You Already Won

As they made their way toward the spring, Sšurtinaui glanced sideways, cheeks faintly flushed.

North caught it immediately. "You better not be falling for me, elf."

Her head snapped toward him, ears twitching. "I have a name, and no. Don't flatter yourself… I just haven't been hugged in a while. Usually Bourage would do that."

"Oh—the bear."

"That's another reason we knew you were an Outlander," she said dryly. "He's not a bear, he's a Byeark. From the continent of Burreda. Bears are not common here."

North raised his hands in mock surrender. "Noted."

"That's all you have to say now?"

"I already apologized for my bear racism."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be an ass."

He laughed, and she rewarded him with a light punch to the arm.

As they came closer to the spring, a soft melody drifted toward them—something that sounded suspiciously like a Disney-style sing-along. A group of small forest critters circled the pond in a surprisingly well-choreographed dance, led by Caroline and Tinsurnae, both clapping and cheering like this was the highlight of their week.

The moment the two newcomers stepped into view, Caroline and Tinsurnae waved them over enthusiastically.

Sšurtinaui chuckled under her breath and quickened her pace, her usual guarded expression eased into something lighter.

North smiled as he watched her. She was in a better mood than he'd seen her in days, and somehow, that made the weight in his own chest just a little easier to carry.

As they came to the edge of the spring, Sšurtinaui crossed her arms, her voice carrying over the bubbling water. "You both should be melted by now. And what are these creatures doing?"

Caroline shot up, splashing water into the air. "Tinny asked them to perform for us," she explained with a sly grin. A few critters grunted in protest as stray droplets dampened their fur.

"Sorry," she added, snickering.

Tinsurnae's eyes widened suddenly. "Caroline—you're naked."

Caroline looked down, then back up without a shred of urgency. "Whoops." Her gaze drifted to Sšurtinaui, then lingered on North. He seemed… different. It wasn't just the new title or the health bar floating over his head—those, she figured, were going to be around for a while, maybe forever. No, it was the way he carried himself now. Grounded, yet sharper.

And he kept looking at her.

Caroline tilted her head. It didn't feel uncomfortable—odd, maybe, but not unwelcome. This was her body, sure, but she'd long since learned to detach from the physical. This was her avatar. And if she was honest with herself, compared to her old body back on Earth, having a figure worth staring at wasn't exactly a bad thing.

Except… he wasn't staring like most men did. There was no hunger in it. Just quiet assessment, almost like he was… unimpressed.

"You could at least pretend to be shocked or impressed," she teased.

North tilted his head slightly. "Shouldn't I admire art in silence? Especially a living piece?"

Caroline flushed despite herself. "Oh, shut up." She sank deeper into the water until it lapped at her chin.

Tinsurnae chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You two should get in, too. We can finish the show."

North and Sšurtinaui exchanged a glance. Neither spoke. And then, without a word, they both began to undress.

Sšurtinaui unfastened her black ripped shorts, sliding them down with an efficient flick, then tugged her striped long-sleeved shirt—black and white bands running up her arms—over her head. The change was quick, practiced, as though she didn't intend to linger in the exposure.

North's gaze drifted toward her at the wrong—or right—moment.

She caught him looking, covering her breast instinctively. "What?!"

He smirked faintly. "Nothing. Just didn't expect you to do it so quickly."

"The mood felt right," she muttered, stepping into the water. The instant the heat embraced her skin, her sharp composure melted into a soft sigh. Color touched her cheeks. "My gods… this feels amazing."

"Told you!" Caroline shouted from her place across the pool, splashing a little for emphasis.

North loosened his cloak, setting it aside, and began stripping away the rest. His body was lean but sculpted—defined muscle under skin traced with faint red veins that seemed to pulse faintly with their own rhythm.

When his last layer dropped, there was a beat of silence. All three women's eyes flickered down instinctively.

North chuckled. "Would you believe me if I said I'm a grower?"

"Yes," Tinsurnae and Sšurtinaui replied in perfect unison.

Caroline leaned back against the rocks, arching a brow. "I'm more surprised you aren't reacting down there. This is absurd."

He slid into the water without hesitation, letting the heat soak into him, leaning back. "That's 'cause I'm depressed. Don't take it to heart. I can't even use Sryun right now."

"Well—" Caroline started.

"I'm fine," he cut her off gently, eyes half-lidded. "Let's watch this show we apparently interrupted."

The three women exchanged glances over the rippling surface of the spring. Tinsurnae shrugged lightly and turned toward the critters.

