I gently open my eyes to the sunlight peeking through the blinds of my window. ‘What a peaceful way to wake up in the morning!’ you might be thinking. You would be right, except for the fact that I was up into the early morning playing The Realm Of Timeless Lands. It is way too early in the morning for a creature like me to be up and about, the sun may burn my skin or something! Employing the strategy of ‘if I don't see it, it doesn't exist,’ I sluggishly roll over in bed. Closing my eyes I wish to go to sleep once more, but my dream is slowly crushed. Once I'm awake, it’s hard for me to get back to sleep. Once again I open my eyes, this time seeing the device that had been strapped to my head late into the night.
I guess yesterday was kind of unusual now that I think about it. Almost the minute I log into the game a girl, StarDrifter, came out of nowhere asking me to stop some hacker. Usually that sort of thing would be impossible for someone like me, I'm nowhere near the best skill wise at the game, or neither am I the highest level in it. However I was able to defeat the hacker, Dead-F3, mostly through game knowledge. Being a new player he didn't know the finer details about the game's combat system. It also didn't do him any favors to only modify his offensive stats, letting me build and overpower him with speed and evasion.
After Dead-F3 was defeated the low leveled players that he was bullying were all very kind to me. A few of them sent me friend requests and were talking about how cool I looked dealing the final blow. StarDrifter added me as a friend as well. She made sure to thank me multiple times but she had somewhere to be and needed to leave. Though, before she left she said if I needed help with anything or even if I just needed someone to talk with to contact her. I swear I won't let it all get to my head or inflate what little ego I have!
Reaching out, I grab my phone sitting next to the NeuroDrive. Once unlocked I see the time is 7:03 in the morning. I quickly scroll over to my calendar, the only event for today is my mythology class at 11AM. Hey, I have plenty of time to hop online before I need to get ready. I bring my dead zombie hands over to the device and strap in. Pressing the power button I enter the VR world and sleepily progress through the startup menus, letting out a few yawns along the way. I select my character, Echo_Of_Amber, and next my spawn point. However this time there is something that catches my eye.
At the bottom of the destination list there is a new option. I can't really tell what the place Is since the label is just a scrolling wall of random characters. That is really odd: I haven't ever had the destination screen bug out on me before. Guess it is just something I should submit a bug report for. But that just leaves the question of what this mystery destination is, if there even is a destination linked with this button. Well there is really only one way to find out.
I timidly press the button, and like normal the landscape of the intro screen fades away. This time is different however, now I'm in a place unlike anything I have seen in the game before.A large marble structure sits in front of me. It is some kind of temple, or something similar. Large statues act as pillars holding up the roof. Each identical depicting a knight with their sword plunged into the ground. I look around with awe, and that is when I notice my surroundings. I'm on top of a cloud! I panic for a moment and look to my feet and behind me. I really am on top of a cloud, one that is incredibly high up at that. Below I can see the land stretching out and moving slowly. That means this cloud I'm on is moving pretty fast right?
I look away to avoid gaining a new fear of heights, instead focusing on the temple in front of me. It kind of feels a little angelic now that I think about it. Could it be some kind of cut content or future location? Maybe it's some secret event hidden away that the community was able to unlock somehow. I begin to walk up the stairs and into the temple. Won't ever find out waiting outside. Inside I find a giant empty entrance or lobby. At the opposite end is a large marble wall with an image carved into it and an opening to go further on each end of it. Walking closer the image shows a woman holding a sword to her chest at its center. That sword also has rays shooting out and blasting away monsters and demons marching towards the woman.
If I had to guess, the carving probably depicts some of the events from the game's lore, specifically the story of the goddess Luminastria. To summarize the story quickly: at first there were 7 goddesses, until one of them eventually became the demon king and terrorized the land. With the people of the realm nearly defeated, the goddess of light Luminatstria sacrificed herself. She transformed into the hero's sword, Excalibur, gifting the blade to humanity’s hero to defeat the demon king. Though the hero couldn't defeat the demon king and the curse was placed on the land forcing it to repeat the same day over and over. Hence the name of the game; The Realm Of Timeless Lands.
