Opening my eyes I saw a black ceiling above me. My chest was bare as I felt a pain in my heart. Looking a bit more down I saw a room lighted by some form of RGB light fixtures. Looking at my chest, I noticed a scar near my heart. It looked like a small explosion blew up there, but the rest of my chest was fine. Slowly sitting up I noticed how I was on a futon. The room had this look of a generic love hotel you'd see in Japan. I got up as I began walking towards the windows. Soon opening a sliding door, walking towards the balcony as I stared at the city's view. On a second glance, I noticed that this was almost the same view I saw from my apartment room. I heard footsteps behind me as a familiar voice spoke up.
"How are you feeling, Faust?"
I turned my head as I saw Gale approach me in a light purple nightgown and slippers with her short hair down.
"I'm feeling fine. What exactly happened to me? I remember I was following you and then my vision got blurry near a sidewalk."
She sighed as she began to take off her gown nonchalantly.
"Gale, w-what are you doing?"
I began to back up a bit, but I was already on the railing of the balcony. Before long she took off her gown as she still had her bra and underwear on. Glancing at her chest, I noticed the same scar near her heart. She began to walk up closer to me as she lightly touched the scar on my chest as I winced.
"Claire betrayed you, just as my love betrayed me."
"What... are you talking about, Gale?"
"The Baron. It's a part of his games. I always wondered why it happened to me. We were going to be the promised champions of this world. We were both strong people back in America, where we lived. Although I remember a week into this world I noticed my love, Chris, slowly start to get mentally taxed by the constant death. One night, he accidentally killed a young teenager. Just a hooligan looking for bread in his stomach. Chris didn't think twice about pulling a trigger on the kid. And he regretted it deeply. That night, the Baron entered my dreams. He told me of an easy way out. That I could leave Chris behind to save myself. I ended up refusing, thinking that we could get through it together. But, I was wrong. I woke up a whole day later with blood all over my sheets and a scar on my heart."
It took a while for me to comprehend it all.
"So, you took me in here after I passed out. Took off my shirt since it was probably bloodied, and wanted to see if I had experienced something similar?"
She gave a nod as she redressed herself and joined me on the balcony, looking over the city's view.
"That's part of it. I needed to confirm my theory and you seemed to be in a similar situation. The other part may be a bit more selfish, and I can understand if you want to decline it."
I glanced towards her as she seemed a bit somber, but tried to mask it through her attentive gaze at the horizon.
"What would that part be exactly?"
She gave a deep breath before speaking.
"I know that I cannot keep working by myself. Even if I have attuned my psychic abilities while being in this world. I know that one day I'll reach a challenge that is too great for one person."
She glanced towards me as she looked me in the eyes with a determined look.
"I know you just got here. Your understanding of this world may be lackluster, and the same goes for your combat and psychic abilities. But, we are both from the same world. We've grown up the same, and even if we may clash we both understand the situation we're in."
She held out her hand for a shake as my eyes slowly ran up, gazing at her pensive gaze towards me.
"What's your end goal, Gale?"
"I want to return home, and if I achieve that, then you'll be able to go home as well. No need to stick with me after we return home. We both have lives to get back to."
I continued to glance at her eyes as she seemed very convicted to fulfill her goal. I slowly raised my hand to hers and shook firmly. Her serious look slowly turned into a genuine smile.
"Thank you Faust for this opportunity. I'll try my best to help assimilate you into this world."
I gave a slight nod and a smile back towards Gale. I was expecting the Baron to do his tricks again and bind one another with the death pact, but nothing happened.
"Hey Gale, I have a question."
"What's up Faust?"
"Do you know if the death pact is still in place after the scar or no?"
She looked down and went into deep thinking before glancing back up at me a few moments later.
"I'm not too sure, there's no way to prove it."
I gave a simple nod as my stomach began to growl. Gale looked over and laughed a little bit as it broke the silence afterward.
"That reminded me, you still didn't eat. I still have some things in the fridge, but my cooking isn't the best. I think it is wrong for me to not treat you to some food even when I promised yesterday."
I waved off her self-deprecating cooking statement.
"It's fine if you aren't the best cook. I think at this point my stomach just wants something to fill up."
She gave a smile before heading back inside. I turned around as I still saw the love hotel-inspired room as Gale began looking into the fridge.
"Gale, why does your room look like a cheesy love hotel?"
She paused in the middle of taking something from the fridge before returning to normal.
"Cause I like the idea. Speaking of, who was the one who registered the apartment you lived in?"
"That was Claire."
Gale gave a large sigh as she began whisking something within a bowl.
"It seems you're going to be homeless as well then."
I began walking closer to her as she glanced from the bowl, back up to me.
"If Claire registered for the apartment and she ceased the pact, it is practically a divorce. You don't keep the property. The same thing happened to me when my pact was broke."
I gave a frustrated grumble as I pulled up a chair near the kitchen counter across Gale. She kept whisking, keeping her focus on the bowl.
"Would you be frustrated if I asked to live here until I can get enough money to live by myself."
Gale remained silent as she then poured whisked eggs into the pan before looking back at me.
"To be honest, I was prepared for such a scenario with making our deal, so I don't mind at all. Was mostly praying that it didn't come to that. But the world won't end."
I gave a nod as I began looking towards the balcony again.