Blind Trust

Now that Ashen had selected his path and finished checking everything about his status window, he was eager to try out his skills.

Closing the system interface, he mulled over which one to test first.

"The Recall skill is off-limits for sure."

That one screamed red flag from a mile away.

It claimed to manifest memories from another timeline, but it didn't elaborate much on how it did so. 

What if his body got hijacked by the him from that other timeline? Would he still be himself then? Memories were the foundation of personality, after all.

Even if they belonged to another version of him, he had no idea what that other Ashen had gone through, how much he had lived, or what experiences had shaped him. 

Could he even call them the same person?

And above all, would his brain even be able to handle the influx of foreign memories? Or would it just go boom?

Yeah, no. That skill was locked away in the 'try only if absolutely desperate' vault.

"Now that I think about it, I don't have much to work with, do I?" Ashen let out a dry chuckle.

Lucid Dreamweaving could only be tested when he slept, and Trance required extreme focus or danger… not exactly something he could trigger at will.

"...Should I just go to sleep now?" he muttered, half-serious.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

A sharp, impatient rapping at the door shut down his premature nap plans.

Ashen blinked, momentarily confused, before realization hit him.

"Oh, right. Seraphine."

He had agreed to meet her in his apartment after the awakening ceremony.

'Now I'm curious how she did.'

His own experience had been anything but normal, so he wondered if she had gone through something similar. 'I doubt it.'

With a somewhat hurried pace, he reached for the door and swung it open.

Standing there was Seraphine. Her usual blend of an overly cute face paired with an unfairly sinful body. 

But this time, her expression was off. No bright, mischievous grin. Nor the usual snarky remark. Instead, she looked… downcast, like a kid who had broken a vase and was about to confess.

Ashen had to begrudgingly admit that even this expression was cute in its own way.

"Yo, Sera. What's up? You look like you did an oopsie and came to confess your crimes." He smirked, amused.

Seraphine's guilty look instantly twisted into one of pure injustice as she grabbed the sides of her pants dramatically.

"It really isn't me! It's this stupid system that keeps messing with me!!"

As if finally finding an outlet for her pent-up frustration, she launched into a full-blown rant, muttering "Bad system, bad system" under her breath like a malfunctioning robot.

Ashen barely caught half of what she was saying, but he was certain there was a juicy story in there.

Too bad the hallway wasn't the best place for it.

"Alright, I'll hear you out, but come in first," he said, ushering her inside before she caused a scene.

With a firm but gentle grip on her shoulders, he guided her toward the sofa while she still seemed mentally locked in battle with the system.

"I'll be back in a second."

As she settled in, he moved to prepare her favorite milk coffee.

By the time he returned with two cups, Seraphine looked noticeably calmer. 

Taking a sip of his own drink, Ashen broke the silence, careful not to push her into another rant.

"So," he said, voice soft but curious. "Can you explain to me what's actually going on? From the start this time, please."

Seraphine lowered her head, fingers fidgeting as she wrestled with how to begin. She brought the milk coffee to her lips, cradling the cup in both hands as she took a few cautious sips.

Ashen remained silent, giving her space. Pressuring her wouldn't help, and he figured if she needed a moment, she deserved it.

Finally, after what felt like a small battle within herself, Seraphine let out a soft breath and chose the most direct route.

She simply pulled up her status window.

"It's this…" she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. A faint pink dusted her cheeks.

Ashen, however, had no mind to comment on that. His focus was too occupied by something far more baffling.

"...Sera, how the hell can you just flash this around so casually?" His tone was sharp but concerned. "Did you forget how much the professors harped on never showing your status to anyone? It's worse than stripping yourself naked… it can expose your weaknesses."

He was gearing up to lecture her further, worried that her carefree nature would land her in trouble one day, but she cut him off before he could get started.

"Yes! I know already…"

She puffed out her cheeks in frustration before softening her tone. "But, I'm not showing it to just anyone. I'm showing it to you. And I'm fine with that."

Ashen froze.

For a brief, fleeting moment, his brain betrayed him.

'Wait… does she mean she'd be fine with me seeing her naked too—? Ugh, what am I even thinking… Get your damn head out of the gutter, man!'

He coughed into his fist to break the awkward silence. "Ehm." After a pause, he exhaled and nodded. "Well… if you're fine with it, then I can only be grateful for your trust. I promise not a single soul will hear about this from me."

"I know. I trust you."

She smiled at him softly… simple words, yet unshakably sincere all the same. But with his earlier perverted thoughts still clinging on like stubborn grease, all he could hear was her seductively whispering how she completely "trusted" him...

…Anyway.

He didn't even consider rejecting her.

Doing so would feel like denying the bond they had built over the past few months. 

He figured he'd return the gesture later by showing his own status, even if it was riddled with compromising details. She'd probably just laugh most of it off. She was warm like that.

But for now, curiosity won over.

His eyes shifted to the status screen before him.