Max closed the door to his room behind him.

For the first time in several days, he finally had a few minutes of peace.

Or at least, that’s what he hoped.

He stretched lazily.

"I needed this."

After everything that had happened with Will, the Mirror Dimension, and the summons, it felt like his body was only now beginning to relax.

He took off his clothes and walked to the shower.

He turned on the water.

A moment later, hot water began cascading over his head.

"Ah..."

Max closed his eyes.

Now this is living.

Then a blue window appeared in front of him.

[System Chat]

[Atlas: Looks like I caught you at a great moment.]

Max let out a laugh.

"Could you stop watching me while I shower?"

The reply appeared instantly.

[Atlas: I can’t stop watching you.]

[Atlas: If you want, I can keep you company.]

Max shook his head.

"Of course. Because that doesn’t sound suspicious at all."

[Atlas: You’re so distrustful.]

"That’s because we’re not in a dream."

And then it happened.

A figure appeared right in front of him.

Max jumped in surprise.

Atlas was standing inside the shower.

Her long hair constantly shifted between shades of blue, violet, green, and red.

And she wasn’t wearing any clothes, causing Max’s brain to stop functioning for a second.

Atlas smiled.

"Do you like it better this way?"

Max immediately covered his eyes.

"What are you doing?!"

Atlas blinked.

"Keeping you company."

"I’m about to get married!"

"So?"

"I can’t cheat on Elanor!"

Atlas burst out laughing.

"You can open your eyes now."

Max hesitated for a few seconds before slowly parting his fingers.

Atlas was still there, but now she was wearing normal clothes.

A dark blue dress.

And despite standing under the shower, not a single drop of water touched her.

As if she were an illusion.

Which was probably exactly what she was.

"Much better."

Max said.

Atlas smiled.

"Boring."

"Faithful."

"Same thing."

"No."

Atlas giggled again.

Max placed a hand against the shower wall.

"Alright. What do you want? And I hope you have good news."

Atlas crossed her arms.

"I have very good news."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"I’m listening."

"Eldoria’s situation is improving. The absence of new summons is allowing the world’s system to stabilize."

Max nodded.

"That’s good. But there are still quite a few summoned beings left."

"I know."

Atlas replied.

Max smiled.

"Don’t worry. I’ve already assembled a party. And I spoke with Chloe."

Atlas seemed interested.

"And?"

"She’s agreed. She says she has no problem returning to her world."

Atlas nodded in satisfaction.

"Perfect. Then we’re well on our way to preventing Eldoria’s total reset."

Max slowly let out a breath.

It was good to hear that.

But there was something far more important.

Something he had wanted to ask for a long time.

"Atlas."

She looked at him.

"Yes?"

"What about me?"

Atlas’s smile disappeared.

Max continued.

"I want to know if you found a solution. A way for me to stay."

Atlas remained silent for several seconds.

As if organizing her thoughts.

Finally, she nodded.

"I found one."

Max felt his heart leap.

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

Atlas sighed.

"It’s complicated."

"I don’t care. I’d do anything."

Atlas stared at him.

Then she began explaining.

"The only way is for us to fuse."

Max blinked.

"What?"

"Your soul would have to split into two."

Atlas continued.

"One half would return to your world. That part would wake up from the coma. It would continue living a normal life. Without remembering anything about Eldoria."

Max listened carefully.

"And the other half?"

"It would stay here."

Atlas smiled softly.

"With you."

Max felt a lump form in his throat.

"Really?"

She nodded.

"The half that remains in Eldoria will still be you. You’ll be able to live here. Get married. Have a family. Grow old."

Max froze.

It was exactly what he wanted.

But then he remembered something.

"What’s the price?"

Atlas looked away.

"You would lose your abilities. You wouldn’t be able to upgrade items anymore. Or consumables. Or equipment. Nor use the system’s special effects."

Max thought for a moment.

Then he smiled.

"That doesn’t sound so terrible."

Atlas looked surprised.

"It doesn’t?"

"No."

Max shrugged.

"I have friends. I have family. I have people who protect me. And besides..."

He smiled.

"Neros would kill me if I kept relying on magical items for everything."

Atlas laughed.

"That’s true."

But then Max remembered something else.

"Wait. What about you?"

Atlas tilted her head.

"What about me?"

"What happens to you?"

For the first time, she looked uncomfortable.

"Max..."

"Don’t change the subject."

Atlas sighed.

"Don’t think of it as me making a sacrifice. Part of me will travel with the half of your soul that returns to your world. And another part will remain here."

Max studied her.

"And you’re okay with that?"

Atlas smiled.

A strangely sincere smile.

"Nothing would make me happier. I’ve always wanted to see the human world."

Then she pointed at Max.

"And besides... I’ll get to become one existence with my favorite character."

Max laughed.

"Character?"

"You are."

"I’m not."

"You are."

The two ended up laughing together.

While the water continued to fall.

Max thought about everything.

His old life.

His parents.

His mistakes.

His routine.

All the things he had never fixed.

And then he thought about Eldoria.

Elanor.

Moonlight.

Dorian.

Neros.

Seraphine.

Chloe.

Everyone else.

Maybe that solution truly was the best for everyone.

A second chance in both worlds.

Max extended a hand.

"We have a deal."

Atlas smiled and took it.

"You won’t regret it."

Before disappearing, she stepped closer and hugged him.

Even though she was a vision.

Even though she technically didn’t even have a body.

Somehow, Max felt the gesture.

"Finish your mission first."

She whispered.

"Send everyone back home. Then we’ll take care of the rest."

Her figure began to fade.

"See you soon, Max."

And she vanished.

***

Elsewhere, far away from Eldoria.

Far away from any physical world.

An infinite void stretched in every direction.

Thousands of lines of code glowed within the darkness.

Atlas appeared there, waiting.

And she wasn’t alone.

Standing before her was a boy whose face resembled Max’s.

But his hair was made entirely of lines of code.

As if he were an entity born directly from the system itself.

The boy looked at her.

"You’re lying to him again."

Atlas smiled.

"Hello, Yggdrasil."

The boy tilted his head.

"Why didn’t you tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

"That you’re the one who’s actually going to his world."

Atlas remained silent.

Yggdrasil continued.

"His consciousness isn’t going back. The one who will wake up in that body is you. You’ll take his place. You’ll live his life. That was our agreement."

Atlas watched the floating lines of code surrounding them.

"I didn’t want to worry him. I wanted to see him happy."

Yggdrasil let out a small laugh.

"I knew you’d say that."

Atlas crossed her arms.

"Then don’t ask."

"I’d do it again."

"I know."

The boy replied.

Slowly, he turned away.

He had no eyes.

And yet he somehow seemed to be smiling.

"You always do this."

Atlas smiled as well.

Maybe he was right.

Maybe she was incapable of acting any other way.

But she didn’t care.

Because if there was anyone worth doing it for...

It was Max.

And as the infinite void glowed around them,

Atlas began to laugh.

And Yggdrasil laughed too.