Shivaay and Tanvir slowly stopped their fight.
Both of them stood there, breathing heavily, fists still clenched.
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Sohag crossed his arms and grinned.
"See? I told you."
Adi looked at him curiously.
"I know them very well," Sohag said proudly.
"Both of them care about each other more than anyone else in this world. They'll fight…"
He paused dramatically before finishing with a smile.
"…and eventually stop."
Shivaay wiped the blood from the corner of his lips.
How did this bastard grow so much stronger in such a short time? he thought.
His eyes drifted toward Tanvir.
I shouldn't have hit him that hard…
He's not actually hurt, is he?
At the same time, Tanvir was thinking something similar.
How is this bastard still so strong? Tanvir wondered.
He just came back from the brink of death.
Tanvir glanced at Shivaay's bruised face.
Maybe I punched him a little too hard…
A faint mixture of regret and concern appeared on both of their faces.
Adi noticed it and smiled quietly.
"Hey, Adi," Sohag called.
"Yes, Sohag?" Adi replied.
Sohag pointed toward the strange bear mascot sitting beside Adi on the sofa.
"Who's inside that mascot?"
"Is there actually a person in there?"
"Oh!"
Adi slapped his forehead lightly.
"My apologies. I forgot to introduce her."
He dramatically spread his hands toward the mascot.
"My friends… this is a gorilla."
Tanvir frowned immediately.
"But that's clearly a bear."
Adi waved his hand.
"I didn't mean the mascot."
"I meant the person inside it."
Sohag blinked in confusion.
"A gorilla wearing a bear mascot?"
"How can a gorilla even fit inside that thing?"
Adi rolled his eyes.
"Not a literal gorilla, you idiot."
"Just watch."
He leaned forward and grabbed the mascot's head, trying to pull it off.
The moment his fingers touched it—
BHAM!
The mascot moved like lightning.
Before anyone could react, Adi was slammed against the wall with terrifying force.
His body stuck to the wall like a poster.
"BRO, ARE YOU OK?!" Sohag shouted.
He rushed over and pulled Adi away.
The moment Adi stepped back, something strange happened.
The cracked wall instantly repaired itself, as if time had reversed.
At the same time, the bruises and injuries on Adi's body disappeared.
Adi stretched his arms.
"Good thing this room has instant regeneration," he muttered. "Otherwise that would have hurt a lot."
He looked at the mascot with annoyance.
"How could you do that to me, sis?"
"Come out of that mascot already."
Tanvir blinked.
"Wait… your sister is in there?"
Adi nodded.
"Yeah. She wears it so monster blood doesn't stain her clothes."
"But she's refusing to come out now."
He smirked mischievously.
"Sis… are you embarrassed to show your face in front of your favorite Rankers?"
Tanvir raised an eyebrow.
"She likes us?"
"Of course," Adi said proudly.
"We once killed one hundred zombies in four hours."
He pointed at them.
"But you guys killed the same amount in less than one hour."
"When she saw your record…"
"She instantly became your fan."
Sohag leaned forward curiously.
"What's her name?"
Adi smiled.
"Her name is Mira."
"And we're twins."
He looked at the mascot again.
"Come on now, sis. Can't you show your beautiful face for me?"
Inside the costume, Mira stayed silent for a moment.
Then she finally spoke.
"…Only if you stop yapping."
Her voice instantly stunned everyone.
It was calm.
Controlled.
Cold.
Even the way she spoke sounded intelligent and calculated.
Adi clapped excitedly.
"Deal, gorilla! Now show us your face!"
Inside the costume, Mira fumed with anger.
Slowly, she lifted the mascot head.
As the mask lifted slightly, long black hair slipped out through the gap like a stream of dark silk flowing in water.
The hair shimmered softly under the light.
Then her lips appeared.
Soft.
Perfectly shaped.
Red like a ripe strawberry floating in milk-white skin.
Her nose followed.
Sharp and elegant like a perfectly carved sculpture.
Finally—
Her eyes.
The entire room seemed to pause.
Her right eye was gray like the sky before rain—calm, quiet, mysterious.
Her left eye was deep ocean blue—bottomless like the Pacific Ocean.
And just beneath that blue eye rested a tiny black mole.
