"Alright," Kael said at last, arms crossed. "You're some kind of sky-being. You've got a weird name. And now I'm being... what, supervised? Observed? Interrogated? Pick one."
Lirieth stood elegantly, as if she hadn't crash-landed like a glowing comet.
> "I am a System Emergency Intervention Unit. My task is to monitor souls who deviate from their assigned fate lines."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "But I haven't deviated. I haven't even started."
Lirieth blinked. "Exactly. You rejected a fate line before you even received your class.
That's not just deviation. That's system sabotage."
Kael raised two fingers. "One: I didn't even know I had a fate line.
Two: I didn't know rejecting fate came with a personal stalker."
Lirieth tilted her head. "You're calling me a stalker?"
"If your clothes blink like a broken sign and you fell from space, then yes. That's where you are on the chart."
Lirieth stepped closer. "Very well. We shall now begin the monitoring phase."
> [System has activated 'Special System Companion Mode – Lirieth No.7']
[Duration: Undefined]
[Privileges: Direct access to internal thoughts of Kael Virdane]
Kael read that and nearly choked.
> "WAIT. Internal thoughts?? Those are private!"
Lirieth smiled faintly. "Calm down. I will only observe. Not... openly judge."
Kael looked up at the sky.
> "Dear stars, if there's a god out there... now's a good time for a meteor."
---
One hour later, they returned to the manor courtyard.
Meliora stared for a long moment before saying:
> "...Kael, is this some kind of interdimensional girlfriend you won in a cosmic auction?"
"No!" Kael snapped. "She's a system spy!"
Lirieth bowed politely. "I will reside near the subject until further notice."
Meliora nodded slowly. "Alright. But if you blow up the kitchen, please take his room with it."
---
That night, when Kael tried to sleep...
> [System dream monitoring active.]
[Initial comment: Many dark thoughts. Mildly promising.]
"LIRIETH, GET OUT OF MY BRAIN!!"
> [Sorry. Protocol.]