Full of panic you help him to get out of his now ruined shirt and some little red flames still licking greedily on the white cloth.

Rafayel throws it to the ground with a swift and fluid motion, and both of you eagerly stomp on it now to quench the rest of the small fire.

In the process, you get real close to each other and unwittingly you trip over his feet and stumble into Rafayels now completely bare chest.

Strong arms surround you immediately, catching you out of reflex in a warm embrace, and you look up at him embarrassed. You flush deep red, yet notice how smooth his skin is and how his abs twitch beneath your finger, which you use to try to catch yourself and land on his abdomen.

Wide-opened sunset eyes meet yours in surprise before they sparkle with amusement. „And even as clumsy!" Rafayel chuckles and your face lit in an even deeper crimson hue.

A cough from the doorstep is heard and your head turns to see your MC-Twin standing there, arms crossed and brows furrowed in a disapproving gaze towards you. „How come you're always in the arms of MY boyfriend when I see you?" a longer look on Rafayel. „And why are you half-naked, Raf?"

Sheepishly you free yourself from the Lemurian and take a security step back to the kitchen island again. How are you going to explain that now? Why are you always in ambiguous situations with him?

Rafayel is faster than you and answers smoothly: „I just wanted to prove a point and it heated up too much." he chuckles and walks up towards his beloved.

Oh god, why does he need to say it like that? You glare at his toned body from behind and hastily back into your cup. Ugh, even his bared rear side looks much better than ingame! Especially in the warm sunlight that shines through the big windows.

With a little peck on the lips of his beloved, Rafayel adds: „It was an accident. My shirt got burned and by helping me stomp the flames out she stumbled into me. No big deal, cutie."

Not for him, you think sadly. You, however, still feel the heat burning your face from this accident. But yeah, you're not his girlfriend. He's just nice in front of you because you're so similar to her. You sigh and notice that your spiraling thoughts make you nearly miss the rest of their conversation.

„Once doesn't count. Twice is twice too much." she answers warily and with clear displeasure.

„C'mon, cutie!" Rafayel laughs quietly and tries to pull her into an embrace. „Are you serious?"

„I don't know, fishie. You tell me." she retorts demandingly and wiggles out of his arms without giving him a chance to answer. „We'll talk about this later."

The MC comes over to your spot, arms crossed „Finish your coffee, please. I want you to leave this house and settle in my former apartment. It's a bit dusty since I spend less time there, but it's still a nice place to live" and with a glaring side-eye to Rafayel „without distracting my naive boyfriend from his work."

You gulp, feeling unwell at the thought of leaving the artist's home so suddenly. Sure, you don't want to stay anyway but moving just like this seems also wrong. Deep inside you hoped to spend time with Rafayel, even if it meant only as friends and nothing else. You enjoy being around him, more than you admit to yourself, and now it'll end as suddenly as it started? No, that can't be.

„What if I don't want to?" you dare to ask, your voice not as strong as you planned. But at least, the words are out.

Your copy squints and irritation practically oozes from her. „This was not a formal request and you have no say in this matter. You'll stay away from him as far as I can manage. I don't trust you." she crosses her arms over her chest again, not willing to give you an inch of empathy.

And can you blame her? The situations she found you in with Rafayel were pretty suspicious out of the view as an outsider. They were harmless, more flustering on your end than it was for him, but you'll be distrustful as well on her case. Still, you don't want to leave. Yeah, you're just tolerated here, and are not disturbing them in their daily lives, but who is she to decide this for you? She could've asked first, respecting your own free will.

„You can't just..." determined to stand your ground, a pained grunt is heard from Rafayels position.

Both of you turn your head in unison as the Lemurian sinks slowly to his knees, heavily panting and clutching his chest as if he wants to claw out the symbol that glows again in a radiant red color.

The huntress is at his side in an instant, and you follow her a step behind. Wrapping her hands around his face in a caring manner, she forces the purple-haired man to look at her.

