep voice echoed.

Her surroundings unblurred. 

Marble statues lined the off-white walls. The plush maroon carpet sunk under her feet, holding them tenderly.

Her eyes fell onto the man sitting in front of her. 

He tilted his head inquisitively. His murky, green hair shifted with the motion, brushing his cheekbones. A leg crossed over the other, and a wine glass balanced in his left hand, catching the light. 

Sharp features adorned his face – elegant and severe. His bright green eyes pierced through her, unwavering.

She flinched.

“Are you awake now?” 

“Yes.” Aurora squeaked.

What was happening? Why am I here? Why the hell is there a handsome man looking at me like that?

He smirked and took a sip of the shimmering white liquid. “Ah, good. Your senses have returned. Yes, I am a handsome man-” 

She blinked slowly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. 

“After all, I am the Thanatos… God of Death.” He gestured grandly towards himself, brushing his hair back with his hand like he practiced the move in a mirror.

What role play did I get kidnapped into? 

Wait. Did he read my mind?!

“Yes, I did read your mind. And no, this is NOT a roleplay.” He huffed. “Mortals and their stupid ideas I swear- ANYWAYS, let’s cut this short.” Sip. “You died. On Earth. It was an accident, mind you- Some idiotic servant of mine messed up your fate. You were not supposed to die-”

“Huh?!” 

The memory crashed into her. The street. The truck. The groceries.

I was hit even after I checked either side of the road twice. I didn’t even have breakfast yet. Aurora laid a hand on her tummy, pouting. 

Wait. What about my family? My mum? My dad? My friends? They are going to panic!-

“I wasn’t supposed to DIE?!” Aurora’s eyes widened, voice shooting up an octave.

“That’s what I said…” Thanatos groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Now I have to take responsibility for that little shit.” 

She forced a polite smile, hands clasped together. “Okay…? Just send me back.” 

“No.”

She blinked. “No?” 

“No.”

Hello? “Excuse me!?”

He let out a dramatic sigh, placing his unoccupied hand on his forehead. “Look. Time moves differently here. Even though the journey of your soul here seems fast, your mortal body? It’s already past rigor mortis. You’ve entered decomposition. In fact, you are already buried in the ground.” 

Her eye twitched at his matter-of-fact tone. “Buried in the ground?! And what do you mean by ‘Here’? Where am I?”

“You seem to enjoy repeating my words for confirmation. I meant ‘Here’ as in the Underworld.” 

”So I died prematurely? And I can’t go back? That doesn’t sound fair…”

“Yes…I know…” His throne creaked as he slumped lazily into it.

Fantastic. 

He perked up. “I’ll compensate you though.”

“Yeah? How so exactly, Thanatos?” 

He twitched. The way she said his name, so casually, grated on him. “I don’t know…? I could… send you to another planet or universe? Fictional. Real. Made-up. Doesn’t matter. I could also just toss you somewhere random, but that’s not as exciting..”

A word caught Aurora’s breath. Any fictional one I can think of? 

“Yes, mortal. Anywhere.” He leaned forward with his chin on his hand. “You have one minute to come up with a place.”

A minute? What the hell?! “Wait! What?!”

“Fifty-nine… Fifty-eight…” Thanatos smirked like this was all one big game.

“Okay! Okay!” 

Love and Deepspace- Wait, I should at least think a bit (or pretend to). 

Her mind scrambled. Hmm…Where to? Where to? The worlds which I have read will get me killed as soon as I step into them. Demons. Vampires. War. Apocalypse. Political drama. Misogyny. 

LaDS popped back up like a stubborn little dream.

Okay, sure there are evolvers and chaos, but there are also hunters. The civilians without evols survive all the time… right?

Maybe I could even see the characters and know them personally. (Totally not the reason. Not at all.)

“Ten! Nine! Eight!” Thanatos sang, counting faster.

“I GOT IT! I GOT IT!” Aurora gasped. 

He’s out for me. Disgusting, smirking, handsome, ass. Wait, he can read my thoughts-

The corner of his mouth rose. “Good. Where to?”

“I want to enter Love and Deepspace- NOT as the MC though, okay?- I just want-”

“Wish granted.” His voice echoed across the marble wall, sealing her fate.

“WAIT!- I haven’t finished speaking!” 

A blinding light engulfed her vision. 

------------

“Owww. Shit!”

Tangled in fluffy betrayal, she lays like a toppled caterpillar on the floor.

WHERE AM I?

Wriggling out of the cocoon, she dumps the blankets back on the bed with zero grace. Aurora exits the unfamiliar, but cozy, bedroom, bare foot and adrenaline-fueled, stumbling to a marble top kitchen that greets her on the right. 

Blue light materialises on top of it. Floating and blinking.

