Volume 1. Chapter 57

Ken finally stopped, breathing heavily, and gently set Lily down on the ground. His heart still pounded wildly from the adrenaline and sprinting, but he couldn’t help the small grin spreading across his face as he looked at her.

“Phew… we lost them,” he exhaled with relief, wiping sweat from his brow.

Lily, still stunned by everything that had just happened, stared at him silently. This boy had literally crashed through a window into her illusion, rescued her, and pulled her out of a waking nightmare. A whirlwind of emotions swirled inside her — shock, disbelief, and deep gratitude.

“Ken…” she finally said, her voice a little uncertain. “Thank you… You saved me. But… how are you here? Are you really my Ken?”

Ken, hearing her question, grinned with a playful glint in his eyes.

“Your Ken?” He crossed his arms, pretending to ponder. “Well, I’d say I’m one of a kind. So yeah — I’m definitely yours.”

Lily giggled softly, though the shadow of doubt still lingered on her face.

“Prove it,” she said, tilting her head.

Without a word, Ken held out his hand, showing her his wrist. The metallic bracelet glowed with the same vibrant red light as hers. Lily let out a breath of relief at the familiar sight.

“See? I’m the real deal,” he said, pulling his hand back. “I took care of the demon in my illusion pretty fast, woke up, and when I opened my eyes, I saw you. You were standing there, eyes closed, and your bracelet was glowing. I realized you were still trapped.”

“And you decided… to link the bracelets?” Lily asked, calmer now but still trying to piece it all together.

“Exactly,” Ken nodded. “It worked. The next second, I was standing outside your house.”

“But how did you get inside?” Lily squinted, remembering how he crashed through the window.

Ken smirked, clearly enjoying the chance to brag.

“Oh, that was my finest moment!” He raised a finger, pausing dramatically. “The door was locked — no way in. So I circled the house, peered through the windows… and saw you on the couch. You heard me, but froze when you saw your ‘parents’… I knew I couldn’t waste time. First, I tried breaking the window with my hand.”

“And?” Lily, already guessing where this was going, smiled faintly.

“Well, turns out those windows aren’t so easy to break barehanded. But then I remembered — legs are stronger.” He gestured enthusiastically. “So I backed up, sprinted, and bam! Jumped in with both feet! Pretty epic entrance, right?”

Lily couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore. It was light and a little nervous, like someone who finally felt the tension release after too long.

“You’re absolutely insane, Ken,” she said, still smiling at him.

Ken just shrugged — but then his expression grew serious.

“Listen, Lily,” he said, locking eyes with her. “In this illusion, the pain feels real. But… what happens if you die here?”

Lily’s face immediately darkened. Her eyes dropped, and her hands clenched into fists. She closed her eyes, drawing in a breath as if to gather strength.

“The body can’t live without the mind,” she finally said, her voice quiet but heavy with meaning.

Ken understood instantly. Dying in the illusion meant dying for real. It was worse than he had imagined.

“Damn… this is even more serious than I thought,” he realized, but quickly pushed down his fear. Lily didn’t need his panic — she needed his resolve.

“All right, don’t worry,” he said, his voice firm. “I’ve got a plan.”

Lily looked up at him, eyes full of a mix of hope and uncertainty.

“A plan?” she repeated.

“Yeah. I promise, Lily,” Ken leaned closer, looking her straight in the eyes, “we’re not staying here. We’re gonna beat this cheap trick and destroy it.”

Lily felt her heart stir. His words, his confidence, his smile — they warmed her from within. Despite how dire things were, Ken was ready to fight to the end. And she realized — she had to be ready too.

“Thank you, Ken,” she said quietly, her voice sincere, eyes shining with emotion.