“Valerius.”
He stepped into the office light. He had Valerius’s face and a stranger’s careful posture.
“That was the name the game gave me.” His voice was softer here. “My name is Vincent. Vincent Ashwood.”
He stopped several feet from my desk and waited. In the castle, Valerius had always closed the distance for me. Vincent left it open.
“I owe you an explanation, Elora. I spent two years in a coma. My body was in a hospital bed while my mind stayed in the game. It erased my identity and left the final Boss directive. I had one command: kill every intruder.”
He looked at his bare hands. “Players entered, and I destroyed them. I remembered nothing before that cycle. Then you arrived.”
His eyes lifted to mine.
“You kissed me. You touched me. You were supposed to die in 2.7 seconds, a
