OLD MAN

Nate hit the floor with a thud that echoed through the living room. For a moment, nobody moved. Even the air seemed to pause.

Charlie blinked. "Did... did he just faint?"

Riley's wolf ears snapped upright, trembling. "He fainted?! Oh my god, he actually fainted."

Lucas rubbed his temples, exhaling through his nose. "Yeah. He's out cold. Great. Just great."

I let out a slow breath, the frost around me thinning into mist. "Perfect. Because why wouldn't he? Magic, transformations, divine interventions... and now Nate's decided gravity is optional."

Charlie crouched beside him, checking his pulse. "Maybe I pushed him too hard."

Riley hovered anxiously. "Should we... splash water on him?"

"Sure," I muttered. "Or I can breathe on him. That'll wake him up faster."

Lucas huffed a quiet laugh. "You're not wrong."

Charlie shot me a look. "Don't freeze my floor, young lady."

"Uuu...not a lady char..."I lifted my hands in surrender. "No promises. I'm running on fumes and sarcasm at this point."

Riley tugged at her hair. "This is insane. I've got wolf ears that won't stop twitching, Charlie's got elf ears, and Kris... um..."Her eyes went wide when she looked at me "never mind..."

I stared at her. "Just say it, Riley. I'm past the point of caring."

"Well, you..."

I didn't need her to finish. I could feel the faint weight, the sharper hearing, the way every sound in the house felt too crisp. "Great. Add that to the list."

Before I could process it, Lucas pointed to Nate. "He's coming to."

Nate groaned, blinking slowly back into focus. "So bright, W..What happened?"

I leaned over him. "Congratulations. You fainted. Very dramatically."

He sat up slowly like he was moving through water, and he finally snapped back to full consciousness.

"YOU...YOU'RE KRIS!"

I clapped once. "He solved the mystery. Someone alert the press."

He scrambled backward, pointing at me like I'd grown a second head. "You can't just turn into a... into a magical ice girl, and NOT TELL US!"

"Yes, Nate," I said flatly. "I planned this. I planned to have a goddess turn me into her inter-dimensional daughter, I wanted to have an existential identity crisis... I...I,..."

Lucas leaned away from the wall where he had been quietly watching things unfold stoically as a statue

"You know," Lucas said quietly, "for what it's worth... you're handling all of this better than anyone else could."

I blinked. "What?"

He nodded toward me, his voice steady, almost too steady. "Everything that's happened.....you're still standing. Most people would've cracked by now."

The room went still.

Even Nate stopped complaining.

Riley's tiny wolf ears twitched.

Charlie looked between us like she'd just noticed something she wasn't sure she liked.

And me?

Heat rushed up my neck, clashing with the cold under my skin in a way that made my chest tighten. I tried to look away, but Lucas's eyes were steady, calm, focused entirely on me.

"I'm not..." I started, but the words tangled. "I'm not handling it. I'm just... trying."

Lucas's expression softened. "Trying counts."

I clenched my hands.

Charlie raised an eyebrow, her voice low. "Kris... you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said but I wasn't fine my emotions were off.

Riley's ears flicked. "You're freezing again."

"I'm NOT...," I hissed.

"You are," Nate said, pointing. "Like a very stressed ice pop."

"Shut up," I muttered, but my voice cracked, betraying me.

Lucas stepped a little closer. not enough to crowd me, but enough that I felt the shift in the air. "Hey. It's alright. I wasn't trying to embarrass you."

"You didn't," I lied.

The frost on my face disagreed.

The room felt too warm and too cold at the same time, like my body couldn't decide which instinct to follow. My heartbeat thudded in my ears, loud enough that I wondered if the others could hear it too.

Lucas's voice dropped, "You're allowed to be overwhelmed." Ok what was happening to me...and then it hit me it had to be the hormones off. The change is messing with my emotions...That has to be it.

I swallowed hard. Composing myself "I'm not overwhelmed, I'm fine.

He gave me a look that said he didn't believe that for a second.

Nate, oblivious, clapped his hands together. "Okay, emotional moment over. Can we go back to the part where you're becoming a chick?"

