It's all fake. It's just like the illusions in movies used to deceive the main character, then stab them in the back the next moment...

But even knowing it was fake, I couldn't tear my eyes away from it. Though her form was transparent blue and glowing like the mist. It had her ordinarily poker face expression printed on it, which I find really cute. Well technically in my eyes all her expressions are cute as well.

"Kard?" Illyria, no the illusion said with an annoyed look this time.

Distressed, I took a small step back, only to be countered by Illyria, no the illusions taking a step forward.

"What are you doing?" her tone clearly agitated now.

"No you're..." my sentence was cut short as the surrounding mist lit up in a flash. There was no heat nor any pain. All was plain white; the scene shifted...

***

"What about me?" Illyria turned and look at me from her seat. Instead of the blue glowing mist form she had a moment ago, now she was solid in her black hoodie and jeans, with a look of clear annoyance on her face. It took almost all my will to tear my eyes away from her and glance at the surroundings. Cars honking, people chatting, sirens wailing, and from our stand point, it appears we were in a bus, somewhere in the streets of downtown Ayre...

"No...nothing..." my voice still lightheaded as I try to take in what just happened.

She made a small hmph expression then looked away for a moment the said:

"Why is the bus still not moving? It's been 10 minutes!"

"Probably because there's a car accident ahead." I answered automatically, which kind of even surprised myself.

Kard. Just what the hell do you think you are doing? That's a god damn Kuja! Not Illyria! It's probably going to suck your soul out or something, for curses sake!

"Ha...its hopeless." She leaned back in her seat.

That's when it came to me. This was a memory from my past, I recall I was going out with her and a bunch of friends to downtown, and this was the returning home scene on the scene. Where all her friends have already gotten off, and we were the only two left. And if I recall correctly, we were stuck there for about an hour.

"Nah I am fine..." I eyed her warily.

"You're acting a little bit strange..."

"Really? How?"

She glanced at me briefly for a moment, then looked away just as fast.

"...Whatever..." she sighed as she looked down and fumbled for her phone.

Illyria...

I snuck a look at her when she was not looking.

I recall there was a time between us, when we were really close to one another. Mainly because we played the same game. That's right, despite her being the model student and the top academic achiever at her school, she was actually quite the gamer girl. She is pretty impassive and uninterested in those who do not share the same hobby as her, which is gaming. And to be specific, you'll have to play the same game as her. And me, who only plays one game. Which is Leacue of Lecends, a MOBA game, has nothing in grounds with Illyria, who only plays single player action games such as Assassin's Credence and Watch Hounds. And yes, I did try very hard to play the games she recommended, but honestly they are just really not my type of games. And I recall it was at around the spring break of my grade 12 year, did she finally gave my game 1 try under my persistence. Turns out she became an addict right off the bat, and I knew that, because Leacue of Lecends is the world's most played game for a reason. I myself been addict of that game for 5 years, and not boasting or something, I myself are one of the best players in my school and what you would stereotypically call a high ELO player. So showing the knots and ropes of the game to Illyria, gave me an excuse to spend time with her online. Often we would play till midnight and say good night to one another, it was the best time in my life, the pure and simple definition of happiness come true.

"I wish this can last forever..." I blurred out, followed with a sigh. And that's when I turned and realized, Illyria hasn't quite plug her head phones in.
She stared at me for a moment, her expression impalpable of any emotions. My straight face began to collapse into a cringing blush, as I frantically searched my mind for excuses.

"En..." she nodded and looked away.
This never happened in the original, but I also had to remind myself the situation I was in.

And maybe, just maybe...I can go without regret this time...

"Illyria." I turned and said to her with all sincerity.

"Yes?" she shifted away from me slightly.

"Can't you just sit tight?" I sighed and quickly moved on, "I need to tell you something."

"En..." she nodded awkwardly.

"Illyria, I love you." I said putting on my most sincere look and looking her dead in the eye.

"Kard..." she blinked, her eyes shining like watery crystals.

​We both stared at one another, waiting for each other response. And if that response took eternity, then I wait till the end of time.

"I love you too." Illyria smiled in a perfect goddess way I envisioned, fake or not, it was the most beautiful and memorable thing that will go down in my life. Sadly, if this was all real, than what I was going to do next, is going to be the biggest regret in my life:

"The real Illyria would not say that. It's all a lie, it's all fake."

The smile of my goddess faded, and turned into one of mixed confusion. That's right, she played my game for about 2 months, then became bored with it and went back to her old single player action game. Since then we rarely talked, she became self-absorbed again in her games, and often ignored my messages. That was the end of that, and that's perhaps when our relation ended. We were never officially in a couple, but after that there was little to no connection at all.

"If the real Illyria cared, she would have visited me, she would have at least send a card..."

I blinked in frustration as clenched my fist to the point they were turning purple.

"What are you saying Kard? Are you alright?..." Illyria said with a look of concern.

"I am not alright!" I lashed out, then took in a deep breath and went on: "It hurts, it really really hurts when you ignore my messages, and even when I saved you, you didn't come and visit me once! What the hell is going on? Why are things like this? Can you explain them to me? No!? I don't think as well..." I was breathless by the time I was done, as I covered my face with one hand, as tears of frustration rolled down my cheek.

"The Illyria I know is self-absorbed, self-centered and highly sensitive to other people's judgement." I slowly lifted my hand away from my face, revealing a pair of pressed lips now slowly transforming into a small grin, "The Illyria I know is also dedicated, smart and that cute voice you use every time you made an excuse..."

I let out a chuckle to myself.

"Both these Illyria make Illyria, and that's the Illyria I liked."

I smiled, but it was not a sad one, but rather the smile of a man who got no regrets. I looked at her one last time, and her expression was one of plain ordinary smile. Just like that, her image became to blur, like a droplet of water landing in a still pond. Soon the rest of the surroundings were blurred out of existence as well; the scene shifted.

***

​I opened my eyes again, though a bit blurry, it appeared I was lying on the cave floor.

​The fog around me has receded, revealing a clear path down the middle all the way to the exit on the other side. Then I felt something lying on my arm, and when I looked down, my eyes almost popped out.

It was Kuro, her expression still half waking and half dreaming.

"Kuro?" I tried nudging her away a bit. But it was no use, as her hand latched onto my shoulder tighter.

"Don't go Haku..."

Then I just lied there, looking at her, thinking:

Who the hell is Haku?

Q: How would react to a rejection by your rejection?