But all this only leads to the question, what exactly is this place I'm in now? I decide to walk into the opening on the left of the carved wall. It appears that both openings actually go the same place, this room is a little smaller than the entrance but feels a lot more important. The room is long and lined with sets of wooden benches almost like an old church. At the front where a pastor or speaker would be, instead is a massive silver tree with warm red leaves sprouting out in all directions. Its branches reaching out have breached the stained glass paintings on the walls and done some serious damage to the roof above. At the base of the tree is what looks like a lone branch at first. Walking closer I realize it is no branch, it's a sword stuck into the marble flooring. A sword with a deep grey steel for the blade. the handle and hilt a pure golden yellow, and the bottom of the handle rests a shining snow-white gemstone. Could this really be what I think it is? Could this be the resting place of the hero’s sword Excalibur?
Should I try to remove the sword? Being stuck in the ground is probably a play on the sword in the stone, meaning only the ‘chosen one’ or whatever can pull it out, right? Well here in the game it's not stone but instead stuck into one of the roots of the tree. Maybe I'm overthinking it and it will come out like a butter knife. Hey, yeah! What's the worst that can happen?
With a resolve I make one more step towards the sword and grab onto its handle with my right hand. I carefully begin to try and lift the blade, and the blade in turn accordingly begins to rise out of the root. It isn't quite as easy as a butter knife, but also isn't all that hard to lift. I guess I really was overthinking. With Excalibur fully removed I take another look and begin to practice swinging it. It feels incredible actually! It has enough weight to pack a punch without feeling like you need two hands to control it. Even just touching this thing I feel powerful, does it come with some intrinsic stat increases or something? I suddenly feel a wave of excitement growing within me. This is 100 percent the legendary sword Excalibur, and now I get to wield it.
However, just as suddenly everything goes wrong. My whole body stops moving. Excalibur carrying the weight of my swing gets sent flying out from my hand and onto the ground. As much as I try my body won't listen to my commands or move an inch. The room has lost its natural lighting, like a sudden shift from day to night. All I can do is look and listen. A chill runs down my spine. I can hear a faint sound behind me. Footsteps, echoing mine from earlier. Someone is walking towards me. Very slowly the footsteps grow louder, painstakingly slowly. The footsteps pass me and instead walk towards Excalibur. Out of the corner of my eye I can see the figure. I think it's a boy with black hair. I can only see his back as he Inches closer to the blade in a pair of gray sweatpants and a familiar black hoodie. He bends forward, grabbing hold of the sword, and rises back to his full height. Like a jolt he suddenly turns to face me. His light blue eyes spread wide in excitement behind a pair of glasses. His mouth in such a huge smile I didn't even think possible. Despite his distorted expression, he has a face that I know far too well. A face I have seen every morning. He has my face and is wearing my clothes. What is standing before me in the game, is my real body.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Panic sets in. What the hell is happening here? This is too creepy! I still can't move! What is going to happen to me? Please, God, anyone, just someone get me out of this!
He lets out a snicker, quickly evolving into a full laugh. Raising his arm he points the tip of Excalibur in my direction. This only makes his laugh grow. Tears begin to fall from his eyes. He takes a step forward, then another. He is moving towards me with the blade pointed at my core. His step quickens. It doesn’t take long before he reaches me. With an almost gentle thrust, he pierces the sword through my armor and into my chest. Damn it! A sharp pain spreads throughout my whole body. He really stabbed me, and it actually hurts! No, this really really hurts, I can actually feel the pain in my chest! This hurts like hell and all this bastard is doing is laughing! Almost like he can read my thoughts he looks up into my eyes and begins to twist the blade lodged into me. At least let me grit my teeth! The pain gets more and more intense. I feel the blood leaving my head and begin to drip down the blade. It's taking everything I have to not pass out. His laughing begins to quiet down. Leaning in, he whispers into my ear.
“Let’s both… Enjoy this…” I can't hold on any longer. As the pain grows to an unbearable level my vision begins to fade away to black.
I immediately jump up in my bed in a cold sweat, heart drumming out in horror. I can’t help clenching at my chest. Looking down I see the NeuroDrive on my bed laying next to my pillow. That pain, it felt so real. But… It’s impossible for all of that to be real. The pain and my real body being in the game? It had to be a dream, or more like a nightmare. That’s right, it had to be a nightmare. Despite trying to resolve myself I can’t help but feel a little scared looking at the NeuroDrive.