Riley groaned. "Nate, you're being an ass, stop it." She threw a pillow at his head making him duck and cover..

"Sorry, I need answers." he retorted throwing it back

Charlie sighed. "Focus, all of you."

But Lucas's eyes lingered on me for a moment longer.

And I hated, absolutely hated how that made me feel.

The frost on my face finally settled, dimming back to a faint shimmer.

But the heat in my cheeks didn't.

I was going to ignore it. If you ignored it, it would go away I told myself.

"You're... really Kris huh.." Nate's words are no longer doubtful.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Unless someone else has been dealing with your nonsense for ten years, yes."

Charlie snorted. "You finally figured it out genius."

Riley crossed her arms. Looking back to normal now that Nate was awake and coherent, and annoying" You fainted before you could even apologize. Who does that anyway?"

Nate's cheeks flushed a bit and he groaned. "I need a minute to process all this."

"Take two," I said. "The world can wait."

Charlie laughed softly. "Okay, everyone chill... literally."

I smirked. "Nice one, Char."

Riley rubbed her temples. "Can we talk about what's happening before someone else passes out?"

I nodded, my voice steadying. "Yeah, we need to. Because this isn't stopping...and Hestia said it's only the beginning."

For the next thirty minutes, I explained everything. From the first time I talked to Hestia. The transformations I'd gone through. My face heating up at the thoughts of yesterday's college excursion.

Every impossible moment. Nate and Lucas grew paler with each revelation, their questions quieter.

When I finished, Nate stared at me like his brain had blue-screened. Then he inhaled sharply, slapped his hands on his knees, and launched into it.

"Okay. Great. Love that for us. Just to recap..."

He pointed at me.

"So you didn't respawn because what that orc punted you off of the mortal coil, and instead of a loading screen you got intercepted by a goddess who gave you a magical girl transformation?"

I rubbed my temples. "Not..magical girl...Nate, please."

"No, no, I'm not done." He held up a finger.

"Then the devs of DOL decided to interrogate you like you're Jason Bourne."

Lucas snorted.

"And THEN Hestia shows up like 'Surprise! I'm your mom now, because of essence and stuff!' Then proceeds to hand you a divine DLC."

I groaned. "It wasn't—"

"And THEN the devs start hunting you. In-game and in real life."

He threw his hands up. "Amazing....Truly amazing!"

I stared at him. "Are you done?"

He leaned back, arms crossed. "No. Because I have ONE question."

He pointed at me again.

"Why is it always you? Why not Lucas? Or a houseplant."

Lucas muttered something under his breath. Nate ignored him.

I pinched my nose. "Nate. Focus."

He leaned forward. "Kris. You are a frost-powered demigoddess being hunted by rogue developers who might be extradimensional beings... I am focusing."

Then he grinned. "But hey, at least now I can say my best friend is a goddess's kid. That'll look great on my résumé."

Charlie's face grew complicated at that...but everyone was too focused to notice.

"I hate you," I said.

"Love you too, Elsa."

"Kris is going to freeze you," Lucas warned.

"Worth it."

Then Nate froze. "Wait......HOLD ON."

I blinked. "What now?"

He pointed at himself. "We're turning into our avatars right?"

Lucas sighed. "That's accurate."

Nate spun on him. "Lucas, you're turning into a seven-foot barbarian. You don't get to complain."

"I wasn't."

"GOOD. BECAUSE I AM."

He turned back to me. "I'm turning into my character?"

"Yes...?" I still didn't get what he was trying to say.

"My character who is SEVENTY THREE."

"Oh...ohhhhhhh...yea that's rough man."I gave him a sympathetic look.

Lucas shrugged. "You picked that."

"For the WISDOM BONUS! Not arthritis!"

He threw his hands up. "Great I get magic, but it comes with a side of orthopedic shoes, and a receding hair line!"

He looked at me for a long moment. His gears turning. Then his eyes lit with desperate hope. He grabbed my shoulders gently. "Kris. Talk to your goddess mom."

Charlie's expression tightened into solemn lines.

"Nate, it doesn't..." he cut me off.

"No. I refuse to age forty years overnight. I am too young. Too handsome. I have too much potential!"

