The battle beneath Manhattan was over. The Spiral Rift was sealed. The Guardian destroyed. But for Ron, the true challenge had only just begun.
Relationships.
The quinjet hovered over New York, flying low under SHIELD radar. Inside, the mood was… tense.
Liliane sat beside Ron, arms folded, leg crossed, her head resting on his shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world.
On his other side, Elara kept glancing out the window, silent—but visibly annoyed.
> "That kiss back there," Elara said suddenly, her tone clipped, "was tactical, I assume?"
Ron blinked. "Uh… you mean Liliane's kiss?"
> "Obviously hers," she muttered.
Liliane smirked. "It was magical, actually. You can't awaken Spiral Link without emotional spark. Ron's power surged. Proof it worked."
Ron cleared his throat. "Right. Just spell stuff. Not, you know, feelings or anything."
> "Hmm," Elara muttered, unconvinced.
The jet landed on a secluded SHIELD helipad near the ruins of an old Hydra facility. Bucky greeted them with a raised eyebrow and two cups of coffee.
> "So," he said, handing one to Ron. "You blew up a demon, ripped open reality, and got kissed by a fire mage. Busy night."
> "You have no idea," Ron sighed.
Back at the debriefing tent, Agent Hill stood with folded arms, looking at Ron like he was a puzzle she didn't know how to solve.
> "You've gone from 'unknown anomaly' to 'dimensional battlemage with harem tendencies' in under a week," she said flatly. "Care to explain?"
> "I didn't plan any of this," Ron said, rubbing the back of his head. "It's the power. It draws attention."
Liliane leaned on his shoulder again. "Not just power. Charm too."
Elara scoffed. "Please."
Hill sighed. "SHIELD's watching you, Ron. But for now—you're free. Just try not to blow up a continent."
As they exited the tent, Liliane slipped her arm through Ron's. "You owe me a favor, remember? I'd like dinner. Somewhere quiet. Just us."
Ron turned to Elara. "And you?"
She hesitated… then looked away. "You can choose. Just… don't keep playing games."
> Crap, Ron thought. How did sealing a rift turn into a romantic standoff?
A new signal buzzed on his watch. From Kamar-Taj.
> "New magical anomaly detected. Reality Thread Breach – Level 9."
Ron sighed.
> "No rest for the Silver Mage."
But as he looked at the two beautiful, powerful women beside him… he knew things were only getting more complicated.
And strangely… he didn't mind.
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