Haru: Acolyte 19/Apprentice 9
Optifex: Legionnaire 19/Initiate 9
ErcuEmu: Initiate 19/Legionnaire 9
Alara: Apprentice 19/Acolyte 9
Tacito: Footpad 19/Initiate 9
Haru stared at Irae, who laid on the long dining table of the castle’s main hall as she cast Mend on the party to get everyone back up to 100% HP.
The demon was frozen in shock, fixated on Taci for some reason. The footpad disarmed, placing his bow on his back and walked away, with his usual mild expression, entirely ignoring the demon that was just next to him.
As both Alara and Emu cast their gaze upon Irae, the demon’s surprise waned, and he snapped to look at them. His eyes widened and mouth clamped shut just before Irae’s figure faded to nothingness. The two then passed glances at each other, and an air of acknowledgement filled the space between them.
Oracle in her raven form hopped across the table and onto a chairback within arm’s reach of the three.
“Let’s keep going, we’re making good time.” Emu spoke flatly, motioning toward the exit on the left side of the hearth at the end of the long table. He stared blankly at Opti, back rigid.
The raven cawed at the initiate, just once. He let off a disapproving hum.
“Yes, we shouldn’t be late.” Alara’s unemotional voice echoed throughout the room. Her thousand-yard stare pierced through Opti for a moment before she brushed past the initiate to move toward the door.
Oracle tilted her bird head at the apprentice and let out a call. Alara flicked her fingertips as if to shoo the bird as she passed.
After a moment, the footpad spoke. “Don’t go too fast, I don’t feel like rushing.” Taci’s monotone droning filled the quiet. He focused on the legionnaire as he spoke before falling in behind Alara.
The raven cawed at the footpad once. He scoffed.
Haru shifted uncomfortably at the sudden change in their mannerisms. It was like they suddenly became NPCs in a scripted event. She rushed over toward Opti, who watched them depart, also visibly disquieted.
“Are you alright?” She whispered and scooped up his hand while searching his eyes.
Opti’s attention was still captured by the others leaving the room. He was clearly shaken by what just happened. Then he opened his mouth to speak but hesitated with a subtle gasp. A sudden wave of sadness washed over his face, and he pursed his lips as he turned to look at Haru. “I was all too ready to come here, to put an end to this demon. But now I’ve come to realize that I’ve made a terrible mistake.” He spoke with a hushed tone.
“What was that all about?” Haru pointed at the defeated knight, now just a disheveled pile of armor on the ground a few steps away from where they stood.
“Do you remember what I said about your encounter, when we were in the first dungeon?” Opti looked toward the exit, seemingly unable to make eye contact with Haru.
“I remember. I wasn’t supposed to be there. It will be alright. Things are working out fine.” Haru nodded, speaking softly in an attempt to keep him calm.
Opti stared at the armor pile and let out an exasperated sigh. Then he leaned forward to peer into the doorway where the three departed before staring at the ground. “This place was never a dungeon encounter.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Haru shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
He looked around at the main hall and took a step back from Haru to prop himself up against the table with one arm. “This used to be the Fairbank Castle interior.”
Haru looked around, in awe of what he said. “So, this is the place you said you built bathed in gold.”
Opti nodded. “Now it’s just another place corrupted for the sake of the demon’s plot.”
Haru turned her attention to the pile of armor. “But what made you so upset about seeing this?”
The legionnaire walked over to the heap and squatted down. He stared at the wingtip helm resting atop the pauldrons and breastplate. “It originally didn’t look like this.” He reached down for the helmet with both hands and lifted it. “It was golden and platinum.”
As he brought it level with his face, the headgear started to disintegrate from the bottom up, the sandy material dissipating into the air before it could reach the ground.
Pain etched into Opti’s face. “This was my armor.” He stayed squatting and looked to Haru. “I put myself in the game, as the final quest giver.” The legionnaire looked around and motioned with a limp wrist. “It was supposed to be our kingdom, one I built with my own hands.”
Haru tilted her head. “Our kingdom?”
Opti stood up, straining with his arms to get himself upright. “When I first arrived, I crawled out of here. I remember now. The demon and I both started not far from here.” He pointed toward the exit the other three already departed for. “In the throne room.” He sat at the head of the table and folded his hands upon the surface, solemn.
Haru’s brow dipped for a moment, still unsure of what he was trying to get at. “Our kingdom, throne room… I don’t understand.” She shook her head.
Opti stared at the tabletop, shoulders hunched. “I sacrificed so much to make this game great. It was supposed to change everything for us.” He looked up. “This whole project was created so we wouldn’t have to struggle anymore. That I could finally give all of us a better life.”
Haru scratched her head. “I—”
He turned to look at her. “I modeled you after someone very special to me. A mote of light in the darkness.”
Haru quieted herself and clasped her hands at her waist.
With a long exhale, Opti slapped his palms on the table and stood up, shaking his head. “But now it’s all ruined. Perhaps it’s fate, meant to be this way as retribution for past deeds.”
“That’s not true.” Haru couldn’t hold back the harshness in her voice. “We can fix things. We’ll get you back, and then work together to make everything even better than it was before.” She clenched her fists, holding them at her hips.
With weary eyes, Opti forced a momentary smile. “I wish that could be the case.” He turned and departed for the exit.
Haru looked to Oracle, who was still perched on the same seatback and silently observing. “I don’t know what to do. It seems like the demon has demoralized him entirely.”
In a puff of smoke, Oracle’s raven shape vanished and her true form, blue cloak and hood, appeared. She stood next to the fireplace and stared at the dim flame, leaning against her crook. “Night is darkest before dawn. Have faith in your friend, he’s going through a terrible trial right now.”
Haru sighed. “But what can I do to help?”
Oracle smiled and nodded while still observing the flame within the stone hearth. “Don’t fall too far behind. It’s times like these when one feels the most alone.” She looked at Haru then motioned toward the exit. Then Oracle huffed on her hands and pointed her palms toward the fire.
Haru blinked and then realized the party had all departed for the exit except for her. Skipping into a sprint, she rushed for the swirling portal on the other side of the leftmost door next to the fireplace which Oracle stood. Without a moment of hesitation, the acolyte dashed through the swirling mist and entered the portal.
Her vision dimmed to black in the blink of an eye. Again, Haru found herself floating through nothingness, just like when she entered the main hall. Murmured voices echoed out in the distance as muted gray shapes began to fill the void around her. This time, those speaking weren’t shouting but the tones were harsh, direct.
Haru found herself standing in a small living room. To her back a shabby cloth couch. On her left, a muted television displayed colorless shapes that flashed across its surface. Ahead, a doorless frame revealed a shabby kitchen with ancient appliances. On the other side were two figures that she couldn’t make out, silhouettes against the subdued, colorless surroundings.
“I told you I have to finish this project. I can’t just walk away when I feel like it.” It was Opti’s voice, one of the figures speaking in the kitchen.
“You’re never here, what do you expect me to do all day? Just sit around and hope you’ll finally come home at a normal time?” A woman, the other figure shouted back at him. “Some days you don’t even bother to come home at all.”
“I don’t have time for this, I have things to do.” Opti snapped and disappeared out a door on the far side of the kitchen.
Haru sensed someone standing next to her. At her hip was a small child staring at the two, leaning against the kitchen doorframe.
And she bore a striking resemblance to Haru.