The Adult Playground had a maze of neon-lit attractions and anti-gravity zones that made Neville’s head spin just looking at it from afar.

Grayson stood beside him, hands in his pockets, studying the holographic map hovering near the entrance. "Have you ever played any of these before?"

Neville’s gaze scanned around, across the various attractions: laser tag arenas, virtual reality pods, racing simulators, and something called the Kinetic Wall.

The games bore an uncanny resemblance to things from Earth—arcade machines, adult-sized ball pits, and even what looked like a futuristic version of air hockey.

Had he played any of them?

Neville tried to recall his childhood.

The physical education back on Earth had been a mandatory torture session of basketball, volleyball, badminton, and soccer. Track and field, too.

But recreational games? Arcades? That required disposable income, something he only enjoyed when he had surplus.

Even if he could remember his past life clearly, most of those memories involved textbooks, part-time jobs, and falling asleep to questionable BL media.

Ah...my BL stuff...

"I haven’t really played any of these," Neville said as he forcibly snapped himself back to reality.

Then his eyes caught on a towering structure at the center of the floor. It was a massive wall dotted with glowing handholds that extended upward into a shimmering anti-gravity field. People were scaling it like spiders, some of them floating freely near the top before drifting back down.

"But that looks interesting."

Grayson followed his gaze. "The Kinetic Wall?"

Neville nodded and thought. It was basically rock climbing but without the whole ’plummeting to your death’ part.

Grayson’s lips curled up. "The anti-grav field would catch you if you fall. It’s quite safe."

Neville smiled and said, "Let’s try it."

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

The inside of the locker room of the Adult Playground was lined with sleek metallic compartments that opened with a simple scan of their light brains.

Neville deposited his bag before grabbing the athletic wear provided by the facility.

The pants were standard issue—flexible, breathable, and fitted enough to allow a full range of motion without being indecent. Other than that, he didn’t have much else to change. So he simply swapped his pants and kept his sweater.

When he emerged from the changing area, Grayson was already waiting.

Neville’s footsteps faltered.

Grayson had taken off his hoodie and cardigan, so he was only wearing the loose white shirt.

It was supposed to be something casual and unassuming, but it wasn’t. If anything, the loose fabric only served to highlight what was underneath, like a tease.

The material draped over broad shoulders and had a subtle move on the muscle when Grayson adjusted his sleeve. It hinted at Grayson’s defined waistline that the shirt couldn’t quite hide.

No matter what this man wore, it was really unfair and quite frankly offensive to every man on earth.

"Ready?" Grayson asked, oblivious to Neville’s internal crisis.

Neville swallowed and forced his eyes up to Grayson’s face. "Yeah. Let’s go."

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

The Kinetic Wall was even more impressive up close.

The handholds were embedded with magnetic sensors that interfaced with specialized gloves, allowing climbers to grip the surface even when the anti-grav field was activated. A living attendant handed them each a pair of sleek black gloves, explaining the controls.

"The magnetic grip will keep you anchored to the wall. Once you reach the transition zone—" he pointed to a glowing line about two-thirds up the wall, "—the anti-grav field kicks in. You can continue climbing or just float. If you release your grip entirely, the field will gradually lower you back down. Any questions?"

Neville flexed his fingers inside the gloves, feeling the subtle hum of the magnetic system. "Seems straightforward."

"Got it," Grayson said.

They approached the wall together, finding adjacent starting positions. The handholds were spaced at comfortable intervals, each one glowing faintly with a soft blue light.

Neville reached up, gripped the first hold, and felt the magnetic pull engage. The gentle but firm sensation locked his palm in place.

Okay. Not bad.

He began climbing.

The first section was easy enough, just standard rock climbing with fancier equipment.

Neville found a rhythm quickly, his body remembering the basics. Beside him, Grayson moved with ease, his longer reach allowing him to skip holds that Neville had to stretch for.

Neville snorted at the sight and thought, Show-off.

They approached the transition zone together. Neville could feel the air changing, becoming lighter. The glowing line passed beneath his feet, and suddenly—

Weightlessness.

His stomach lurched as gravity released its hold.

Neville’s legs drifted upward, his body wanting to float free. Only the magnetic grip kept him anchored to the wall. He tightened his hold instinctively, knuckles white inside the gloves.

"Relax," Grayson’s voice came from his left, steady and calm. "The grip will hold. Just move naturally."

Easy for him to say.

Grayson looked completely at ease, floating gracefully as he reached for the next hold.

Neville took a breath and forced himself to loosen up.

He reached for the next handhold, pulled himself higher, and—

The magnetic grip flickered.

One second, his palm was locked firmly against the glowing hold. Next, the connection cut out completely, and Neville’s hand slipped free.

In zero gravity, that was a problem.

"What—"

His body began to spin uncontrollably.

Without the anchor of his grip, Neville tumbled backward, arms windmilling uselessly as he drifted away from the wall. The anti-grav field kept him suspended, but he was moving—floating toward the edge of the containment zone where the shimmer of the field ended, and regular gravity resumed.

That there were three floors down.

The ground was three floors down, Neville unconsciously calculated.

Panic clawed at his throat.

"Neville!"

A hand closed around his wrist, and the spinning stopped.

Neville found himself staring up at Grayson blankly, who had somehow crossed the distance between them in an instant, with his heart pounding against his ears.

"I’ve got you," Grayson said, with eyes sharp, focused.

His grip tightened along with his subtle, panicked expression.

They both remained floating in the anti-gravity zone.

Grayson’s voice was low, controlled. "Don’t let go."

Neville could see the edge of the field behind him—another meter, and he would have passed it.

He could probably survive the fall, but it would be painful.

"The glove malfunctioned," Neville managed say after some time.

Grayson’s jaw tightened as he pulled Neville closer.

"Hold onto me." He said as he guided Neville back toward the wall with careful, deliberate movements.