(The real world, VIP sector, The Arc Ship)
After logging out of the game, Leo wasted no time in thoroughly indulging in Amanda, and for hours, their bodies intertwined in an unrelenting dance of passion. The room was filled with the sound of labored breaths, muffled moans, and the rhythmic creaking of the bed beneath them.
She was insatiable, clinging to him like she never wanted to let go, her nails raking down his back, her breath hot against his ear as she gasped his name over and over again. And Leo? He took his time, savoring every inch of her, every gasp, every quiver, every cry of pleasure that spilled from her lips.
By the end, Amanda was sprawled beneath him, her limbs tangled with his, her skin glistening with sweat as she clung to him like a lifeline.
Huff… Huff…
"That was… unreal," Amanda panted, her voice barely above a whisper as she pressed a shaky hand to her forehead. "You were amazing, my champion."
Leo grinned, stretching his body like a satisfied predator, his fingers lazily tracing circles along the curve of her hip.
"You know," he mused, his tone teasing, "from here until we land, I could go like this every single day. After all, I haven't got much else to do."
Amanda's body immediately tensed, her legs clamping shut as if by instinct, her entire being radiating pure survival instinct at his words.
"No, no, no—absolutely not!" she shrieked, yanking the bedsheet up to her chest like a flimsy barrier between them.
Leo burst into laughter, pinching her nose with playful affection. "Hahaha… cute."
She swatted his hand away with a pout, her flushed face turning a deeper shade of red.
But as the heat of the moment slowly faded, reality began to creep back in.
Leo exhaled deeply, running a hand through his damp hair as an unsettling realization settled in his chest—his journey was over. From here until they landed, there was nothing left to accomplish, no more mountains to climb, no more battles to fight.
For someone like him, who thrived in the heat of conflict and ambition, the thought of idling away felt almost… depressing.
"Damn," he muttered, staring at the ceiling. "What the hell am I gonna do starting tomorrow?"
Amanda shifted beside him, propping herself up on one elbow as she studied him with a knowing expression.
"You know…" she began hesitantly, her fingers toying with the edge of the bedsheet, as if she were debating whether to say what was on her mind.
Leo turned his head slightly, catching the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. "What?"
"You could…" she hesitated, then met his gaze head-on. "You could warn the others about what's coming. About what the future holds for them after we land. You could help them avoid a miserable fate."
Leo's expression flickered, a small scoff escaping his lips.
"You want me to be some kind of messiah now?" he asked, shaking his head with amusement.
Amanda's gaze didn't waver. "I'm not saying you need to be a savior, Leo. Just… a heads-up would be nice. They don't have to walk into this blindly."
Leo exhaled through his nose, sitting up slightly as he rested his arms on his knees.
"Haha, you know I want to," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But the moment I tell them the truth—the moment I tell them that their lives after landing on Terra Nova aren't gonna be all sunshine and rainbows—there'll be riots on a massive scale."
He turned to Amanda, his eyes sharp with cold calculation.
"People will start living like there's no tomorrow. Law and order on the ship will collapse. Right now, they're happy. They're enjoying their last few days in the game world without worrying about tier promotions or demotions or survival. Why would I take that away from them?"
Amanda's lips parted, but she didn't immediately respond. Instead, she sat there for a moment, just watching him, before slowly shaking her head in disappointment.
"You've changed," she murmured, her voice quiet but firm.
Leo frowned. "What?"
"You've changed, city boy. If this is what you think of the masses now… then you're not the same Leo I know from back on Earth."
She sat up fully, turning to face him, her eyes boring into his with a challenge.
"If you were still that boy from Earth—the one who was just Elena's cute younger child, just a repairman, just an ordinary guy struggling to get by— would you have wanted to know what the government was scheming behind the scenes?"
Leo inhaled sharply, his jaw tightening.
Amanda didn't stop.
"Would you have wanted to be warned about the dangers that were coming your way? Or would you have preferred to live in a happy bubble, blissfully unaware that you were doomed?"
Her words hit closer to home than Leo expected.
Because the truth was—he hated the way the government operated. He despised the way they kept secrets, how they made decisions for the 'greater good' without giving people a say in their own futures.
And yet—he was doing the exact same thing now.
He had assumed that the masses were too stupid to handle the truth.
He had taken it upon himself to decide what was best for them.
He had become one of them.
"…You know I can't say half of what I know, right? I mean people will have to take my word for it, I can't back it up with any proper proof," Leo muttered after a long silence.
"I did sign a non-disclosure with Captain Kid and I can't prove jackshit if someone calls me a liar—" Leo continued, finding an excuse to not do this, however, Amanda simply smiled, as she reached out to brush a strand of hair from his face.
"Just tell them what you told me," she said softly. "You're THE BOSS, you don't need proof to back your words, just your words alone are enough."