The Return II [NOEL]

Noel woke up.

But to reality.

Same room. Same routine.

The maid entered as always and following her duties. Noel barely acknowledged her presence. It wasn’t out of disrespect, but rather the weight of her own thoughts that kept her mind elsewhere.

She sat on the balcony, staring blankly.

She remembered everything.

The dream, the world and most of all, Leon.

The thing at the end that had tried to kill her.

Noel’s fingers tightened around the porcelain cup.

Still, she had no leisure to dwell on it for too long. A noble’s duties did not wait for dreams or uncertainties. The day resumed as it always did...

And as night fell, as she lay in bed feeling something deep within her stir. A desire...no, an impatience.

She wanted to return. She knew it was ridiculous. But the longing within her was undeniable.

And then...

She opened her eyes.

The same world.

The same sky, towering buildings, streets bustled with people.

And most importantly...

Leon was there.

Standing just as he had before. His expression calm yet filled with a quiet knowing.

He smiled.

"Welcome back, Noel."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"You…knew I was coming?" she asked, her voice steady but her mind racing with questions.

Leon nodded, as if this were the most natural thing in the world. "Of course. I was waiting for you."

Noel narrowed her eyes, studying his expression. There was no hesitation, "How? How did you know I would appear here? What is this dream...no, what is this place?"

Leon tilted his head slightly. "I don’t know what you mean," he said, almost too casually. "But you told me about this yourself."

She froze. "What?"

"You told me this would happen," he continued, his gaze meeting hers with unsettling certainty. "That you would come back."

Noel’s breath hitched. Her mind reeled as she tried to piece together his words.

That was impossible.

She remembered every moment of her previous visit. She had never said anything like that.

And yet, Leon spoke as if it were an undeniable fact.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded, her voice sharper now. "I remember everything. I never said any such thing to you."

Leon simply smiled, offering no further explanation.

It unsettled her.

But before she could press him for more answers, he changed the subject entirely.

"Enough of that," he said lightly. "What are your plans today? Anything you want to do?"

His sudden shift threw her off. "Plans?" she repeated, still caught in the previous conversation. “I-I don’t know.”

Leon grinned. "Then how about visiting a game center with me?"

Noel frowned. "A game center?"

"Yeah," he said, his tone relaxed. "It’s a place where people play games. Well, kind of. It’s a lot more advanced than what you're probably imagining."

That piqued her curiosity. "Hoh…" she mused, eyes gleaming. "Then by all means, lead the way."

As they walked, the two conversed about various things. Noel had a mountain of questions, and Leon answered as best he could. She was learning more about this world. Its technology, its way of life.

And then, the conversation took an unexpected turn.

"Wait," she stopped abruptly. "You mean to tell me that there is no magic here? No mana at all?"

Leon scratched his head. "Yeah, pretty much."

Noel furrowed her brows. "But that’s absurd. I can still feel traces of it in the air. The quality is horrible...barely useable...but it exists."

Leon blinked. "You can actually sense that?"

"Of course," she said, "Mana here is like a poisoned well. Polluted, diluted beyond use."

Leon chuckled. "Well, that’s what happens when a world prioritizes industry over nature. But hey, our technology makes up for it."

Noel was fascinated. A world devoid of usable mana, yet thriving in its own way.

Eventually, they arrived at the game center.

The building was filled with screens displaying colorful advertisements for various games. Inside, clusters of people, mostly teenagers were engrossed in different activities, their eyes glued to holographic displays and virtual reality setups.

A brown haired middle-aged man at the counter glanced up.

"Welcome. Oh, Leon! What’s up?"

Leon grinned. "Same as usual. But I’ve brought a guest this time."

The man looked over at Noel and gave a polite nod.

Noel, on the other hand, was too preoccupied to respond. Her eyes were fixed on the rows of futuristic machines, the immersive VR capsules, the people moving and interacting with seemingly nonexistent objects.

"This…" she whispered, stepping forward. "This is… unreal."

Leon chuckled. "I figured you'd have that reaction."

He guided her toward one of the VR capsules, opening the door for her.

"Just sit inside and follow my instructions," he said. "I promise, it'll be worth it."

Noel hesitated for only a moment before stepping in.

As she settled into the seat, the machine hummed to life, and a sleek visor descended over her eyes.

The world around her dissolved.

“WELCOME…”

A smooth, feminine robotic voice echoed in the vast emptiness, synthetic yet oddly welcoming.

Noel opened her eyes.

She was utterly bewildered.

The world around her was vast, stretching endlessly beneath a soft, twilight sky. The scent of fresh grass filled the air, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of towering trees. It was… familiar. Too familiar. The forests, the hills, everything bore a striking resemblance to her homeland.

