Chapter 0.2:
Priorities
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"...And that is how technology regarding gaming will continue to flourish the future market, and thus improving the standards of gaming as a whole."
With a room full of applauds, -some forced, while others a bit more enthusiastic. Some too excited, even.- the class wrapped itself up -three hours after it began- as the last project group finished their speech and everyone within the hall each went their own ways in preparation for their remaining day.
Among the last people to walk out of the building were John and Max.
"That was a pretty interesting concept your group had, young lad!" Max said with his best impression of an elderly professor. "But have you thought of this and bla bla bla that bla bla..."
"Yours wasn't all that bad either, what with the relative income of the gaming industry and its improvements and all. How does the rest of your day look, by the way?"
Curveballs out of nowhere.
Max stood still and put his right hands thumb under his chin and the index finger under his mouth -the thinking position he always naturally ended up doing, and thus his most comfortable pose- while looking down onto the grass below them. It was still wet from yesterday nigthts rain.
"I got two classes in the evening so... I think I just might head home until then." He looked up and into John's eyes and smiled devilishly while narrowing his eyes. "Ehh?! Why? What about you? Feelin' lonely without me are ya?"
John frowned upon seeing the weird -but usual for his friend- expression that happened in front of him and spoke in a dead tone. "I plan to head to the library to finish everything for tomorrow and didn't want you bothering me. Now I know, great!"
As if expecting the reaction from his friend, Max instantly turned around, straightening his back and laying the back of his right hand in front of his eyes.
"How cruel! Fine! I'll just have the time of my life at home! No! Don't go! I won't have anything to do without you!" Max cried out while playing out his one-man show.
The wind was slowly but surely taking up its pace that would most likely mean another cloudy afternoon with rain on the income. A fragrant scent drifted on the fresh air from the flowers nearby which snapped John back on track from his friends show. Deciding it was important for the well being of all other forms of life in the close proximity, especially his own, John decided to explain:
"No but leaving the projects aside, I was wondering if you had time for some games tonight? I found this really cool place yesterday and-"
"You mean this morning." Max interrupted.
"...I found this really cool place yesterday. Remember that I did the assignment over the night? This place was what distracted me, you must see it, I'll take you there! I promise it's worth it, it's like, 'Woahhhhh!' and 'Uooooooh!'. Really, really cool!"
Max silently stood and stared blankly into John's eyes. Then after rebooting his nerdy side in order to understand the fast-paced words that flew out of John's mouth he simply answered like usual. "I guess I got time at nine o' clock tonight." Before he left his friend standing there for a few seconds while Max himself, casually walked down the path they both earlier came from, towards his home.
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Walking down the narrow path that leads to the library, John stopped in his tracks every now and then to observe the walls. They were covered with paintings that could often be found around inside churches -although not really as religious- which looked rather old for this day and age, yet it had its own charm when painted in a hallway like this. On the right wall there was a tiny humanoid shape in shining metal armor pointing its sword towards a large black dragon. 'The evil dragon... Killed by the hero... Saving his princess...' John thought as his eyes continued along the wall. 'And the hero's comrades... A priest?.. An archer... And the...' His eyes stopped for a moment on the last little figure, clad in a generic dark-blue robe with golden trim around the edges and a pointy hat in the same color -the trademark for any kids' fantasy tale.
"Magician..." John whispered with awe as he kept looking at the fantasy of his childhood dreams, completely forgetting his original goal for walking down this hallway. John loved books, or rather, he loved the stories they contained. He could lose himself in the tales that brought life to never-before-seen places and excitement to even the most mundane situations. That was also a reason why he played games so much outside of reasing and studying; he could create his own story, or relive anothers.
Later parting from the painting with reluctance, John glanced onto the left wall while once again walking towards the library. It was an open landscape, with a sunrise in the horizon at the beginning of the hallway. The sunrise changed into day, and then turned into sunset the closer it got to the library doors. Not really any deeper meaning behind the painting, John still liked to think of it as a symbol for adventure, as he got closer to the sunset, and thus the destination of his haven.
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The doors to the library always stood open, and this time was not an exception.
Walking between the bookshelves, picking up various books listed from 'The Tale of Darkness' to 'Great Gaming History' -fantasy and gaming genres alike- for his next upcoming assignment, John noticed that he was the only one inside the library. With the access to information through the internet, one would question why personally reading text in the form of a book still ocurred. For John, it would be because he liked the touch of something in his hands that the computer just couldn't compete with. Also because he easily got distracted once in front of his computer, with his online gaming addiction and all.
Passing a bookshelf on the way to a table -where he'd copy important or interesting text for later- he noticed a rather thick book sticking out.
'What's this?'
After taking the book out -lighter than what it looked like- john read its cover.
"ADD: Legacy..."
'What does "ADD" stand for?'
The black book had golden-colored leaves attached to the edges of it. The title, written in white, had lines -looking like white roots, had they been real- branching out towards each leaf.
'But it's from the fantasy section eh... And such an interesting cover. Might as well look into this one as well.'
Bringing along the books to the table, John started reading his newest finding after laying the others aside -stacked up next to him just within arms reach.
Forgetting his original object, -or subcounsciously ignored it- John was lost in his own world as he kept reading the mysteriously interesting book -who wouldn't judge a book by its cover after all? Time flew by and by the time his last classes had ended, the un-attending student had gotten halfway through the novel.
"Heeh... What's this?"
Interrupting the immersiveness and pace of the fiction, halfway through, was a drawing. A circle with two lines -something akin to a scope from shootergames- that was drawn eerily with red paint which made it almost look like a bloody ritual had taken place inside the book. Maybe the immersion wasn't interrupted after all.
Taking a break to rest his eyes, John glanced at his watch. It was a rather cheap watch he had gotten on his fifteenth birthday, and four years later he still wore it every time he went outside. But that was not important, no, not as important as the time it showed. Shocked over his own forgetfulness John slowly glanced over to the other books with a tensed smile -are the books going to scold him?- and then back to the one in front of him.
"Shit..."
'But I want to find out more about this symbol!'
Sating his thirst for knowledge, John decided to compromise. Drawing the same symbol on a post-it then putting it in his small bag -He hadn't played tetris for nothing!- before closing the fiction and hurriedly put every book in their respective shelves and then running out of the library on campus.
"The assignment comes first when I get home!" John shouted to no one in particular.
Running out from the building he had entered earlier to reach the library, John almost crashed into the janitor -an old shriveled man nobody knew the age of, or why he still worked.
"Sorry!" John said as he bowed down to apologize, then taking up his former pace and started running home.
The janitor could only silently look at the spectacle while he forgot that he almost was run over by the very same kid.
"Youth... Ah where did I put the mop again?"
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Once home -John still lived with his parents, as the university was quite close already- he took off his shoes and went upstairs to his room. Tossing the bag under his bed John sat down in front of the computer.
"The assignment comes first! Let's see now..."
Wasting hours on finding information and fiction of both gaming and fantasy genres the time-lord exhaustedly stretched his upper body while still sitting in his comfy chair and then looked at the clock shown in the bottom right corner of the computerscreen.
"eight o' clock..." A yawn came out as he mumbled to himself in order to not fall asleep. "I guess I can take a nap before showing Max that awesome view..."
Stepping away from the computer, John walked over to the other end of his room, where the bed stood. Too tired to take off his clothes and too tired to lay under the blanket, John decided to lay on his stomach, preparing the route in his mind for when he and Max would meet online. He didn't wake up at 9 though.
He accidentally forgot to set the alarm.
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