Chapter 53

"We have the money. Go ahead." Walking through the streets, Ashborn and Ember moved at a leisurely pace, their eyes scanning the many items on display.

Well—Ember was the one actually paying attention.

As a Phoenix, she had never cared for material things. But now? Now she was human, and suddenly, she understood why her former hosts had enjoyed shopping.

The thought of stepping inside, trying on different outfits, experimenting with lipsticks and accessories—it all drew her in.

Even though she didn't need to buy any of it, she could easily create these things with a thought… and yet, the experience itself was strangely appealing.

"So… your money is my money?" Ember asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ashborn, still lazily scanning the area for an Apple store, nodded without much thought. "Yeah."

He was about to say something else but paused when he saw Ember walk into a store—her face lit up with an uncharacteristically bright smile.

'Is shopping really that fun?' Ashborn thought, watching her with a weird expression. But after a second, he just shrugged and kept walking.

Besides, there was no issue. Even though they only had one card, Ashborn had warped reality to make a perfect copy of it.

So, Ember could enjoy herself as much as she wanted.

"No way!" Ashborn was lost. Wandering around like a headless chicken, he tried to make sense of his surroundings when a sudden cry caught his attention.

He turned—only to see a stunning black-haired woman striding toward him, her expression filled with shock and recognition.

"Oh my god, it really is you!" she exclaimed, her smile bright with amazement. "It's been so long since we last met! What are you doing all the way out here?"

"W-what?" Ashborn blinked in confusion. "Sorry, but I think you've got the wrong person."

How could anyone in this omniverse know him? He had just arrived in DC—was this some kind of time travel nonsense?

The thought annoyed him. Time travel was always way too complicated to understand or explain.

But the woman just smirked. "Yeah, right. Like I'd ever forget you."

Then her expression softened. "Wait… don't tell me you forgot me?"

She placed a hand on her hip. "I'm Tyler. We went to high school together."

Ashborn's eyes widened in pure shock. He had gone to high school with a girl named Tyler… in his past life.

"No way," he breathed. "How are you here?"

"It's a long story," Tyler said with a smile, clearly happy that Ashborn hadn't forgotten her. "Mainly work, if I'm being honest. What about you?"

Ashborn hesitated for a moment before offering an awkward smile. "Yeah… I'd have to say the same."

If she wasn't going to tell him why she was in this omniverse, then he wasn't about to spill his reason either.

"We have to catch up!" Tyler said excitedly, pulling out her phone. "What's your number? We should meet up and go over everything we've missed these past few years."

Ashborn awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Uh… yeah, about that…"

He sighed. "I don't have a phone. I was actually just looking for a store to buy one." He glanced around. "Still new to the city, so… any tips?"

Tyler blinked, momentarily stunned. Then, without warning, she burst into laughter. Before Ashborn could react, she grabbed his hand.

"Well, I know this city like I've lived here my whole life," Tyler said confidently. Then, with a playful smirk, she added, "But I gotta admit… if I'd known you were gonna turn out this handsome back then, I definitely would've married you."

Ashborn let out an awkward laugh, unsure if she was actually flirting or just joking. Then again… she had just asked him out, right? That's right. He was handsome. So, obviously, she wanted to date him.

He flashed a charming smile. "Well… I am single. Want to change that?"

Tyler froze for a second—then quickly let go of his hand.

"Oh my god—I didn't mean it like that!" Tyler said quickly. Ashborn felt a tiny part of him die inside. If she wasn't flirting, then what the hell was all that?!

But he recovered fast, forcing out a laugh. "Haha! Obviously! I was just messing with you. No need to take it so seriously."

Tyler let out a small sigh of relief before turning to lead the way. Though… she didn't take his hand again.

They arrived at the Apple Store, where Ashborn wasted no time placing his order. The latest MacBook, iPhone, and PC—he grabbed everything top-of-the-line.

With a single swipe of his card, the transaction was done. In record time, he walked out, bags in hand.

"I just need to activate my phone, then I can get your number," Ashborn said with a smile, already heading toward the T-Mobile store nearby.

Once inside, he quickly signed up for the highest-tier plan for his new iPhone. A few minutes later, the phone activated, and he finally got Tyler's number.

"Haha, look at that—I'm your first," Tyler teased with a playful laugh, noticing that hers was the first number saved in Ashborn's phone.

Ashborn chuckled along with her, but deep down, he was taking notes. Just because a girl seemed interested didn't mean she actually was.

"I'm already late for work," Tyler said with a smile. "Can't wait for our little date."

Ashborn laughed at her joke and watched as she walked away. He let out a small sigh once she was gone. He had made a friend. And somehow… that made today feel a little more special.

"Why are you so happy?" Ember asked, walking beside Ashborn, several shopping bags hovering behind her.

Ashborn's smile immediately vanished the moment he saw just how much she had bought.

"I decided that choosing is for children," Ember said casually. "Since I'm an adult, I just bought whatever caught my interest."

Ashborn's eye twitched.

"You're not an adult," Ashborn said, deadpan. "You're the ancestor of the concept of ancestors. You're so old, your 'back in my day' stories happened before the concept of time even existed."

A vein popped on Ember's forehead. How old was she?

Old enough that even the Living Tribunal and the Primordial Void came after her. She had existed before the One Above All had even thought of creating existence.

But she smirked instead of snapping back.

"That's funny," she said smoothly. "Because I'm not alone… but you only have your shadows, which is pretty much force enslavement."

Ashborn froze. He hadn't been expecting that.

"Haha, my dear Ember," Ashborn said, smirking. "You're underestimating me. I just made a friend—and guess what? She's not trying to go on a date with me or anything like that."

He proudly held up his phone, Tyler's number displayed on the screen.

Ember glanced at it. "…I doubt that," she said flatly. "You were into zombies."

With that, she turned and walked off, leaving Ashborn momentarily stunned. Then his expression darkened. He wasn't into zombies, he just expected his charm to transcend everything and even have zombies simping for him.

"Why is a flat-chested chicken buying a bra?!" he snapped, storming after her.

"I'm shocked you haven't slept with your shadows," Ember bit back. 

Ashborn winced. Just what kind of person did she think he was?

"Oh, that's rich coming from the chicken who loses her mind over chocolate," he shot back.

They glared at each other for a long moment, the tension thick—before Ember simply sneered and strode ahead, leaving Ashborn fuming.

"You have an interesting search history," Ember said casually. 

Ashborn immediately admitted defeat. His mouth snapped shut, and he stared straight ahead, locking his gaze on the mansion like it was the only thing that mattered. Then, Ember smirked it was a cold and evil smile.

"What's a futa?" she asked.

Ashborn froze. Cold sweat prickled at his forehead. When Ember had bonded with him, she'd gained access to parts of his mind—not everything, of course, or she would've already known what a Nami was.

But she had seen enough. And judging by Ashborn's reaction… She had just found her trump card.

"…" Ember's smirk vanished the instant she saw the phone in Ashborn's hand.

On the screen… A video played. A very specific video. Of her—completely losing her mind, screaming for chocolate like a rabid addict.

Ashborn's lips curled into a slow, satisfied smirk. "Would be a shame if the multiverse—and beyond—got to see this back home…"

Silence.

They stood there, locked in a tense standoff. Then—simultaneous action. Ember erased every trace of Ashborn's search history, and more, leaving behind clear evidence that she had erased it from memory.

Meanwhile, Ashborn warped reality itself, ensuring that no recording, no data, not even a trace of that video existed anywhere.

He even went as far as to erase that moment from reality itself. A mutual, unspoken agreement. Some things were never meant to be seen.