Why it Took Him That Long...

While Kyle is busy enjoying his peaceful slumber, Alice on the other hand is also busy manipulating the floating windows in front of her while she let Kyle sleep on her lap.

The tapping sound Alice creates as she swiftly types on the windows invited an unexpected guest into her domain.

"Seems like you're busy."

A female voice startled her and behind the transparent floating windows in front of her, Alice can clearly see the one who called for her attention as the female who called walks closer to where she and Kyle is.

"Oh, it's just you Alma." Alice said the moment she recognized who the person in front of her is.

As Alma reached the point where Alice is currently sitting, she noticed a man soundly sleeping on Alice's lap, and the moment the man who is currently sleeping turns around, and completely reveals his face to Alma, Alma then immediately bursts out in anger and yells at Alice.

"Sis! You know you'll be in trouble if that man finds out about this!"

Alice on the other hand is just dumbfounded after hearing Alma's complaints about the matter and calmly answers her along with her ingenious solution.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. That is why I am currently busy modifying Kyle's memories via his Dive Gear so that he will think it is just a dream." She said

"But isn't it kinda funny? Having a dream inside a game as if you are sleeping in the actual world?" Alice added and then she lets out a giggle and afterward caresses Kyle's hair, stroking it with her slender fingers gently.

"The 'Actual' world huh?" Alice said while looking at Kyle's sleeping face as she shows an expression of grievance and sorrow.

Realizing the drastic change of the mood, Alice due to her sunny personality shifts the focus to Alma that arrived at her place unannounced.

"Anyway, what took you here?" Alice asked Alma her reason for dropping by since it is rare for her to do so.

"I don't think it's my maintenance yet." Alice added while trying to pinpoint some valid reasons for Alma to be there.

"Do I need a valid reason to visit my biological sister?" Alma answered aloofly.

"Well, you still need to inform me beforehand I guess? Besides what if I'm currently taking a bath or something?"

"Oh please, cut the sarcasm. The one who should not be here is that guy." Alma said while pointing her finger to the sleeping Kyle.

But Alice vetoes her point and expresses what she truly feels inside.

"Oh my, my, my, I prefer seeing Kyle after a long while rather than you." She said with an ironic smile on her.

Hearing Alice's statement, Alma sighs in defeat due to Alice's immediate and pointless response that somehow hurts her feelings as a close relative.

"Sometimes I wonder if you really are my twin because aside from our identical looks, everything is opposite." Alma said as she pins down Alice's carefree personality.

"Oh come on, don't say such thing. Why don't you have some tea first?" Alice suggested to Alma and in an instant, a tea cart pixelates and appears on Alice's side.

Alma took one of the prepared and freshly poured cups of tea on the cart, lifting the saucer along with the teacup placed on top of it, and sat next to Alice. She then took a sip after breathing in the refreshing aroma of the tea

"So? Why did you come?" Alice asked as she adds the final touches to her memory modification.

"Nothing really, I just want to have some tea." Alma answered and then continues sipping the cup she has in her hand. But while she is drinking the tea Alice served, her eyes are focused on Kyle that is sleeping on Alice's lap as she stares at him with pure malice.

Because what Alice doesn't know, is that her sister, Alma, is plotting something and that 'something' is definitely against her personal beliefs.

"There, all done!" Alice said finishing the modifications she made.

[Are You Sure To Transport The Object?] [Confirm] [Decline]

After pressing the confirm button, Alice gently strokes Kyle's face one last time and bid Kyle farewell, whispering on his sleeping ear.

"Until we meet again Kyle."

After saying her goodbyes, Kyle that is sleeping on her lap slowly pixelates and disappears, leaving the bright and peaceful place where Alice is residing.

"That's too romantic of you." Alma said as she places down the cup of tea she is holding to the saucer she has on her other hand, producing a gentle clink.

"Eh? You've been listening the whole time?!" Alice exclaimed as she began lecturing Alma about proper manners.

"You know, eavesdropping is a bad thing to do." Alice said, acting composed and mature as she points out Alma's wrongdoing that eventually made Alma pop a vein on her forehead.

"You know that I've been sitting here the whole time when you sent him back." Alma said and added a few finishing and lethal touches.

"What are you a bird brain?!"

Alice was petrified by what Alma just told her as Alma suddenly breaks a harsh reality to her.

Alice, who couldn't believe that her younger sister is the one lecturing her, could only sulk on the side of the huge oak tree with gray clouds above her head as if she has been mentally tortured and is now half alive while her bright glittery eyes lost its hue and are now dull as she began muttering words continuously.

"My twin, that is ten minutes younger than me just scolded me and, and told me that… I-I'm a bird brain?" She said while scribbling on the dirt using a fallen twig she found near the tree

Seeing her gloomy and somehow irrelevant and childish reaction, Alma also took her leave.

"Geez, I'll be going now."

Hearing it, Alice stopped Alma in a comical way that audiences nowadays won't even bother to buy it, coz her acting sucks.

