Point of View: Genesis
Once they left, I let out a sigh of relief.
Then I heard Loki's laughter.
"Hahahaha! Hahahaha!"
I turned and found him floating midair, clutching his stomach, kicking his legs uncontrollably. He couldn't stop laughing.
Behind me, Elena was laughing too, though she tried to cover her mouth to contain herself.
Between bursts of laughter, Loki managed to say,
"At first, I doubted your plan—but it worked! Hahahaha! You're quite the actor."
I ran a hand through my hair and replied with a smile.
"My plans always work, Loki. My mind is what keeps us alive."
Elena shook her head, still smiling.
"But did you really have to go that far?"
"Yes," I answered calmly. "Our greatest secret is that we're a living planet. That cannot leak under any circumstances. This world is already too strange because of us. We needed a story to protect ourselves."
Elena sighed, though there was playful reproach in her tone.
"I understand that. But that's not what I'm asking…"
"What are you asking, then?" I said, raising an eyebrow.
"What she means," Loki interrupted, barely holding back another laugh, "is whether you had to be so dramatic. Hahahaha!"
Elena added,
"You could've just used the system to explain everything. There was no need for all those illusions and theatrical pauses."
I froze for a moment.
Loki noticed immediately and burst out laughing again.
"Hahahaha! You got carried away with your character."
Elena joined him.
…Haa.
They were right. I had gotten too immersed in the role. I might have exaggerated a little.
"Well…" I admitted with a faint smile, "yes, maybe I overdid it. But it worked. They believed every word."
Elena nodded.
"Giving Lysera prior information made it even more convincing."
"Of course," I replied, satisfied. "That was part of the plan."
They kept laughing, and eventually, I found myself laughing along with them.
Yes, I exaggerated.
But… I also had fun.
Watching their reactions—their expressions of shock, fear, determination… it reminded me of my former students.
And honestly, it's their fault for being so naïve.
"Hahahaha!" we all laughed together, sharing that fleeting moment of relief and amusement.