The words hung between us, thick and heavy like fog refusing to lift.
"I have something important to tell you," I repeated softly, my heart racing faster than it had during any life-threatening moment on-site.
Sienna didn't move from her spot, her head still resting against my shoulder. I felt her hum again, that soft vibration against me, but this time it wasn't comforting. It was terrifying.
Because once I said what I needed to say, there was no going back.
I took a slow breath, my chest tightening. She deserved to know everything. I couldn't let this—us—be built on half-truths and omissions. I didn't want to be in a relationship where the person beside me was left in the dark, especially not Sienna. She deserved more than that.
"Before I say anything," I started, shifting slightly so I could see her face, "I want you to think about this—really think about it—after I'm done. Whether or not you want to continue... whatever this is between us. You deserve that choice."
Her brows furrowed, the small smile on her lips fading into something cautious. "You're scaring me a little, Reynard."
I gave a short, humorless laugh. "Yeah, well... I'm scaring myself."
Another breath. In. Out. No more stalling.
"I was going to kill myself."
The words dropped like stones, raw and unpolished, but I needed to say them that way. I needed the truth to be unfiltered.
Sienna didn't flinch, didn't pull away. Her eyes locked on mine, wide and searching. She didn't interrupt. Just... listened.
"That day," I continued, my voice low, "when everything felt pointless—when I was stuck in an F-Rank cycle with no future—I decided I was done. I didn't think there was any way out. But right before I could go through with it... something happened. My system updated. Gave me a new job title."
I paused, letting that sink in. She stayed silent, processing, waiting.
"I became a Jobmaster (SSS-Rank)."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, not with suspicion but confusion. "That's not a thing. There's no—"
"I know. But it's real." I pushed forward, needing to get it all out before I lost my nerve. "I can copy skills. Learn them for myself. Not just from manuals or training—directly from people. That's what I did with you."
Her lips parted slightly, her breath hitching.
"That's why I suddenly got better at team coordination," I said quietly. "Because I learned it from you. Watching you, working with you—it wasn't just natural improvement. It was your skill. I absorbed it."
She leaned back slightly, absorbing that revelation, her fingers tightening against the blanket draped over us.
"And The Hudson Bridge Project? That wasn't just another job for me. It was a Rank-Up Quest."
Her eyes snapped back to mine.
"Rank-Up Quests don't exist," she whispered, disbelief woven into her voice.
"Not for anyone else," I confirmed. "But for me? They do. That's how I went from F-Rank to B-Rank so fast." I hesitated, then pushed through the next part, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "And I'm not B-Rank anymore."
Her face tensed, her gaze sharp.
"I'm A-Rank now," I confessed. "Because I destroyed Nathan and took all his skills. And his rank."
Her mouth fell open slightly, but no words came out.
"When I hit A-Rank," I continued, "the system gave me a second job."
"A second job?" she echoed, her voice faint.
I nodded. "Firefighter. C-Rank."
She shook her head slightly, disbelief warring with acceptance. "But—there are no records of anyone with two jobs. None."
"I know," I said softly. "But here I am. And I want to keep ranking up, getting more jobs, more skills... until I'm strong enough to face the real threat."
Her brow furrowed again, her eyes narrowing. "What real threat?"
I hesitated. This was the part that would either shatter the world she knew or pull her deeper into mine.
"The World President."
She recoiled slightly, like the words themselves were foreign. "What? That's not—there's no such thing. There's no—"
"There is," I interrupted gently. "No one knows about it. But it's real. The entire world, maybe even all systems... it's all under his control. I saw it. Felt it. Even Evelyn—an A-Rank—was afraid to defy him when she was talking on the phone. And I don't blame her because simply hearing his voice made me fall to my knees."
A long, stretching silence filled the room.
Sienna didn't say anything. She didn't move. Her face was a mask of conflicting emotions—shock, confusion, fear... maybe even betrayal.
I didn't say more. I'd said enough. Maybe too much.
I didn't reveal to her how desperately I needed someone to support me, to fill in for me, and to be my stabilizing force amidst this turmoil. I wanted to avoid swaying her choice, and I didn't want her to remain out of duty or sympathy.
If she left now, I'd understand.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally moved—sitting up straighter, her eyes still locked on mine.
I blinked, not sure I'd heard her right. "What?"
She nodded, her expression clearing like a storm breaking. "I'm staying. And I want to help you."
Relief hit me so hard I almost laughed, but then she held up a finger.
"But—" she added, her tone firm, "there are conditions."
"One," she said, showing her finger as if counting, "I don't want you to do anything that risks your life. So, no reckless stunts and no 'I'll handle this alone' nonsense. Got it?"
I nodded, feeling like my chest was tightening with something I couldn't name.
"Two," she continued, "Please don't abuse your power. Especially that 'Destroy' thing. You only use it on bad people. The worst people. No exceptions."
"And three," she finished, leaning in slightly, "you don't hide anything from me. Especially in emergencies. If you're in trouble, I want to know. No more secrets."
I felt like I could finally breathe again.
"Deal," I said quietly.
She relaxed for a moment, a smile forming on her mouth. Before she suddenly leaped off the couch, standing proudly with her hands on her hips as though she had just climbed over a Mt. Everest.
"I already know how to help you!" she shouted with a wide and victorious smile.
I looked up at her, shocked at the sudden movement, my heart was still racing from everything that I had just said.
A warm smile appeared on my face...
I sensed that perhaps I was no longer by myself.