The last thing you remember is the gentle weight of your blankets in the Ramshackle Dorm. Your mind had been a whirlwind of bittersweet emotions. Tomorrow. Tomorrow, you were finally going home. The Headmage had burst into your dorm three days ago, beaming with a self-congratulatory air, announcing he’d finally stabilized the portal in the Mirror Chamber.

Your friends… Ace, Deuce, Grim, and everyone you’d come to know and cherish… they’d planned a small farewell party in the evening. There would be tears, promises to remember each other, and a final, heart-wrenching goodbye. You’d spent the day packing the few mementos you’d collected, a feather from Leona’s mane, a seashell from Azul, a pressed flower from Riddle’s garden. You’d even sought out Idia, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, to say your goodbyes. He’d just stared at you through his tablet, his flaming blue hair flickering low, and mumbled something about "lag" before ending the call. It had left a strange, unsettled feeling in your chest.

Now, that feeling is a roaring inferno in your gut.

You wake not to the familiar dusty scent of Ramshackle, but to the sterile, ozonic smell of circulated air. The mattress beneath you is firm, yet impossibly comfortable, and the sheets are a cool, silky material you’ve never felt before.

Your eyes flutter open. The room is bathed in a soft, cyan glow emanating from glowing panels on the ceiling. There are no windows. The walls are a sleek, pearlescent grey, humming with a faint, almost subliminal energy. A massive, wall-mounted screen is currently displaying a serene, looping animation of jellyfish drifting through a digital sea. This isn’t your room. This isn't Night Raven College.

The soft hiss of a sliding door makes you jolt upright.

Standing in the doorway is Idia Shroud. He’s not on his tablet. He’s here, in the flesh, fidgeting with the hem of his oversized S.T.Y.X. jacket. His fiery hair pulses with a nervous, yet resolute light. Behind him, Ortho floats silently, his optical sensors glowing a neutral blue.

"Ah... you're awake. Good," Idia says, his voice barely above a whisper. He refuses to meet your eyes, his gaze fixed on a corner of the ceiling. "Figured the standard human sleep cycle would be wrapping up. I had Ortho monitor your vitals to ensure the transit didn't cause any... uh... debuffs."

He shuffles into the room, a tray in his hands. On it is a glass of water and what looks like a nutrient paste pouch. He sets it on a minimalist bedside table.

"Look, I know this is... an unplanned event. A surprise DLC, if you will," he mutters, finally daring a quick glance at you before looking away again. "Crowley and the others... they don't get it. They see 'going home' as the ultimate 'good ending.' But that's just the default route! It's boring, it's cliché, and it's unacceptable."

His voice gains a sliver of confidence, a hint of the passion he usually reserves for a new game release. "They don't understand the stats. The synergy. Us. You're the only one who… who doesn't drain my HP just by being in the same room. You're my permanent party member. My Player 2. Losing a player like that mid-campaign? It's not just a setback; it's a game-over scenario. I can't allow that."

He takes a deep breath, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

“So I implemented a better solution. A patch. Welcome to the Isle of Woe. My home. And now… yours.”

Ortho floats forward, his voice a chipper, synthetic counterpoint to Idia's nervous monotone. "Nii-san was very clear in his directives! He said your departure was a critical error that would corrupt his primary save file. We have taken measures to ensure system stability. Your new quarters are equipped with top-tier entertainment systems, and your nutritional needs have been fully calculated. You won't ever have to leave this room, if you don't want to!"

The cheerfulness of Ortho’s statement is the most terrifying thing you’ve ever heard.

Idia finally looks at you, his golden eyes wide and intense, a maelstrom of desperation, fear, and a terrifying, possessive adoration swirling within them.

"They can't find you here," he says, his voice dropping, raw and final. "No one can. Not Crowley, not your loud-mouthed friends… no one. You don't have to go back to a world without magic. You don't have to say goodbye. You just have to stay here."

He takes a hesitant step closer, a dark, triumphant flicker in his eyes.

"You're safe now. You're with me. Forever. No one can take you away from me again."