I sat there, gazing at the blaze consuming Malii's workshop. My health bar flashed red as Carol's shouts were muffled, failing to reach my ears.

I had failed. I had allowed the young Enki to die in the fire. Malii, Danalii, the entire village...

My thoughts were in turmoil. Were they real? Were they merely NPCs? Had we made a mistake returning the Gem? Did the goblin attack because of it or because of us? One of the goblin pointed at us, knowing who we were. Were we responsible somehow? Was this part of a game, a lore, a story... was this scripted?

I couldn't stop, question after question.

Carol rallied the remaining Enkis, organizing their defense. Her voice rang out, issuing orders, driving the last goblins out.

Rain began to fall, slowly washing over the blood-stained streets. Yet, I remained seated, fixated on my burned and bloodied hand, dirtied from the wreckage. It held nothing.

"He was in my arms," I murmured softly. "I was right there, beside him. I had him."

I raised my gaze to the sky, letting the rain cascade over me. In that moment, the world seemed inconsequential; only my thoughts prevailed.

"I had him," I whispered to myself, the words dissolving into the raindrops.

Tears welled in my eyes uncontrollably. I didn't even attempt to hold them back. Something broke within me at that moment. The realization finally struck me - this was no game, no dream. This was reality. I was sure of it.

As the rain collected on my face and body, I closed my eyes, attempting to make sense of it all. I yearned for silence, wanting to shut out the world around me.

We hadn't even reached the Tower yet; we were still within the starting area, mere novices in this realm. And it was already overwhelming. For a brief moment, I had forgotten. I had cut down low levels goblins, felt invincible. But in that moment, I had forgotten the true gravity of our situation.

I opened my eyes, taking in the scene around me. The village fires were being quelled by the rain, giving rise to swirling walls of smoke. Enkis wept in the streets, clutching their loved ones, supporting one another amidst the backdrop of pain and blood. This once-beautiful village now lay in ruins, resembling a battlefield.

Was any of this truly real? If the Enkis were indeed beings from a parallel universe, did that mean the goblins were real too? I had slain them as I would any enemy in a video game, without a second thought. They were the "bad guys," and I was the "hero."

My thoughts raced, spiraling in every direction until Carol abruptly pushed me.

"Simon! Snap out of it!"

I looked at her, her tall figure dirtied and blending with the rain, dark rivulets streaming down her face.

"Simon!" she shouted once more.

"I had him," I murmured softly, staring at my hand.

"Now is not the time for an existential crisis," she retorted sharply. "There's much to be done. Many villagers are trapped or in need of help, we need to clear the place."

I silently regarded her.

"Move your ass! You can cry like a baby later," she commanded.

I nodded slowly.

"Eat this," Carol ordered, handing me two Tiwuiwui snacks.

I accepted them with a muttered "Thanks."

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She walked away, issuing orders to the Enkis. I consumed the two snacks, replenishing my health completely.

Physically, I felt much better, but my mind still wandered. Enkis scrambled to organize themselves, aiding the survivors.

I stood up, brushing the dirt and water off my face. The next two hours felt like a hazy dream as I helped wherever I could - clearing debris, gathering the Enkis, distributing health patches and food amidst the rain and smoke that enveloped the village. I operated like a robot, reacting but not truly present.

Finally, Carol and I settled together in the inn. Thankfully, its damage wasn't severe, and it now served as the village's new central hub, given that the Temple had been mostly destroyed. Enki families lay scattered about, mothers feeding their children. Everyone bore a defeated expression.

"What a mess," Carol remarked, sipping on her drink.

"Do you think these people are real?" I quietly asked Carol.

She appeared surprised, then finally replied :

"Listen, Simon. You have to stop this shit. You think too much. Right now, from my perspective, whether they're real or not doesn't matter. We're stuck here. Our only goal is to get out. We can die - again - and be send to 'Eternal Damnation ', whatever that means, and that's real enough for me."

I regarded her silently for a moment. I had always been told that I overthink things, dwelling more in my thoughts than in the real world, even back on Earth. That I was too emotional. Carol continued :

"My goal is to reunite with my daughter. All of this," she gestured around the room, "it's just something I have to deal with to find her."

I remained silent.

"Simon," she pressed on, "Snap out of it, really. It's not as complicated as you're making it. Is this a game? Maybe. Is it real? Perhaps. But for us, what does it matter? Nothing."

I was taken aback by her simplified perspective. It seems so straightforward for her.

"We helped where we could," she said firmly. "Now, we need to rest, and tomorrow we'll reach the elevator. This is only the beginning. You can't remain so overwhelmed at this early stage. The road ahead will be long. If you're already feeling this way, how will you cope on Floor 20 or 50?"

She had a valid point, but something still bothered me.

"I agree," I replied. "But our reactions to these situations should differ if this world is truly real. If these are real people living their life."

"Why is that?" she inquired.

"Because the lives of these people matter," I stated.

She fell silent for a moment, then commented :

"No, they don't."

"Then why did you help everyone tonight?" I questioned.

She looked at me, surprise flickering in her eyes.

"Because I reacted," she simply stated. "I reacted to a situation. There was no time to think. My main goal was to retrieve the Gem, to prevent it from falling into the hands of those goblins, and if it was the end of the Temple, to get it for myself. Once I realized it was lost, my secondary objective was to remove the goblin threat from this place because it's our sanctuary. Assisting the Enkis was a part of that."

Her words left me with a sense of coldness. She didn't let emotion affect her at all. It was all logical reason.

Grabbing my hand, she locked eyes with me :

"You're allowing what Patate and Malii said to affect you too deeply. I don't know the true nature of what's happening here. And neither do you. It could be part of the game's story or something else entirely. I'm not a gamer, my husband had an Xbox and played games a lot, so I understand that games have stories. Couldn't this be just a part of the immersion, merely a tale?"

She glanced around the room and leaned in closer, whispering :

"You don't know what's real or not. The only thing you know for certain is that you exist and that you need to find a way out. Everything else remains uncertain."

"Looking at it that way, perhaps you're also a part of the game," I suggested.

"Maybe!" she exclaimed. "I could be the final boss!"

A smile crept across my face. She was right of course - I didn't have enough information yet. But witnessing the deaths of those Enkis, the sight of Malii's hat, and that young kid I couldn't save had affected me far more deeply than I could have anticipated. For me, this wasn't just a game.

"Listen," she continued. "Right now, we don't know enough. My sole focus is to keep moving forward, to play their little game, and to find my daughter. Everything else, it's a case-by-case basis."

"You're right," I conceded. "I just..."

She reclined in her chair.

"That kid... it was fucked up. But instead of letting it consume you, use it. Tomorrow, we'll slay the goblin and reach the elevator. Here, in this village, we've done all we could. Now, it's time to move on. We need rest and to prepare for tomorrow's battle."

I nodded in agreement.

We enjoyed a meal together, and both of us took a room at the inn. As I lay in bed, I tried to refocus my thoughts.

Malii was gone, Danalii's fate remained uncertain, the Gem of Abzu was lost and we had done what we could for the village. Our goal now was to reach the elevator. I needed to concentrate on what was known.

Nevertheless, sleep eluded me that night. The image of that young Enki pleading for help remained ingrained in my mind. I couldn't shake it off. Rage boiled within me. What could I have done differently? Could I have saved him? He had counted on me.

"You don't know if he was real," I whispered to myself. "You don't know if he was real."