It all changed on Toth’s 16th birthday, He had been out with his girlfriend and a mishmash group of nerds and football players, who he had somehow convinced to play DND with him. Chase had been particularly funny to watch, he had chosen to play a half-orc barbarian with savage attacks and had waded through a horde of kobolds with two large greatswords. Toth had thrown his best fire spells out, but Marie was an incredibly experienced DM and he hadn’t been sure he would beat the raging barbarians score.

As if he’d read his thoughts Chase had bellowed out “I'm already at 5, Toth, try to keep up!”

They’d always enjoyed competing in everything they did, and funnily enough Toth usually won in anything sports related, he’d always had a quick mind, and fast body, which was half the reason he used to be able to so easily make friends with the jocks and nerds. The other half being his confidence, as everyone who knew him always had one thing to say,

“Toth just makes everything enjoyable.”

On the flip side the star football player Chase was somehow hiding that he was the biggest nerd in school, something Toth had only figured out after a particularly long night when Chase blackout began to quote Gimli from LOTR while swinging around a cosplay axe he hid in his room. After that the two had been almost inseparable, each appreciating that complete honesty they could have with each other. The game went on for a few more hours, a simple battle loot oneshot that ended with Toth and Chase back to back as the last players, beating back a horde of animated armor being puppetered by a Drow Magus, Toth in his final moments called down a flame strike with a beautifully timed nat 20 which managed to slay the Drow and pushed back the armor just enough to save him and a critically injured Chase.

After they ended the game, they went to Chase’s house to hangout and exchange gifts. Chase unlocked the door to the massive mansion and walked in and as Toth stepped in, in front of his other friends, Chase had let out a small cough, which erupted into a large crowd’s chant of “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOTH!!” He watched everyone he knew from his grade come out from behind couches, cabinets, and corners shocking him to the core. He had known he was friendly, but he never knew that many people liked him! Chase smiled at him, and he understood a little better why so many people were here, sure some probably actually cared but with the owners of the house gone for a long weekend and Chase’s large house and reputation for insanely fun parties who wouldn’t deal with flattering him for a bit. Regardless of all that it felt pretty good, and he knew that Chase must have put a lot of work into keeping it a secret while still getting that many people.

He pulled him in for a hug, “Thanks dude, this is awesome.” Chase chuckled and smacked his back “Anything for the Magister.” As Chase released him he grabbed a beer off of a nearby counter and said “Cheers to Toth, everyone who brought presents, and to a great party!”

Everything after that had been mostly a blur to Toth except for the sickening moment that he replayed in his head over and over. He had just finished his 6th beer and was at the overconfident, overpleasing level, so when he was dared by a jealous football player to dive into the pool off Chase’s 10 ft high diving board he accepted. He stood on it as a crowd of drunk teens chanted “TOTH, TOTH, TOTH!” starting to regret it but too far in to back out, and the small fear of water he had wasn’t helping. The anxiety, beer, and darkness also caused him to overlook the netting, and nobody else had been sober enough to realize. When Toth hit the water it's freezing cold immediately paralyzed him and the whipping net cut into his skin, causing him to thrash about, getting hopelessly entangled in the heavy ropes, that added to his drunkenness and sad swimming skills slowly brought him to bottom. He had begun to panic at around 1 minute, and began to thrash even harder at 2 when nobody came to help, around 3 he couldnt help but gasp and- he breathed heavily as he recollected the horrifying experience, he remembered the water forcefully pushing its way into his lungs, and the flashes of his friends and plans for life, the overwhelming terror, and the slow encroaching calm and darkness as his body stopped responding, and he fell unconscious.

