Plan for what it is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small
-Sun Tzu
In an abyss, floating like in a deep ocean, carefree. Now and then a small star flies by him, its light blinding him for a second. He has an urge to touch it, to grab that star and see where will it lead him, but he is afraid, afraid of the consequences of where will he end up. He is happy here, in this endless, dark, void, right? Or isn’t he? What does it mean to be happy? What is happiness? Was he ever happy in his life? The old one and the new one? A difficult question, a question he has no answer to.
He was happy in his past life, he didn’t do much but it was enough for him. Playing games for fun, playing games to earn money, that’s all he did. Outside? No. He wouldn’t go outside for months sometimes. But he was happy in his little cave, now that he thinks about it, this abys he somehow ended up in, is pretty similar to his old apartment. No sunlight was ever going inside, he hated it. And here, everywhere is darkness, except the little stars that pass by sometimes.
Getting a new life, made him think as if his last life was actually sad. He had no real friends, no one to hang out with. Some guys he used to level up within the game he played, but he was too good for them, they couldn’t keep up.
“Sorry, can’t play tonight, have to study for my exam.”
“Can’t play today, have to go to work.”
“I’m afk for a week, going on vacation with my girlfriend.”
Excuses, excuses, and more excuses. Mengus, no, Randy, would always find time to play his favorite game. 16 hours per day? Enough, but mix some energy drinks and coffee and he can boost up the numbers even more, to even a couple of days playing without a stop.
While floating in the darkness he remembers the first global event in the game, Sword and Magic 2, he played for 3 days straight, and it was worth it. He was number one in the entire game, not only the server. He became a legend, and a statue of him was put inside the game in the lobby. He became immortal. But now that he thinks about it, that didn’t really make him happy.
In this new life of his, he found real happiness. He found some new friends, he went on an adventure, and he became number one in the arena. He enjoyed his life. But in this life, he also learned about sadness, more sadness than in his previous life. He lost some friends while on his journey, he lost his father, and his mother was on a deathbed.
“I want out.” Mengus thought.
He floated endlessly, having a lot of time to think about two of his lives. He hated thinking too much about certain things, and life was definitely one of those things he hated.
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“Mengus…” he could hear his name being called, somewhere far away.
“Who could that be?” he thought, “Is there also someone here with me?”
He tried to shout, but he couldn’t. Something couldn’t let him speak, or scream, nothing. It looked like he was choking.
“Mengus…!” Louder, the voice must be really close. It sounded familiar to him, who could it be? Never mind, why would he care? He is here and the voice is somewhere far away, he likes it here, it is safe. There is no reason to worry about anything, nothing to harm him. He closed his eyes, turned on his back, and let the invisible tide carry him to an unknown place if he reached anything at all. He doesn’t really need to, this is his new home.
“MENGUS!” the voice became much louder, he opened his eyes, and light came right at him, a star. Should he avoid it? Stay here, in a safe place, far from everyone, or grab it and see where it goes. Maybe it’ll be his doom, maybe a treasure awaits, there is only one way to know.
The star flew by him, he barely managed to grab onto it. It was much bigger when it came this close, his hands felt like they were on fire, his eyes tearing up from the speed they were going.
“Hold on, you have to find out what’s at the end of the road.”
“Mengus! Wake up, it is your mother!” Aeana stood by his bed, looking right at him, her face covered in darkness.
“Wh-what?” Mengus responded a part of him was still on that star in the abyss.
“Your mom woke up, but I don’t think she has much time left. Hurry!”
Mengus sprang out of his bed and ran towards his mother's room. She lay on it, most of her body covered in some medical cream, her eyesockets empty, where her eyes used to be.
“Mom,” he grabbed her by her hand, “I’m here.”
“M-Mengus.” She talked slowly and it was more like a whisper. “Closer.”
He got closer to her, his ear right next to her mouth.
“Stargian soldiers…” she whispered, “village… I heard… talk.”
She was running out of breath, above her head, Mengus could see her HP bar flashing red again, her organs must be failing right as they were speaking.
“Aena,” Mengus looks at her, “can you do anything? She’s dying!”
“Sorry Mengus,” her hand on his shoulder, “I can’t do anything.”
“Listen. Kaladogg, Stargia, together…”
“What do you mean mother?! Did Stargians attack our village?!! Other villagers said there were no banners or crests or anything!”
“Speak… - they spoke on Stargian.”
His mother was the daughter of a merchant, in her childhood, she would travel with him around the Barranian lands and Stargian the most. She knew the difference in dialect. Even though the two kingdoms were more or less the same barbaric empires, there were some differences in dialect between them, but still, if you spent time enough on both sides, you could recognize it.
“I’ll find High King Kaladogg and I will find out what happened! If it was really them, I would avenge you and Father!”
“Mengus… N----” She tried to speak, to tell him something more, but she couldn’t.
On the first day of spring, 1085, Mengus’s mother died.
Aena hugged him hard, she let a tear fall down her cheek. Mengus sat next to his mother’s body in pain, and all he could think of was his next move, on how to get revenge.
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