People on the streets saw Arakar, the swordsman of Helsfate. They stood frozen in place; relentlessly gawking at her, keeping their distance. After all, she was an unusual sight to see... a rule-breaking anomaly that spawned abruptly in their daily lives.
Doubting the scenery she was seeing, Arka looked at their outfits to which she recognized at just a glance; being a mix and match of modern clothing from her world. Along with that are designer's clothing from distinguishable, wealthy individuals.
She batted her eyes in rapid succession. A split-second distinction to see if there was any indicative sign for anything that was still fantasy.
There was not.
This was indeed the real world, and she appeared to these people without warning, like an intruder disrupting their peace.
Along with that, the two hundred meter pit that spawned as she did? It didn't make her case look any better. Arka thought it looked like she brought destruction, and ruin to them. From their point of view, she was an unknown threat. A danger that would bring harm... and so, they avoided her.
There was no denying it now. Helsfate—Helamir, was another world. And the pit that was right before them was a gateway that connects both worlds.
It was baffling, as it was.
However, what was important to her at that moment wasn't the realization of the game being another world. She was more concerned about how—
Everyone's looking...! Arka's thoughts screamed at her, and her eyes darted everywhere!
She took a step back from the unwanted crowd.
Suddenly, her focus abruptly transitioned to the harsh sounds of horns from the vehicles that surrounded her and the pit. They crashed into her eardrums. This was an all-too-familiar noise she hasn't heard in a long time.
A strong breeze from the wind, and the scorching sun hitting her darkened steel armor, and the people in front of her startled all ran away and shouting in a panic—
The amount of information she was absorbing was taking a toll on her. She felt that all she's experiencing was too much, overflowing all of her senses at once.
Being beside the pit, she took another step backward. "D-Don't—" She weakly uttered to form a sentence only for her words to cut off.
Turns out, she overlooked her footing and realized too late that there was no ground left for her to cover.
She fell into the pit once again, yelping another helpless cry.
As she was falling, she watched the end of the pit with the blue sky of her world shrinking away from her vision. The sounds of horns and the shouting of people, too, dwindled into obscurity.
Suddenly, everything began to shift as an array of hexagonal units each with their spectrum of colors; transparent in material, flooded her surroundings that instant in the middle of her free fall. Within moments, the hexagonal array vanished, replacing it with the rust-colored skies of Helamir.
Her avatar spawned twenty meters above the ground. As she continued plummeting into the earth, her body shifted allowing her to see the ground she was about to crash into.
And then—
Arka landed heavily on the broken, cobbled stoned path, and soil. Thankfully, her spawn point was near Banelfsing and Mikrim.
The crowds of players saw her land indefinitely, however, as they began to en masse in a circle.
Banelfsing and Mikrim subsequently shouted, "Ara!" and "Arakar!" As they ran toward her.
Arka sat up, placing her armored hand on her pate; adjusting her close-helmet. Looking up, she saw the multitudes of people stare at her on the broken ground. She was taken aback by this huge crowd. Though she understood this consequence even more so after doing her stunt just recently.
Due to this, an overwhelming shyness, and anxiousness clouded her thoughts making her stay seated on the ground with her head down.
She was shaken from the twist of events. All she wanted was to escape from this situation.
Banelfsing and Mikrim had to push through this crowd of people as they made their way to Arka. "Hey!" Banelfsing shouted at the crowd of players, nearing her. "Back away, give us some space!"
A few bystanders persist to stand in the way though, forcing the hooded gambeson-wearing assassin to confront them. Even with the seeming, harmless act, Banelfsing still scolded one of the bystanders with a sharp tongue. "Hey, man—I said, back off. What's wrong with you?"
Mikrim was able to successfully push through this crowd for her friend.
"Arakar!" She called out to her. "Arakar, you okay?" She leaned in, offering a hand to her.
Mikrim—her friend's voice. She found comfort in it. "Y-Yeah," Arka's voice croaked, looking at her. "I'm... fine, Krim," Taking Mikrim's hand, Arka was pulled up making her stand; eventually getting a hold of her bearings, with Banelfsing finally approaching them after dealing with the riff-raff.
