The sliding doors of the Eden Center hissed shut behind him, and for the first time in what felt like weeks — but was barely a full Earth day — Dillion felt the sun on his skin.
He blinked against the late afternoon light. The streets were buzzing, cars droning past, people chatting, laughing, living. It all felt… wrong. Not in a bad way — just distant. Like someone had changed the channel on his life and forgot to tell him.
His phone buzzed.
[LIL SIS ??]:
You alive or what? We’re going shopping tomorrow. No excuses.
[LIL SIS ??]:
I want new boots and you owe me lunch.
[LIL SIS ??]:
Pick me up at 11. Don’t wear your “I’m a fantasy wizard” hoodie.
Dillion stared at the screen, then let out a small laugh — real, surprised.
He hadn’t talked to his sister in over a week. Time had blurred so completely in Sora that real-world priorities felt like museum pieces, gathering dust while he fought monsters and guarded guildmates.
But this?
This was something he’d forgotten he missed.
He pocketed the phone and exhaled. The city wasn’t Stillgrove. No glowing scrolls. No enchanted training rooms. No soul-eating minotaurs.
Just Dillion Rogers — twenty, hoodie-wearing, bookstore-working, boot-funding big brother.
Tomorrow, he wasn’t a warrior.
Tomorrow, he was just Dillion.
Next Day
The morning came too fast.
Dillion rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he stood in front of his mirror, tugging at the hem of a plain navy sweatshirt. No hoodie. No soul gear. Just jeans, sneakers, and an awkward big brother trying to remember how to dress like a human being.
His phone buzzed again.
[LIL SIS ??]:
I'm outside. And I swear if you kept me waiting just to put gel in your hair—
He opened the door mid-message.
His sister, Ellie Rogers, leaned against the hood of his old sedan, oversized sunglasses on her head, sipping from a bubble tea.
“Wow,” she said, blinking at him. “You clean up okay. Still look like a hermit though.”
“Nice to see you too,” Dillion muttered, sliding into the driver’s seat.
They pulled off toward the downtown shopping district, Ellie chattering about school, friends, a teacher who thought he could beat her at Mario Kart. Dillion mostly listened, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile every now and then.
“Earth to bro?” Ellie waved a hand in front of his face at a red light.
“Huh?”
“You’re weird today. Zoned out. Something happen?”
Dillion hesitated.
How do you explain fog magic and Named Beasts and getting launched across a battlefield by a three-meter minotaur to your younger sister?
“Nah,” he finally said. “Just… tired. Been working a lot.”
Ellie gave him a suspicious look. “You’re not on drugs, right?”
“No.”
“Secret girlfriend?”
“No.”
“Secret boyfriend?”
He snorted. “Still no.”
She squinted at him dramatically. “You’re hiding something.”
“Let’s just get you your boots.”
As they were pulling up to the Local Shopping Center.
Inside the Shopping Center
They were halfway through the third store — Ellie trying on her fifth pair of boots — when Dillion excused himself to get some air. He stepped out into the wide-open corridor of the mall, leaning against a pillar near the decorative fountain. It was strange, how quiet the real world felt compared to Sora. No battle cries, no spell rings, no soul gem humming beneath his chest.
Just music playing from overhead speakers and the occasional kid dragging a parent toward the candy shop.
Then he heard it.
“Water Guuun~!”
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Dillion flinched like he’d been hit by a bolt of lightning.
He turned — and there she was.
Mika.
Wearing a blue-and-white sundress that swayed with every step, her blonde hair tied up in a loose ponytail. Sunglasses perched on her head, a playful smirk on her lips.
“Please don’t call me that in public,” Dillion muttered, flushing as he scratched the back of his neck.
“What?” she teased, walking closer. “I think it suits you. Cute. Squishy. Kinda chaotic.”
He groaned. “You're enjoying this too much.”
Ellie walked up, holding the winning pair of boots in hand — and immediately raised an eyebrow at the scene.
“And who is this?”
“Oh! Sorry.” Mika turned, smile wide. “Mika. Guild healer. Occasional flirt. Full-time Water Gun bully.”
Ellie laughed. “Nice to meet you. I’m Ellie — Dillion’s younger sister. Feel free to embarrass him as much as you want.”
Dillion let out an exaggerated sigh. “I don’t deserve this.”
Mika winked. “You absolutely do.”
Moments later, the three of them were seated at a casual diner in the food court. Mika had joined them without hesitation, ordering a plate of pasta and teasing Dillion the entire time. Ellie, to Dillion’s dismay, had immediately taken Mika’s side in every single joke.
“So,” Ellie said between bites, “does he always get this red when you’re around?”
“Only when I’m wearing something pretty,” Mika said, grinning over her fork.
Dillion buried his face in his menu.
“Remind me never to log out again,” he mumbled.
Ellie twirled a fry between her fingers, narrowing her eyes at the two across the table.
“So… where exactly did you two meet?”
Mika sipped her drink, mischief already bubbling beneath the surface. “Oh, you know. Somewhere magical. Full of danger and drama. He saved my life with a shield and some fog. Real hero stuff.”
Ellie blinked. “Fog?”
Mika smiled sweetly. “Mmhm. And after seeing him fight that’s why I call him Water Gun.”
Dillion groaned, slumping forward with his head in his hands. “I told you to stop using that in public.”
