Martial Online.

"Oh, this?" Ambrose touched the ruby pendant's smooth surface. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, it's very pretty." Bella smiled sweetly, admiring the vibrant color of the gem. "Is it for Emma? I am sure she will love it."

"Actually..." Ambrose turned the ruby pendant around, its smooth surface reflecting Bella's curious expression. "It is for you."

"F-for me?" Bella stumbled over her words, her eyes widening in surprise.

Her heart was suddenly filled with joy.

"Nn." Ambrose nodded, a small smile forming on his lips.

He was still embarrassed, as this was the first gift he had ever given to anyone.

"Turn around; I will put it on for you."

"O-oh, okay." Bella turned and felt her heart race with anticipation.

Ambrose stood up and carefully moved Bella's hair out of the way, revealing her milky white neck.

As his fingers brushed against her skin, Bella couldn't help but shiver.

He then delicately placed the necklace around her neck, making sure it sat perfectly on her collarbone.

After clasping it securely, he stepped back and said, "Done."

Bella turned around, feeling the ruby pendant against her skin.

She smiled and touched it gently. "It's beautiful."

"It fits you." Ambrose smiled and sat back down on the bed, admiring Bella from a small distance.

"T-thank you." Bella blushed, feeling a warmth spreading through her cheeks. "I love this gift."

"I am glad." Ambrose nodded with a smile of satisfaction, his eyes never leaving Bella's radiant face.

However, then certain thoughts that had occupied his mind lately appeared.

There were a few questions he liked answers to.

"Can I ask something?" Ambrose asked.

"Of course." Bella smiled and sat down on the bed, still keeping a small distance between them.

"I've been wondering about something." Ambrose said, glancing at Bella's beautiful face. 

"Why didn't you log off when goblins attacked? According to Emma, you could've.

"You could have also killed yourself to avoid the fate of getting eaten. Those goblin cages didn't seem capable of stopping you from taking out your weapon from your inventory.

"I was just curious, why? I am sorry I sounded rude, but I couldn't help but wonder what made you choose that option."

"O-oh..." Bella bit her upper lip. "You weren't rude at all; I know it might've seemed weird."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Ambrose crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the wall. "I just asked out of curiosity."

"Uhm..." Bella lowered her gaze, but then caught sight of the ruby pendant and felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. "I'll tell you, why."

Ambrose looked at Bella, his ears perking up as he listened intently.

"A few months before the release of Martial Online, I was in a car accident." Bella opened up her story with a shocking statement.

Ambrose's eyes widened in shock.

"My mother and I were injured quite severely, but my father managed to drag us out of the burning car, saving us.

"However, we both ended up in a deep coma, with almost no chance of waking up ever again."

Bella sighed, remembering the sight of the bonfire's flames and the vision.

"When I was lying on the hospital bed, in a coma, I heard everything my doctors and father said.

"I knew I was going to die.

"However, then, my father tried something."

"?" Ambrose saw her face turn complicated.

"He is a game developer, one of the greatest to ever live." Bella hugged her legs. "He is an important figure in Martial Company, the company that created Martial Online.

"Behind all of their backs, he created a thing he called a Sleeping Pod. It allowed the doctors to transfer my consciousness into the video game, where I could walk, think, and live.

"However, it wasn't a perfect product." Bella sighed. "It has a couple of bugs that my father was unable to fix, but because of the hurry to save my life, we had to proceed with the transfer regardless.

"The bugs include an inability to log out, and no one can see me online. There might be more bugs I am not aware of."

Ambrose listened with a surreal expression.

'The technology to do that is incredible. In the future, all coma patients might be sent to Martial Online!'

"However..." Bella continued with a heavy look. "If I die in here, my mind would break and I would become brain dead. Doctors and my father can't make me log out from here either, or it would register as death.

"I am trapped here, and if I die here, I would basically die in real life.

"So, that's why..." Bella turned to Ambrose, her eyes filled with tears. "You truly saved my life."

Ambrose's breathing turned rough as he realized the gravity of the situation.

'She could actually die!' He covered his mouth in shock. 'This world is also a very violent place. If she leaves the security of any of the towns and cities, she might die within a day!

'Even inside the city and town are not guaranteed to be safe places!

'If I were in her shoes, I would have died on the first day!'

Bella looked out the window and saw the setting sun casting a golden glow across the horizon as it slowly disappeared.

The night sky and the incoming crescent moon were about to arrive.

"Are you afraid?" Ambrose asked.

"Yes." Bella replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "I am lucky to have good company. I am not sure how I would have done if I were alone."

"How did you learn to know about this?" Ambrose asked. "It must've been terrifying to find yourself in this unknown world without knowing the danger."

"My father visited me in Yatagarasu and explained everything."

"I see." Ambrose nodded. "Thank you for answering everything."

Bella giggled and smiled at him, her white, pearly teeth showing. "The least I could do after receiving such a nice gift."

Ambrose smiled and awkwardly scratched his cheek, feeling a warmth spreading throughout his body.

Bella laid down on the bed, touching the pendant hanging from her neck, and closed her eyes, feeling a sense of peace wash over her.

"It's very cold, isn't it?" She whispered.

"Yes, it must be a cold night coming." Ambrose nodded, as this place clearly didn't have as good of heating as the houses back in real-life.

"It was the same back in the Whispering Pages." Bella whispered gently. "The chill always seemed to seep into my bones. The bed was uncomfortable, and the walls couldn't keep away the cold air."

She then opened her eyes and smiled. "I still miss that place. Did you visit that place? Was it still standing?"

"Yes, it was in good condition." Ambrose nodded. "You might need to get new books, though."

Bella giggled and nodded. "I will do that when Yatagarasu is back on its feet. I do still miss that place, even though there are flaws."

"You saw the announcement?" Ambrose asked and smiled. "I don't think it will take long. A month max."

"Nn." Bella nodded and turned her head to the side, looking at Ambrose, who was sitting beside her.

"Do you want to sleep with me?"

Ambrose looked straight ahead until the words dawned on him.

His cheeks turned crimson, and his voice became shaky. "W-w-what did you say?"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Bella blushed and quickly clarified her intentions. 

"I mean, just sleeping here. I know you can sleep back in reality in a much warmer bed, but...I don't want to be alone tonight.

"It's totally alright if you don't want to!" She quickly turned around, covered her body with the blanket, and shut her eyes.

'Stupid, stupid!' Bella, in embarrassment, shouted inside her mind, but then felt something move behind her, causing her to open her eyes hesitantly.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Ambrose laying down with his arms under his head, acting as a pillow, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping.

Bella slowly turned around, moving onto another side, from which she could see the side of Ambrose's face.

She then moved slightly closer and moved the blanket over his body, wanting to make sure he stayed warm throughout the night.

'His breathing had gone steady and his features softened, indicating a peaceful sleep.' Bella thought and smiled. 'He must've been very tired.'

She then also closed her eyes, following Ambrose into a deep slumber.