Arka was able to ignore the crowds of people thereafter, holding a gaze at the two people, close by her.
She doesn't want them to worry though. She wants to steer the situation into a different topic. What has transpired felt more important to her. Other than that, she could not stand to tarry much longer from where they are.
"N-No... right now—listen..." She looked at Banelfsing and Mikrim. "T-The hole... it's a port—" She stuttered. "—it's a gate to our world," She said with a look of concern behind her close-helmet. Though, it was not exactly how she envisioned saying it.
"Our world's... on the other side," She reiterated.
Banelfsing had his suspicions of Helsfate being a real world, but he didn't expect it would open a gate to theirs as well. "Our world... really...? You don't just mean you logged out of the game, right?"
"It's... it's exactly what I mean... This pit... transfers your avatar's body into t-the real world." Arka said as she turned to the pit, and back to them. "Everyone can see me, and everything...!"
"You were seen there, too..." Banelfsing uttered, confirming what she said.
Among the crowd of people, was a streamer in dressed in bizarre, flashy, violet, and pink clothing that attempted to find her way through the large crowd. She squeezed through these people. She was looking at her extensive, virtual chat log of viewers on the right side of her HUD.
A speeding wall of text was apparent as it continued ascending upward due to the numerous viewers chatting.
As she reached an open space where she can engage with her viewers, "What...? What do you guys mean there's a pit just like this outside...?"
One of the players heard her say this, along with one of them also confirming what has happened. Eventually, the en masse of players began to spread information about the situation they were all in.
Pit... News... T.V... Arka could barely make out what they were saying, but the players with them arrived at the same idea, that this game was connected with the outside world.
At the same time, the log out button was now accessible, allowing some of them to exit, further urging a mass of players to log out as well.
Arka, Banelfsing, and Mikrim witnessed the players vanishing one by one in an instant flash of digitized, light.
"Looks like we can log out now," Banelfsing deduced, as he opened his system settings in his HUD, along with Mikrim. "Ara...?" As he turned to Arka, she was just observing the masses.
The situation was a crisis, with terror and uncertainty growing amongst the players. And Arka stood at the center of it all with Banelfsing and Mikrim.
A familiar scene. Uncertainty, anxiousness, and panic. Everyone wasn't any different from how she reacts when interacting in a social setting.
She understood how they felt... the fear of the unknown.
Three hours passed since then. Around the afternoon, countless journalists from various media outlets covered news about the giant pit that spawned at the center of a certain city. It already made its way to international interest as its information disseminated all over the world in a short time.
The mass of panic of people has also died down shown on the on-going news broadcast Arka was watching. Disaster teams have made their way to investigate this pit, along with police and military.
She did not expect that the pit would garner this much public attention.
"—a gigantic pit appeared out of nowhere. Government agencies have conducted research on this pit, but to no avail, it was found that going further down in this crater is impassable due to an 'invisible barrier' as to how they call it."
Arka was sitting on the edge of her bed watching this news with a news anchor reporting in, broadcasted on her forty-three-inch plasma screen television.
There were even reports of people surrendering their DIVE consoles to local law enforcement only to leave them skeptical as to the game console's connection with the gigantic pit that appeared in real life.
"—A certain company was connected to this anomalous pit, named Lightspire, known for gathering information and data from video game-related aspects. Even with the lack of direct evidence, there were local authorities who made an investigation on Lightspire's main office only to discover their location was an abandoned facility. Further investigative reports remained ongoing, yet to arrive at a resolution—"
And from the news, she saw a pre-recorded video of her avatar standing next to the pit along with a photo taken from the people who saw her earlier.
She felt her blood pressure rise after seeing this, making her place a palm on her forehead; brushing over her ridiculously, long, bangs.
It has been a long time since Arka turned on her television set. She was a person not fond of it.
The content on numerous channels always bore her... rather; disgusts her. What she was truly sick of seeing was the news—always nitpicking bogus or mediocre broadcasts having no significant or newsworthy content to watch. Whenever she tunes in, it was always celebrity news, sports news, and boring congress laws being approved.
