When one treats people with benevolence, justice, and righteousness, and reposes confidence in them,

the army will be united in mind and all will be happy to serve their leaders

-Sun Tzu

Randy woke up, his eyes adjusting to the dimly lit room. The familiar glow of his multiple screens surrounded him, the hum of his gaming rig, and the gamepad in his hands, the one he held when he died.

"What is happening? Why am I back here? Didn't I die?"

He found himself sitting in his worn-out gaming chair, surrounded by chaos (empty chip bags, pizza boxes, and other junk). The clock on the wall ticked away, he noticed it for the first time in god knows how long.

Randy felt lost. The medieval adventure, the virtual battles, and all that emotional rollercoaster of his reincarnation (that didn't happen) - it all felt so real, but it was just a dream. He chuckled at the absurdity of it, dismissing the amazing journey as a creation of his tired mind.

"Must have been one crazy dream," Randy mumbled to himself, shaking his head in amusement. He had to say it out loud to make sure he could actually speak. He glanced at the screens, looking at the MMO, "The Quest for Mighty Sword", he played that destroyed his whole life. In the corner of his screen, an unopened message.

"Randy, when was the last time you left the house? You need to take care of yourself. Mom and I worry about you, call us."

The clock on the wall continued its rhythmic ticking, Randy started playing the game again, finding himself on a battlefield he knew very well.

"I'll answer her some other time."

As Randy continued playing and winning on the digital battlefields, a subtle glitch caught his attention. A fleeting image of a raided village flashed across his screen, memories he thought were just a dream. He blinked, thinking it was just a bug in the game.

But the glitches continued flashing on his screen, his heartbeat started beating faster.

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"Mengus," someone was calling that familiar name. Who could that be? A woman's voice, a voice he likes, he remembers.

"Lysa?"

* * *

A sudden headache and the virtual battlefield disappeared. Instead, he woke up in a dimly lit tent, the sound of crackling embers and the distant voice of people talking. His heart raced, and he had trouble realizing what was happening.

"Lysa?" he mumbled in confusion.

A gentle hand touched his shoulder, and he turned to see Lysa's concerned eyes looking at him.

"Mengus, you were having a nightmare, are you okay?"

The memories of his old life came flushing back. Why would he dream of something like that now?

"No, this can't be real. I was at my computer just moments ago," Mengus muttered, his gaze looking at his PC around the tent.

"Comput-? A what? What are you talking Mengus? You're safe now, just rest don't talk."

"It felt so real. So real. But now I'm here, and it was just a dream." he mumbled to himself more than to Lysa.

"You've been through a lot. Maybe it's just the stress. You're safe now, and that's what matters."

For a long time, they sat in silence, listening to the sounds outside the tent.

"It was like I got another chance of my old life back, and I continued ruining it once again. Did I really change? I ignored my sister's message again, she and mom were worried. I wonder if they were actually sad when they found my body..."

"Mother!" he screamed. "How is mom? Is she alright?"

Lysa looked in shock. "Don't yell, you'll wake the whole camp up. Yes she was fine when we left to sleep, don't worry, there are people taking care of them."

"Is everything alright in there?" Isaak's voice echoed outside the tent.

"Yes, yes. I just had a nightmare...sorry."

"Try and get some more sleep, it was a tough night." they could hear his footsteps as he distanced himself from their tent.

Mengus sighed, rubbing his temples as if trying to erase the dreams he just had from his mind.

"Have I learned nothing?"

Lysa kissed him on the cheek. "I don't know what's happening to you, but we all have our demons to face. The fact that you're questioning, and reflecting on them, means you're aware. You took the first step."

Mengus nodded. "Thank you, Lysa."

"Always, Mengus, always."

She would do anything for him, anything in her powers, and she knew that he would do the same. Funny how they met and what life brings, she never thought she could like someone as much as she liked Mengus. Like is not a real word for their relationship, the correct word is love.

"Get some sleep, you must be well rested."

"Thank you," he murmured.

"If I go back, I'll leave that place, and go to my mother's house. I swear."

He drifted off in seconds, but he'll never again dream of his old life, and he'll never get it back.