I leaned back slightly, my smirk never fading.

"Let's start from the beginning," I murmured, more to myself than to her. "From themomentthis whole mess began."

Selene raised a brow, but said nothing, simply watching.

I let my thoughts run back to where it all started—

Shackles of Fate.

The game that had pissed me off beyond belief.

And more importantly—

The reviews.

I could still remember the first one. The one that started it all.

[RighteousOne:

Hello, Successful_Cucumber. I am the developer of Shackles of Fate. First of all, thank you for playing the game.

I see that you had quite the emotional reaction to it. That means, in some way, we succeeded in what we wanted to create.

This game was never meant to be empowering for guys. It was meant to be fair. We wanted players to experience something that people often refuse to acknowledge—

That sometimes, no matter how hard you try... no matter how much effort you put in...

There will be nothing you can do.

Especially in the name of love.]

Even now, reading that again in my head, I could practicallyhearthe smug self-righteousness in it.

I clicked my tongue.

'So that's what you believe, huh?'

I pulled up thesecondone—the response that made itclearwhat kind of guy Righteous_One was.

[RighteousOne: Reply...]

"There are countless guys out there who have been in this position. Not everyone wins in love. Not everyone gets a happy ending. We wanted to tell a story that reflects those real experiences—so that people like us can be understood, even if just a little."

And that was it.

That was the key toeverything.

This game wasn't just a game. It wasn't some creative storytelling masterpiece.

It washim.

His own miserable, self-inflicted reality disguised as "art."

The reason he had made this?

Becausehehad lived it.

Becausehehad been dumped, abandoned—whatever the fuck had happened to him, it clearly still haunted him.

Celia's betrayal of Damien?

It wasn'tjusta plot point.

It was personal.

I chuckled under my breath. "Tch. Figures."

Then my thoughts shifted—

To Selene.

And more importantly—

To what Righteous_One had said when she first appeared.

"Youbitch!You dare show your face here afterbetrayingme?!"

The words echoed in my mind, fitting into the puzzle piece by piece.

Selene had called hima mere mortal.

Yet, he had powers. Strange ones.

Which meant—

She was somethingabovethat.

Not human. Not like him.

A god? A higher being? Whatever she was, she wasabovehim in the hierarchy of power.

But that wasn't even the most important part.

It was thathe couldn't do shit about it.

Despite all his rage, all his posturing—

The moment she entered the picture, he had beenpowerless.

Which meant one thing—

She wasat leasthis equal.

Or more likely—

She wasstronger.

I smirked, finally turning my gaze back to her.

"Yeah," I said, amusement flickering in my eyes. "I think I'm starting to get it now."

I leaned forward, my smirk widening as the pieces fell into place.

"So, let's break this down," I said, watching her closely. "You called him amere mortal.That alone says plenty. It means you're somethingabovethat—a god, a higher being, or something close to it. And since he clearly has some weird powers of his own, that means he's not justanymortal, either. He's... something in between. A step above humans, but still beneath you."

Selene said nothing, simply tilting her head slightly, her golden eyes gleaming with interest.

"And then there'syou and him."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "The way he reacted when he saw you? That wasn't just anger. That wasbetrayal.And not just any kind, either. No, no, that waspersonal.It had weight to it. Like someone who had beenleft behind."

I tapped my temple. "Which means only one thing—you two weretogetherbefore. But something happened. Something big enough for you towalk away.And if I had to guess?" I let my smirk stretch, my voice dropping into something almost mocking. "You left him for someone else, didn't you?"

The moment the words left my mouth, I caught thesmallestflicker of amusement in her expression.

And then—

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Selene applauded, slow and deliberate.

"Not bad," she said, her lips curling. "You figured it out. Though, I must say—this wasn't particularlyhardto piece togeth—"

I held up a hand, cutting her off. "Ah, ah, ah. I'mnotdone."

Her eyes flashed slightly at my interruption, but she let me continue.

"See, it's not just that you left him," I said, leaning back. "It'swhoyou left him for. That's what really fucked him up."

I let my smirk linger, watching the way Selene's expression remained composed—but I could see it. A flicker of something behind those golden eyes. Interest? Amusement? Maybe even a hint of respect?

Good.

That meant I wasright on the money.

"You didn't just leave him," I continued, voice smooth, deliberate. "You left him forhis rival.And not just any rival—someone who's everything heisn't."

I leaned forward slightly. "Handsome, charismatic, probably dripping with power that people actuallyadmireinstead of... whatever pathetic shithegot stuck with."

Selene's lips curled ever so slightly, but she said nothing.

"But that's not the only thing that stands out about him," I went on. "Righteous_One—he built that game, that miserable excuse of a world, because he thinks fate isunchangeable.That no matter how hard you try, you'reshackledto your destiny. He doesn't believe in effort, just suffering."

I tilted my head. "Now tell me—why thehellwould a guy with powers likehisthink like that?"

Silence.

Selene didn't answer.

Because she didn'thaveto.*

I already knew.

"You guys—higher beings, gods, whatever you want to call yourselves—you don't haveinfinitepower, do you?" I grinned. "You must havelimits. Something thatdefinesyou, restricts you. Like atitle—some sort of symbolic authority."

I let the words hang, watching her carefully. She still didn't speak. But she waslistening.

"And judging by how thatthinglooked—fat, disgusting, bitter—" I scoffed. "His title must be just as pathetic asheis."

Selene's smirk widened ever so slightly.

"And the one you left him for?" I continued, chuckling. "He must be the complete opposite. A god ofsomethingthat peoplewant.Something appealing, attractive. Something that makes sense for you to choosehimoverthat."

Selene let out a soft hum, still watching me with that unreadable gaze.

But I wasn't done.

"There's one last thing," I added, my tone sharpening.

Selene raised a brow slightly.

"I don't believe in coincidences," I said, voice firm. "And itsure as hellwasn't a coincidence that you justhappenedto be there when Righteous_One dragged me into that void."

I leaned back, folding my arms. "Which means you werewatching."

Selene's expression didn't change, but I caught the briefest pause.

"And the real question is..." I murmured, locking eyes with her.

"Why?"

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