Queen of Diamonds (x Chishiya)

Chapter 46 - The Dotted Line

A/N: Sooo it seems the most requested thing is more fluff, so I shall grant it ;) it's already scripted, I'll just have to figure out a good time in the story to write it.

Anywho, I missed you guys lol. It's been a fun week and since I have no school on Thursday due to my prof cancelling class, I'm going to definitely be writing that whole day so we're in for a treat this week!

I'll respond to comments tomorrow because I'm falling asleep loll.

QOTD: If you could wish for literally anything that's guaranteed to come true, what would it be?

♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢ ♢

Chishiya's POV

"Just sign when you're ready," Dr. Kano leaves the pen in my shaking hand.

None of it was real?

I remember the look in Karma's eyes when she mirrored my gaze, the sound of her voice, her dumb jokes, her clumsiness.

Would I really design a clumsy character for me?

If I truly fell for her, she must have been by my design.

I remember her touch. The feeling of her lips against mine. It hurts.

I bring my hand up to my lips and graze my lips with a finger, reminiscing what was only simulated. The pen falls to the floor and I look to Dr. Kano, who picks it up for me.

"How much of it was real?"

My core feels empty and it twists. I feel sick.

Well, if I've been here for a week or so, I probably haven't had a proper meal. That's probably the reason.

Mira places the pen back on the sheet of paper.

"Kuina, Ryu, Ronan, and many others were all designed to give Karma's story more substance and background. Other than that, most of the players were AI generated, and a few of the players were legitimate. Think of it as a video game server, where there are NPCs and players."

I look at my hands, flipping them, and questioning reality. I swear it felt so real. She felt so real.

How could I love something that's not even real?That means I've never loved someone.

And no one's ever loved me.

"Chishiya!"

I hear Karma's voice in the far distance, no certain direction from which it came from. I must be hallucinating, I learned that the first stage of grief is denial.

Looking up with just a bit of hope, I see nothing. No one comes through the door, and no Karma is in the room. I stop for a second and stay silent, awaiting another call of my name, but hear nothing.

"Ah, you're still recovering so you may experience hallucinations. May I?"

Dr. Kano then approaches me, moving my hair out of the way, and peels off a sticker-like thing from the back of my neck.

"Alright, it should wear off in an hour or so. Would you like some time to say goodbye in the meantime?"

I nod in silence and Dr. Kano  takes the remote and points it at the screen, pressing a button. Karma's statistics page with her head returns to the screen and I stare at it.

I miss her. So much. It hurts.

I swallow my feelings.