"All right, continue please," she said in a sing-song voice.

The animals responded with gleeful chirps and rustles, diving back into their coordinated performance as the group relaxed into the water, watching the impromptu show together.

Everyone shifted around without thinking, instinctively finding their spots. North leaned back against the stone wall, steam curling faintly around him. Sšurtinaui sat to his right, Caroline to his left, both shoulders brushing lightly against him, while Tinsurnae floated in the middle of the spring—positioned just ahead of them, her dark hair drifting like ink in the water.

The bubbling heat and the critters' heartfelt performance chased away any lingering awkwardness. By the time the show began winding down, the group felt more at peace than they had in days.

Caroline, half-submerged, opened her UI with a flick of her wrist. A moment later, drinks and snacks popped into existence on conjured trays. She leaned back with a grin. "I should start charging you guys."

Tinsurnae laughed softly. "I get a discount."

Sšurtinaui plucked a drink from the tray and took a sip before glancing over. "Isn't there an elder's discount?"

Caroline's brow arched. "Oh, so now you're playing the 'I'm old card? Weren't you just saying two days ago that you were still in your youth?"

"I am," Sšurtinaui said evenly.

"That's not how it works."

"It's how I work," she replied, a faint smirk tugging her lips.

North smirked at their back-and-forth, letting the playful energy settle into the space.

Tinsurnae turned slightly in the water to face him. "Your legs aren't open, right?"

"Huh? No." His brow quirked. "You could just look."

"Why would I —" she started.

North just stared at her, deadpan.

She sighed, cheeks heating faintly. "Whatever. I just didn't want to be rude or hover too close to your—"

"Good ol' slong?"

Tinsurnae recoiled, eyes going wide. "Ew! That sounds nasty!" she squeaked, splashing the water instinctively.

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"Wouldn't call it good if it's not working," Caroline muttered under her breath, eyes glinting.

North gave her a look. "You better watch the jokes."

"Why?" Caroline leaned back just enough to smirk at him. "What you gonna—"

"I'll simply drown you," he cut in, tone bone-dry.

Caroline grinned, then casually slid closer, looping her arms around his and letting her legs hover against his in the water.

North laughed. "Shit, you really are a weeb's nightmare. Sadly, it's gonna take more than that to get Mr. Wonderful back up—"

Caroline burst out laughing. "You did not just call it Mr. Wonderful."

"I did. And once it's back up and running, you can—"

A sharp snap of Ryun burst cracked against his forehead. North winced and turned toward Sšurtinaui, who was glaring at him from the other side. It seemed she floated away like a log.

"Once we're out of this water, elf, it's up and stuck. Remember that!" He jabbed a finger toward her.

"You were about to go somewhere that wasn't needed."

"Shut up, Mom," North shot back.

Sšurtinaui just closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath in Elvish.

The spring settled into a rare quiet. Steam drifted in slow ribbons, the critters scampering off in little groups after their performance. The only sounds were the soft bubble of water and the occasional splash when someone shifted.

Tinsurnae drifted lazily across the surface until she reached North's side. She let herself float close, resting her head lightly on his shoulder. The movement felt… practiced. Like she'd done it a thousand times before without thinking.

North didn't flinch. In fact, he adjusted—subtly, but exactly the way she liked.

Once, she might've worried about impropriety. But Caroline was already leaning on his other side, and Tinsurnae's own body… wasn't built with anything revealing. Her smooth, doll-like form had no markers to hide or flaunt.

"So…" Her voice was soft, barely above the water's hum. "What are we gonna do now?"

That single question broke the silence.

Caroline cracked an eye open. Sšurtinaui's arms uncrossed. All three of them turned toward him.

A plan was needed.

North raised a brow. "Oh, so I'm in charge now?"

Tinsurnae tilted her head while against his shoulder, almost absently. "I don't want to be in charge."

Caroline smirked from his other side. "I think it's less about who wants to be in charge, and more about the fact you kicked off a world event."

North's lips twitched. "Fair point."

Sšurtinaui, who was now leaning back, pushed off the wall and floated closer. Her green eyes narrowed slightly. "No better time than now to plan, then." She glanced at Caroline. "What exactly does the event say?"

Caroline swiped through her interface. She read aloud, her voice taking on a mechanical cadence to mimic the display:

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

ATTENTION.

A SIGNIFICANT BEING HAS AWAKENED IN YOUR AREA.