Chase's POV:

I remember the screams first, a group of girls screeching is hard not to notice, and then the people running. I was groggy from the beer and slow to react. If I had just been a minute faster…

Nevermind that. I made my way to where the screams were at a light jog, and saw Tucker on the ground paralyzed staring at the pool. I ran over to him and had asked him what the hell had happened, “Toth- he, he jumped.” Soberness hit me, I had forgotten to taken off the netting, so many things to prepare and it had just slipped my mind, fuck. I sprinted and climbed over the pool yelling at Tucker to help me, a few other of my friends heard and ran over. I got in first and saw his blood fogging the water, the unnaturally still body, I still see it when I sleep. I frantically dived down and tried to drag him up, but I was just too weak. The feeling haunts me. It took 5 of us to drag him up and out and took us a costly 2 minutes. I still remember pounding his chest as Marie sobbed and Tucker stared at Toth hollowly. One of my friends called the ambulance, but the time in between felt like ages. He coughed up water, and I felt the wisps of wheezing breath. I kept thinking about what I could’ve done, that it was my fault. He had told me he just wanted to have a small hangout and spend time with the people he loved, but I stupidly judged he needed a memorable party. FUCK.

I watched the ambulance haul him off, and I called his parents. I was the first to arrive at the hospital, even as drunk as I was. I was there as his parents walked in, and watched them stare with sorrow that almost broke me. I heard when the doctors told us what happened, and I was there when Toth slowly left us, after months of crushing misery with no hope in sight.

_____

I woke up surrounded by Marie, My mom and dad, and Chase, who I shakily smiled at. “Hey guys, bad luck huh, I uh didn’t realize that net was there, but the doctors must have done a good job, I don't feel any pain.” My mom started to sob as I said that and Marie hyperventilated. “It really doesn’t feel good to be out of the know, guys, did I say something funny?”

Chase looked like he was one word from either crying or breaking something, so I decidedly shut up, as a doctor walked in. “Toth yes? I have some bad news, you seem to be paralyzed from the neck down.”Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck fuck fuck fuck. “I see why you guys got so tongue-tied over what I said huh, makes sense there’s no pain.. No nerves to feel it!” I chuckled a bit, and more, slowly breaking into hyperventilation and sobbing as I tried all I could to move my arms, my toes, my fingers.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Whatever else the doctor was saying I couldn’t make out, It just didn’t feel real. Marie hugged me while weeping but I couldn’t say anything, I just cried. Chase promised me something about making sure I had every chance of recovery but I could feel in my soul that there was nothing left to save, something vital in my body had been lost and it was impossible to get back.

For everyone else’s sake I held my head high, I accepted Chase’s help, and worked with specialists every day to try and recover, I made jokes, told Marie stories and even had a few bedside D&D games through a screen that tracked my eyes. But inside I felt dead, there was no confidence, and everytime I tried to drink water I had full on panic attacks, it got so bad that they had to inject me with a drinking straw. I could see fervor in Chase’s eyes and he seemed very different, the once light, and funny jock had dark rings under his eyes, and seemed to never stop researching. He never told me what he was doing but I could tell that just as I was empty inside he was too, it made me feel even guiltier and after dozens of specialists I started to deny help in hopes of stopping him, and tried to let him know I didn’t blame him. I don’t know if it worked but eventually he stopped showing up as often, but at least once a week. Marie came almost every day, and was one of the last few good things about my life, she would read me fantasy books, watch shows with me, and kiss me goodbye. But I could tell she was slowly destroying herself too, she loved me too much and being as I was paralyzed I could no longer give her the love she deserved. Our relationship was wearing slowly and I knew that there was only way I could help her move on and build something new. I cried about it for a whole night, but the next time I saw her I did it.

“Heya love!” She said, her voice bouncy and happy.

For the sake of the worthless parasite I was now. It wasn’t something I deserved, I was just a chain on her. “Marie. We need to talk.”

Her smile turned down slightly, “About?”

I took a small breath and adjusted myself for the play I was about to put on. “Us, I’m just not the same man I was, you should move on.”

She looked affronted, “No! I love you, and I’m not gonna leave you alone!”

I shot back “You have to eventually, you have college ahead of you and your gonna have to eventually move away, I know you want to go to an ivy league, whereas I’d be lucky if I could even get into our community college.”

She huffed and stomped her foot, something I always found cute when she got mad “Toth! You know Chase is doing everything he can to help restore your nerves, and technology gets better every year, you’ll be recovered at the very most in a few years, and I don’t mind waiting.”

