Aylin nodded slowly, her eyes distant as if recalling painful memories. "The difference is, in my world, we don't have the luxury of pretending things are fine. When the monsters came, there was no hiding it. Everything fell apart, and now we fight just to see another day. You... you still have order, even if it's barely hanging on."
Jiang folded his arms, considering her words. "Yeah, we do, but that doesn't mean it's not fragile. I think if things ever really fell apart here, like in your world... it'd be just as bad."
Aylin gave a small, bitter smile. "Maybe. But at least here, you can go to a diner, sit down, and pretend for a while that everything's normal. In my world, there's no such thing as normal anymore."
Jiang was quiet for a moment, letting her words sink in. "I guess we're lucky in that way. But pretending only works for so long."
Aylin sighed, crossing her arms as she leaned against the window, staring out at the city. "It's all so fragile, isn't it? One push in the wrong direction, and everything falls apart."
Jiang nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Yeah, that's the scary part. We think we're in control, but really... we're not."
Aylin looked over at him, something softer in her gaze. "At least here, you have hope. People still have the chance to live, to grow old, to build families. That's not something my world has anymore."
Jiang rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, but hope can be dangerous too. Makes people think they're invincible, that they can't lose. Then when reality hits, it hits hard."
Aylin chuckled darkly. "That sounds familiar. The people who unleashed the monsters thought they could control everything too. Turns out, they were wrong—or at least, that's what I was told."
Jiang nodded, choosing not to press further. He sensed there was more to the story, but now wasn't the time to dig deeper. "Power has a way of twisting things," he said. "Doesn't matter where you are."
Aylin's gaze softened slightly as she glanced out the window. "I guess I should be thankful your world hasn't fallen apart yet, even if it feels like it's always on the edge."
"Yeah," Jiang agreed with a sigh. "Let's hope it stays that way."
They sat in silence for a moment longer, letting the conversation settle. The weight of their worlds—so different yet strikingly similar—hung between them. Jiang finished off his drink and stood, forcing a more relaxed tone into his voice.
"Alright, time to get moving. We've got packing to do."
Aylin nodded, standing as well, and together they made their way out of the diner, the door jingling softly as it closed behind them.
The streets were quieter now, the soft hum of distant traffic filling the air as they walked toward Jiang's apartment. The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable, but rather reflective, as if both were processing the conversation they'd just had.
As they neared his building, Jiang glanced over at Aylin. "This is your first time flying, huh?"
She gave him a curious look. "Flying in your machines? Yes. Where I come from, people travel by magic or ride creatures. This... is different."
"Yeah, it's a little less exciting," Jiang said with a smirk. "But at least you don't have to worry about monsters in the air."
Aylin shrugged, her expression softening as they reached the entrance to his apartment building. "I'm not worried. I'll manage."
Jiang chuckled as he pushed open the door, holding it for her as they stepped into the dimly lit lobby. The elevator ride was quick, but in the quiet, he found his thoughts drifting back to their earlier conversation about power and control. He wondered how much of it was true for both of their worlds—how much was just an illusion.
They reached his apartment, and Jiang flicked on the lights, casting a warm glow over the small space. Aylin stepped inside, her eyes immediately drifting to the objects around her.
"This place is... comfortable," she said, her tone curious. "Different from what I'm used to."
"Yeah, it's not much, but it's home," Jiang said, tossing his jacket onto the couch. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll grab some stuff, and we can head out soon."