She came to a self-understanding that there was no point for her in watching news by then. She was safe in her cozy, sound-proofed apartment away from any kind of danger anyway.
Besides, common sense dictates her she should just read news she wants online, picking what she deems worthy for her to stay informed.
Although, it seems she fails on doing this, completely forgetting this agenda. She found her usual, daily routine more satisfying, and the money she keeps earning—gratifying.
It was still, a habit that she lonely for consistently doing.
An aerial view of the pit was being broadcasted live by helicopters shown on her television. This gigantic pit occupied a large area of the city that was shown.
What was concerning to her for the first time in watching the news, was that she recognized this area.
She stood up from her bed and began to walk to her door. She wanted to make sure—she wanted to take a peek by her apartment's open hallway.
Arriving at her doorstep, she removed her door's chained lock and bolt. Then, she twisted the knob; freezing for moments as uncertainty plagued her thoughts.
It didn't take long as she finally opened her door.
Arka was near deafened by the sound of a helicopter and its rotor blades. It was hovering over a hundred meters high from her place as within it, a videographer broadcasted the gigantic pit below.
Many people were also looking out of the open-aired corridor.
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Arka would most likely retreat into her room after seeing such a crowd, but since her neighbors paid more attention to the massive pit below their building; she was able to gather courage on stepping out.
She walked closer toward the open space between the messy rows of people by the railway. Reaching her short destination, she leaned on it to see the giant pit herself.
Being on the fifth floor of her condominium, she saw the giant pit from below much clearer. She was certain now that it was the same pit from the game world... right now, it was surrounded with three, barricade tapes in a layered circle.
There were still vehicles of all sorts stuck in traffic as they tried to circumvent their way from this pit. A mix of local authorities seems to be put in charge to deal with this pit—the police and military, all in their appropriate uniforms. The mass of people who remained near the pit was slowly dwindling as they were encouraged to leave the scene by the disaster teams.
Her curiosity was short-lived, as she felt herself being watched... and she was right. Some of her neighbor's children were staring at her. Was her unusually, long, black hair, perhaps, standing out?
Deciding she has had enough of seeing the pit, Arka quickly turned back in awkward embarrassment.
The stone-cold expression on her face—she did her best on remaining it unchanged as she briskly walked back into her room. She figured to herself, maybe it was a mistake all along stepping outside.
She quickly shut the door, with the chained lock, metal bolt, and doorknob firmly securing her entrance. She became aware of her steady breathing.
She thought she could do it—walking and blending among other people, but she knows how it wasn't like in Helamir.
This was real life, and it was painstakingly different... and difficult.
She heaved a sigh of relief knowing she was back in her safe, and cozy place.
Perhaps this was how it all ends for her... back to her usual daily routine. Most likely, the friends she has met have also left after this incident.
There's nothing again. Her thoughts firmly told this to herself.
Was she ready to return to her daily life?
Dusk eventually came, and she went to bed.
A senseless passage of time passed—
"Oh, my hero... my dear, hero, Arakar,"
A gentle, feminine voice called out to her. Her voice sounded omnipresent amongst her ears; its distinction without source from whence it came.
"What—" Arka realized she was in a lucid dream. Confused, she looked around whatever her eyes will scan in this absolute, dark place.
She wants to know the source of this voice—
—this familiar voice...
A ray of golden light eventually illuminated from above her. She looked up and distinguished a humanoid figure with a pair of angelic wings. The luster of this golden light enabled her to adjust her eyes comfortably as she looked up at this person.
She has long, golden hair reaching to her back. Its straightness looked perfect as if maintained with utmost care. It was unlike Arka's messy, outrageously, long hair having split ends due to the difficulty of caring for it over the years.
The angel-like figure also has a pair of blue, eyes that looked to be foreign—western-like.
She was beautiful. Yet, for some reason, Arka couldn't help but perceive that there was no human out there that could match her looks. This angel was just perfect no matter which angle she would see her. She can't help but admire her beauty thoroughly, unlike herself.
The angel was clothed in a chiton and peplos... greek-like attire.
