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With Alex there, Isabella was no longer sleepy. It was just past midnight, and the city outside was even livelier than before. She suggested they go for a walk—soak in the holiday spirit with everyone else on the streets.
Alex had slept most of the flight over, so he wasn't tired. Besides, it was too beautiful a night to waste on sleep. So they went out.
Isabella's neighborhood was in one of the most vibrant parts of the city. Bars and clubs lined the streets, all lit up and buzzing with noise. Not far away, there were squares and churches where crowds had gathered to celebrate Christmas—music of every kind drifting through the cold night air.
Isabella held onto Alex's arm as they walked, chatting easily, heading toward a nearby square where fireworks were going off and spontaneous celebrations had sprung up among the locals.
They stayed out until past two in the morning before Alex finally walked Isabella back to her apartment.
"Get some sleep," he said with a smile. "Call me when you wake up."
"Okay." Isabella's smile was radiant, her eyes soft as they reflected his face. "I had a wonderful time tonight. Thank you, Alex."
He smiled back, reached up, and gently brushed the snowflakes from her hair. "Goodnight."
"Mm. Goodnight."
She looked at him with a hint of reluctance, slowly turned to go, then glanced back to wave.
"Go on, get inside!"
Isabella smiled, turned again, took a few steps—then suddenly spun around and ran back to him. She rose on her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.
Her face flushed red. She covered her mouth with her hand, ducked her head, and hurried away without looking back. Only when she reached the lobby entrance did she pause, turn, and wave one last time before disappearing into the elevator.
Alex stood there, smiling, watching her go.
The warmth of her lips seemed to linger on his. Just an instant, but it had sent electricity through him.
This was his first kiss. His first intimate moment with anyone. He couldn't help the flutter of excitement in his chest. Two lifetimes of being single—and it had finally ended tonight.
He also finally understood why Danny and Tyler hadn't come.
And he blamed himself for being so slow to recognize Isabella's feelings. If she hadn't just explained the meaning behind her cats' names, he might never have figured it out. Three cats, three names—and all this time, they'd been spelling out a message meant just for him.
The Christmas holiday stretched on.
After Christmas came New Year's, so Alex simply stayed in France to spend the entire break with Isabella.
Like most new couples, once they'd confirmed their feelings, they fell fast and hard—practically inseparable. In those short ten-odd days, Alex experienced more "firsts" than he could count. He was so happy he nearly forgot about going home, half-tempted to just stay there with her permanently.
But they were both adults. Isabella had her studies to finish. Alex couldn't abandon his company entirely. Legend of Sword and Fairy and Mobile Suit Gundam both required his personal oversight, and development had reached a critical stage.
On top of that, Guardians of the Galaxy had received an invitation to develop Level 90 official content for Infinite Realms.
So despite their reluctance, they had to part ways—for now.
"When I'm done with this stretch of work, I'll fly back out to see you," Alex said before leaving.
"You don't have to do that." Isabella shook her head with a gentle smile. "It's too much trouble. Besides, the company needs you, and millions of players worldwide are waiting for your next content drop. I can't be selfish and hog all your time." She laughed softly. "I'll be back in February anyway. Lunar New Year. That's only a little over a month—it'll fly by."
Though she was just as reluctant to let him go, she understood something important: she needed to chase her own goals, become her own person, build something of her own. That was how they'd make this work long-term.
Love was important. But they should also have their own work, their own lives. The pain of parting now would only make their reunions sweeter.
When Alex got back to Seattle, Danny and Tyler immediately "detained and interrogated" him.
He confessed everything—yes, he and Isabella had made it official—and was promptly extorted for celebratory drinks by both of them.
With a girlfriend now, Alex's life wasn't just work and games anymore. Every day brought sweet messages, small moments of happiness, a new kind of warmth woven into the routine.
At the start of the new year, Alex posted a single line on his personal social media:
"You're all going for laughs. I'm going for something real."
The post immediately caught fire. Fans and players flooded in, and everyone knew exactly what he meant.
There was no denying that Guardians of the Galaxy had opened up an entirely new style on Infinite Realms. After its success, a wave of experiential content featuring goofy protagonists, comedic characters, and humorous storylines had swept the platform. Some of it was genuinely excellent—giving players plenty of options—but none had managed to surpass Guardians.
Alex's message was clear: his next project would be serious.
The speculation exploded:
"Looks like Morrison's about to school his peers again!"
"He's basically saying it's not just comedy that can succeed—serious themes can be just as popular!"
"So what's the next content drop gonna be?"
"It's gotta be Gundam. Gundam is serious as hell, and it's massively popular. Nothing else makes as much sense!"
"Agreed. Sci-fi content is dominating right now—warships, space combat mechs, all of it selling like crazy. From every angle, launching Gundam content is gonna crush the competition again. With Gundam's fanbase, those mechs are gonna fly off the shelves!"
"Has to be Gundam! I've been waiting forever. Don't let us down this time, Morrison!"
The fan demand was overwhelming.
Soon enough, Infinite Realms' official channels released the launch schedule for Mobile Suit Gundam content—along with an explosive combat trailer that set the entire Gundam fanbase on fire.
Since the Gundam comics first launched, the franchise had built a massive global following, becoming the first truly worldwide phenomenon to emerge from American comics in this new era. It had even taken Japan by storm—a country with one of the most developed manga industries in the world—outselling many domestic releases to claim the top spot.
The news that Gundam was finally being adapted into game content was exactly what fans had been waiting for.
And for competitors? It was another reason to tremble.
Everyone in the industry knew: with Gundam's quality and popularity, once it hit Infinite Realms, it would be untouchable. Especially in the mech merchandise space—this was going to rewrite the record books all over again.