Nox walked, and man, the city was dead. Not just quiet, but that heavy, ringing-in-your-ears kind of dead, like the whole world was holding its breath. The map the system gave him for Princess What's-Her-Name was a little blue dot blinking in his vision, a handy-dandy GPS leading him through streets piled high with trashed cars and rubble.

He kept his head on a swivel, but honestly, this part of town felt like it had already been picked clean by whatever monsters had rolled through.

His hand drifted down to his waist, fingers brushing against the cool metal of the gun still tucked in his belt.

'Seriously, what the hell was I even thinking?' The thought just popped into his head, totally out of nowhere. 'I had a gun. The entire time.'

He'd gone through that whole insane brawl with the furry boss, a monster that could have torn him in half, and not once did he think to just… shoot it. Not when it was turning his face into a punching bag, and definitely not when it was holding him up by his hair like a prize-winning fish. It was just so, so stupid.

'Was I just trying to play by the system's new rules, like some kind of idiot? So focused on swinging my pipe and getting those sweet, sweet stat points that I forgot how the real world works?' Or maybe, deep down, after everything with Mark, a part of him just didn't want to use a gun again unless his back was completely against the wall.

'Yeah, well, that's dumb,' he decided, pulling the revolver out. The weight of it felt good in his hand, solid and real in a way the system's blue boxes weren't. It felt familiar, but also a little strange now that he was strong enough to crush a man's skull with his bare hands. A tool's a tool, and this was a damn good one.

'Alright, system. Let's see what you think of this bad boy.' He focused on the gun and flicked on his Appraise skill.

A clean blue box shimmered into view.

[Appraise: Old Model Revolver (Common Firearm)]

[Description: A standard, mass-produced six-shot revolver. Chambered in .38 Special. Reliable but nothing special. Needs bullets to work, obviously.]

[Condition: Slightly Worn. Barrel's a little dirty.]

[Potential with Weapon Mastery: You could get decent with it. Don't expect any fancy trick shots, though. It's just a basic gun.]

'Old Model Revolver. Common. Figures.' Still, common didn't mean useless. He popped the cylinder open—yep, still five rounds left. 'Weapon Mastery should make aiming a little less of a guessing game, at least.'

He kept the gun in his hand, the solid weight of it a weird comfort as he started walking again. A second later, the chat window blinked open in his mind.

[Baron Von Cynic] And there it is. The kid ditches the girls. So predictable. Loyalty is supposed to go both ways, but he's clearly still on a one-way street, population: him.

[Master Strategos] Observation: The female units showed a major increase in group cohesion after the dungeon. Nox letting them go find their families while he takes on a high-risk solo quest is a tactically… interesting move. It keeps them safe, so they can potentially rejoin the group later.

[Lady Veritas] "Female units"? Seriously, Strategos? They're young women who were incredibly brave! And Nox didn't "let" them do anything, they made their own choice. Though for the life of me, I can't figure out why they'd stick with him after he admitted to… well, you know. Mark.

[Lord of Carnage] @Lady Veritas Because he gets results, Veri. Simple as that. They stuck by him in that office building, didn't they? That Kendra's got fire. Yeda's a whole new person after her little power-up. And Vasa is just pure, cold logic. The kid's building a pack, whether he knows it or not.

[Auraelia, Goddess of Resilient Sparks] They're his friends! They believe in him! It's not about tactics or results, it's about having a connection! 💖 They saw he was a good person deep down, even when he couldn't see it himself! It's actually SO sweet! 🥰

He mentally rolled his eyes. 'Friends? Connection? This goddess is living on another planet.'

[Baron Von Cynic] "Friends"? Oh, please, Auraelia. They're scared, traumatized girls who are clinging to the first guy who didn't immediately die. He's a walking power fantasy for them. And you notice he doesn't even question why they're suddenly so devoted? Does he think it's normal for three girls to just decide he's their whole world after knowing him for a few hours of absolute hell?

[Auraelia, Goddess of Resilient Sparks] HEY! That's not fair, Baron! 😠 Nox is a good person, and they see it! It's not about… that! And he does care! He told Yeda he believed in her! That was HUGE for him! You're just a big meanie! Don't listen to him, Nox!

[Lady Veritas] As much as I hate to agree with the Baron's crude delivery, he has a point. The level of loyalty they're showing is… a lot, considering how little time they've known each other. Player Nox, have you considered that going through a massive trauma together can make people form intense bonds, really, really fast?

Nox's brow furrowed. 'What are they even on about? Loyalty? They stuck around, yeah. It's better than being alone, for them and for me.' He hadn't really thought about it any deeper than that. They were useful, getting stronger, and hadn't tried to kill him in his sleep yet. In this messed-up new world, that was basically a five-star arrangement.

[Trickster God Hermes IV] LOL, Veritas, you make "trauma bonding" sound so boring and clinical. C'mon, maybe they just think he's hot now that he's not getting his face shoved in toilets anymore. 😂 Let's be real, power is sexy.

