A human figure appeared several feet in front of Lauren. Its features were blank at first, but they gradually shifted until the body matched her own.

She could adjust everything, from her height and age to the smallest details of her face and figure. Lauren experimented briefly by making herself taller and then younger, but neither version felt right.

After restoring her natural appearance, she studied the woman standing before her.

Lauren had not entered this world to become a completely different person. The woman before her had the same face and body Lauren saw in the mirror every morning, but the game freed her from the roles that defined her outside it.

Here, she was not merely a café owner, a worried mother, or the person everyone expected to behave responsibly. She could decide for herself what kind of woman she wanted to become.

Lauren selected a few final details, including one choice that left the woman before her both familiar and safely anonymous.

A new window appeared.

[Please select a character name.]

Using her first name would make her too easy to recognize, but she did not want to invent something completely false.

After considering it for a moment, Lauren entered her second name.

[Yvonne.]

Seeing the name above her character gave her an unexpected thrill. Yvonne was still part of her, but it was a part Luke had never met.

[Name accepted.]

[Please select or create a class.]

A range of familiar options appeared before her, including Warrior, Mage, Priestess, Ranger, and Guardian.

Lauren moved through them slowly, reading each description. None of the standard classes felt quite right.

She did not dream of charging into battle or standing at the center of everyone’s attention. Whenever Lauren imagined possessing power, she saw herself watching over the battlefield, warning her allies of danger, and protecting them before an enemy could strike.

She wanted to see threats others missed and prevent disasters instead of learning about them afterward on the evening news. Most of all, she wanted to stand beside her daughters and make sure they always returned home.

The class creation system responded to her thoughts. Skills and concepts shifted before her as she selected perception, protection, magical support, and control.

But those were not the only desires shaping her class.

Lauren was tired of always being the dependable one. For once, she wanted the freedom to act without worrying about how a mother, an employer, or a responsible woman was supposed to behave.

She wanted someone to look at her and see a woman they desired.

When she imagined meeting Luke in this world, she did not picture herself preparing food for him or reminding him to rest. She pictured him staring at her without knowing who she was.

The thought sent a warm shiver through her.

Lauren tried to push it aside, but the system windows trembled in response. Words flashed briefly at the edge of her vision.

[Truth recognized.]

The message disappeared before she could focus on it, and the class creation window brightened in its place.

Lauren studied the abilities the system had assembled for her.

They reflected the kind of hero she had imagined. She would be able to sense danger, guide her partner, interfere with enemies, and protect others without standing at the center of every battle.

Still, something about the result felt strangely personal. The class seemed to understand desires she had never stated aloud, including some she had barely admitted to herself.

A nervous smile formed on Lauren’s lips.

"This is only a game," she reminded herself.

The words sounded less convincing now that the system had responded directly to her hidden thoughts.

Even so, she confirmed her choice.

[Character creation complete.]

The figure before her dissolved into light. In its place, another window appeared.

[Linked partner detected.]

[Would you like to enter your first dungeon with your registered partner?]

Lauren’s finger hovered over the confirmation button.

Once she accepted, she would meet Luke inside the game. He would not know that Yvonne was really Lauren, and there was a chance he might not recognize her at all.

That was exactly what she wanted.

Without the familiarity of the café, her apartment, and the life they now shared, Luke would see her as someone new. He would have no reason to think of her as Miss Lauren, the woman who fed him, gave him a room, and told him when he needed to rest.

He would see Yvonne.

The idea filled her with a mixture of excitement and guilt.

Luke trusted her. He believed she was sitting in the dining room struggling through taxes while he explored the game alone.

Lauren knew she should feel worse about deceiving him.

Instead, she found herself wondering how long it would take him to notice her body, her clothes, and the details she had chosen to hide her identity.

Would he stare?

Would he become nervous?

Would he think Yvonne was beautiful?

The questions made pressing the button even more tempting.

Lauren accepted.

[Partner request confirmed.]

[Waiting for linked player.]

The white chamber grew quiet.

Lauren looked down at her new body and slowly turned her hands over. Everything felt completely real, from the air against her skin to the faint pressure of her feet against the reflective floor.

Somewhere nearby, Luke was creating his own character.

Soon, the game would bring them together.

Lauren drew a slow breath and tried to calm herself, but the anticipation refused to fade.

For the first time in years, she had stepped outside the safe, responsible life she had built for herself.

Now she only had to wait for Luke to follow.