Her hands were clasped together as she slowly, descended upon Arka with a gentle flap of her wings eventually hovering over her from a half-meter distance. Her feet, eye-level from Arka.
"W-Who... are you?" Arka asked as she continued looking up, basked in the eyestrain less luster of the golden light.
The angel held a brief moment of silence as if she was considering what to say to the bewildered person below her.
The angel closed her eyes and began to speak in a soft-spoken tone of authority.
"I understand that you have not heard of me nor was I ever told in the tongues of your world, as we live in separate dimensions."
Her voice was just like how Arka pictured angels to be in fairy tales and stories. Arka stood in awe within her lucid, dark, dream—her outrageous, long, hair sprawled around the dark, ground.
"For certain, however, you have already heard of me... my dear hero, Arakar."
The angel opened her eyes once again.
"I am Hels, the Goddess of Helamir." The deity revealed herself.
"Hels...!" Arka couldn't help but utter in surprise. She was left astonished for the being that appeared before her.
She's the goddess Mikrim mentioned...? Arka recalled her name from her previous conversation with her.
"I've been looking for you, Arakar... you, who has surpassed many struggles and battles; and your willingness to uncover the great plot behind the destruction of Helamir... surely, you are the one I seek... the hero that will bring peace to the entire world—"
The goddess, Hels, separated the clasp of her hands and lowered her arms—outstretched with open palms... it was similar to how divine beings Arka imagined.
"—yours, and mine..." She said.
"Hero...? What are you talking about?" Arka asked her.
"It is as I said... you're my chosen champion. My Helamir and your 'Earth' is at stake. I have none other to turn to but you... You will be my hero—my chosen to vanquish all evil and seal the gate that has brought ruin to both our worlds." The goddess, Hels told her.
"I..." Hearing all this, Arka felt the situation more difficult to comprehend. She looked down. "I don't understand any of this... Listen, goddess Hels... I just... I can't trust you."
As she said this, the angel's eyes seemed to have lost its sparkle of hope.
Arka looked up at her again, seeing all of her divinity.
"For all, I know you're deceiving me... I know now... that Helamir is another world. B-But what I don't g-get are the DIVE consoles that brought us there—trapped us there. J-Just... just how... did you even make those helmets? How did you even bring them to us?"
The goddess lost her smile, dulling to nothingness. Her hope within her grasp, seeming to become out of reach from her. However, she anticipated this, understanding the bewildered person below her.
"I understand your doubts about me... I have done an act quite deceitful to your kind... I deeply apologize. But please listen, I bear no ill will..."
Suddenly, the blackness around Arka turned into a bright light.
"For over millennia, demons have traveled different dimensions—pillaging and destroying worlds."
Arka jumped in surprise, as the darkness around her began displaying a vivid scene that matched the goddess' explanation. Astounded, she gave her complete attention as she began to be drawn into Hel's story.
"Helamir—my world was one of those plundered by these demons, and my people fought back. What was mere pillaging soon escalated into a century of war. My world was then locked into a stalemate, proving that these demons rival with my power. Although, it wasn't soon until the demons eventually gained the upper hand and we started to lose this ensuing war. These bloody creatures are capable of multiplying rapidly... and so, they continued increasing their numbers and bolstering their forces to a vast majority... all lead by one, 'the demon lord.'"
The scene before Arka continued to shift and twist before her as Hels continued to explain herself.
"They've destroyed what I've created... razed my temples, and followers. Along with the loss of my followers, was also the loss of faith among my people... and with that loss of faith, I've also grown weakened. And so, in an act of desperation in my weakened state, I began searching different realms for help in fighting against these unholy beings... alas, many of these races were unwilling, or incapable to take up arms. After a long time of traveling to many different dimensions, I found your world, Earth."
Hels closed her right hand and moved it toward her chest. She closed her eyes as if recalling vividly what she has seen. The scene before Arka changed to her world's military, and technology.
