Leo and the girls walked down the street, keeping an eye out for any other oddities as they approached the Alchemy Shop.
Nyx's brow twitched at the men openly ogling them. She wasn't used to this much attention and was about to say something when Lily quietly placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's best to ignore them," Lily murmured. "Engaging won't do us any favors. Besides, if they get too close, our lil' Bunny will tear them a new one~."
Luna shot Lily a sharp glare but didn't bother denying it.
Soon, they reached the Alchemy Shop and slipped inside. Behind the counter, Rori sat reading a book. Her gaze flicked to her student, Barry's apprentice, and the young man with the mysterious bracelets. She raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Leo gave an awkward wave as they passed. Lily, as casual as ever, called out, "Hey, Teach, we need to use the backroom. You don't mind, right~?"
Rori sighed. "Brat, you'd use it whether I allowed it or not."
"Hehehe~! Better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission, yeah~?"
"...Fine. Do whatever you want."
"You're the best, Teach!"
Rori simply shook her head. Lily might have shown promise in alchemy and strategy, but her foolishness? That was something Rori doubted she'd ever understand.
Rori shook her head as she rubbed her temple with one hand.
"Just don't touch anything. If I find so much as a misplaced vial, I'll be testing my newest potion on you."
Lily chuckled, waving her off as she led the group toward the back.
As they passed through the curtain separating the main shop from the backroom, Leo felt the weight of their upcoming conversation settle over him. There was a lot to discuss—and even more to figure out.
The room was small but well-kept, with shelves lined with neatly labeled jars and a sturdy wooden table in the center. Luna shut the door behind them, her expression serious.
Lily stretched and cracked her knuckles.
"Alright, let's get down to business."
Leo took a deep breath.
"I think I know why we've been experiencing changes in the real world."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Nyx leaned against the wall, arms crossed. She was highly invested in the reason, it was a part of her mission.
Somewhat hesitantly, Leo opened his mouth and began to explain.
"I don't know how or why I know but the term that came to my mind is 'Astral Sync'. From what I can tell, it is the connection to our Avatars. Our connection with them is a lot stronger than those other players out there."
His words hung in the air for a moment as the others processed them.
Luna's eyes narrowed. "Stronger? What does that mean, exactly?"
Nyx clicked her tongue, arms still folded. "So you're saying the reason we've been changing physically is because we're more... connected?"
Lily tilted her head, somewhat confused as she tried to wrap her head around it all.
"Wait, wait, wait. If our Avatars are more 'synced' than the others, then does that mean we're, like, actually part of the game? Or rather, the game is part of us?"
Leo exhaled, rubbing his temple.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out. But from what I can tell, our reactions, our movements... they don't have that weird lag like other players."
He looked at his hand, opening and closing it before adding
It's almost as if our minds and bodies are fully aligned with the game world, while the others are slightly out of sync."
Luna frowned, gripping her sleeves. She didn't understand a single word of what was going on but she could tell that this was bad.
"But why us? What will happen if we die in game?"
Leo hesitated, his jaw tightening. That was the question, wasn't it?
"We don't know for sure. But if our bodies are syncing this much, I wouldn't rule out the worst-case scenario."
Lily clapped her hands together.
"Alright, so we're playing by hardcore mode rules. No big deal, we just don't die~."
Luna shot her an incredulous look.
"That's your takeaway?"
Lily had a sheepish grin.
"Stressing about it right now won't change anything, will it?"
Nyx, however, wasn't smiling. Her fingers tapped impatiently against her arm, deep in thought.
"This isn't just about us, though. If we're different, then that means someone—or something—made us this way."
Her gaze landed on Leo.
"You said the term 'Astral Sync' just came to you. Are you sure you don't remember anything else?"
"It's like... I knew it the moment I saw how the other players moved. The way they phase slightly when they walk, the lag in their reactions. It was obvious, but only after I really focused on it."
"If this is real, then we need to be careful about what we do here right?."
Nyx nodded solemnly .
"We also need to figure out what triggered this in the first place. If we can figure that out, maybe we can figure out a way to control it."
Lily frowned slightly at that odd statement. Why would they need to control it? Why not stop it?
Leo leaned against the table, feeling the weight of it all settle over him. If their connection to this world was deeper than anyone else's, then every step they took was a risk.
He looked at his party—Luna,Nyx, and Lily. They were in this together, but they needed answers.
'Oh Boss~! Good to See you! I just had a lovely dream~!'
Leo's brow twitched as Mors awoke, speaking to him mentally as if he had just woken up from a nap. He was about to ask him a question but Mors voice became tinged in surprise.
'Boss...You are a crazier bastard than me! You have a Defier on your side?! If the Church of Fate ever finds her, they will destroy her and anything she has ever touched, you and me included!'
Leo's eyes widened as his gaze shifted to Nyx. Was she the reason why his senses were screaming danger?
"Hey....I think you need to explain something to us too..."
Nyx cocked her eyebrow, caught off guard by Leo redirecting the conversation to her out of the blue.
"Care to tell us what a Defier