She stood there, looking as breathtaking as ever with her long silky chestnut hair falling effortlessly over her shoulders. Tonight, she wore a black dress that hugged her curves a little too perfectly.

Her broad chest bounced slightly as she shifted on her heels with a slight smirk on her face.

Victor swallowed. 'Oh… I'm so dead.'

"Uh. Hey, Amara," he voiced softly, trying to keep his cool.

She tilted her head. "Your reflexes were insane just now. Since when were you that fast?"

Victor chuckled. "Oh, you know. Been doing some, uh, secret training."

Amara raised an eyebrow. "Secret, huh?"

She smirked before leaning in slightly. "Well, whatever it is, it worked. You were cool."

Victor's brain blue-screened.

'Did she just call me… cool?'

Before he could say something dumb, she spoke again. "Derek didn't come to the party. So… mind keeping me company?"

Victor's soul ascended.

"YES. I mean—yeah, sure, totally, no problem."

Amara giggled, and just like that, Victor followed her towards a secluded spot.

...

...

Victor leaned back against the rooftop railing, sipping on a drink as he watched the party unfold below. The lights flickered, the music pulsed, and the air smelled like expensive cologne and rebellion.

But none of that mattered.

Because Amara Blake was standing right beside him.

'Holy crap. This is real life.'

She turned to him while tilting her head slightly. "You know, I never really pegged you as the type to come to these kinds of parties."

Victor smirked. "Oh? And what type did you peg me as?"

She let out a soft chuckle. "I don't know… more of a 'stay home and play video games' type."

Victor placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "Wow. That's offensive. I'll have you know I'm a man of many interests. Gaming is just one of them."

Amara raised an eyebrow with a look of amusement. "Oh yeah? Like what?"

Victor thought for a second. "Uh… making people laugh. Eating. Sleeping. Giving people life-changing wisdom when they least expect it. And let's not forget—dodging responsibilities like a pro."

Amara laughed while shaking her head. "You really are something else, Victor."

He grinned. "Glad you think so. Would've sucked if you found me boring."

She took a sip of her drink and then looked out at the party. "I think boring is the last word I'd use to describe you."

Victor felt a surge of victory.

'Alright, alright. I'm in.'

They stood in comfortable silence for a moment as the night breeze kissed their skin.

Then Amara sighed.

Victor glanced at her. "Alright, I know that sigh. That's the 'I'm about to get deep but I don't know if I should' sigh."

She smirked. "Oh? You can read me now?"

Victor grinned. "I've got skills. Comes with being the Victor Revenant."

She let out a small laugh before falling quiet again. Then, she spoke.

"Derek and I got into an argument the other day."

Victor blinked. "Oh?"

She exhaled before swirling the drink in her cup. "He says I overthink things too much. That I worry about things that don't really matter."

Victor frowned. "That… sounds like a pretty broad statement. What exactly were you overthinking?"

She hesitated for a moment before answering. "People's expectations of me. The way they see me. The way I have to be. It's like… no matter what, I'm always 'Amara Blake, the hot girl, the dream girl.' But what if I don't always want to be that?"

Victor listened carefully.

She continued in a much quieter voice. "It's not that I don't like attention… I just hate that sometimes it feels like people aren't actually seeing me. Like they just see… the surface."

Victor stayed silent for a moment before responding.

"I get it."

She looked at him in surprise. "You do?"

Victor nodded before leaning forward on the railing. "Everyone wants to be seen for who they really are, not just the version of them that other people like best."

Amara's eyes softened.

Victor continued. "People love to put each other in boxes. You? You got put in the 'perfect, untouchable, dream girl' box. Me? I got put in the 'class clown, never serious' box. But people are always more than one thing."

She stared at him in a new light.

Victor met her gaze. "You don't want to just be 'Amara Blake, the girl guys drool over.' You want someone to see Amara, the person. And I think that's fair."

Amara blinked.

Then—she smiled.

"Wow," she said. "You actually… get it."

Victor smirked. "Hey, I told you—I give life-changing wisdom when people least expect it."

She chuckled while shaking her head. "You really surprised me, you know that?"

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Why? Did you think I was just some shallow jokester?"

She shrugged playfully. "I mean… kind of."

Victor gasped before placing a hand over his heart. "How dare you. My depth is unfathomable. My wisdom? Infinite."

Amara laughed. "Alright, alright, I get it. You're more than just a jokester."

Victor grinned. "Damn right."

She sighed again, but this time, it sounded lighter. "I guess I'm not sure everyone ever really sees me sometimes. But… you're different."

Victor leaned back. "I think everyone has more than just one side to them. It's just… not everyone is willing to look deeper."

She tilted her head slightly, studying him. "Yeah. I think you might be right."

For a moment, they just looked at each other.

Then Amara smiled and bumped her shoulder against his playfully. "I like talking to you, Victor."

Victor gave her a lopsided grin. "Well, lucky for you, I'm very available for deep conversations and premium-grade banter at a low price of just $0.099."

She chuckled. "Good to know."

■■

■■

(( The Next Morning ))

Victor woke up feeling like a king.

His mind was still blissfully foggy from the events of last night—the party, the challenge, the cheers, and most importantly… Amara Blake.

For the first time in his life, she chose to hang out with him.

Victor stretched as a lazy grin spread across his face—

Then his eyes snapped open.

His VR helmet was still in his hands.

"…Wait."

He sat up abruptly, looking at his surroundings. His room was exactly as he left it—except for the pile of clothes he had carelessly tossed aside before collapsing onto his bed.

'Did I… not log into Ascendant Realms last night?'