Ellie laughed but tilted her head. “Okay, but seriously — what are you two talking about? Fog? Shields? Nicknames?”
Dillion hesitated. For a second, the real world felt loud again — like the words might not come out right here, under fluorescent lights and surrounded by people ordering burgers.
“I’ve been playing Sora,” he finally said, voice quieter. “Like… actually playing. I signed up at an Eden Center Last week.”
Ellie sat up straighter. “Wait. Seriously? Since when?”
He scratched at his neck, avoiding her eyes. “Just before your birthday. Well — kinda. Time’s weird there. It feels like weeks.”
“Dill…” Ellie frowned. “You quit the bookstore for this?”
He nodded, not meeting her gaze. “I know how it sounds, but—”
“And Mom and Dad?” Her voice sharpened just slightly. “They’re gonna freak if they find out you're throwing away real life to chase some game.”
Before Dillion could respond, Mika set her drink down with a light clink.
Her tone turned sharp, but still playful.
“Oh, he’s not just playing,” she said, crossing her arms. “He’s competing. Surviving. Winning.”
Ellie blinked.
“Your brother,” Mika continued proudly, “made it to the semifinals of one of the biggest tournaments in the capital — on his second log-in. He’s fought Named Beasts, been offered a spot in one of the top guilds, and people are literally calling him a rising star.”
Dillion turned red. “Mika…”
“He already has a nickname that’s trending across forums,” she added, smirking. “Water Gun. Sounds silly, but give it time — it’s catching on. He’s building something. Fast.”
Ellie stared between them, clearly trying to connect this version of her quiet, book-loving brother with the fog-slinging warrior being described.
Finally, she leaned back in her seat.
“…Okay, that’s kinda cool.”
Dillion glanced up. “You’re not mad?”
“Oh, I still think Mom’s gonna kill you,” Ellie said, pointing a fry at him. “But I guess if you’re gonna drop everything to become some fantasy hero… at least you’re doing it right.”
As they stepped out of the café into the late afternoon sun, Mika stretched her arms high with a satisfied sigh. “Well, that hit the spot. But I should get going — guild check-in tonight.”
Ellie smiled. “It was really nice meeting you, Mika.”
“You too, Ellie.” Mika grinned as she pulled out her phone. “Here — let me give you my number. Just in case you need to keep your brother in check.”
Dillion blinked. “Wait, why do you need to—?”
“Shhh.” Mika leaned in conspiratorially toward Ellie. “Someone’s gotta keep an eye on Water Gun.”
They both laughed as Dillion groaned in mock defeat.
Mika gave them a cheerful wave and started walking off, turning around just long enough to flash a wink at Dillion. “See you soon, hero.”
Once she disappeared into the crowd, Dillion and Ellie made their way to the parking garage. The soft hum of the car engine filled the silence as Dillion pulled onto the road, the city fading behind them in the rearview mirror.
After a few quiet minutes, Ellie wrinkled her nose.
“It still smells like Grandpa in here.”
Dillion smiled faintly. “I know.”
“I kinda miss that.” She leaned back against the seat, staring out the window. “The old aftershave… and that weird cedar air freshener he always used.”
“Yeah.” Dillion nodded, his hands tightening slightly around the steering wheel. “I miss him too.”
There was a pause.
“I’m really glad Mom and Dad let me keep his car,” Dillion added. “It’s not fancy, but… it feels like he’s still riding with me, you know?”
Ellie smiled gently, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah. I get that.”
The road ahead stretched quietly as the golden hour sun bathed the interior of the car in warm light.
For a little while, they didn’t need to talk. It was enough just to be there — remembering.
Ellie's POV- Welcome Home
The car rolled to a gentle stop in front of the house. Ellie unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door, stepping out with a quiet “Thanks for today, Dill.”
Dillion smiled through the window. “Anytime.”
She waved once before heading up the front path, and as she pushed the door open, familiar smells of dinner and home hit her all at once.
“Ellie?” her mom called from the kitchen. “Where’ve you been all day?”
“Shopping! with Dillion” Ellie replied, kicking off her shoes by the door. “We ran into one of Dillion’s friends and we grabbed lunch.”
Her dad peeked around the corner from the living room. “Dillion has friends?”
“Very funny,” she said with a smirk, brushing past him. “He might even have a girlfriend now.”
Both parents blinked, stunned into momentary silence as they looked at one another.
Ellie didn’t wait around to elaborate.
She zipped up the stairs two at a time and shut the door to her room behind her. Dropping her bag onto the bed, she spun her desk chair around and plopped down in front of her computer.
Her fingers hovered for a second before typing into the Eden search bar:
“Water Gun Sora matches”
The results loaded instantly — dozens of clips, match recaps, even a few fan-edited highlight reels. And there he was.
Her brother.
Throwing up shimmering fog, sprinting around battlefields with glowing boots, shielding allies like a true tank. She leaned closer, transfixed.
Then the video changed — it was the fight against the Named Beast. The huge Minotaur. The team was losing. Mika was about to be crushed—
But Dillion stepped in.
Shield raised. Ground cracking. Everything slowing for a breathless moment before he swept Mika to safety.
Ellie blinked. Her hand slowly rose to her mouth.
She whispered, barely loud enough for even herself to hear:
“Sooo cool…”
A soft smile touched her lips.
Maybe her big brother really was a hero after all.