I knew better, I had spoken to so many specialist’s and while Chase tried to convince me otherwise the consensus from them all was not that my nerves were broken but DEAD, my lack of oxygen disconnected the brains connection and they simply stopped. It was incredibly rare I even survived at all, fate laughing in my face and making me live through it all. I spoke back

“Im paralyzed and hopeless, you have a bright future ahead of you and its fucking exhausting to see it every day, I’m tired of your selfish pity, and I dont wanna see you anymore, we’re over.”

She stared at me in shock and began to cry, running out, as Chase walked in.

Chases POV:

I walked past into room 203 as Marie ran out crying past me. I stared at Toth who looked shaken but quickly morphed into disgust as he saw me entering.

“What happened?” I asked.

“I'm tired of everyones pity, and belief that I’m going to get better, Chase, I’m a dead man walking.” “I’m done with her and you. Just leave me alone and move on.” He bitterly said.

After years of knowing Toth I knew the type of guy he is, the selfless, people serving, charming guy. He’d rather die than hurt someone's feelings for no reason. And I’d started to notice his fake jokes, how he’d hollowly laugh just to make us feel better. He believed all he could do was drag us down now, and I wasn’t gonna let him fall alone, but I knew only by letting him think I believed him could I stop him from discouraging my help or feeling more guilty, and maybe figure out a way to save him.

“Anything for the magister” I said sadly, as I walked out the door. I decided that the only way forward was sticking my hands into all the pots I could, and making enough money to draw up a bounty from the best.

THREE YEARS LATER

I was lying in my bed staring into nothing when I heard the knock at the door. “Mr. Toth? We have a delivery for you!” Huh, I hadn’t gotten any gifts since I cut off Marie and the only friends I made were with the nurses, so who would send me anything? I called back “Come on in, Susan.” Two large nurses i’d never seen wheeled in a huge pod, it looked expensive and futuristic and they showed me a note. “Huh, What's this?”

“Dunno man, came from the guy who got this pod for you, want us to read it or throw it away?” One of the nurses said.

“Well read it of course!” I replied

Toth, long time no see, I hope the present I sent makes up for that. I got exclusive access to this, they call it Sunfall, and you’ll be one of the first testers! Anything for the Magister!

Chase? Didn’t he start running a business under his fathers conglomerate? I thought he’d forgotten about me, he hasn’t visited since that day. What the hell does he expect me to do with a big ass pod, it's already claustrophobic enough in this bed.

“Susan, does that thing have any instructions?” I asked

“All the man who gave it to me said was to put you inside, he said something about not spoiling the surprise. The doctors who saw it just had wide eyes, and told me to hurry and bring it for you.”

Weeeeird. I debated about getting in, but fuck, what do I have to lose. “Alright Susan, put me in.” She had the two nurses pick me up and I got close enough that I could have a closer look at the pod. It had a big container of weird blue liquid in the back, a hatch that swung up mechanically, and a ton of cords. They put a large tinted futuristic scuba looking mask on my face that, and then put in a few needles, attached some weird patches, before closing it. I started getting panicky as I realized what was probably going to happen, and when the liquid started to pump out from the bottom, I began to yell, but the soundproofing must’ve been good on the pod because nobody noticed. When it reached my chest I was hyperventilating, and when it went to my neck I began to feel lightheaded, and it covered me. I held my breath instinctively, but slowly calmed as I realized that I could breathe. That’s when something pierced into my neck and I passed out.

I woke up to a face full of dirt and a weird feeling, it almost felt like wind… Ok what? That’s definitely wind! What the fuck happened. I instinctively tried to roll over to see where I was and stared at a large sky. It took me a whole minute to process that. I HAD JUST MOVED? I had to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, I began to wiggle my fingers one by one.

“Lefty your back! Oh god thank you, I can masturbate again!” I started to laugh with wondrous glee and pushed myself up standing on shaky knees, it felt wonderful, I tried to take a step but I was very unused to walking and all I managed was to trip myself and fall on my face. It hurt. IT HURT!! I didn’t realize that pain could make me so happy until I lost it.

It was about the time I fell that I realized the small blue notification box in the corner

Welcome to Sunfall

"Sunfall? Whats that."