Lucas muttered, "You eat cereal for dinner." (￣ー￣ )

"IRRELEVANT."∑(ﾟДﾟ)

Then Nate dropped to his knees. "Please. Beg her. Bribe her. Offer her a sacrifice. Anything...Just ask her to make me a young wizard. A hot wizard. A wizard with functioning knees."

I stared down at him. "Nate, I don't control Hestia."

"But you're her daughter!"

I balked at that statement but gave up, I was too tired to fight it. "Ugh....whatever....That doesn't mean she takes requests."

He gasped. "But she might, and I am BEGGING YOU."

Lucas shook his head. "You could've made a younger character."

"I DIDN'T KNOW REALITY WOULD PATCH NOTE ME INTO A RETIREMENT HOME."

Nate was still dramatically sprawled across the couch, one arm over his forehead like a dying Victorian poet.

"This is it," he groaned. "My villain origin story. I'm going to be a grumpy old wizard who yells at young people, and cars for driving too fast."

I felt something wicked curl up inside me the same energy Nate had been using

to call me a "magical girl" every chance he got, and finally... I had ammo.

"Well, what can a poor little magical girl like me dooo, for such an old man like you," I said, laying it on thick.

Nate sat up so fast he nearly dislocated something. "OLD...?! I'm not old!"

I tapped my chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. You did groan when you stood up earlier."

"That was a battle injury!"

"You also complained about your back."

"That was a different battle injury!"

"And you said the lighting in here was too bright."

"That's because...okay, that one does sound old."

Charlie snorted. Riley covered her mouth to hide her grin. Lucas whispered, "She got you, dude."

Nate pointed at me, scandalized. "You can't just call me old! You're the magical girl!"

I fluttered my eyelashes dramatically. "Aww, don't worry. I'll visit you in the retirement home."

Nate clutched his chest. "Betrayal, actual betrayal."

I couldn't help it. A soft chuckle slipped out. The kind that bubbled up before I could stop it. A real one, the first since everything started, and the tension in the room eased just a little.

"Relax, Grandpa," I said, grinning. "I'll... talk to her. Okay?"

Nate sat up instantly, eyes wide. "Really?"

I nodded, still chuckling under my breath. "Yes. I'll try to ask Hestia about it."

Nate blinked. "Y..you're serious..."

"Mm."

"And you're just... gonna go chat with her."

I shrugged, a little smug. "Perks of being a magical girl, I guess."

Nate pointed at me, scandalized. "YOU CAN'T USE MY OWN TEASING AGAINST ME."

Charlie snorted. Riley wheezed. Lucas muttered, "She absolutely can."

I leaned back, arms crossed, smirk growing. "Well, someone has to help the elderly."

Nate made a noise like a dying kettle. "I'M NOT OLD."

I chuckled again, softer this time, but still real. "Sure, Grandpa."

Nate flopped backward dramatically. "This is elder abuse."

Lucas patted his shoulder. "You'll be okay, old man."

"I HATE ALL OF YOU."

The living room felt different now. The sun cast long shadows across the carpet. My frost had finally faded, leaving only a thin chill.

I looked at my friends, really looked, and for once, I didn't feel like the odd one out. Something warm settled in my chest.

"Well," I said, "Hestia said we need to get stronger. So we need to log back in."

Nate groaned. "Really? After all that's going on?"

Charlie sat on the couch. "Kris is right. If the game is changing us, leveling might help us get stronger here too."

Lucas nodded. "If Kris is being hunted, we need to be ready. I vote log in."

Nate looked defeated. "I'm not winning this, am I?"

Riley patted his shoulder. "You never were." Look at the bright side brother of mine. At least you won't get carded for buying beer anymore."

We all laughed, tension easing.

"HEY! It's not funny!"∑(ﾟДﾟ) We'll see if I buy you guys any beer at all!!"

Lucas didn't even look up. "You're broke after buying the headgear."

Nate clutched his chest. "Low blow."

I stretched my legs and stood, everyone stopped to look at me. "We need to log in ASAP. It's already 5:15 we're running out of time. We've talked enough.

Everyone nodded. And we moved.