“I hate what you did to me,” Bugz said, inhaling sharply. “Bringing Clan:LESS to my doorstep.” She exhaled hard, blowing the hair away from her eyes in the process. “What really, really bothers me though is that when I needed you, instead of trying to help…you tried your best to hurt my feelings.” Bugz grew pensive. “You really did hurt me.”

A bird sang.

“But I still care for you,” Bugz said.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know. I’m sorry too.”

Feng studied his sneakers for a second. “For what?”

“I’m sorry for killing you.” Bugz chuckled. Deliberately, she drew in a deep breath.

Bugz pulled her phone from her pocket and launched a window into the ’Verse. Her eyes widened and were lit up by her screen. “Whoa!” Bugz turned her screen toward Feng, revealing the completely illuminated display. According to the AR, the area coursed with energy in the Floraverse. Bugz smiled.

Feng opened his mouth in awe. “It’s back!”

Bugz nodded, eyes wide. Feng reached for his phone. He confirmed the return of the energy, lowered his screen and returned his eyes to Bugz. “You think maybe it wasn’t ever a glitch on the map? You think maybe it was just you all along?” he asked. She shook her head.

“It’s Waawaate. I know it.” Bugz moved her character through the nest and respawned into the Spirit World. “I don’t know how he did it, but the nexus is back.” Bugz beamed. She raised her eyebrows and looked to Feng. “Now I can ‘eliminate’ you again anytime I want, right?” Their laughter outmatched her cheap joke and echoed in the hollow spaces across the clearing. Their smiles faded slowly. They sat together in silence for a long time, examining the stones slowly settling into the yellow grass beneath them.

“So what should we do next?” Feng asked. “Should we ride into the Floraverse? Should we launch a crusade against Clan:LESS? Should we take back what’s rightfully yours?” Bugz felt him studying her, the blood still wet on her arm. “Should we go to the hospital?” he asked.

“We could.” Bugz snuggled closer to Feng. “Or we could just stay here…” She inspected the eagle whistle around his neck again. She could feel Feng’s breath. She smelled Axe body spray. “With each other.” Bugz looked at Feng’s lips and slowly raised her eyes to meet his. She felt a supernova exploding in her chest. She leaned closer, their lips about to touch.

Bugz paused. Suddenly, she felt something deeper than desire. A hunger came charging up from the depths and broke its way through to the surface. It was a drive to make things right, to settle unfinished business, to answer the call of destiny. She looked at her phone.