[November 9th 2022]
Yui sat alone in her bed as she curled up into a ball. She cried for hours, unable to do anything but cry and wait for the pain to go away. It was the only thing she could think about.
'Why? Why me?' Yui wondered to herself. She had no idea what to do or where to go. She didn't even know if anyone else was still alive. She was trapped in this nightmare and had no way out. She could not even log out.
Yui buried her face in her hands and continued to cry.
'I don't want to die here,' she thought miserably, 'I don't want to die.'
'Please...'
Yui looked around the room, but there was nothing she could do. Nothing except wait.
Yui's eyes darted across the room. She felt helpless and scared, and her mind kept racing as she thought about the terrible things that were happening to her and her friends.
'What will happen if we die? Will we go back home? Will we wake up from this nightmare?' Yui wondered desperately.
Yui shook her head, trying to clear away the thoughts that plagued her. She couldn't afford to think like that. Not now. Not after everything she'd been through.
She had to focus on getting out of this place. She had to keep going.
She had to survive.
Yui wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She could do this. She could make it through this.
*knock! knock! knock!*
Yui froze at the sound of someone knocking on the door to her room. She held her breath, trying to remain as quiet as possible, hoping they would go away.
*knock! knock! knock!*
The knocks sounded louder this time. Whoever it was, they were persistent.
Yui slowly got up and crept towards the door, pressing her ear against the wood. She could hear the voice of a man outside.
"Hello? Are you awake?"
Yui gasped. It was Skoll. She recognized his voice immediately.
"Yes...I'm awake." Yui whispered back, her voice barely audible.
"Can I come in?" Skoll asked politely.
Yui hesitated before replying, "Sure..."
Skoll opened the door and entered the room, closing it behind him. He sat down on the bed next to Yui.
"Hey, how are you doing?" Skoll asked, concern evident in his tone.
"Fine," Yui replied quickly, avoiding eye contact with Skoll.
"Are you sure? You seem upset." Skoll insisted.
"No, I'm fine." Yui denied.
"You can talk to me if you want. I promise I won't say anything to Jin." Skoll offered kindly.
"I said I'm fine," Yui snapped harshly.
Skoll sighed softly and shook his head.
"Okay, if you insist."
Skoll stood up and turned to leave the room. He paused as he reached the door, looking back at Yui.
"Yui, Just to let you know. Me and Jin are going to do some questing in order to get stronger. We can help you level up too if you want." Skoll explained, "And If you're not ready yet, it's okay, we'll wait until you are."
"..."
"Just...think about it, alright?" Skoll continued, "It's safer if we stick together. The more people we have, the better our chances are of surviving this."
Skoll left the room without another word, closing the door behind him.
Yui stared at the closed door for several long minutes, thinking about what Skoll had said.
She knew that he was right. The more people they had with them, the better their chances were of surviving. And yet...
Yui sighed heavily, running her hand through her hair. She still wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to help Skoll and Jin, but she didn't want to risk dying here either. She couldn't bring herself to face the possibility of never going back home again.
'I don't know what to do...'
'But...'
'...I have to help them.'
'I have to do something.'
Yui wiped away the last of her tears and stood up. She had made her decision. She would help Skoll and Jin fight against this nightmare.
'For my own sake. And theirs too..'
Yui opened the door to her room and walked out into the hallway, looking for Skoll and Jin. They were nowhere in sight.
Yui frowned slightly, wondering where they were. She figured they must have gone out already to do their quest.
'Well, I guess I'll just wait for them here then,' Yui thought as she headed back towards her room.
She sat down on her bed and leaned against the wall. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
She needed to relax. She couldn't afford to be anxious now. Not when she was about to face a battle against death itself.
Yui took another deep breath, steadying herself.
'I'm going to make it out of this alive,' she vowed silently, 'I have to.'
'I will'
Yui opened her eyes and glanced around the room, spotting a small wooden chair next to her bed. She grabbed the chair and dragged it closer to the window.
She sat down, placed her hands in her lap, and stared outside.
The sky was clear and blue, with a few fluffy clouds drifting across it lazily. The sun shone brightly overhead, illuminating everything below with its golden rays. She sometimes forgets that this is a virtual world.
'This world is beautiful...and cruel at the same time.'
'How could anyone ever think of doing something like this?' Yui wondered angrily, 'How could they be so heartless?'
'Why?'
Yui glanced down at her hands, her mind still racing.
'Is it worth the risk?' She questioned, 'Or am I just too cowardly to try anything more?'
Yui didn't know the answer. She wasn't sure she wanted to know either.
