I stood, cracked my shoulders, and walked to the window.
I tapped back a short reply.
To: [NoelB22]
Subject:
Re: Day Off
I'm fine.
Floor 7's done.
Thanks for worrying.
...But breaks don't matter when the Rift stops playing fair.
I paused.
Then added one more line.
"Rest while you still can, Noel. The rules are about to change."
[Sent.]
-
[Knock. Knock. Knock.]
I opened the door.
Noel stood there, slightly out of breath, eyes scanning me like he expected to see burn marks or some kind of cosmic curse carved into my skin.
He wore a lightweight hoodie, hair slightly damp from the coastal air, and a tablet half-tucked under one arm. His expression wasn't angry—just… shaken.
"You actually did it," he said flatly.
I stepped aside wordlessly. He walked in, glancing around like he expected the place to feel different—haunted, maybe.
"The Rift records confirmed it. You were logged for a solo clear. Forty-five minutes. The hell kind of run was that?"
I said nothing.
