The sun is setting by the time Aliyah finishes walking. The other players have already gone their separate ways, deciding to go visit the town of Filanema, a place where there are apparently a lot of tourist attractions based on their excited chatter.

They must not be in a hurry to complete their quest, Aliyah thinks to herself as she trudges the grasslands alone. Well, not exactly alone, because there are still a few groups left who seem to be going the same direction as she is. However, they are still in their own world, giggling to themselves as they try out their magic and prank each other with them. Aliyah sighs at such immaturity, but the fondness soon creeps in, because she misses having that kind of relationship with friends. In the real world, she's a straight-A student from a well-off family who doesn't fool around, and her classmates think that she already has a future set in stone for her.

Well, they're wrong, Aliyah thinks to herself almost bitterly. I don't know what I want to do, either.

It doesn't take long for her to reach Vastea Town. The place seems full of life, like a busy city with numerous streetlights and skyscrapers. From her vantage point, she spots a few planes flying in the sky; she doesn't know if they're operating for transportation purposes or for mere leisure, but she doesn't dwell on it further, for even though she wants to try, she doesn't have enough money for the ticket.

As she walks further through the bustling streets, she sees cart vendors, luxurious cars passing by, and a railroad bridge decorating the town along the middle and sliding down the tunnel pathway. There's even a hanging television screen atop the wide, tall skyscraper in the middle of the city, displaying advertisements of some kind as well as a distinct company logo at the side.

Suddenly feeling small among all these busy people, Aliyah notes that the game seems to mirror exactly what is happening in reality. Back in her world, the cities are much busier than this one, probably due to the overwhelming difference in population size, and the skyscrapers are much taller, much wider, and have more satellites hanging around their rooftops. Hover-cars are also missing in this game; perhaps it is because it's still being updated by the developers, thus the setting here seems much less advanced compared to reality. Not that she's complaining, though; Dream World seems to be much friendlier and comfortable to live in rather than the overwhelming competition that's going on in the city she's lived in all her life. Every day just seemed so easy, with transportation at your beck and call, with instant cooked, nutritious food in the span of seconds, with advanced computers and internet catering to your every need, with very intelligent robots doing all the housework…

Aliyah is snapped out of her thoughts when someone suddenly bumps into her while trying to pass by.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Sorry!" the person apologizes, turning to her.

Aliyah looks at him, tilting her head slightly in curiosity. With wavy black hair and eyes like the color of a bright blue sky, this guy's looks are quite aesthetically pleasing, not to mention that he has a cute dimple when he smiles at her.

But what's nagging at her mind is that he looks very much familiar…

"Oh, a newbie?" he says suddenly, his lips stretching slightly into a wider smile. "You look a little lost. Want me to help you out?"

Aliyah blinks, startled at the sudden unexpected offer. "Uh, who are you?"

"Oh, silly me," he jests, chuckling slightly while extending a hand towards her. "I'm Gaven Loxer. Fancy seeing a newbie here all alone."

She takes his proffered hand and shakes it amicably. "You mean this isn't normal?"

"Well, to be honest, it's kind of surprising," he responds. "Girl players usually have their friends with them, so it's rare to see someone playing alone. This game does have more benefits for teams rather than single ones."

"But the beginner quests don't include team missions, do they?"

Gaven shrugs. "Yeah, but players usually choose together and go to the same town as their friends. That way, they can travel together and be in the same city while completing their own quests. Makes them feel less lonely, you know, since this is a VR game, so you're playing it yourself. It's always nice to have some company."

Aliyah slowly rubs her left arm up and down with her right hand, an unconscious habit she often does whenever she feels uncomfortable with the conversation. "You're not wrong, but…" She hesitates, but the words just tumble out of her mouth. "…not all people are the same."

"Hey, I'm just stating what I always see," Gaven counters, his tone almost playful. "Anyway, it's not like single players are unheard of, either. I met one a while back when I was at Lucis City, purchasing some items. He was stiff as a rock, but seemed independent enough to handle the game on his own."

Well, he's mighty talkative… Aliyah muses to herself. Not that I'm complaining, though… It feels like my throat has run dry ever since I entered this game.

Gaven seems to notice her silence and shuts his mouth. "Guess I talked too much," he says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry. Well then, what do you say? You want me to help you out for a bit to get you where you wanna go?"

Aliyah thinks about it for a moment. True, it seems less of a hassle if she just continues touring by herself, and it's more of a privacy thing, anyway. However, no matter how she wants to think about it, she islost, and if she misses the train schedule in the process, she'd be left waiting for hours, alone, in this big, busy city.

Plus, some company doesn't sound bad at all. And if he's an experienced player, he might be able to teach her some things about the game.

"Okay, I'll accept," she says eagerly. "But are you sure I won't be interfering in your current quest?"

Gaven waves a hand dismissively, his smile never fading. "Not a problem. This is more of a personal quest, anyway. I like traveling and helping out newcomers, so I'm happy to oblige!"

As they start walking together, he asks further, "So where are you planning on going, miss?"

She blinks, realizing that she hasn't told him her name. "Oh, call me Aliyah," she tells him. "Aliyah Sifer."