Chapter 32: "The Protagonist’s Paradox"

(Aizen's POV)

The Problem with Sunshine

Lilia Meadowspring was a walking contradiction. She was the game's designated heroine—destined to charm capture targets with her golden heart—but here she was, trailing me through the academy's library like a lost puppy.

"Master," Vermis hummed telepathically from my satchel, "the protagonist's heart rate increases by 22% in your vicinity. How… quaint."

Shut up, I thought back, adjusting my hood. She's just being friendly.

"Ah, yes. 'Friendly.' Like the time she gifted you a love poem disguised as a homework assignment."

I nearly tripped over a stack of spellbooks. That was a mistranslation!

"The hearts doodled in the margins were quite clear."

Lilia caught up, her honey-blonde curls bouncing. "Grey! Wait! I, uh… wanted to ask about lightning magic!"

I sighed. "You're a divine mage. Lightning's not your affinity."

"But you're my friend!" She beamed, brandishing a notebook titled Grey's Glorious Guidance (Vol. 3). "Teach me… please?"

Sir Spicy, perched on her shoulder, belched a heart-shaped flame.

Traitor, I thought.

The Art of Dodging Destiny

Lilia wasn't supposed to care about me. In the game's original script, she'd be swooning over Prince Kael's brooding stares or swooping into philosophical debates with the scholarly capture target. Instead, she'd declared the crown prince "too grumpy," the scholar "too boring," and the knight "too… knightly."

"I like how you listen," she'd told me once, after I'd endured a 45-minute rant about sentient pastries. "You don't just pretend to care."

Now, her notebook was filled with sketches of my lightning spells, notes on my combat style, and—alarmingly—a detailed pros-and-cons list titled Why Grey is Better Than All Capture Targets (Spoiler: He Is).

Stephanie, of course, noticed.

"She's obsessed," the Ice Queen hissed, materializing beside me in the courtyard. Frost crept up my boots. "I'll turn her diary into confetti."

"It's harmless," I said, watching Lilia teach Sir Spicy to juggle fireballs. "She's just… enthusiastic."

"Enthusiastic?" Stephanie's voice dropped to a lethal purr. "She drew you as a centaur in her art elective. Why does it have your face?"

I choked. "What?"

The Training Temptation

Against my better judgment, I agreed to train her.

"Focus your mana here," I said, guiding her hands into a basic lightning stance. "Feel the current, but don't let it control you."

Lilia's fingers trembled against mine. "Like… this?"

Golden light sparked in her palms—divine magic, not lightning—but she stubbornly mimicked my posture. The resulting energy surge vaporized a practice dummy and singed my eyebrows.

"Oops." She grinned, sweat glistening on her forehead. "Again?"

I stared at the smoldering crater. She's a menace. A radiant, unstoppable menace.

"Admit it," Vermis teased. "You're impressed."

Shut. Up.

The Cryptic Confession

Things came to a head during the Moonlight Gala, a suffocating parade of nobles and sugar-dusted lies. Lilia, in a borrowed gown two sizes too big, dragged me onto the dance floor.

"I don't dance," I lied.

"Liar! Lady Redwyne said you waltz beautifully!"

Stephanie's going on the list.

Lilia's hand settled on my shoulder, her touch lighter than a sunbeam. "Just one dance? Please?"

I caved.

We spun through the crowd, her laughter blending with the strings. For a moment, I forgot about Phoenix, the thunder god's curse, the ticking time bomb of Stephanie's jealousy.

Then she whispered, "You're different, Grey. Like… you've lived a thousand lives."

My steps faltered. Does she know?

Sir Spicy chose that moment to ignite the punch bowl.

The Yandere's Ultimatum

Stephanie intercepted me post-gala, her frostbloom corsage sharp enough to impale. "Enjoy playing hero?"

"It was one dance."

"Three. I counted." She leaned in, her breath chilling my ear. "End this. Or I will."

"She's not a threat."

"You're not hers."

The unspoken You're mine hung in the air, brittle and absolute.

The Protagonist's Resolve

Later, Lilia found me on the academy's rooftop, her cheeks flushed from climbing stairs. "I figured it out! Your secret!"

My heart stalled. Does she know I'm Phoenix? Aizen? Both?

She thrust a crumpled sketch into my hands—a detailed drawing of me as Grey, lightning swirling around a hidden key pendant. Stephanie's pendant.

"You're in love with Lady Redwyne!" she declared. "That's why you're always together! It's so romantic!"

I blinked. "What?"

"Don't worry! I'll help you confess!" She grabbed my hands, eyes sparkling. "I'll write speeches! Plan picnics! Distract her with fireworks—"

"No."

Her smile dimmed. "Oh. Do you… not like her?"

I like both of you, I almost said. And that's the problem.

"It's complicated," I muttered.

Lilia nodded solemnly. "Love always is."

The Epilogue: Storms and Sunbeams

That night, Vermis pried open my skull. "You're in trouble."

"You think?"

"The protagonist's heart is a powerful artifact. If she chooses you over the game's script…"

"The plot unravels. I know."

"Worse," Vermis said. "Stephanie will murder you and her. Romantic!"

I stared at the ceiling, Lilia's sketch crumpled in my fist. What have I gotten into?