Chris didn't remember walking home.
He remembered Rias's worried eyes.
He remembered Akeno's gentle touch.
He remembered Koneko silently handing him another cookie.
He remembered Kiba's steady presence.
But everything after that felt like a blur.
He collapsed onto his bed the moment he got home, staring at the ceiling as the warmth in his chest pulsed softly — like a heartbeat that wasn't his.
He closed his eyes.
"Alisa… why are you crying?"
No answer.
Just that quiet, aching warmth.
---
Morning at Kuoh — Chaos as Usual
The next morning, Chris walked into Kuoh Academy feeling like he'd aged ten years overnight. Students were already buzzing with rumors about the "mysterious explosion" near the park.
He tried to slip through the hallway unnoticed.
He failed.
"CHRIS!"
Akeno swooped in like a hawk, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
"You look exhausted," she said sweetly. "Did you stay up thinking about me again?"
He groaned. "I didn't think about you the first time."
Akeno gasped dramatically. "Rias, he's bullying me!"
Rias approached with a sigh. "Akeno, stop tormenting him."
"But he's so fun to tease."
Koneko appeared behind Chris, tugging his sleeve. "You forgot breakfast."
He blinked. "How do you know?"
"You look hungry."
She handed him a small bag of pastries.
Chris stared at it. "Koneko… thank you."
She shrugged. "Don't faint."
Kiba walked up next, smiling politely. "Rias wants you in the clubroom after classes. It's important."
Chris nodded. "Training?"
Rias's expression softened. "Yes. And answers."
His stomach tightened.
Answers.
He wasn't sure he wanted them.
---
Lunch — A Moment of Peace
Chris sat under the same tree as yesterday, eating the pastries Koneko gave him. They were warm, soft, and surprisingly comforting.
He didn't notice Rias until she sat beside him.
"You're quiet today," she said gently.
"Just thinking."
"About Alisa?"
He froze.
Rias looked at him with soft, understanding eyes. "You whispered her name yesterday. You looked… heartbroken."
Chris swallowed hard. "I don't know why I miss her so much. I barely knew her."
Rias hesitated. "Sometimes… the people who save us leave the deepest marks."
He looked at her.
She looked away, cheeks slightly pink.
He smiled faintly. "You're pretty wise for a devil."
Rias huffed. "I'll pretend that was a compliment."
He laughed — a small, tired laugh — but real.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Warm.
Safe.
Then the bell rang, and the moment ended.
---
The ORC Meeting — The Truth Begins
After classes, Chris walked into the ORC room. Everyone was already there.
Akeno smiled warmly.
Kiba nodded.
Koneko munched a cookie.
Rias stood in front of her desk, serious.
"Chris," she said softly, "we're going to help you understand what's happening inside you."
He nodded nervously. "Okay."
Rias gestured to the center of the room. "Stand there."
He did.
Akeno formed a magic circle. Kiba readied his sword. Koneko crouched slightly, watching him like a cat watching prey.
Chris swallowed. "Uh… should I be worried?"
"Yes," Koneko said.
"No," Rias corrected.
"Maybe," Akeno added with a giggle.
Chris groaned. "Great."
Rias stepped closer. "Chris, I need you to focus on the warmth in your chest. The one you felt during the attack."
He closed his eyes.
The warmth pulsed.
Soft.
Sad.
Familiar.
Alisa.
He reached for it.
The room trembled.
A faint glow spread across his chest, forming a symbol — not a Sacred Gear, not a magic circle, something older. Something divine.
Rias gasped. "This… this isn't devil magic."
Akeno whispered, "It feels… holy."
Kiba stepped back. "But not like an angel's power."
Koneko's eyes widened. "It feels… sad."
Chris's breath hitched.
The warmth surged.
And then—
A voice.
Soft.
Breaking.
Desperate.
"Chris… please stop…"
His eyes flew open.
"Alisa?!"
The glow vanished instantly.
Chris collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest.
Rias rushed to him. "Chris! What happened?!"
He shook, tears slipping down his cheeks. "She… she sounded scared. Like she didn't want me to use it."
Akeno knelt beside him. "Why would a goddess fear her own gift?"
Kiba frowned. "Unless the power hurts her."
Koneko whispered, "Or hurts him."
Rias held Chris's shoulders gently. "Chris… what exactly did Alisa give you?"
He looked up at her, eyes trembling.
"I don't know."
---
A Quiet Breakdown
The others stepped back, giving him space.
Chris sat on the floor, breathing shakily.
"I don't understand any of this," he whispered. "I didn't ask for powers. I didn't ask to be special. I just… I just wanted a second chance."
Rias's expression softened painfully.
"Chris," she said gently, "you're allowed to be scared."
He looked at her.
She looked back — not as a devil, not as a king, but as a girl who cared.
"You're not alone," she whispered. "Not anymore."
Akeno placed a hand on his back.
Kiba rested a hand on his shoulder.
Koneko sat beside him, leaning against him quietly.
Warmth surrounded him.
Not divine.
Not supernatural.
Human.
And for the first time since he arrived in this world…
Chris cried.
Not from fear.
Not from pain.
But from the overwhelming weight of being cared for.
---
The Final Whisper
As his tears slowed, the warmth in his chest pulsed again.
Soft.
Gentle.
Apologetic.
"Chris… I'm sorry… I didn't want you to suffer…"
He closed his eyes.
"Alisa… why are you crying?"
No answer.
Just a fading warmth.
Just a quiet ache.
Just a goddess who loved him more than she should.
---