"To my surprise, your kind was much alike as my own creation in Helamir. I came to learn more about your world concealing myself within the shadows... you live in a world with astounding technology, culture, and military. To be frank it has made me a bit... envious. Although, what surprised me more was that there was no one, single, god you believe in—but many... and your kind continued to strive. In a room of ten humans, each could hold twenty different opinions. However, none of you had any magic. Even your world's military won't be enough to kill an undying incarnate. There was no strength amongst you to stand against the demons that invaded my realm. Other than that, I believe your kind won't find that revealing myself before you all... quite welcoming To my dismay, I decided to leave your world..."
She paused for a moment, and then the scene around the dark space changed showing gaming consoles, fast-paced, single-player action games, competitive tournaments in video games of different genres from FPS, to Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas... it was all different video games with different genres of all sorts.
"But then, I saw these... simulated worlds which your kind spends their free time on which you call, 'video games'... specifically, To my surprise, you've shown mental fortitude, decision making, and reflexes that surpass your current forms. That's when I had an idea. The last resort to fend off these demons that threatens the universe... Learning about your kind's physical forms are unfit for dimensional travel, I began to study the technology in your world, and soon created the DIVE consoles.... summoning devices to transport your consciousness into Helamir."
The goddess continued, as Arka watched the dynamic scene that surrounded her.
"But for your consciousness to transfer, you will need bodies. And so, I have lent some of my powers of creation into your virtual reality gear for you to mold and shape your image and liking of your choice before settling in my realm. Along with that, a place for you humans to gather and prepare. However, not everything has gone according to plan... Again, the demons attempted to foil and undo my only way of salvation after they found out I have summoned you to my world. And so, they've attacked the great city. Everything was falling apart, and I had no way of knowing how to approach or turn to your kind for help... I know you would all abandon this world soon... but then, among the chaos and rubble; I saw you and your battles and struggles against these monsters—"
The scene changed showing Arka in her darkened-steel armor fighting against the monsters within the ruined city along with her friends."
"A human with untapped potential! I thought you have to be the one."
Hels finished her story, and the scene around Arka began to fade, returning to darkness as if they were being shut down like a personal computer.
"I have told you everything I can... I implore you... please, be my champion." Hels said.
Arka still had a shred of doubt as Hels finished her explanation. "So, you... you mobilized us like soldiers without us even knowing...?"
"You have to understand, I was desperate and I had no other to turn to nor was there any willing being in Helamir to stand up against them. Their minds, ravaged and turned into... mindless husks... you've seen how they were...? And two of my most trusted followers I had left... slain by them."
Does she mean the King and Queen? So they were human... destroyed by some mind control...? Arka recalled the scene that happened in Helamir.
For a moment, she clenched her fist, then releases it.
"Then, why not send one of your remaining followers to be your champion?
"As I've said... I have grown weakened. The faith of my followers is what strengthens me... and what strengthens me, also strengthens them. I am unable to aid them in this task. Right now, the followers I have left are even unfit for this quest. As I am now, I am left with naught for a chance against these demons who have invaded my realm..."
Arka looked at Hels one more time. The divine being before her wasn't a delusion, and both of them understood that they have a common enemy.
"I get it now... still, this has to be a misunderstanding. I-I'm... no hero... I... I think you've got... got to be mistaken."
Hels again, lost the bit of hope that seemed to brighten in her eyes, and her smile.
Arka looked at her soft, and clumsy hand... her palm made of flesh and blood, reminding herself of her humanity. She recalls her fight against Lily. She knows who she is, and what she is.
"You see, in my world... I'm no one but a recluse who's indulged herself in games... who's run away for far too long..." She closed her hand. "So, heroic choices that would in... influence the future of our worlds...? That's just... completely out of my league..."
Arka looked up at Hels who was hovering above her. "So, there... there has to be someone else."
The goddess Hels hovered closer to the person plagued with doubt in her mind. The light that radiated around Hels reflexively made Arka slowly lean back. She kept her eyes upon the goddess before her.
"Oh, Arakar... my dear, I understand the doubts that stir in your heart and I saw that you have come a long, long, way... but again, I am certain that it can only be you. I have seen many people who have arrived in my world hold certain darkness in their hearts that would let them fall in despair.... but you—you continue to pursue moving forward and improve your approach... that boldness of dealing with certain situations in ways only you can handle. In times of despair, you strive to prevail. Among the humans I've summoned... you have shown that particular strength in the most outstanding way possible."