„Rafayel! What's wrong?" worry and anxiety lace her voice as she tries to figure out what causes his pain.

You stand beside her, feeling helpless. Not knowing what to do you can just watch how Rafayel suffers in the same pain he experienced yesterday.

His gaze is pleading as he locks it with his beloved. „Don't..." he exhales trembling not able to end his sentence. „Please..." followed by more painful pants and whimpers as the crimson mark slowly subsides. „It hurts...so ... much..."

Rafayel shuts his sunset eyes, slumping to the ground, falling unconscious. Your heart throbs to see him like this but what can you do?

"Help me lift him and bring him to his bed," MC orders, and together you carry the fainted Lemurian to his bedroom. As soon the painter is settled in the sheets he slowly wakes up again. Your MC Twin sits at the edge of the mattress and takes his hand.

„What happened, my love?" and she looks so distressed, that you can't help and feel sorry for her. You're extremely worried about Rafayel as well, but at least you figured out what caused this. The Lemurian received the pain the moment you were ready to put up a fight with his first bride about leaving. And since both your wants were different the bond must have reacted to this indifference and made him feel torn apart again, only this time more painful than yesterday.

„It's nothing you have to worry about, cutie. I'm okay now." Rafayel smiles softly at her, apparently not ready to tell her about the double-bond thing.

„Of course, I'm worried if you break down in the kitchen. Is this something Lemuria-related? Anything I can do to help?" now stroking his face and giving him a peck on his cheek.

He just smiles at her and nuzzles his face into her hand like a cat. You can't stand this image and decide that it really might be better if you leave the house. At least you'll be spared from even more heartbreaking views. With a heavy and silent sigh, you leave the bedroom to wait in the kitchen. Maybe empty your coffee as well, you'll need it.

Sometime later, MC enters the kitchen as your coffee is long drunk. She's not looking happy, some worry lines deeply ingrained in her face.

"Is Rafayel alright?" you ask her softly, feeling so much empathy for her right now.

Taking a chair beside you, she just nods. "It seems so." she quietly says, fiddling with her fingers and after one moment she looks a bit shy and grabs your hand. „I'm sorry for my behavior earlier. Startled you stare at her, and she continues without waiting for a response.

„I realized that I was very rude towards you. I didn't spare a single thought about how you must feel right now and only had myself in mind." the woman who is a complete mirror of yourself sighs heavily. „I don't know what's with that game you mentioned ... but I'm sure we are not in some simulation or something." now she locks her gaze on you. „I don't know if you really are from another world or something... but I'll help you to get back."

Your eyes widen at her words, you honestly didn't expect that from her. „Really?" you ask dumbfounded.

„Unless... you don't want to?" now she looks vulnerable. „I'm aware of how you look at him." your Twin whispers „You have feelings for him, don't you?"

Now it's your turn to gaze down at the hand she's still holding and with a gulp you silently nod. The grip on your fingers shortly tenses, and by easing your head back up, you try to catch her gaze now.

„I swear, I won't do anything! I know I'm here on borrowed time and he is your boyfriend, not mine. You're the one he's in love with, not me." you try to smile encouragingly, but it ends up poorly.

She sends you the same bittersweet smile, and nodding she adds „I believe you because it's the same I would do."

And then the both of you just stare at each other, coming to a consensual agreement without saying a word.

"So do we leave now, since I don't have much stuff to pack?" you smile gently at her.

"What?" eyes widen in confusion.

"The apartment you mentioned?" you remind your twin.

And her eyes widen even more "But- I thought- You agree?"

And you nod with a little smile. You're resolved now that this is for the better - for you, her, and Rafayel.

An hour later you arrive at the apartment building, where MC had you ride to with her bike. But not before both of you made it safe, that Rafayel stays in bed and is alright again.

You glimpse at the location while taking your helmet off and -

Oh! This is going to be interesting...

You know that complex, it's the one from the game - where Xavier lives a floor above. Should you hope to meet him? Or better not?