"We can't keep it," I asserted.

Carol looked at me with a smile.

"And why is that?" she asked.

"We need to complete the quest; that's how it goes. We can't just abandon the whole village."

She glanced at the Gem, then back at me ;

"You do realize this isn't real, right? We're trapped here for some strange reason, and our sole objective is to escape the Tower and return to life. These people, this village, it doesn't matter."

I pondered for a moment. I knew deep down that this might not hold much significance, but it still felt wrong.

"Did you ever play games in your previous life?" she suddenly asked.

"As a matter of fact, I did," I replied. "Not only did I play them, I also designed them. It was my job."

She was surprised, then turned towards me :

"So when you designed or played games, did you care about the AI characters? Didn't you run them over with your car in your GTA - or whatever is called - or shoot them? Steal from their houses, beat them or kill them?"

"Sometimes I did, but this is different," I tried to explain.

"How so?"

"Well, these are real people," I paused for a moment. "At least, I think so."

"You think so?" she grinned.

"Neither you nor I truly know what's happening. Did you also die and end up here? Were you alone?" I asked.

She looked at me in silence, trying to contain her emotions. Finally, she spoke :

"Yes, I died. It was because of a stupid kid, a teenager who thought it would be fun to rob a store and ended up killing a lot of people."

She paused for a moment.

"And if I see him, I'm going to crush his skull with my hammer," she finished, her voice filled with anger.

We stood there, silently, for what felt like an eternity.

"I died too," I finally revealed.

"You're not special. Every Revival did. That's why we're called 'Revivals.'"

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Listen," I reasoned with her. "This is a game, and I understand games. Finishing the quest is usually the best approach. In the long run, it's the best way forward. Maybe something triggers in the village and we receive help, I don't know. There could be many ways this turns out."

"You don't know," she said, staring at me.

She pointed the Gem towards me.

"THIS," she declared. "This can help us win. Patate mentioned the Gem's colors and explained them to me. The black and violet ones are the rarest and most powerful. THIS is what we need."

"We?" I interjected, surprising her.

She glanced at the ground, then back at me.

"We make a good team," she said.

"So, trust me, we need to finish the quest. We need to help save the village. It's obvious."

She paused for a moment, lowering her arm and fixating her gaze on the Gem.

"Carol," I said, trying to reason with her once more. "This is what the game wants. It's how we reach the top."

She remained silent, staring at the Gem. Then, out of nowhere, she asked :

"Do you have family?"

I was taken aback. She continued :

"Are you married? Do you have kids? What about your mom and dad?"

"I still have my mom," I replied.

"I have a daughter," she explained. "She's nine years old, and she's alive. I am not. She has no one else. I am her only chance."

She paused for a moment, then resumed :

"I don't know how this system works, but if there's a chance to go back, I will take it. Maybe it resets time, maybe it's like nothing ever happened. But I will go back. If I have to kill an entire village of fish people, I will do it. I don't like it, but I will."

I gazed at her, sensing the turmoil raging within. The circumstances that brought her to this strange place remained a mystery, yet it was evident that she carried a deeper burden. There was more to the story, concealed beneath the surface, something was missing. The mention of her daughter with no other parent felt peculiar, leaving me both curious and wary.

For a moment, I considered inquiring about her husband or parents, but I held back, realizing that without any kids of my own, I couldn't truly relate to her struggles. Instead, I decided to let it be for now, trusting that she might share more when the time was right. Instead I changed my approach ;

"You French are crazy!" I exclaimed, attempting to lighten the mood. "Always life or death, 'La Revolution, ron ron ron, oui oui oui'," I chanted in my best French accent.

She looked at me, not quite understanding where this was coming from. I continued :

"Listen, we all have reasons to want to come back. You, me, and probably all the other Revivals. I agree that I don't know how any of this works. It's bizarre, it makes no sense, and I still think I'm dreaming. But..." I paused, lifting my index finger with a smile on my face. "I am an exceptional game designer, one of the best. And believe me, while we fight and do all these foolish and ridiculous things, I WILL figure out how the system works, and I will find a way out of here, no matter what it takes. There hasn't been a game I've played that I haven't completed 100%, including Dark Souls II and Bloodborne . I'm the King of Gamers!"

She looked at me as I finished my crazy monologue, smiled, and replied in the weirdest American accent I ever heard :

"You Americans have a massive ego. ' I'm the best in the world, fuck shit, poop poop poop!'"

I smiled back. It was an horrible accent. But her grimacing were hilarious.

We locked eyes for a moment, then she shifted her gaze back to the Gem, rotating and toying with it in her hand. Inside felt like there was some kind of miniature galaxy floating around and only visible in the reflections. Finally, she looked at me.

"Catch!" she exclaimed, throwing the Gem in my direction.

I swiftly caught it with one hand - thanks Dexterity Stat - and placed it in my inventory.

"You did the right thing, Carol," I said.

"I'll keep all the gold," she replied.

I laughed.

"Alright, you can keep all the gold," I agreed with her.