Seeing her smile like that, a knowing smile, he took a deep breath, admitting to himself that there was no hiding anymore. Fiona deserved the truth, but it didn't make it any less difficult to acknowledge his new reality.
[It's alright, host. You can give out a fraction of the information, but not about my being]
'You're awfully supportive of this development, Kitanai.'
[It is only natural that I will be in support of your decision, host. I am a part of you after all. I am a part of your mind, body, and soul.]
'That felt strangely cringe coming from you, Kitanai. But I get your point.'
Mason took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. He looked into Fiona's knowing eyes, before confessing, "You're right. I'm not the Mason you knew."
He felt her shift, her gaze softening as she looked up at him. Her fingertips traced his jaw, comforting him as she gave him an understanding nod, waiting for him to continue.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before speaking up, "I... sorta found myself here after I woke up in the hospital."
Fiona gave him a warm smile as she closed her eyes for a few seconds, "I always knew, the others might not have noticed but the little details, the way you stole glances and acted around me, that wasn't the way a crush who had been your best friend would act after returning from the hospital."
'Fuck! I had failed to hide my amusement at the similarities she had with Mia. She noticed me right away, huh?'
"I see." She said, "And all this while, you kept pretending to be someone else for our sake?"
"I didn't want you guys to worry," he said, his voice barely a whisper. The guilt he had been carrying with him was evident in his tone.
"You could have trusted us, Mason," Fiona softly reprimanded him. "After all, we've been friends for years."
He nodded, knowing that she was right. However, he had been terrified of the potential fallout from the truth. In his mind, it was easier to bear the burden himself, rather than involve his loved ones in a situation they couldn't control or understand.
"Is this like some interdimensional thing?" She asked with a slight giggle. "Where do you go when you sleep?"
He shrugged slightly and chuckled, "Dreamland, it's warm, wet, and just right." He said while looking down at Fiona with a warm and comforting smile.
"Fiona, I..." He was interrupted by Fiona's gentle touch on his lips.
"I've always admired you, Mason," she said, her voice soft yet firm. "But I've also admired your strength and bravery, even though I've only known him better through you. I don't see you as a stranger, it almost felt as though I've known you just as I have for years now. You're more... you."
Mason felt tears prick in his eyes. He was humbled by Fiona's acceptance. She was accepting him, not just as Mason she knew, but as the new entity he had become.
There was a moment of silence before Fiona's voice broke the quiet. "Are you going to stay, Mason?" she asked, her voice almost inaudible. "Or is this the last time we'll see each other?"
Mason blinked at her, taken aback by the suddenness of the question. His gaze roamed over her face as he tried to comprehend what she was asking. He could tell that she was serious, that she was genuinely concerned about his plans for the future.
"I..." He began, his voice shaky. He wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't really thought about what he was going to do after accepting the fact he needed to move on to the next Eroverse and start living his life once again. He had been trying to focus on what was important instead of what might be...
"I..." He began again. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to answer her question. He had been planning on moving on, but now that he thought about it, there was uncertainty waiting for him, "could we talk about this later?"
He wasn't sure why he had said that but the words just came out. It felt right but... he wasn't sure if it would work out well.
She gave a soft nod of understanding as she looked up at him and smiled softly. "That would be fine."
Mason let out a deep breath as he looked back into her eyes as he felt his heart racing faster in excitement. "Do you think... you could stay? For a little bit."
Her expression brightened and her lips parted into a smile before she nodded slowly and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Yes."
Mason let out a sigh of relief and kissed her back before smiling at her again.
'Just the right time I would need to speak with Kitanai.'
Fiona broke off the kiss as she looked up at him and smiled. "So, what are we going to do now?"
"We could watch TV and order pizza, a late night snack wouldn't be so bad," he replied with a wry smile.
She nodded slowly as she moved her head slightly so that her lips were almost touching his cheek and whispered softly against his ear, "Or we could... participate in some other form of entertainment together?"
He smiled softly and kissed her cheek gently before pulling back slightly, "Let me guess, you have another idea."
She blushed lightly as she gave him a playful smile as she reached over to turn on the music while letting out a giggle before turning back to him with a wink, "That would be telling."
*****
With hours gone by, the moon was rising high in the sky above the horizon as its light began to shine upon the sleeping city below them. As Mason and Fiona lay together on the bed, the roofs of his room became transparent so they could share a quiet moment where they watched as the moon rose above them before settling down for the night.
Fiona slowly turned around so that she was laying on top of Mason with his arms wrapped around her. She closed her eyes as she snuggled up against him with a content smile. With a soft moan, she nuzzled into him as she rubbed her head against his chest before giving a small chuckle, "This feels so nice... you know?"
He hummed in response before reaching down with his right hand and softly caressing her hair while kissing her shoulder gently. She leaned into his hand for a few seconds before slowly drifting back into a peaceful sleep as she settled down with a sigh, her body slowly relaxing against his. He could feel her warmth radiating through their skin as she snuggled closer into him. He pulled her close as he tucked his head under her chin.