[Auraelia, Goddess of Resilient Sparks] HERMES! That is SO not appropriate! 😡 Nox, please ignore him! They admire your strength and your courage! And… and other stuff! It's a pure and noble friendship!

[Oracle of Fates] The threads connecting them are… unusually strong. Woven tight, with a brightness that speaks of more than just luck or convenience.

[Auraelia, Goddess of Resilient Sparks] Exactly, Oracle! Thank you! See? It's special! It's… oh, um, maybe we shouldn't get too into the details right now? Nox is still new to all this god-chat stuff! We don't wanna overwhelm him with… you know… specifics! 😅 Let him figure it out!

[Lord of Carnage] Specifics? What specifics? Spit it out, Sparky. Or you, Oracle. Don't get all mysterious on us now.

[Baron Von Cynic] Yes, Auraelia, please don't try to protect the boy from reality. If there's some cosmic reason they're stuck to him like glue, he should know. It'll save him the shock when they expect him to, you know, have an actual conversation with them.

[Auraelia, Goddess of Resilient Sparks] NO! Stop it, all of you! It's too soon! He needs to figure things out on his own! It's a very delicate… situation! 🥺 Please!

Nox felt a flicker of something, not really annoyance, more like a dull curiosity. 'What are they all tiptoeing around? So they stuck with me. So what? It's not that deep.'

[Oracle of Fates] The Pattern is what it is, Auraelia, whether the Player is ready to see it or not. He is the eye of their storm. A fixed point in a world of chaos. Such anchors are not easily abandoned.

Nox stopped walking. The gun in his hand felt heavy, forgotten. The chat in his head had just gone from background noise to something… weirdly sharp.

'An anchor?'

[Auraelia, Goddess of Resilient Sparks] NOX! Please, please, please just ignore Oracle! She's being super dramatic! And a little mean! It's not… it's not like that! It's just a really, really strong friendship! A super-duper friendship! That's all! 🥺🙏✨ Don't read too much into it!

He could almost picture Auraelia frantically waving her hands, her denial so over-the-top it almost made him take the Oracle's word more seriously. Almost.

'An anchor. For them?' He thought of Kendra's big mouth and surprising grit, of Vasa's quiet, unnerving focus, and Yeda… Yeda, who'd gone from a scared little mouse to someone who could summon a freaking energy sword. The idea of him being some kind of stable point for them was just… bizarre.

He replayed the Baron's words in his head. 'Does he think it's normal for three girls to abruptly decide he's their everything…?'

'Their everything?' That was a huge stretch. They trusted him, sure. And yeah, they'd stuck with him when they could have just run for the hills. After that insane fight in the gym, when he was bleeding all over the floor, they hadn't bailed. He could still hear Kendra yelling at him not to die, remembered the feeling of Yeda's hands trying to put pressure on his wounds, and saw Vasa's face looking… well, as worried as Vasa could look.

He started walking again, slower this time. He'd always been alone. It was just easier that way. People were messy, a liability, a source of pain, or at best, just background noise you had to ignore.

But the girls…

'It wasn't annoying having them around,' he had to admit, the thought surprising him. Back at the school, even when Kendra was running her mouth or Yeda was being all jumpy, it hadn't been… bad. It was definitely less quiet than this endless, empty silence. They pulled their own weight, too. Yeda had saved his ass with that sword thing, and Kendra and Vasa had handled that alpha dog monster on their own.

'It's… efficient,' he tried to tell himself. 'More people means more eyes, more firepower. Less chance of getting jumped.' That was logical. That made sense.

But then there was that other thing, the feeling he couldn't put a label on. When they'd left to go find their families, the quiet that settled in afterward felt… different. It wasn't the usual peace and quiet he was used to, the kind he actually liked. This was… hollow. Like the background music of his life just got shut off, leaving a buzzing silence in its place.

'Why, though?'

Crap. Was he actually… fond of them? Nah. That was a weird word. It felt wrong in his head. But… maybe? It wasn't a feeling he knew what to do with.

[Auraelia, Goddess of Resilient Sparks] Nox? Are you… okay? You're being really quiet, even for you! Please don't listen to them! Anchors are just a silly old myth! Like… like unicorns that grant wishes if you feed them perfectly ripe strawberries! Totally not real! (Unless you're in the Glimmerwood, then they are, but that's different!) Just focus on the mission! Princess Serian needs you! 💖👑

He almost snorted out loud. 'Unicorns and strawberries? This goddess is nuts.'

'I'm fine,' he sent back, keeping his mental voice flat. 'Just thinking.'

He wasn't about to start unpacking whatever this 'anchor' crap meant, or why the thought of the girls being gone for good made his stomach feel a little tight. It was just another layer of weirdness in this whole messed-up new reality.

He had a princess to find. Getting bogged down by confusing, pointless emotions wasn't going to get him EXP or stat points.

Still, as he picked up his pace, trying to force his thoughts back to the mission, he couldn't quite shake the Oracle's word. It just kept bouncing around in his skull, an annoying, uncomfortable echo.

Anchor.

Ugh.