Reincarnated into my favorite videogame

Nari's breath caught in her throat. How did he know? Of course, he knew—everyone in the group did. They had all witnessed the fireball. But the fact that Leo, of all people, had come after her, dug at something deeper within her. Her thoughts were a whirlwind, crashing and tumbling over one another, and all she wanted was to escape this conversation. To hide.

Leo stood before her in the library, close enough that she could feel the intensity of his presence. His dark eyes bore into hers with an intensity that made it hard for her to breathe. There was something different about him —something quieter, more deliberate. Everyone had seen the fireball, but Leo's gaze seemed to pierce through the layers she tried to shield herself with.

"You came straight here." His voice was low, almost teasing. "Looking for answers?"

Nari shifted uneasily, glancing at the shelves around her, searching for an escape that didn't exist. She hadn't expected anyone to follow her here, especially not Leo. "I needed space," she said, her voice firmer than she felt. She took a step back, putting a small distance between them. "I don't have answers. Not for them, and not for myself."

Her mind flashed back to the moment in the clearing when the fireball had exploded, incinerating the ogre. The stunned expressions on everyone's faces—Sarah's wide-eyed shock, and Leo's... something else. She had felt the weight of their stares on her back as she fled, unable to explain what had happened. She wasn't even sure herself. And now, Leo stood before her, as if he knew something she didn't.

"You don't need to explain it to me," Leo said, stepping forward again, the space between them closing. His voice had a softness to it. It sent an unexpected warmth through her, unsettling in a different way than the stares of the others.

"You don't have to understand everything right now," he continued. "But running won't help."

"I'm not running," Nari retorted, her frustration flaring. "I came here to find answers, not to hide."

Leo raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth lifting in a faint smile. "You sure about that? Because it looked a lot like running back there."

Nari clenched her fists at her sides. "You saw what happened. I don't even know how that fireball was cast. I didn't... I couldn't..." Her voice trailed off, her mind scrambling to find the right words. "It wasn't me."

Leo leaned against the shelf, crossing his arms, studying her with those intense eyes of his. He was always watching, always observing, but today felt different. More focused. "Everyone saw it, Nari. You did it. The fireball came from your direction."

She shook her head, stepping back again, her back nearly brushing against the bookshelf behind her. "I didn't do it," she insisted, but even she could hear the uncertainty in her voice. "I don't have that kind of power."

Leo uncrossed his arms and stood up straight, taking another step closer. "You don't know what you're capable of yet. No one does."

Nari's heart raced. Why was he being so persistent? Why was he here, pressing her when she wanted to be alone? She felt the familiar surge of frustration rise within her, mingled with a flicker of something else—something warmer. She had already known that Leo had a strange interest in her, even when the others in their group treated her like just another recruit. But this—this felt different.

"I don't need you to try and convince me of something I know isn't true," Nari said, her voice wavering as she tried to push away the doubts creeping into her thoughts. "I didn't cast that fireball. It was too perfect, too controlled. I don't have that kind of magic in me."

Leo tilted his head slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. "What if you're wrong?" he asked softly. "What if you're stronger than you think? Stronger than anyone realizes."

Nari faltered, her mind reeling. Stronger than anyone realizes? It didn't make sense. She wasn't powerful like that. Sure, she had only known basic spells like the one she used to destroy the goblin in the beginning , but the fireball that had annihilated the ogre—it was beyond anything she could manage. She looked up at him, searching for any sign that he was just toying with her, playing some game. But instead, she saw something else. Concern. Curiosity. Something she couldn't make out.

"Why are you doing this?" Nari asked, her voice quieter now, almost pleading. "Why do you care?"

Leo didn't answer right away. Instead, he took another step forward, closing the distance between them until they were only inches apart. Nari's breath hitched in her throat. He was so close now that she could feel the warmth radiating from him, and it made her heart pound even harder.

"You're not like the others, Nari," he said softly, his voice almost a whisper. "There's something about you... something different. I've known it since the moment you joined the group."

Nari's pulse quickened. There it was again—that strange tension between them. She had felt it before, in their training sessions, in the way Leo watched her when they fought side by side. But now, it was unmistakable. He wasn't just here because of the fireball. He wasn't just here out of curiosity.

"I've watched you struggle," Leo continued, his eyes searching hers. "I've how much you want to prove that you belong here. But you don't need to prove anything to me." His voice softened even more, and his gaze lingered on her lips for just a moment before flicking back up to her eyes. "I already know what you're capable of."

Nari's breath caught in her throat. The air between them felt charged, electric. She didn't know what to say, what to think. Her mind was racing, and all she could do was stand there, frozen in place as Leo's words sank in.

"I'm not the only one who saw the fireball," Leo added, his tone shifting slightly, more serious now. "Everyone in the group knows. But you need to stop running from it. Stop doubting yourself. Because if you don't—"

"If I don't, what?" Nari interrupted, her frustration bubbling to the surface again. "What am I supposed to do, Leo? Just accept that I'm some kind of... magical prodigy? That I'm dangerous? I don't even know what I did!"

Leo's expression hardened, his voice firm. "No. You need to learn how to control it. Or someone else will."

Nari froze, the weight of his words sinking in. Control it, or someone else will. She hadn't considered that. She had been so focused on her fear of the fireball, on the possibility that it had come from her, that she hadn't even thought about what it could mean if someone else tried to take control of her power.

Her mind raced, and for the first time since the fireball, she felt a pang of fear. Not fear of herself—but fear of what others might do if they found out she had this kind of strength inside her. People in the guild were always looking for power. And if they thought she was a threat, or worse, an opportunity...

"What are you saying?" she asked quietly, her voice trembling. "That someone's going to try to use me?"

Leo nodded, his expression serious. "If they haven't already, they will. People like power, Nari. And you've got more of it than you realize."

Nari's hands tightened into fists, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't want this. She didn't want to be someone people sought out for power. All she wanted was to fit in, to be normal, to learn magic like everyone else. But now, everything felt out of reach.

Leo stepped closer, his hand brushing lightly against hers. "You don't have to do this alone," he said softly. "I can help you. I can teach you how to control it."

Nari's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. She looked up at him, searching his face for any sign of deception, but all she saw was sincerity. And something else. Something she had seen glimpses of before but had never let herself acknowledge.

"Why?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Why are you helping me?"

Leo's lips curled into a faint smile. "Because I care," he said simply