The world resumed.
Not dramatically.
Not with thunder or light.
Just—click.
Like someone unpaused a very expensive video.
Forks, Washington re-entered existence exactly where it had left off.
Rain mid-fall finished falling.
Clouds remembered how to move.
Birds continued whatever suspicious activities birds do.
Time flowed again.
And I was back.
Home Sweet Mansion (Again)
I stood in the living room of my Forks mansion.
Same couch.
Same windows.
Same "I live here now" energy.
Alice blinked.
Rosalie inhaled sharply.
Lily looked around with interest.
Petunia immediately checked structural integrity and magical interference like a responsible adult.
"…So," Lily said, "this is the vampire world?"
"Twilight," I corrected. "Lowercase drama, high sparkle."
Alice clapped excitedly. "We're back!"
Rosalie nodded once. "Good."
I hadn't even had time to take off my coat when—
The system chimed.
And this time?
It wasn't subtle.
System Notification (The Big One)
[World Synchronization Complete.]
[Temporal Lock: Released.]
I felt it.
The pressure.
The weight.
The leash.
Then—
[Nerf State: Lifted.]
I froze.
The air around me bent.
My spine straightened instinctively.
Something snapped into place inside my soul—like a crown settling where it always belonged.
Pain?
No.
Relief.
Pure, overwhelming relief.
My body shifted.
Not grotesquely.
Not painfully.
Just—correctly.
I grew.
Muscle restructured.
Bones elongated.
Presence intensified.
Seventeen years old again.
My true state.
195 centimeters tall.
White hair falling past my shoulders.
Blue eyes—deep, cold, endless.
Handsome in the unfair, "that's not legal" way.
I rolled my shoulders.
"…Ah," I sighed. "There it is."
Rosalie stared.
Alice's eyes went wide.
Lily blinked. "…Oh."
Petunia adjusted her glasses. "…Noted."
Absolute Authority
The system wasn't done.
Of course it wasn't.
[Shadow Monarch Authority: Fully Unlocked.]
The world went quiet.
Not silent.
Obedient.
The shadows beneath every object in the room—every corner, every fold of darkness—responded.
They knew me.
[Abilities Restored:]
Arise
Shadow Manipulation
Shadow Dominion
Shadow Realm (Unrestricted)
Shadow Soldier Command (Absolute)
I raised one hand.
Shadows rose.
Not violently.
Gracefully.
Knights formed from darkness.
Soldiers kneeled.
Generals bowed.
An army—silent, infinite—awaited my will.
"…Good," I said softly.
The shadows answered in unison.
YES, MY KING.
Alice shivered.
"…That never gets less hot."
Rosalie smirked. "He's back."
Lily stared openly now. "You weren't exaggerating."
Petunia exhaled slowly. "…This explains everything."
One Last System Update (And the Betrayal)
I relaxed my hand.
The shadows sank back into place.
"System," I said, "status."
There was a pause.
That alone worried me.
Then—
[Gacha Function: Removed.]
I blinked.
"…Excuse me?"
[Reason: User no longer requires randomized assistance.]
I frowned. "That was my emotional support addiction."
[Replacement Function Activated.]
"…Replacement?"
[Sign-In Function Unlocked.]
I squinted.
"…Define sign-in."
[Sign-In Available.]
I stared at the invisible interface.
"…I don't like this."
Alice leaned closer. "Do it."
Rosalie crossed her arms. "Coward if you don't."
Lily grinned. "I want to see."
Petunia sighed. "Of course you do."
Against my better judgment—
"Sign-in," I said.
The system chimed.
Reality immediately regretted it.
Reward: Why Are You Like This
[Sign-In Reward Acquired.]
Something appeared in my hand.
A sealed, transparent container.
Filled.
With liquid.
Clear.
Warm.
I stared.
"…No."
The label helpfully materialized.
[Item: Kuroka's Bathwater]
[Quantity: 1 Liter]
Silence.
Utter, absolute silence.
I looked down at it.
Then up.
"…System."
[Yes?]
"Why."
[User performed sign-in.]
"That does not answer the question."
[Author Directive Detected.]
I closed my eyes.
"I swear," I muttered, "if I ever meet you—"
The Girls React (As Expected)
Alice was the first to recover.
She burst out laughing.
"Oh my god—"
Rosalie pinched the bridge of her nose. "I hate this universe."
Lily stared at the container. "…Is that what I think it is?"
"Yes," I said flatly.
Petunia squinted. "Who is Kuroka?"
"A menace," I replied.
Alice wiped a tear from her eye. "You finally get godhood back and this is your reward."
"I ruled death," I said bitterly. "I commanded shadows. I fought gods."
"And now?" Lily prompted.
I held up the container.
"…Now I have this."
Rosalie snorted. "Fate hates you."
Damage Control
I immediately shoved the container into my inventory.
"Never mention this again," I said calmly.
Alice grinned. "Too late."
Lily laughed. "You're blushing."
"I am not."
Petunia crossed her arms. "Is the sign-in function permanent?"
"Yes," I replied darkly. "Apparently."
"…Then statistically," she said, "this will happen again."
I stared at the wall.
"…I miss the gacha cars."
Final Status Check
I took a breath.
Centered myself.
Shadow Monarch authority flowed smoothly now—no resistance, no restrictions.
The Twilight world was active.
Forks awaited.
Vampires unaware.
Plot threads neatly aligned.
The system displayed one final summary:
[Status:]
Shadow Monarch: Complete
Authority: Absolute
Multiversal Travel: Active
Sign-In: Active
Author: Still a Bastard
I looked at you.
"…This," I said calmly, "is why I never trust rewards."
Because power?
Power was easy.
Responsibility?
Manageable.
But systems?
Systems were unhinged.
I turned toward the window, rain streaking down the glass.
Forks.
School.
Cullens.
And now—
No nerfs.
No leash.
Full authority restored.
I smiled faintly.
"Alright," I said. "Let's continue."
The shadows stirred eagerly.
[Chapter Twenty-Two Complete.]