But what other choice did she have? Either she sits here and wastes away, slowly dying or rotting while her friends die all around her, or she stands up and fights back against this nightmare. She didn't have much of an alternative.
'We'll either die trying...or we'll die without trying.'
Yui's gaze hardened, and she stood up from the chair. Her legs felt a little shaky as she headed towards the door. She stopped for a moment and looked over her shoulder at the window one final time.
The sunlight and the blue sky are indeed stunning, but everything is ultimately fake.
Everything here is fake...a simulation...a dream...a lie... Nothing was real. Everything was simply an illusion.
Yui got up from her chair a minute later and left the room.
'I can't stay cooped up in my room forever. I have to face reality eventually. I have to face it sooner or later.' Yui thought, steeling herself, 'It might as well be now.'
Yui entered the hallway and walked down it slowly, listening to the sounds of the room around her. She tried her best not to pay any attention to her surroundings, focusing on moving forward. She hears the sound of cries in some room, the sound of soft cries.
Did she sound like that?
Yui kept walking, keeping her gaze straight ahead.
After a few minutes, she arrived at the stairs. She climbed them carefully, one step at a time, making sure she didn't slip. As Yui turns to the blind corner she accidentally bumps into a hooded stranger in a red cloak,
"Ah!"
"Oh, sorry." Yui apologized as she steadied herself on the staircase, glancing up at the stranger, "I'm really sorry."
The figure didn't respond, just tilted their head slightly, listening. Yui could see her chestnut brown hair sticking out of her hood, slightly messy. It's strange. Why are they wearing a hood? In a town safe zone, you shouldn't need to wear a cloak.
"Do you need something?"
The stranger tilted their head slightly, staring at Yui intently. Yui frowned slightly, feeling uncomfortable beneath the stranger's gaze.
'Who is this person? They haven't said anything yet.
"I, uh, I'm Yui... Are you a guest here? I haven't seen you before." Yui questioned curiously, not sure what else to say.
"....Yes." The stranger answered.
Yui gazes upon the stranger's game tag, "Asu-na?"
"Mhmm..." Asuna says.
The red-hooded lady seemed to drift off into her own head. Yui wonders if the poor girl is thinking about her own situation, Yui can clearly see her hands twitching as they are clutching onto her red cloak like she is about to try the log-out button again but then seems to realize it's a no-go. But then again, Maybe Yui had it all wrong, and Asuna is only sizing her up and deciding whether she should talk to her or leave and probably just lost in thought instead. Maybe being killed along with so many others is just a bit much for her to handle.
'Was she also like this? No... Was this going to be her if she continued to deny reality?' Yui shivers at the thought.
Should she even say anything to the girl? Maybe if she were to give the girl some reassurance, she would feel better.
Should she even say anything to the girl? Maybe if she were to give the girl some reassurance, she would feel better. She may be suffering, but so is everyone here. No reason to feel ashamed of it.
"Um, excuse me," Yui spoke, interrupting the girl from her thoughts.
"Yes?"
"I..." Yui paused, unsure of how to continue.
'I shouldn't get involved with anyone else,' she decided, 'I have enough problems as it is.'
"No, it's nothing," Yui replies shortly, starting to walk past the silent girl towards her destination.
"Are you going out?" Asuna finally said as Yui was just about to pass her.
Yui froze and stared at the ground. How did she know?
"Yes..." Yui responded cautiously, "You too?"
"No."
"Then why the red cloak?" Yui questioned.
Asuna remained silent for a few moments, apparently contemplating the question.
"I'm... going back to my room," Asuna said simply.
"Oh...well..." Yui murmured nervously, unsure of what to say, "See ya!"
"Sure..." Asuna spoke coldly as she passed by the short-haired girl.
Yui released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, and started heading down the stairs once more.
'Hopefully, that's the last time I'll encounter anyone like that,' Yui thought as she stepped off the staircase. 'She seems so lost and nervous...'
Could that be her if she does change? Was this going to be her when Skoll and Jin...
'No! They're alive! They have to be...'
Yui hurried outside, feeling a sudden rush of fresh air blowing on her skin. She looked around, seeing players coming in and going out of the inn, even having basic NPC townspeople helping each other, and she wondered briefly what they were doing at the inn. Maybe they're selling something? Or are the rooms sold out? No, surely if that was the case, more people would be looking for rooms.
Yui swiped her menu to get the full view of the map of the town, bringing the map and info bar display mode with her hand movement. It seems that Skoll and Jin are somewhere near the east gate according to the markers and are moving towards the forest area. It will take some time before she gets to them...
'Okay, take it easy, relax, calm down and I need to catch up to Skoll and Jin in the East Gate...'