I blinked my eyes again. Something was flickering into my field of vision yet again, and there it was, the golden frame from before was floating in the air before me. This time, it did not ask me for anything; instead words started rolling up slowly. This must be the game’s system telling me what the main objective of the game was!

["The Star Wizard has gone rogue, opening the gates to the Underworld and unleashing horrific monsters across the kingdom of Westia. The other three wizards—Moon, Earth, and Sun—have been imprisoned, along with the Princess. You must venture into the monster-infested palaces, retrieve the fragments of the Celestial Key, and seal the gates to the Underworld. A mage will eventually join your side, but for now, you stand alone. To start your journey, you should visit the town of Arl…"]

I couldn't believe it. This was exactly the premise of the game that was on the back of the cartridge package. It all made sense now. Somehow, I had been transported into the world of Westia, and I had a quest to fulfill.

As the quest menu faded away, I was pulled back into my flashback, back to the afternoon just before everything had changed. I had been eager to play this game, especially since my injured hand prevented me from indulging in my other hobbies like playing the guitar. Adrian had promised that his friends would be there, which was an added bonus - maybe I could make more friends.

Arriving at Adrian's small suburban house at exactly 4 p.m., I was greeted by Adrian and his welcoming mother, who looked much like a shorter, chubbier version of Adrian himself with her bright orange mane.

"Sylas, you made it!" Adrian said with a small smile, giving me a firm pat on the back. "Come on in."

As I stepped inside, Adrian's mother greeted me warmly, leading me down to the basement where the gaming setup awaited.

“You must be that new boy Adrian was talking about,” his mother said cheerfully. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’ll be just upstairs, you boys call me if you need me.” She opened the door to the game cave, and I took in the sight of the worn-out couch upholstered with a beaten green velour, and the posters of fantasy worlds and Adrian’s favorite rock bands adorning the walls.

Adrian glanced at me, and said with a straight face, "You ready for some epic gaming, my friend?"

I grinned back. "Absolutely. This game sounds amazing. I played Westia 1 last summer but I didn’t finish it. My dad says he’ll buy a new Trion-System for our house soon. Our old one got wrecked in the earthquake.”

Adrian took a quick glance at my hand. He’d heard the story already, and asked, “Your hand is okay enough to play, right?”

“Yeah, it doesn’t really hurt anymore, it’s just these fingers can’t really bend like they used to,” I said, attempting to flex my ring and pinky finger at him. “Thumb’s just fine though.”

Adrian nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, it sucks that you can't play guitar for a while. But at least you can play video games. And hey, we've got some awesome people here."

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Adrian's friends were already there, and they were guys I’d already seen at school. Sterling, a big and bulky guy, was the meat slab jock. He had a brown mullet and tanned skin, and arms the size of logs, but his friendly demeanor dispelled any intimidation I might have felt at meeting such a big guy. He now approached me, his imposing figure seeming to fill the room. He extended his hand to shake mine, his grip strong and reassuring. "Hey there, Sylas. Welcome to the gaming den. Ready to kick some virtual monster butt?"

I chuckled, returning the handshake. "Definitely. It's good to meet you, Sterling."

Next to him stood what appeared to be his girlfriend, a slightly chubby blond girl with round blue eyes and an upturned nose. She radiated warmth and wore a cute pastel pink blouse, her hair tied back in a scrunchy. "Hey, Sylas! Adrian has told us so much about you. I'm Harper. We're going to have a blast today, I can feel it."

"Hey, Harper. Nice to meet you too," I replied, shaking her hand as well. "I'm looking forward to it."

The third friend, on the other hand, seemed more aloof. He sat on the old couch, engrossed in a horror novel, wearing a blazer over a black t-shirt. His jet black hair and piercing blue eyes gave him an intense presence. He was definitely more intimidating than Sterling despite being smaller in stature.

"Hey, you must be Jeff," I said, trying to initiate a conversation. "What's that book you're reading?"

Jeff looked up, grinning. "It's called 'Nightmare's Embrace.' It's a pretty intense horror story. You into horror?"

I nodded, trying to find some common ground. "Yeah, sometimes. Maybe you can recommend some more books to me sometime."

Jeff smirked. "Sure thing. I've got a whole collection that will make your hair stand on end."

Adrian spoke up. "Hey, guys, the game system isn't set up yet. Give me a minute, I'll get everything ready." The Trion-System was sitting on the wood floor near the TV, surrounded by its own cords and obviously not plugged in. It was fine; it was Friday and there was no rush to get home early.

Harper chimed in, her voice chipper and excited. "Almost everyone is here already. We're just waiting for one more person. Should be here any minute now."

I settled on the arm of the couch, not quite sure what to do with myself. Fortunately, Sterling motioned to get my attention.

"So, Sylas, have you heard of this game? I haven’t." Sterling asked, leaning against the wall with one of Adrian’s Spider-Man comics in hand.

I nodded. "Yeah, I've played Westia 1 actually. The whole quest to save the kingdom and the princess—it's pretty cool. Harder than I expected, I didn’t finish it."

As the door swung open, revealing the final member of our gaming party, my breath caught in my throat. It was her—the beautiful girl with the long legs and auburn hair. The room seemed to brighten as she entered, and Sterling’s words just sort of faded into background noise. Now that I could see her closer, I was impressed with her lovely hazel eyes, dark lashes, and sharp features. She was wearing a black-and-white checked dress with black tights underneath, and big bangle bracelets around her wrists.

Harper, ever the social butterfly, noticed my surprise at seeing her, and brought her over to where I was sitting. "Sylas, this is Eden," she introduced, a smile playing on her lips. "Eden, meet Sylas."

"It's nice to meet you, Sylas," Eden said, her voice soft and melodic.

I felt like my tongue was numb. Finally I choked out a, “Nice to meet you too, Eden.” Maybe she didn’t notice how nervous I was, or maybe she did and just had they grace to ignore it. Either way, she gave me a small smile, then went and sat down by Adrian, who was tangled in the wires of the gaming system, trying to get it set up.

I felt jealousy creeping up in me again. They seemed so naturally close. How did they know each other? Then, it struck me—Adrian and Eden actually kind of looked alike! Their red hair were of different shades, but both had a similar build and a similar cut to the face. They were clearly related. Relief washed over me as I leaned over to Sterling, hoping to confirm my suspicion.

"Hey, Sterling," I whispered, trying to keep my voice low. "Is Eden Adrian's sister?"

Sterling chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Nah, they're actually cousins. But they sure do look alike, don't they?"

I felt a sense of relief wash over me. The possibility that Eden and Adrian were dating had evaporated. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for me to get to know Eden better.