Worldwalker: The Invisible King

[Ren – 2:14 a.m.]

I didn't move.

I didn't blink.

I just watched the red indicator pulse softly on the system monitor, exactly where my house's security thread overlapped with the dimensional gateway anchor.

Node-02. Living room.

That was the one tied to the window near my bed.

She was inside.

I let the camera fade.

Then stood.

No alarm. No lockdown.

This wasn't a breach.

It was something far more dangerous:

A lover acting without permission.

Footsteps.

Bare, soft, deliberate.

I sat down at my desk, fingers resting loosely on the mouse, face drowsy with just enough fake fatigue to seem real.

The door opened behind me.

I didn't turn.

She didn't speak.

Airi walked in like she'd always belonged here, like this wasn't trespassing.

She wore a loose white shirt. One of mine.

No shoes. No hesitation.

She closed the door gently behind her.

"Hi," she said softly.

I waited one beat. Then another.

Then turned around in the chair, masking my voice in quiet surprise. "Airi?"

"You weren't answering messages," she said with a tiny smile. "I got worried."

My phone was on silent. She knew that.

This wasn't concern.

It was something else.

She stepped closer.

No tension in her shoulders. No anger.

Just warmth. Pure and polished.

That's what made it terrifying.

"I saw you with her," she whispered.

My mask held.

"You didn't say goodbye," she added. "You always do."

She came closer still, eyes never breaking from mine.

And then—she knelt in front of me.

Hands folded neatly in her lap.

"I know I shouldn't have come in," she said gently. "I just… I had this awful feeling. Like I was losing you. And I couldn't sleep."

I opened my mouth.

She reached up and placed two fingers over my lips.

"Don't lie," she whispered. "Not to me."

I didn't.

Because I didn't need to.

Her smile never faded.

But her eyes—

They searched.

Not for an answer.

But for a crack.

The Interrogation

She stood up slowly, then guided me to the bed like a sleepy boy being taken care of.

I let her.

I sat.

She stood beside me, brushing her fingers through my hair.

"You're tired lately," she murmured. "But not the normal kind. This is something else."

I said nothing.

"You don't act like other boys. You flinch sometimes when I touch you, but only in the places you forget to control."

I blinked.

Her voice lowered. "You're too perfect. Too composed. And it's not because you're innocent. It's because you're hiding something."

I looked up.

And smiled gently.

"Are you afraid of me?" I asked.

She leaned down, forehead against mine.

"No," she whispered. "Because I'm the only one who gets to have you."

She kissed my cheek. Soft. Loving.

Then added, "But if you ever try to leave me… I'll make sure no one else finds what's left of you."

After

She curled into my bed beside me like nothing happened.

As if she hadn't just peeled back a layer of the mask.

I held her.

Like a perfect boyfriend would.

But my mind was already calculating contingencies.

Because Airi wasn't just possessive now.

She was awake.

And tomorrow…

She might not wait for answers.

She might go looking.

And she might find them.

Her head rested against my shoulder.

But her body was too still.

Too alert.

Airi always held me like someone protecting something fragile.

Tonight, she held me like someone testing the weight of a lie.

I waited a few minutes in silence.

Let the warmth between us settle.

Then I whispered softly, "You scared me."

She blinked. "What?"

"Coming into my room like that. I thought someone had broken in."I gave a sheepish smile. The one everyone trusted. The one that always worked.

But not this time.

Her eyes didn't soften.

She studied me.

Measured me.

Still, I continued—voice quiet, hesitant, perfectly rehearsed.

"I know I've been… off. Distant. But it's not because of you." I looked down, as if ashamed. "I'm just tired. School, responsibilities. And sometimes when I feel overwhelmed… I shut people out. Even the ones I care about most."

Airi didn't speak.

So I kept going.

"I gave Minako my WeChat because I didn't want to be rude. That's all. I swear. You're the only one I want."

I turned toward her, slowly—deliberately vulnerable.

"I'm not good at… showing things. I never have been. But I'm trying. For you."

My hand reached for hers, fingers trembling just slightly.

Not real fear.A performance of it.

She watched me for a long time.

Then finally… she spoke.

"You always say the right thing," she said.

"But?"

Her hand curled into mine.

"But sometimes it feels like you're reciting it from a script."

I didn't flinch.

"I'm not," I said quietly. "It's just how I learned to cope. Smile. Nod. Don't burden anyone."

"You're not a burden," she said quickly, fiercely.

"I know. But sometimes my head lies to me."

I gave her a soft laugh—just shaky enough to seem honest.

"I guess I got good at pretending everything's fine… even when I'm falling apart."

She finally looked away.

Shoulders sagging.

Heart at war with instinct.

The vulnerable boy she loved was back in front of her.

And part of her still wanted to believe him.

She leaned forward, wrapped her arms around me tightly, and whispered:

"Don't ever hide from me again."

"I won't," I whispered.

But even as I said it—

I was already calculating how to reinforce the firewalls on my dimension.

And how to bury my truth just a little deeper.

Because she still loved the lie.

And I needed her to.