Chapter 41 – Yuna’s Suspicion

The inn was unusually quiet that night. The chaos and whispers that had filled the guild hall earlier had long faded, but they still echoed in Zareen’s mind.

On the second floor, the room was dimly lit by moonlight streaming through the window. Doni was already snoring loudly on his bed, hugging his bow like a pillow. Sari lay curled up in the corner, her breathing soft, one small dagger still clasped in her hand — a habit that always made Zareen worry she might hurt herself in her sleep.

But Zareen wasn’t sleepy at all. He sat on a wooden chair by the window, staring at the half-moon that peeked through the clouds. The pale light cast a glow on the black staff leaning against the wall.

He let out a deep sigh. *Today was insane.*

The scene at the guild hall kept replaying in his head — the Crimson Fang leader’s piercing gaze, Yuna’s cold, unwavering voice rejecting their offer, and the heavy silence that followed. Strangely, it left his chest feeling both warm and heavy at the same time.

*Why did Yuna get so angry? Was she just protecting me as a party member… or was there something more?*

---

The door creaked softly. Zareen turned quickly.

Yuna stood at the doorway. She wasn’t wearing her usual armor tonight — just simple dark clothes. Her long black hair was loose, cascading over her shoulders, giving her a completely different aura from the imposing Dark Knight he knew.

“You’re still awake,” she said in her usual calm tone, though there was a faint weariness in her voice.

Zareen jumped to his feet. “Ah… yeah. I couldn’t sleep after everything that happened.”

Yuna stepped into the room, closing the door quietly behind her. The faint sound of the latch seemed to echo in the stillness. She walked toward the window and stood next to him, gazing at the night sky.

For a moment, there was only silence. Then Yuna suddenly spoke.

“Zareen… what exactly are you?”

The question hit him like a blade.

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### The Serious Question

Zareen blinked at her. “What do you mean?”

Yuna turned around, her eyes sharp but not hostile — just searching, probing.

“From the very first time I saw you, I knew you were different,” she said. “I can’t track your status the way I do with other players. Your skills don’t match the system. Even support classes have at least one basic attack, but you have none. And yet… your buffs, your barriers… they’re flawless. Cleaner and faster than any top-ranked support player I’ve ever met — even during the Ice Dragon raid.”

Zareen scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “I… don’t know how to answer that. I’m just… me. I studied magic at the academy, then I became an adventurer. That’s it.”

“Don’t joke with me.” Yuna took a step closer, her gaze unyielding. “Everyone here knows what we are — *players*. People connected to this world through VR technology. But you… you didn’t even know what that meant.”

“VR?” Zareen repeated, confused.

“Virtual Reality,” Yuna said flatly, though her voice softened just slightly as if realizing she had to explain. “We use a device to dive into this world. We know it’s a simulation. But you… when you get hurt, you look like you *really* feel the pain. You don’t just lose HP — you live through it.”

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### A Different Era

Zareen lowered his gaze, trying to piece it all together. The words felt alien, yet oddly familiar — as though some part of him had always suspected something.

“I’ve always known there were others summoned into this world by some other means,” he said slowly. “But I don’t know what VR is. In my world… that kind of technology doesn’t exist. I came here because of a mage named Gifa. She called me through magic — not machines, not technology. Just… magic.”

Yuna froze, her pupils narrowing slightly. “…So VR doesn’t exist in your world?”

Zareen nodded. “I didn’t even know you could call this world a ‘game.’ To me… it’s real. I feel hunger. I feel exhaustion. I feel fear.”

Yuna shut her eyes for a moment, then exhaled deeply. “Then we’re from different eras.”

“Different… eras?” Zareen repeated, startled.

“Yes.” Yuna’s expression hardened, though her tone was calm. “I’m from your future, Zareen. From a world where VR is everywhere, where this world is just… a simulation. But you…” she trailed off. “…you’re an anomaly. Something that exists outside the game’s rules.”

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### Zareen’s Thoughts

Zareen looked down at his hands, noticing they were trembling slightly. *So… this entire world is a game? A place I’ve treated as home is just… a simulation?*

He suddenly remembered Gifa’s eyes — so calm, so resolute — the night she handed him the contract to reset his path.

*“That black card isn’t just a symbol… and others won’t accept it easily.”*

Was this what she meant? That he wasn’t even part of the same system as the others?

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### Yuna’s Belief

Yuna took another step closer until she was just a breath away. Her dark eyes pierced straight through him, but there was no malice in them — only conviction.

“Whatever you are,” she said softly, “I know one thing. You’re different for a reason. And I believe… with you, the mission to seal the Ice Dragon has a chance. Maybe the only chance.”

Zareen’s breath caught. “Why are you so sure? You barely know me.”

“Because I’ve seen you.” Yuna turned toward the door, her voice calm but steady. “The way you fight, the way you hold everyone together even when you’re about to collapse… that isn’t a bug. It’s hope.”

She paused at the doorway, glancing back over her shoulder. The moonlight outlined her silhouette, giving her an almost ethereal presence.

“Get some rest, Zareen. We have another mission tomorrow.”

The door clicked shut softly, leaving Zareen alone with his swirling thoughts.

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### Reflection

He sat there for a long while, listening to the steady breathing of his sleeping companions. His gaze drifted to his black staff, and for a moment, it almost seemed to hum faintly in response.

*Anomaly. Hope. From the future…*

He let out a deep breath, gripping the edge of the chair. “Whatever this world really is… whatever I am… I have to trust myself. If I don’t, I won’t be able to protect anyone.”

Outside the window, the clouds slowly shifted, revealing the full moon. Its pale light fell across Zareen’s face, making him look calmer, stronger.

For the first time in a long while, his path felt a little clearer — even if it meant the road ahead would only get harder.