He could feel her breathing slowly as she drifted into a deep sleep. He closed his eyes and sighed, content with the warmth of her naked body pressed against his own. It felt good to finally be able to give in to his feelings without worrying about anyone's reaction or what they thought.
[Would you like to have a glimpse of your progress?]
'It wouldn't hurt, sure.' Mason replied to Kitanai as he listened to Fiona's deep breaths.
Ding!
~~~~~~~~~~
[Name: Mason Greystone]
[Role: High school student]
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[Cash: 3342.81 merits]
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'That's a lot of merits that I haven't used yet,' he said to himself. 'It feels good knowing that I'm making progress in something.' He grinned slightly to himself as he felt a little proud of himself.
As he continued to watch Fiona sleep in his arms, he started to wonder what it would be like if she could be with him as he goes to other Eroverses and builds himself a new life. He smiled at the thought before his thoughts shifted to Kitanai and how it might have been different if he could have had her with him while he explored the Eroverse.
He chuckled softly and looked up at the ceiling as thoughts about his options while continuing to stroke Fiona's hair gently as she slept peacefully beside him.
'Kitanai... This is just a random wild thought, but I'd like to know something.' He stated.
[Go on,] Kitanai-kun replied.
'If I could have the option before I leave to have whoever I choose to accompany me, what are the criteria for making this happen, and what happens to the previous reality when we're both gone?' Mason asked.
Kitanai paused for a moment with loading ellipses signifying its thought about the question before responding.
[The criteria for making this possible is simply to establish a mutual bond with the being you wish to accompany you through your transition into the next Eroverse, thus making it possible for them to also be transported along with you. The higher the mutual bond level, the higher chances they consent]
'That's simple enough.' Mason replied while continuing to stroke Fiona's hair gently.
[The old reality would continue its course, almost as if you've never existed in it. Just as your existence doesn't pause when you sleep, the same principle applies here. The world would continue to revolve, events would transpire, and life would move on]
'Even if the ones I care about are not there?' Mason questioned further.
[Indeed, Host,] Kitanai-kun replied. [Remember, each Eroverse operates within its realm of existence. It's akin to reading different books. Just because you've finished one doesn't mean its story halts, it simply means you've begun a new one. Those in the old world wouldn't feel your absence because, to them, you were never there. It's a complex concept to comprehend but it is the reality of interdimensional travel]
Mason looked at the peacefully sleeping Fiona beside him, contemplating Kitanai-kun's explanation. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he knew it was a question he needed an answer to. The thought of his existence being erased from the memories of those he held dear was overwhelming, but he also recognized the infinite possibilities that lay within each Eroverse.
'Kitanai... If Fiona and I travel to another Eroverse, will our memories from this world carry over?' Mason asked, an underlying hope in his voice.
[Affirmative, host. The memory transition is part of the interdimensional journey. You retain your consciousness and experiences and thus can recall your previous existence. Just like you could remember what had happened in your original realm]
That answer brought a sense of comfort to Mason. He could see now the beauty of the paradox - existing yet not existing, remembering yet being forgotten. It was a strange world he had been thrown into, but it was his reality, and he was determined to navigate it the best he could.
'What's my current bond level with Fiona?' Mason asked, breaking the silence between them. He couldn't help but smile at the fact that Kitanai-kun had kept him in the loop of the things he cared about.
[Your mutual bond level stands at 96% and counting...] Kitanai-kun replied with a chuckle.
Mason blushed slightly before turning his gaze back towards Fiona as he continued to stroke her hair softly, watching her stir in her sleep before slowly opening her eyes.
"Mason? What's wrong?" She asked with a drowsy smile.
He looked down into her eyes and gave her a warm smile. "Nothing... just stroking your hair."
"Why are you stroking my hair?" She asked, still half-asleep and smiling up at him with a sleepy smile of her own. "Does it look bad?"
He gave her an amused chuckle before he leaned in close and gave her a gentle kiss on her lips. "No, not at all, I made your hair messy in the first place... but I think it's the right time to give my answer. Fiona, would you want to be by my side for the rest of our lives?"
*****
Author's Note
~This marks the end of the first arc and I hope it was worth the read–The title for this hentai arc is in the auxillary chapter stats. Anyways, we'd be seeing another twist to the plot in another Eroverse. I'd like to appreciate my active readers in the comment section.
¶ Afonso_Aaron
¶ Kadar_Noir
¶ Alusec_BR1
~ Can you guess which one it'll be?
~ Should his name remain the same or should it change as per the world that's fitting for it?
If you've read this far, please give a review, I'm currently low on this part of the ratings.
400 power stones=3 bonus chapters, if I get a huge turn up, I can dish out more chapters (aside the usual 2-3) in a day.