Rose's eyes flickered over the glowing screen of her phone, the game's new chapter finally open before her. Yet, despite the thrilling anticipation that bubbled inside her, there was something unsettling about it all. The Love and Deep Space game had reset itself after the system crash, and Sylus's presence was now more dominant than ever before. The leader of Onychinus—cold, calculating, and always two steps ahead.
But Rose couldn't shake the feeling that this new Sylus was somehow different. The game's narrative had changed, adapting to his new role, yet his past—his true past—remained hidden beneath layers of mystery. His red eyes glowed menacingly on the screen, sharper than ever. It was as if the game itself had adjusted, evolving Sylus into someone even more enigmatic than before.
As the virtual world came to life around her, Rose couldn't help but notice the subtle shift in the way Sylus interacted with the female protagonist. His loyalty, once a simple act in the old version of the game, now felt much deeper. Almost too deep. Every time he addressed the protagonist, his voice softened, his words carrying a weight that Rose couldn't ignore. It was as if he was holding onto something—someone—that he couldn't quite reach.
Rose's fingers trembled slightly, but she quickly steadied herself. She wasn't here to get swept up in nostalgia or emotions. She had come back to understand this new version of Sylus, the one the game had crafted in his mysterious, unyielding role as Onychinus's leader.
Yet, even as she told herself this, she couldn't stop glancing at him—his cold gaze meeting the female protagonist's, his eyes that were now more red than ever, reflecting an intensity that struck a chord deep inside her.
"Why does he look like that?" Rose murmured to herself, leaning closer to the screen. "Why do his eyes… look like that?"
His stare was piercing, filled with a dangerous allure, and yet there was something vulnerable in the way he carried himself. He was loyal, yes, but there was a desperation buried in him—a yearning that the game never fully explained.
The chapters played on, with Sylus directing his group through various missions, each more intense than the last. Yet, there was always this underlying tension. Every time Sylus interacted with the female protagonist, the soft side of him came to the surface, despite the hardened persona of the Onychinus leader.
Rose couldn't help herself. The jealousy, the curiosity, they clawed at her. Why was Sylus so different now? Why did he behave this way with the protagonist, and why did it feel like something was missing from him? There was no doubt in her mind that it wasn't just the game—there was a real emotional gap in his actions, something that seemed familiar.
The more she played, the more she could sense that he was searching for something, as though he was incomplete. Rose paused, her fingers hovering above the screen.
"I know you, Sylus," she whispered, though she knew he couldn't hear her. "But you don't remember me. Not yet."
Her heart pounded in her chest as she reflected on the bond they had once shared—one that transcended the boundaries of the game. She remembered how they had been connected, how their emotions had once collided and destroyed the world they had inhabited. Now, Sylus was back, a shadow of the man she once knew.
As she dove deeper into the game, unlocking more scenes, she couldn't help but notice the small changes in Sylus's behavior. His loyalty to the protagonist seemed genuine, but it was all wrong. He wasn't just loyal to her—it felt as though he was searching for something more. Something that had been lost.
And that something, Rose was certain, was her.
As she continued through the chapter, Rose's thoughts began to swirl. She wasn't sure whether she was getting closer to the truth or if she was just being sucked into a world that was slowly slipping beyond her control.
Sylus's past was still a mystery—his connection to the protagonist, to the game, was all part of the grand puzzle. But Rose knew one thing for sure: there was a part of him that had always been hers, and no matter how many times the game rebooted or how much time passed, that bond would never fade.
And that was why, despite the distance between them now, Rose couldn't stop herself from wanting to understand him again.