She turned to Leon, who stood beside her, looking perfectly at ease.

"Ya! How are you adjusting?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement. "This is a second account I created, so it should be fine."

Noel, still reeling from the abrupt transition, narrowed her eyes. "What in the world is this? Where are we right now?" She turned in a full circle, trying to grasp the sheer absurdity of her surroundings. "You said there was no magic in your world, so what the hell is this teleportation magic?"

Her voice carried the sharpness of both disbelief and curiosity.

Leon, as patient as ever, chuckled. "Not magic. Technology."

With a simple gesture, he began explaining.

He spoke of virtual reality, a world created from data, not mana. He explained how this wasn’t another realm but a game, a sophisticated digital world mimicking reality, yet governed by programmed rules rather than the laws of nature.

"But this…" Noel gestured around again, her voice softer now. "It feels too real."

"That’s the point," Leon replied, grinning. "That’s why we call it immersion."

Her mind raced. A world without magic, yet capable of creating something like magic? The more he explained, the more it made sense, or at least, she could somewhat grasp the concept. It was like an illusion woven by an unseen force, but instead of mana, it was driven by machines and numbers.

Still, some things made no sense.

Leon, perhaps sensing her lingering doubts, smirked. "Here, why don’t you try something?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Try what?"

"Using magic. Though, without any chants."

Noel blinked. “Without chanting?”

Leon nodded. "Yup. Just imagine it happening."

Noel crossed her arms. “That’s absurd.”

"And yet," Leon countered, "this world is built on a system different from your own. Here, you think it, and it happens."

She hesitated, but before she could argue further...

Rustle. Snap.

A sound came from the bushes.

Something stirred.

Then, bursting forth from the undergrowth, a wild boar.

Noel instinctively stepped back, her posture rigid. "A wild boar?"

Her mind snapped into action. If this was anything like her own world, then she should be able to fight it the same way.

"Alright," she muttered, steadying herself. "I’ll play along."

Closing her eyes, she focused. If imagination was key here, then she had no need for an incantation. Instead, she simply envisioned what she desired...

An icicle.

A lethal, crystalline construct formed from sheer will.

And then...

A spear materialized in her grasp.

It was seamless, perfect.

She smirked. "Hoh? Interesting."

Without hesitation, she thrust her arm forward. The spear soared through the air, striking the boar dead-on. A sharp cry echoed before the creature shattered, dissolving into nothingness.

“Exp gained +299”

Noel was a bit taken back. Leon explained about how you gain experience points and level up becoming stronger.

From there, they continued to explore, moving through the virtual landscape as Leon introduced her to the fundamentals of the game. Combat mechanics, inventory systems, skill levels, it was a structured world, built on logic rather than raw instinct. And yet, in many ways, it was eerily similar to her own.

For hours, they wandered.

Then, finally, they exited the VR system.

The moment the visor lifted from her face, reality reasserted itself.

Noel sat there for a moment, catching her breath. Then...

She laughed.

A quiet, genuine laugh.

"That was…" She trailed off, shaking her head in amazement. "That was absurdly fun."

Leon smirked. "Told you."

As they stepped outside, the night had settled over the city. Streetlights illuminated the roads with a dim, artificial glow.

Leon glanced at her. "It’s getting late. You should stay at my place."

This time, she didn’t hesitated.

She simply nodded.

As they walked, the conversation between them continued, flowing effortlessly. The night air was cool, crisp. The world felt oddly serene.

Then...

They passed by an elderly woman, a white-haired grandma who watched them with knowing amusement.

"My, my," she chuckled. "What an energetic couple! Hahaha!"

Noel instantly felt heat rise to her cheeks.

Leon scratched his cheek awkwardly. "W-Well, I—"

Noel quickly cleared her throat. "Don’t misunderstand! We are not—!"

But the old woman had already walked away, still chuckling to herself.

An awkward silence followed.

A slight blush dusted both their faces.

They quickly changed the subject.

By the time they reached Leon’s home, the embarrassment had mostly faded. They shared a quiet dinner, spoke briefly of trivial things, and then, finally, retreated to their respective rooms.

Noel lay on the unfamiliar bed, staring at the ceiling.

Her thoughts ran wild.

Tonight had given her too much to think about.

The fact that his world had depicted her world in the form of a VR game, while her world had depicted his as literature.

A coincidence?

Or something else?

And then...

Suddenly.

A shift in the air.

A presence.

Her breath hitched.

Her eyes darted toward the window.

And there...

It appeared again.

The figure. Red, glowing eyes pierced through the darkness. A long spear gleamed ominously under the pale light.

Then...

It moved.

Faster than she could react.

Noel’s breath caught in her throat...

And in a jolt, she woke up.

But to the reality…