Chapter 2

The sight of Kael and Seraphina, both adorned in the Sunstone Regalia, was a confirmation.

It was a public spectacle.

Ava felt her breath catch. The Regalia, meant to symbolize partnership, now mocked her.

Her heart ached with a pain so intense it felt like a physical wound.

All the effort, the solo grind, for nothing.

He' d replaced her. Just like that.

"Nyx, you are my rock," Kael had told her countless times.

"With you by my side, we can conquer anything."

Those words, once a source of comfort and strength, now echoed as bitter lies.

His promises of partnership, of shared triumphs, felt like ash in her mouth.

Three years. He'd thrown away three years.

Ava tried to message Kael.

"Ethan, what is this? The Sunstone Regalia... with Seraphina?"

No reply.

She tried again. "We need to talk."

The system message popped up: "Kael is currently in a restricted area and cannot receive messages."

He was avoiding her.

The coldness was a stark contrast to the warmth he' d always shown Nyx.

Or so she had thought.

A notification pinged on her work monitor.

An urgent email from Thorne Dynamics, Ethan' s company.

"Project Nova - Concept Art Review - URGENT."

Ava had been freelancing for them for a few weeks on a new game.

She had to switch gears, push down the turmoil.

Work was work. Money was money.

The video call started.

A project manager, then Ethan Thorne himself. Unmasked.

His real face. Conventionally handsome, just like Kael' s avatar, but without the +100% glow.

Ava wore her usual work disguise: a medical mask, large blue-light-blocking glasses.

"Severe allergies," she' d told her agent. "And light sensitivity."

He looked right at her, through her. No recognition.

"Ava Chen, right? Your latest concepts are impressive."

His voice, the same voice as Kael, discussing art assets.

It was surreal. Her in-game betrayer was her real-life boss.

She wanted to rip off the mask, to scream, "It's me, Ethan! It's Nyx!"

But the fear, the ingrained habit of hiding, was too strong.

What would he do? Fire her? Laugh?

The humiliation would be unbearable.

She stayed silent, professional.

"Thank you, Mr. Thorne."

His tone was all business.

"We need these environments to feel epic, Ava. This game is... important to me."

He was polite, distant.

No hint of the Kael who had shared his dreams with Nyx.

The man on the screen was a stranger.

A stranger who was currently breaking her heart in another world.

Later that night, scrolling through Instagram, Ava saw Ethan' s profile.

A new, subtle addition to his bio: a single sparkle emoji. ✨

Fans in the comments were already making the connection.

"The sparkle! It's for Stardust_Angel!"

"Kael and Seraphina are official! Stardust_Angel is real!"

It was another stab. He was publicly branding himself with the name Skyler had stolen.

His "true love" was a carefully constructed lie.

The in-game forums were a nightmare.

Threads celebrated "Kael & Seraphina: The True Power Couple."

Screenshots of them in the Sunstone Regalia were everywhere.

Comments about Nyx were vicious.

"Good riddance to the ugly hag."

"Kael finally upgraded."

"She was holding him back."

Ava felt sick. The public humiliation was a fresh wave of pain.

She remembered Kael' s words when they first formed their in-game partnership.

"No matter what, Nyx, it' s us against the world. Always."

She' d clung to that, even as the Reddit thread about their mismatched avatars raged.

She' d believed in his loyalty, in their bond.

Now, that belief was shattered.

But a tiny, foolish part of her still hoped.

Then came the guild announcement.

A system-wide message from Kael, leader of The Crimson Vanguard.

"Effective immediately, Seraphina is appointed as Co-Leader of The Crimson Vanguard."

Ava stared at the words.

Her position. He' d given Skyler her position.

Without a word to her.