After the scream - 1 billion universes remaining

Michel, as usual, was one of the first players from his guild to connect to the world of Monarchy. He was a man in his sixties, though he appeared to be in his forties. His entire being exuded the aura of a leader. There was a hardness in his eyes that was unexpected. He must have been a soldier, probably obsessed with discipline. However, it was this unyielding rigor that allowed his guild, Born of Darkness, to be the top-ranked guild in Monarchy.

After sending a message to his vice president to plan a particularly difficult raid by the end of the week, Michel left the city armed with his immense two-handed sword and clad in plate armor. He was eager to complete the raid so as not to be outshone by rival guilds.

'With a bit of luck, I'll reach level 200 today,' he thought as he sprinted towards the nearest forest.

This would allow him to reclaim the fifth place in Monarchy's individual rankings, although he wasn't particularly interested in that. He preferred to focus the guild's resources on helping its members rather than using them for himself as he was getting older.

After a few hours of successful hunting, Michel sat on a cliff, his feet dangling over the edge. A broad smile refused to leave his face as he admired the valley below. The landscape of Monarchy seemed magical. At the bottom of the cliff stretched a vast forest, whose flowers of all colors surpassed even the treetops, appearing as if sculpted from gems of every hue. This forest was not a place where he could leisurely stroll. It was home to mythical creatures and various elven tribes, making it, despite its peaceful and enchanting appearance, one of the most deadly accessible zones in the game, not recommended for players below level 300.

He had deactivated his answering machine. These calm moments had become rare due to the numerous responsibilities resting on his shoulders. He had finally crossed the critical level 200 threshold. Now, he could only gain experience by killing monsters at least of his level, the problem being that they had received a qualitative upgrade in their stats. The game seemed to be forcing players to hunt in groups as their levels increased.

There was only one part of the game that didn't seem to push the players. It was the main quest that the inhabitants of this world called the prophecy.

'And to think the next step of the prophecy asks us to defeat two level 300 giants. I still have work to do,' he sighed.

He wished this moment could last forever, but he couldn't afford it. After about ten minutes, Michel finally reactivated his answering machine. In less than twenty minutes, he had received eight messages. They were all from his lieutenants wishing to inform him about the current functioning of the guild.

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The absence of a particular message puzzled him. He hadn't received any news from the vice guild master. She seemed to have logged into the game early in the morning before disconnecting a few seconds later.

Michel tried calling her, but she didn't pick up. He was starting to worry about her silence. She, like him, was someone who placed immense importance on discipline.

He was, of course, worried as the guild master about the vice guild master's silence with the impending guild war, but also as her mentor. He wouldn't accept something happening to her because of her role in the guild, as he was probably the only reason Isadora had joined his guild. Once disconnected from the game, Michel left his apartment flanked by his bodyguards. He headed towards Isadora's apartment. He had doubled his number of bodyguards and now used an armored car for all his movements. He couldn't afford to go out without security even if it sometimes seemed superfluous.

He received information during the trip that no one had seen her leave her apartment and that she must still be inside. He arrived in front of one of the many housing buildings whose white walls betrayed their recent construction. He used the stairs to climb several floors, frightening the residents on his way.

He reached the right hallway, stood before the right door but didn't ring immediately. He was surprised to see his fingers slightly trembling with apprehension. After taking a deep breath, he finally knocked on the door. Receiving no response, he eventually asked in a calm voice, "Isadora, did you want to contact me? Isadora? Is there a problem?"

His voice hadn't faltered despite his worry. After a few seconds, the door finally opened. Isadora stood on the threshold, her characteristic mask of indifference on her face. Unfortunately, she could fool novices, but not him. No matter how expressionless her face was, Michel had taught her himself. It took only one look for him to see the emotions she was trying to hide from him. There were many, but one seemed to overshadow all the others: fear.

She seemed to have been terrified by someone or something in just one morning. Hiding his concern, Michel allowed himself to enter. While exchanging pleasantries, they sat in the living room's armchairs. He wanted her to talk about the source of this fear on her own and wouldn't insist if she didn't want to speak. She had grown up and could now make her own choices. He ordered his bodyguards to wait outside the room.

Once the door closed, a silence settled in the room. Isadora knew perfectly well that she couldn't fool her mentor but that his bodyguards wouldn't suspect anything.

"What's going on?" Michel finally asked to break the silence. At first, Isadora didn't respond, but he could now see her trembling. Michel waited patiently for her response when she asked:

"Should we fear the unknown?"

Michel didn't know the answer and doubted anyone could know. Was there even an answer?

"Follow what your heart tells you, but remember: if the unknown is so frightening, it's for a reason that some must have already paid the price for." It was the only advice he could give her, and Isadora knew it.

After a few minutes, her fear had mostly subsided, and she seemed to have made her decision. Her fear might have had a rational part, but a large part remained irrational. She had been terrified not because she had seen something impossible. Today, she had felt the fear of death. When that hand grabbed her, she felt so powerless, so insignificant. At that moment, her life no longer belonged to her. And that's why she wasn't afraid anymore. They had left her alive because they needed her for something.

After Michel left, she entered the world of Monarchy again. She wanted to understand who these men were and what they wanted from her.