"Wwaiitt, don't leave meee." Alice said while on her knees, reaching out her hand for Alma that is walking further at each passing moment, bulk of tears falling from her eyes to her cheeks.

"Kyle has already passed on and now you, my beloved sister would also leave me behind? Ah! Such tragedy!" She said.

Alma turned her head slowly with an 'I can't believe I am hearing this shit' reaction on her face and said some real facts that are different from her sister's delusions.

"Don't just kill Kyle in your imagination!" Alma yelled

"And please refrain saying it in such a way that as if I'm going to die anytime soon either!" She added.

But Alice holds firm on her resolve on wanting Alma to stay a little longer, so she used a method that is very effective against Alma when they are still little, the perfect lure if she may say.

"Wait!" Alice called Alma before she could leave the place.

"I… Have freshly made macaroons and strawberry shortcakes."

Hearing it, Alma stops in taking another step, and quickly turns around back to Alice while pouting and a hint of crimson on her cheeks.

Alice, upon seeing her sudden halt and reaction, shows a smug on her face and is pleased that her plan works.

"So, Miss Alma, would you like to take a seat and talk more about the outside as we munch these sweets?" Alice asked in an elegant and pretentious way.

Even though she knew that this is just a method of her sister to force her to stay for a bit longer, Alma took the bait since it is her sister who is asking and it is also due to the offer she had made.

"Fine, but I'll be leaving afterward." Alma said, walking back to Alice.

In the meantime, somewhere inside the cave, Kyle slowly opens his eyes as he wakes up from that peaceful powernap he had. Turning his head left and right, he felt something is amiss and that something left a hole in his heart that even if he keeps on thinking what it could or might be, his mind can't clearly give him the answer he wants.

'I think I am forgetting something important.' He thought and as he tries to recall it one more time, a glowing light distracts his busy brain from thinking and diverts his attention to the light source, and found the same blue crystal that made him fell into slumber still on the stone altar.

Kyle slowly stands up and goes towards the glowing gem, grabbing it with his bare hands and slowly lifting it from the altar.

[Jewel of Oceanus]

[Add to Inventory?] [Confirm] [Cancel]

'Hmmm… this might cost a lot.' He thought and presses the confirm button to add the item inside his inventory.

The time Kyle placed the item inside his inventory, the stone altar rumbles as it slowly moves to the side, revealing a staircase leading up the chasm.

'A secret passage, I see.'

Kyle then took the stairway leading up, walking slowly while holding the firefly lamp in his hand.

As he is about to reach the top of the stairs, Kyle heard a female screaming in pain while another voice keeps on laughing as the cries continue.

Kyle realized that the laughing voice could be none other than the crazy woman who dropped him from the chasm, but the other, he is yet to find out.

Dashing full speed up, Kyle reached the top of the stairway but has found nothing, only a dark open chamber inside the cave yet the screams of agony continue on, and by each passing moment, the shrieks worsen.

Kyle used the initiative to follow the screams to where it sounds louder, and on his search, Kyle found a narrow passage where he can clearly hear the screams being amplified by the small opening but after finding the path, the cries stopped and a bad feeling was flushed inside Kyle.

He quickly entered the narrow path and saw a female that is about to swing her sword at another female leaning on the cave's wall.

'That's Carol!' He thought upon seeing the blond locks of the female that is about to be chopped in two.

Dropping the lantern he is holding, Kyle flings his dagger on the cave's ceiling, piercing the dagger above the two females and then sprints towards them as he purposely created a loud tapping sound to divert the attention of Carol's attacker and to also delay what she is about to do to Carol.

The diversion is well-executed since the woman turns in his direction.

[You used: Stealth]

Using his passive, he conceals himself from the vision of the woman as he continues to dash forward. Seeing nothing, the woman returns her attention to Carol, seeing it as an opportunity, Kyle uses the dagger that is set above them.

[You used: Dagger Blink]

After reaching the ceiling, Kyle pulls out the pierced dagger and draws the other dagger he has and freefalls down towards the hostile female.

'Now let's try this new skill I have.'

[You used: Tornado Slash]

Upon activation, Kyle's entire body was then covered by swirling winds along with a swooshing sound that is sharp enough to slice a rock that accidentally came in contact.

As he is about to make a touchdown, Kyle called for the enemy female to return to her the favor she did to him last time.

"Hey! Where are you looking at?"

Then slashed the female using the daggers he has in his hands leaving a guide mark for the follow-up effect of the skill.

Right after the first slash, Kyle unleashed an automated swirling slash and then the winds covering Kyle's body detonates, creating a strong push to a specified direction towards the mark, throwing the female away from Kyle as the backfire creates a cloud of dust concealing Kyle.

"Sorry if I'm late."

"Are you alright? Woah, you don't look okay!"

Then Kyle witnessed Carol's cry of relief.

"Don't worry, I got this."