After the negotiations were completed, Daniel was given the opportunity to retire to his quarters. It was eventually decided through hours of negotiations that for every mission he completes, he would gain more access to information at higher levels. After Daniel had retired for the night, the king relaxed in his chair by slumping against it. "Riel." He calls out before him. In the next second, a tall man appeared from the shadows. His green eyes meet those of the king as he kneeled in front of the throne. Obscured in shadows, his face was the only part of his body visible. "You called, my liege?" Tazman sighed and looked at the man in front of him. "I would like for you to keep tabs on the foreigner. Do not, under any circumstances, engage him. Just keep a wary eye and distance on him." Riel nods as his orders are given. "Yes, milord. I follow and obey."
After Riel leaves, Tazman puts his hands in his face. "It seems that I have either invited destruction in or allowed prosperity to drink the cup of fortune in this kingdom."
As Tazman had given the order to his best assassin, Daniel was relaxing in the bed of his quarters. "I guess this is a good place to log out." He says as he pulls up his status screen. Logging out, he wakes up in his gaming capsule.
In the game world, Daniel had not appeared to accomplish much, looking back on it after logging out, he had. Securing a place to stay in a powerful kingdom would allow him access to more information worldwide. Enam was a large world, after all: he could not search it all himself.
Once out of the gaming console, Daniel sighs as he once more looks at his reflection in the mirror. "Gym time." He says resolutely. "I can't stand this fat." Getting up, he heads to the gym. It was a ten-minute walk before he gets to his destination. Walking up to the gym, he happens to look over. In the corner is a sight he could not believe. He freezes as he looks at the figure. Hidden underneath the hood, he could see a pair of beautiful green eyes and a soft face that he would recognize anywhere. "Aria?" He says with an unbelieving sigh. The woman looks back at him with confusion all over her face. "Who are you?" She says as this strange man comes walking up to him. "How do you know my name??"
Daniel looks at the woman and pauses mid-step. He freezes as he decides not to answer. "Apologies." He says with a defeated look. "You look like my ex-wife." The woman looks at him as he retreats. "Wait!" She calls out to him. "Are you the one in my dream?" She says with a soft look. Now, it was Daniels turn to be confused. "Dream?" He says confused.
The lady takes her hood off and shyly smiles. With her hood down, her beauty was more apparent and refined. Sure enough, she looked exactly like the Aria he had married in his first life. "She looks hesitant as she answers. "Yes, I had a dream that I was married and had a daughter. The dream I was in looked exactly like the world of the game "The Rise of Enam." She says with a soft sigh. She looks at him with a downtrodden look. "Sometimes I feel like that game is a real world. Tell me, how do you know my name, who am I to you?"
Daniel looks at her with a gentle look. "Believe me, you would think I was crazy if I told you." He says slyly.
Aria looks around before looking up at the man. "How about we discuss this in a coffee shop somewhere?" She says before blushing as she meets his eyes. In truth, this man intimidated her. His strength was obvious as he carries it in his eyes, but she was truly eager to hear what he had to say. Daniel smiles back at her. "My name is Daniel Rogers, but I used to be known as Rapham. Let us take this conversation to the coffee shop on the corner." He says, pointing to the shop. The two then go to the shop while Daniel is inwardly cursing his bad luck. Why did she meet him on this planet? What game were the God's playing? He sneers inwardly but does not let the girl see his anger. She was innocent. The Gods were not. In the back of his mind, he realizes that this is a courtesy given to him by the God's, but he was sick of being a pawn. It felt like every act he took pointed him on a path towards either death or seeing his family die again.
As the pair enters the restaurant, he goes up to the waitstaff. "I would like a private room." He says to the attendant, slipping the young man 100 dollars. The waiter smiles as Daniel, and nods politely. "Of course, sir. I will get you that room right away." The waiter then leads Daniel and Aria to a secluded area of the restaurant. The opulence of the room they were led to made even Aria lose her breath. The chandelier alone was likely more valuable than her entire house. Shutting the door behind them, the waiter bows once more before leaving them alone after taking their orders.
After the waiter leaves, Daniel and Aria stare at each other blankly. Each was stuck to their own thoughts, and it had made for an awkward silence. Finally, Daniel opens with a question, deciding to break the ice. "Do you believe in reincarnation?" He asks gently as he looks at her with a tinge of sadness in his eyes. He had long since conquered the demons of his past but seeing his first wife's reincarnation had reopened old wounds. He had taken a few breaths, steadying himself before asking her the question he believed would open the door for a conversation.