Only now I notice that something has been playing since I woke up, in fact I think it’s what woke me up in the first place. A loud and repetitive beeping. On the other side of my bed, my phone’s alarm is going off: Mythology Class 11AM. If the alarm is going off now that means I only have 30 minutes! I need to get cleaned up and get the hell out of here! Do I even have time to shower?
By the time I actually make it to class with only 2 minutes to spare. In a rush I accidentally slam the door open a little harder than I meant, causing me to earn the gaze of all my peers. Each of their eyes feel like a laser pointer coming from a sniper ready to take the shot, I can’t help but want to run away from the attention. Meekly I make my way to my usual seat. Most of the class already return to their group conversations.
“It’s just that dork, don’t freak me out like that!” laughs one girl to her friends
“Bro, I’m serious, you really need to try this stuff out!” explains one of the jocks to the other guys on his team.
“Hey, you happen to watch the new episode that was uploaded last night?” asks one of the popular guys to his groupies.
I can't help hearing bits and pieces of different conversations as I walk past, but none of them really interest me and I’m not definitely not interested in snooping around any of their business either. Like everywhere else I don’t really have anyone I’m super close to here. I don’t think I have anyone that hates me or bullies me or anything. Instead it’s more like I’m one of the background characters that doesn’t even have a name. This class is just another reminder that I’m insignificant. I finally reach my seat and slouch down into my chair feeling exhausted as I let out a long sigh.
In the seat next to me, a large pile of unkempt hazelnut hair begins rustling. The girl beneath stretches her arms out forward and begins raising her head from her desk with a loud yawn. As she sits up I can see more of her white dress with a light pink flower pattern. She looks to her right for a moment, then to her left and looks at me. Her hand moves up to wipe the drool off her cheek and readjust her large round glasses, her brown eyes still clouded over with drowsiness. Once she finally wakes up, her face begins to shift into a more mischievous smile.
“Hehehe, look who finally decided to show up,” She teased “I was thinking we might need to send a search and rescue soon.”
“Oi, I’m not even late Claire.”
“Hmm?” She tilts her head to the side. “For you, this IS late, Aiden.” Her smile only grows larger. “Something keep you up late last night?”
“Well… there was something. In that game I always play, there were some new people I met-”
“Oh? A cute girl perhaps?”
“Huh? No, that's not the point!”
“So you don't deny it! I can give you some pointers if you need.” Claire begins to giggle to herself, surely feeling victorious for making me feel embarrassed. Why does it feel like everyone is trying to push me into finding a girlfriend all the time?
“No, this morning I had a… I don’t know a nightmare I guess?” How should I even describe what happened to me this morning? Everything felt so real but at the same time so illogical and impossible. If I really think hard enough I can see my distorted face. I gulp and move my hand to my chest. If I really think hard enough I can still feel the sword piercing through my heart.
“What did you dream she ended up being a dude?” Claire’s blunt comment surprises me so much I begin to choke on my own spit, which only fuels her laughter farther.
“Geez! Why do I even sit next to you!” My face is starting to burn up from how embarrassing this is.
“Aw, don’t be like that,” she finally starts to calm down. “Us loners need to stick together!” Personally, I don’t know how much I would call Claire a loner though. I have seen her around campus with a small group of friends. I’m pretty sure some of the nerdier guys have tried to ask her out before. So that means she also beats me out on looks too. Sure she is a nerd, but different from me. While I’m into all the games and anime she is the math, science, and literature nerd. As such she is basically a genius that never needs to actually study to pass any class, another point for her.
Suddenly the door to the classroom is slammed open once more. Just like before the class has been trained well to shut up at the sound.
“You A-holes!” A middle-aged woman with light brown hair begins to storm into the classroom. You can always rely on Ms. Carter to have the most elegant entrances. Once she reaches her desk she grabs the closest textbook and flings it across the room at one of the jocks, which he was thankfully able to dodge. “Nearly all of you flunked that last exam! And I basically gave all you idiots the damn answers!” she howls. Nearly everyone in the room begins to sink into their seats in shame, everyone except for Claire. “None of you can even think of leaving this room until you get at least a C on this thing you hear me!” she then turns her attention to the girl next to me, her tone instantly cooled. “Claire, you can start reading ahead into the next chapter, okay?”
“Of course Ms. Carter.” Claire opens her text book before turning to me and sticking her tongue out mockingly. Yeah, this might end up being a long day.