The Masked Virtuoso-Chapter 92: The Quiet Days

A New Beginning

For the first time in what felt like eternity, Ethan woke up... in a bed.

Not in a collapsing battlefield.

Not in a realm beyond existence.

Not floating in a void.

Just... a bed.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, painting golden streaks across the wooden floor. Birds chirped outside—a sound so ordinary, so mundane, that it almost felt surreal.

Ethan blinked, his golden eyes adjusting to the morning light. His body felt weightless, not from battle, but from the unfamiliar sensation of peace.

This was real.

The war was over.

The Rift was gone.

The world was normal.

And yet, despite that certainty, something felt... off.

Ethan sat up, rubbing his forehead. His golden-shadow flames didn’t react. They weren’t needed. There was no immediate threat, no collapsing universe, no cosmic entities testing his existence.

Then why did he feel like something was missing?

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock at the door.

BANG BANG BANG!

"Ethan, wake up! You overslept!" Mia’s voice rang through the apartment.

A second later, the door slammed open, and Mia stormed in, hands on her hips. She was still wearing her usual casual hoodie and shorts, her auburn hair slightly messy from the morning rush.

"You’re seriously still in bed?" she huffed.

Ethan blinked. "I just woke up."

Mia narrowed her eyes. "It’s noon."

"...What?"

Mia sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "We were supposed to meet the others an hour ago! Did you seriously sleep through my calls?"

Ethan stared at her. Then at the phone on his bedside table—13 missed calls.

"...Ah."

Mia groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "Unbelievable."

Then, as if she suddenly realized something, her expression shifted. Her lips curled into a smirk.

"You know... I could wake you up next time," she mused.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You just did."

Mia’s smirk widened. "I meant personally."

Ethan’s brain stalled for a moment.

Then—

WHAM.

A pillow hit Mia square in the face.

She staggered back, muffled cursing escaping from behind the pillow. "You—!"

Ethan stood up, smirking. "Oh, I’m awake now."

Mia threw the pillow back at him, hard. "Jerk!"

Ethan dodged with ease, grabbing a fresh shirt from his closet. "Give me five minutes."

Mia pouted. "Make it three, or I’m dragging you out in your pajamas."

Ethan believed her.

---

Meeting the Team

The café was buzzing with life. Students, office workers, and families filled the tables, the scent of fresh coffee and pastries thick in the air. It was normal.

Too normal.

Ethan and Mia stepped inside, spotting their team at the farthest booth.

Selene sat elegantly, sipping on her tea, her silver hair glinting under the café lights. Orion was busy tinkering with a futuristic-looking device, while Kieran was halfway through his fourth plate of pancakes.

Nefera, meanwhile, was leaning over the table, intensely whispering something to Selene.

As Ethan and Mia approached, Nefera suddenly smirked.

"Speak of the devil," she said.

Selene looked up, her silver eyes glinting with amusement. "Ethan. Mia. Interesting timing."

Mia frowned. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

Orion didn’t even glance up from his device. "They were talking about how you two should just hurry up and start dating."

Mia choked on air.

Ethan blinked. "We are dating."

Silence.

Selene, Kieran, Orion, and Nefera froze.

Then—

"WHAT?!"

Ethan tilted his head. "You didn’t know?"

Selene actually looked betrayed. "How could we not?! When did this happen?!"

Nefera slammed the table. "I HAD MONEY ON THIS!"

Orion sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We fought gods together. We survived the end of the universe. And yet, this—this—is what shocks us."

Kieran groaned. "Man, I bet on another two months!"

Ethan exchanged a glance with Mia, who was red-faced and furious.

"...We should’ve kept it a secret," Mia muttered.

Nefera grinned. "Too late, lovebirds."

---

Hunting the Leftover Rift Monsters

Later that day, the team moved through the outskirts of the city, scanning for any remnants of the Rift’s influence.

It wasn’t much—just small creatures, unstable distortions left behind from the war.

Ethan dispatched most of them with a flick of his hand, rewriting them out of existence. But the fact that they still existed at all was... concerning.

As the team regrouped, Selene frowned. "This shouldn’t be happening. We destroyed the Rift completely."

Nefera crossed her arms. "Then why are these things still here?"

Ethan exhaled, golden flames flickering across his fingertips. "Something’s wrong."

Mia tilted her head. "How wrong?"

Ethan’s gaze flickered toward the sky.

"...I’m not sure yet."

---

The Attack of the Corrupted Artifact Users

It happened at sunset.

The attack came fast.

One moment, the city was quiet.

The next—chaos.

A massive explosion rocked the streets as corrupted artifact users emerged from nowhere. Their bodies were twisted, warped by the lingering influence of the Rift.

And their target was clear.

Ethan.

One of them—a man with cracked golden armor and burning red eyes—stepped forward, his presence heavy.

"You should not exist," he rasped.

Ethan’s golden eyes narrowed. "You people again."

The corrupted warrior charged.

Selene intercepted, her golden spear clashing against his corrupted blade. Sparks erupted as the two warriors clashed.

More enemies swarmed from the alleys.

Mia blurred forward, her daggers slicing through shadows. Kieran’s armor absorbed an impact that should have killed him. Orion fired a single shot, taking out three enemies at once.

Nefera’s golden flames roared as she engaged another wave.

Ethan exhaled.

"You guys can handle this, right?" he asked casually.

Mia, mid-fight, shot him a glare. "Help."

Ethan smirked. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Then—he raised a hand.

BOOM.

A single pulse of golden energy erased the corrupted enemies from existence.

Just like that—the battle was over.

Mia stared at him, panting. "Okay. That was cheating."

Ethan shrugged. "They weren’t worth my time."

Selene sighed. "I hate how efficient you are."

Kieran groaned. "Dude, at least let me throw a punch."

Nefera snickered. "Our almighty Riftborn got lazy."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Let’s just go home."

Mia sighed, linking her arm with his.

"Fine. But you owe me a date after this."

Ethan smirked.

"Deal."

---

To Be Continued...