A FRACTURED HEIR OF AN ABSOLUTE BEING HAS INITIATED UNRAVELING.

ALL THOSE IN RANGE SHOULD EITHER FLEE IMMEDIATELY…

OR SLAUGHTER THIS ENTITY ON SIGHT.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The words hung in the air like an aftershock.

North rubbed his temple. "That wording is… not doing me any favors."

"No," Sšurtinaui said flatly.

Caroline gave a short, incredulous laugh. "It basically reads like: Run or die trying to kill him."

Tinsurnae straightened herself next to North, her expression shifting to something more serious. "It also tells us exactly what's happening. And why."

North looked at her sideways. "Alright. Enlighten us."

She exhaled slowly, fingertips making lazy circles in the water. "An Unraveling isn't just some power-up. It's… when a Being stops existing as just themselves. It's when they pull in everything—every version, every echo, every root of what they are—and collapse it into the present. A convergence. The 'self' becomes more than one timeline's worth of existence."

"That…" Sšurtinaui frowned. "Sounds like a memory flood."

"It's more than memory." Tinsurnae's gaze met North's. "The Absolute Beings created laws to stop this kind of thing from happening casually. Because an Unraveling destabilizes everything around it. Power, space, will, history—everything bends toward the one doing it. That's why the alert tells them to flee. Or to kill you."

North gave a humorless laugh. "That second option isn't going to work out for them."

Sšurtinaui folded her arms. "They won't care. Anyone who thinks they can slay an event will see it as the fastest route to prestige. And if they can't, they'll be just as dangerous in desperation."

Caroline grimaced. "So… we're about to get flooded with idiots."

"Not just idiots," Tinsurnae corrected. "Opportunists. Hunters. Ambitious nobility. Possibly old grudges." Her green eyes sharpened faintly. "And well… that's not including possibly Civen and other contestants." She hesitated, then continued, "Now that most know that you're tied to a King. There might be even more forces coming for us."

The silence that followed was heavier than the steam.

North leaned back against the stone, letting the water swallow the sound of his sigh. "So, in short… I lit the biggest beacon in the tournament. And now every strong player either wants me dead, or… something worse."

"Exactly," Sšurtinaui said.

"Cool." North's smirk was faint but dangerous. "Guess we should plan around that, then. Or plan into it."

The three turned to look at North.

Caroline squinted. "That's… not how most people handle 'kill-on-sight' warnings."

North leaned forward, slightly pulling Caroline in front of him, eyes sharp. "Exactly. Most people react to it like prey. We aren't most people. Why scatter and wait to get picked off when we can control the narrative? If I'm the shiny event everyone wants…" He smirked faintly. "Then we use that as bait."

Tinsurnae's head tilted just slightly. Her expression didn't shift, but a faint glimmer passed behind her green eyes—like a memory brushing the edge of awareness. "Force them to come to us. On our terms." Her tone was careful and low.

North caught her look. "Aye, you seemed to approve."

"Maybe I do," she said smoothly, though her mind was ticking faster now.

Caroline broke the moment. "Alright, say we do make you the bait. We still need to make sure we're ready. Sitting still without preparation is just painting a target on ourselves."

"That's where the gems come in," North said. "We speedrun the purples — snag a few reds, get them locked in so everyone else can get desperate. Then we settle in. Wait for the culling to thin the rest out."

Sšurtinaui crossed her arms, thinking. "That's a dangerous timeline. Speedrunning the purples is going to draw even more attention—especially if all System users can see you a mile away. And if we make ourselves too obvious, we'll have challengers before we can fortify."

"That's fine," North said. His tone was calm, not dismissive. "Let them come. Early waves are the ones that underestimate us. They'll think they're testing my Unraveling. They'll end up feeding it."

"You can do it on command?"

"No… but I'm a damn good bluff."

Tinsurnae glanced at him, her mind flashing again to an indistinct memory—one of a calm voice, a dangerous smile, and the same exact confidence.

Caroline swirled her drink in the water. "Alright, so step one: sweep the purples. Step two: set up home turf, and horde reds for options. Step three: wait for the impatient to burn themselves out."

"And step four?" Sšurtinaui asked.

North's smile sharpened. "Step four is when we stop waiting. At the end of the day this is an elimination game. So we hit Civen and the whole lot before they hit us."

"How about we focus more on that after we have a few red gems," Sšurtinaui said, her tone careful as she stared into the water.

North tilted his head. "Why you so far over there? You scared of me now?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You looked pretty comfortable with your little harem of two over there."