"That's why..." Hels approached her a little more closely. She pointed her index finger at Arka gently.
"It can only be you." She said, with the same soft-spoken authority.
Arka fell silent. It was unthinkable how someone could place this much faith in her... especially, the fate of both worlds being handled to her.
Although, she can't be swayed by lies, deceit, and blind, trust... Arka knows herself well... how can someone think so highly of her?
"W-Why... does it only have to be me...? I'm sure there are a lot of other candidates for this role, and... I'm sure you have seen them. Other than that, humanity can just... band together with the same goal in defeating this league of demons. I think you need to approach someone with better capability. You know I'm a nobody, Hels."
"I'm afraid it is not that easy, my dear, Arakar... you've seen what those demons are capable of. All they know is to take away, and destroy... they solely exist for just that. Other primitive forces won't be able to stand against them. Besides that, you are the one much closer to this likelihood of events more than anyone else... That is why, I believe you are the only one most capable of bringing peace to this world... No one else can. I have seen your struggles, your battles... you've proven yourself worthy, time and time again. That is why you must be the one to do this."
Arka looked straight past Hels, weighing her decisions. She recalled the recent events. Stan and Lily, wreaking havoc upon them and the world of Helamir... they are capable of destroying anything in swift, fell, swoops.
Now that the gate's connected with her world... wanton, destruction would most likely befall on her world and the people within it.
The people within it...
She recalled people who've treated her... people who've caused her pain, and heartache... all uncalled for... undeserved.
The world was dying anyway... and the people that live in it just...
"Will you accept this task?" Hels asked her.
To accept this task...
She recalled the people who she met... her friends that she has encountered. Banelfsing, Mikrim, and even Halvund... they were good people who have helped her and treated her well... It was a world worth protecting. A world where she can go back to spend her days in, away from the harsh reality of the real world.
To become this hero might be her only chance left to save both of their worlds...
The answer was obvious to her. There was nowhere else she can go back to.
"Alright," Arka finally answered after formulating her thoughts. She was sure that this would be her final decision. "I'll do it. What am I supposed to do?"
Hels smiles at her, relieved that Arka accepted her request.
"Thank you, my hero, Arakar! As for your task, you will have a hard journey ahead of you."
Hels controlled her breath; rejoicing with her chosen warrior's decision.
"Your task is to defeat the Demon Lord who resides at the end of the world. After that, there will be a way for the gate to be sealed. I will try to get in touch with you at that time... and then finally, peace will be brought back to both our worlds."
Suddenly, Hels' illuminating light dimmed. She suddenly lost control of her flight, making her drop to her knees.
"Hey...!" Arka knelt before her and held her shoulder to support her.
"A-A... Are you okay...?" Arka helped Hels stand up on the dark ground of her lucid dream.
"I'm alright..." Hels' has one eye closed, weakened all the more... then, as if realizing something, she snapped out of her presented weakness in front of Arka, and she flew back up in the air quickly. The gust of wind from her wings made Arka's outrageously long hair flow with the momentary breeze.
Hels hovered over Arka, as her light suddenly returned to her. "There's not much time. You must go! Save our worlds, my dear, hero...!"
Hels' ever-radiating light, increased in intensity. Arka looked down and held a hand over her eyebrows to shield her eyes. And then, a strong flash of white light instantly enveloped her dark, lucid dream.
Arka immediately opened her eyes, wide and awake. She was in the real world. She sat up, and looked at her digital clock on the table just beside her bed, to find that it was 4 A.M.
She then dragged herself to the edge of her bed and sits there with a cold hand, held against her face. Her dried, reddish eyes stared into blankness as her outrageous bangs almost covered her face.
Then, a glint of realization flashed in her eyes. She suddenly remembered her dream. The goddess Hels, and the tale of demons and their worlds in danger...
She got out of bed and stood up. She had to get back into Helamir.