Is that a hologram?!

“What the fu-”

She takes a slow and cautious step closer.

The translucent interface lights up, as if sensing her presence.

Good Morning, Aurora. 

displayed in a glowing gold text.

Whaaa. This is creepy… It knows my name? Did I somehow sleep for a few decades?

A living area, with a long grey couch, basks in the sunlight filtered from the ceiling-to-floor windows. The balcony displays a magnificent view of towers that seemed like they were lined with mirrors. A skyscraper adorns massive green gardens on balconies-

Shit. 

I’ve seen that tower.

In one of the scenes in LaDS.

That wasn’t a dream?! I’m in Love and Deepspace?!

NO WAY!

That Thanatos guy took me here without letting me complete my sentence!

Ringgggg.

Aurora whips her head towards the sound echoing from the bedroom and tiptoes towards it, skeptical.

The surface of the slick device flashes rhythmically. She picks it up, eyebrows furrowed.

It's her generic wallpaper.

The screen unlocks instantly with her face ID.

Her jaw drops.

YO THIS IS MY PHONE FROM EARTH. But I didn’t have this model? 

She turns it over in her hands.

Ping.

A message pops up on the screen.

Your wish has been granted!  Welcome to Linkon City!  I have provided you an apartment and completed some extra stuff so you won’t be starting from scratch. However, these resources are limited so you have to find your own source of income soon.  Have fun – or whatever you mortals say.

Aurora stares at the message in disbelief. Then she pinches herself. 

A dull pain follows.

Okay so... this is real. Not an isekai dream. Not a simulation. Actually real.

Her racing thoughts were then interrupted by a rumble. 

She has a much more important priority. 

She‘s hungry.

Aurora steps towards the kitchen and yanks the fridge open with a huff to find… 

Nothing. 

Wow. Okay. 

She squinted at the nothingness.

Makes sense though. Can’t be both isekaied and well-fed from the get-go.

She then notices the documents stacked neatly on the kitchen shelf. Sitting, she flips through the pages.

Lease agreement…bank account…

Her eyes widens. Oh wow. 

If I split the money, and save some as emergency funds, it’ll last a while but definitely not for more than a month…

Biometric data already done… PIN code for the apartment set…alright alright.

Everything’s prepped already. Thanatos did a good job.

She then tucks the documents away safely in her bedside drawer, under some books.

So I need a job and I need food. How the hell am I supposed to know where the shops are? 

Aurora turns back to open her phone, only to catch her reflection in the black glass. 

Shiny black hair. Deep brown eyes. 

Usually people look different in isekai stories, but I look the same…? 

She shrugged. Welp. Not really an issue. 

Aurora navigates the screen for the maps, recognising some apps. 

Oo, the moments app! 

Her lips curve into a smile. That had always been her favourite function. 

I’ll create an account later. 

A destination only 300m away from the apartment blinks at her and she locks it in. 

She inhales deeply and grabs a few empty cloth bags. 

Let’s go, I guess. Grocery shopping round two! 

Let’s hope truck-kun leaves me alone this time.

---

So this is Linkon City…

Cylindrical, bat-looking robots zoom over citizens. Ottos... 

Green seemed to fill-in every empty spot between the metal prisms looming over her. 

Roads are wide and accommodates cars well. 

It’s pretty much the same back on Earth (isn’t this still Earth though…um whatever). 

Everything just looks much sleeker and neater. 

Aurora finally reaches her destination and steps through the front doors of the shop. 

Seems like it’s family-owned. But it has everything. 

She gathers the essentials. Bread. Milk. Vegetables. Fruits. Etc.

Hmmm…maybe I should bake something for the neighbours. The document did say I moved in yesterday. It’ll be a good way to integrate myself into the community.

After buying some extra ingredients for some simple lemon cupcakes, she fumbles with the self-pay register.

“Please don’t embarrass me in front of your advanced society, please…” She mumbles to the holographic machine.

---

Aurora finds herself at the door of the apartment right next to hers. Three lemon cupcakes sit on the paper plate in her hand, each topped with a swirl of frosting and a single sugared zest curl.

“Hi! I’m Aurora, your new neighbour. I just moved in yesterday. I hope we can become friends!” She whispers, rehearsing with a smile she hopes doesn’t look too stiff. 

Behind her, footsteps echo. 

A tall man passes by, his black-hair brushing just above a sleek black mask. He eyes her suspiciously. 

She stiffens under his gaze and forces a sheepish smile. A friendly greeting.

I should’ve rehearsed back at my apartment instead of talking to a door like a psycho.

Whatever… its now or nothing. 

She turns back to the door and rubs her sweaty palm on her floral pastel-purple dress. She presses a finger on the doorbell.

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