"One—it's Tinsurnae and Caroline," he shot back.

Both women said in unison, "HEY!"

North raised his hands. "Not in a bad way. Don't twist my words. I'm saying they're not randoms. Same as you."

Sšurtinaui gave him a long look, then stepped over, the water lapping against her waist as she crossed to his front. "Fine. I'm here. Now what?"

He gestured toward the map projection Caroline had up. "Second purple gem's in the forest. A outskirts route. If we stick close to the gold wave edge, most competitors will have already run from it. Less traffic."

"Better than diving into the center and getting swarmed," Tinsurnae agreed.

Caroline leaned forward. "So we clear the gems, avoid unnecessary fights, and—"

"—keep the kill count controlled," North finished. "Three strikes rule. Anyone we fight gets three chances. They back off, they live. They keep coming…" He shrugged.

"Kill on sight," Sšurtinaui said simply.

"What's the point? That rule seems unnecessary…" Tinsurnae asked.

"That way we don't burn ourselves out pointlessly," North said. "Once purples are secured, then we adjust the plan with how people act over reds. Plus we could potentially add them to the team. It's all about options baby."

"What about Vari's Jujisn?" Sšurtinaui asked cautiously, her tone lower than usual.

"Can we all agree to put a pin in that? Or play it by ear. Tinsurnae said they barely know her…" Caroline started but Jonathan cut her off.

"I agree with putting a pin in it. And honestly we'll let her make her own decision, if she wants to fight we fight."

Everyone nodded, the tension in the air loosening a little now that a clear path was set. Finally, progress.

Caroline, though, didn't let him off that easy. She shifted in the water, eyes narrowing slightly. "Alright. Now that we've got a real plan…" She looked directly at him. "You said earlier you were depressed."

North froze for a second, then sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Yeah," he said quietly. He looked at Sšurtinaui. She gave the faintest nod.

He leaned back against the rock, the steam curling around his shoulders, and gave them the story. The talk he'd had with Sšurtinaui, the weight of Jonathan's name, the pieces of Jafar that wouldn't leave him alone. He left out her real name, something she seemed to appreciate.

When he finished, silence settled for a beat—then Caroline slid past his arm and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her bare form against his chest.

"I don't care if you're Jonathan, North, or some weirder name we haven't heard yet," she murmured.

Before he could respond, Tinsurnae floated over and pressed herself against his other side. "Same here," she said softly.

It was…odd. And maybe that was the point. There was no spark of lust, no Mr. Wonderful suddenly snapping awake—just a steady, deep warmth that seeped into him. Something he wasn't even sure Jafar had on his rise to power. It felt good. Good to the core.

North smiled faintly. Already diverging from the path.

Caroline pulled back slightly. "So… North permanently, huh? I did rather like Jonathan though…"

He nodded. "Just until I feel like I can carry Jonathan again. It's…similar, yeah. Same way Jafar changed his name. Some stuff is gonna line up whether I like it or not. The difference is, I'm doing it my way."

That seemed to sit well enough with them.

Sšurtinaui leaned forward. "Then we adjust the plan. Three strikes stays—for competitors. But for anyone coming after you because of the event? No rules. No mercy."

North's smirk came back. "Fair. And… thanks. For sticking with me. All of you."

Tinsurnae gave a small smile. "I concur… wasn't expecting this."

North looked around. "Anyone else got issues before we move forward?"

"I'm good," Sšurtinaui said.

"I'm good too," Caroline added, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "As long as everyone stays truthful and doesn't try to blow us up, or, I dunno, sink a cave—"

North cut her off by dunking her under the water.

Caroline came up sputtering. "You bastard—!"

Tinsurnae dove in immediately, manipulating the water to help Caroline splash him back.

North laughed, holding them both at bay.

Sšurtinaui just sighed, a rare smile tugging at her lips as she watched the three naked idiots tumbling about in the water.

It was strange when she thought about it.

North had caused an event. Tinsurnae, as Rhan's Jujisn, would almost certainly be hunted in the future as well. But here and now? They weren't hated. Just hunted.

And that difference meant everything.

Because once things changed—once the event closed in, once the hunters came in waves—they wouldn't have nights like this anymore. No quiet moments by the springs. No laughter. No ridiculous banter over nonsense.

So Sšurtinaui allowed herself to enjoy it, just this once. A grin tugged at her lips as she drifted closer, the steam curling lazily around her.

Tonight was going to be a good night.

Because going forward, it would be nothing but blood.