A perfect beauty mark.
It completed her face like the final brushstroke on a masterpiece.
"Happy now?" Mira said with clear annoyance.
Everyone was silent.
Adi grinned.
"See? Isn't she pretty?"
"Y-ye… yes…" Sohag stuttered.
Blood started dripping from his nose.
"Oi! That's my sister!" Adi shouted.
"This world is full of weirdos."
Tanvir suddenly spoke.
"I… apologize, Miss Mira."
But when Adi turned to look at him—
He froze.
Tanvir was also bleeding from his nose.
"Now I see," Adi sighed.
"Don't worry, Tanvir. My sister has that effect on people. It's completely normal."
"Stop saying nonsense," Tanvir muttered.
"Shivaay, say something!"
At that moment Shivaay calmly sat down on the sofa.
"Can you all sit down quietly for a moment?"
he said calmly.
Everyone froze.
Even Mira looked surprised.
Tanvir and Sohag exchanged confused glances.
"Sohag… do you think he is ok?" Adi whispered.
Tanvir stayed silent, enjoying the chaos.
Sohag answered instead.
"I've never seen him like this before."
"I CAN HEAR YOU, YOU BASTARDS!" Shivaay shouted.
"And Sohag, don't forget I can tell Farjana everything."
Sohag instantly panicked.
"WAIT WAIT WAIT! I'M SORRY!"
"Please don't! I'll even su—"
"Eww bro, don't say weird things!" Tanvir said quickly.
"Ahh… I'm saved," Sohag sighed happily.
Meanwhile Adi slowly moved away from him.
Sohag noticed.
"Bro I was joking!"
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A deafening sound shook the room.
Everyone turned.
Mira had kicked Shivaay's couch across the floor.
Her eyes burned with anger.
"Drop the act," she said coldly.
"Do you think I don't know what you're doing?"
"Men like you pretend to be calm and uninterested just to win women's hearts."
She crossed her arms.
"But that trick won't work on me."
"You're just a Ranker I once admired."
"And now I'm disgusted."
Tanvir stepped forward.
"Miss Mira, please step aside. You've misunderstood."
"Shut u—"
Before she could finish—
Suddenly she felt weightless.
Mira blinked.
She was in the air.
Shivaay had lifted her effortlessly like a child.
His expression was calm.
"Judging from your behavior," he said quietly, "you must be a rich father's spoiled daughter."
He gently placed her back on the couch.
"Beauty alone doesn't make someone admirable."
"What makes a person truly beautiful… is their manners."
He looked at her calmly.
"And unfortunately, you don't have any."
Then he smiled slightly.
"Anyone might fall for you."
"But you're not my type."
"A beauty without brains is just a brute."
Tanvir whispered with satisfaction,
"Damn… she got deep fried."
"Adi," Sohag whispered.
"Your sister just got violated."
Adi stared at Mira.
"I'm not worried about that."
"Look at her face."
Everyone turned.
Mira—who had grown up with wealth, admiration, and endless praise—
Was now covering her face.
Her cheeks were bright red.
She was blushing.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Tanvir shouted.
Sohag and Adi suddenly grabbed Shivaay's legs.
"MASTER!"
"PLEASE TEACH US!"
"What are you idiots doing?!" Shivaay yelled.
"Let go of me or I'll beat you both!"
"Okay okay!" they said quickly.
Adi looked serious.
"Shivaay… I've never seen my sister like this before."
"What are you trying to say?" Shivaay asked suspiciously.
Adi smiled.
"You now belong to her."
"Welcome to the family, brother-in-law."
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU—"
Before Shivaay could finish—
The wall in front of them vanished.
A vast glowing corridor appeared.
Then a mechanical voice echoed.
[DING]
All players, please move forward.
[]
Everyone looked at each other.
Then they began walking.
"Sis," Adi said, "change your outfit. We'll probably meet other players."
Mira nodded.
In a flash of light, her clothes changed.
She now wore a black rider jacket, tight black jeans, and her favorite black lace choker around her neck.
Her long black hair flowed down her back.
She loved wearing black.
In society people called that style goth.
But to her—
Black was simply the most elegant color.
As they stepped forward into the glowing corridor, Mira's eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement.
A new stage was about to begin.