Chapter 31

At six in the morning, my biological alarm went off, and I opened my eyes. The dawn was bright, even though curtains covered the window. I glanced at the girl curled up in my arms.

I didn't want to disturb Victoria's sleep. We had played too much the night before, and she was exhausted. Putting on some clothes, I stepped onto the balcony and quietly admired the view. From this spot, I could see the river flowing peacefully. The sun was rising above the horizon, and the sky was painted a bright orange.

Normally, I would go for a run at this time, but today I decided to work out at home. After buying this place, the first thing I had done was set up a gym with all the necessary equipment. I turned on the treadmill and began running, gradually increasing the speed.

You know, I prefer running outdoors in the fresh air. However, sometimes there simply isn't enough time for that. After finishing my warm-up, I took a shower and headed to the kitchen to cook breakfast.

Waking up, Victoria slipped on my shirt and joined me. "While I was walking here, a thought crossed my mind. I wondered if you cook as well as you compose music," she teased, sitting at the table.

"I hate to disappoint you, but my skills in cooking aren't impressive. I can only make the simplest dishes, so I usually eat out."

"You clearly need a woman's touch."

"I wouldn't mind a pair of helping hands around the house. Come on, dig in," I said, placing sandwiches and fried eggs on the table.

"Mm, not bad at all," the journalist commented after trying a bite. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"No, I'm just waiting for you to start the conversation about yesterday."

"Oh, that…" She hesitated. "I don't know what to say. I love you, Alex, and I don't want to lose you. You know, when I first met you, I immediately felt something special about you. It was that feeling that made me agree to go on a date with you that day. There's this mysterious aura around you, and I've always had this nagging thought that I couldn't keep you to myself."

"Hey, I'll never leave you…"

"That's not what I mean. It's just… you're not someone who could belong to me alone. I should've left you at the start, but now I'm in love, and it's too late," she sighed, resigned.

"Is it really that bad?"

"What do you think? I'm not too keen on sharing what should only be mine!"

"That was blunt," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Listen carefully, you have no right to refuse me now! I may have come to terms with your obsession with polygamy, but only because I believe your feelings for me won't change. And I hope my love for you stays the same as it is now."

"You can be sure of that. I'd never let our 'vessel of love' run dry!"

"Those words give me hope," she said, lighting up the room with her smile.

"Victoria, want me to show you a little trick?"

"Ha-ha, surprise me!"

"Watch this," I said, picking up a pepper shaker from the table and holding it in my hand. "Say the magic words."

"Barabi-barabum…?"

I opened my fist, and the pepper shaker had disappeared.

"What? How did you do that?" she exclaimed in surprise.

"And now," I said, clenching my fist again, the pepper shaker reappearing, "Achoo! I shouldn't have played with it." I rubbed my nose.

"Bless you! So, what's the secret behind the trick?"

"Everything genius is simple," I said, revealing how I moved the object to my "inventory," making it vanish.

"What is this?" Victoria asked seriously.

As I explained the principle of the technique, her confusion only deepened. I had no intention of hiding this ability from her. I'd never reveal to anyone that I came from another world, nor would I share that I had a defective player system. However, my spatial pocket wasn't a secret that needed to be kept locked away.

If I ever needed to reveal my abilities to her in the future, it was better she knew in advance. I wouldn't want to explain myself when time was of the essence. Besides, I trusted her to keep the secret.

"So, you're saying you just used magic?" Victoria asked, trying to make sense of it.

"It's not magic; it's just my unique ability. I'm not a mage if that's what you're thinking. Although, I've always been fascinated by mysterious powers…"

"Wait, wait, wait! Are you saying magic is real? That's nonsense—it doesn't exist!"

"I have no reason to lie to you. Believe me, it's real."

It wasn't surprising she didn't believe me. Ordinary people were oblivious to the existence of magic. Magicians kept their powers hidden. For instance, Zatanna Zatara performed grand magic shows while secretly being a powerful sorceress. Even heroes like Spider-Man and Mister Fantastic doubted magic, believing only in science.

The existence of mutants and meta-humans was also a secret to most of the world's population. In the DC Universe, meta-humans only became known after the Scarlet Speedster's emergence.

In Marvel, mutants gained worldwide recognition thanks to the X-Men, whose reckless decisions led to a civil war. Additionally, people hadn't even believed in aliens. Superman's appearance two years ago was the first time humanity learned about life beyond Earth.

It's safe to say this planet had just begun its journey toward awareness. Reality was far stranger than most people could imagine. My conversation with Victoria lasted half the day…

The following week was eventful. We continued to focus on promoting the game Subway Surfers and preparing for its first update.

Suddenly, my workload increased. I monitored the game while addressing various issues that cropped up. During this time, the IRS decided to pay me a visit. I spent nearly an entire day talking to their representative. From what I gathered, their interest wasn't only due to my company's success—they were curious about the source of my initial capital.

I had a hunch about who might've prompted this.

It seemed Norwood from Metropolis Music Group turned out to be more petty than I'd thought. Sending the IRS after me was a clever move, albeit a pointless one. I worked hard to get rid of the unwanted visitor.

Since I wasn't well-versed in tax regulations, Heather stepped in as the lead negotiator. She was a master at it!

When the IRS agent learned Wayne Enterprises had supported me, his confidence faltered. He was too small a player to challenge such a massive corporation. Larger forces would be needed for that. However, Wayne Enterprises had a flawless reputation with the IRS, so I doubted higher-ups would dare confront them.

As I said, Norwood's connections didn't intimidate me. But he had provoked me. I'd remember this moment, and let him watch his back now. The future holds many uncertainties.

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