"You know what's weird about all this?" Everette asked.
Axel looked at her, "what? That we're in a game with 200 players per server where everyone wants to kill you?"
"No, I mean about Sole Survivor," Everette said. "I've been playing video games for years and I have never heard of a game that could teleport you to another world through your handheld device."
Axel sighed and rubbed his eyes while yawning. His stomach growled because he hasn't eaten anything in a few hours already since they walked around the forest together with Autumn and Mitchell.
Players still get to be hungry and exhausted, just like a human.
"Yeah, me neither," Axel replied. "But it doesn't matter right now because we need to hide until there are few players left and win this game." Everette nodded and continued eating her food. All of a sudden they heard someone shooting their weapon from afar so they quickly stood up and ran toward the direction of the sound.
Everette looked back and saw Mitchell lying on the ground with his mouth full of blood. She was horrified by the image of the player, and empathy consumed her.
"Let's go!"
"We can't just leave him here!" Everette shouted while turning around to see a player running right into them. The girl then aimed her gun at Everette who managed to turn away before getting shot. Axel was already in front of Everette so he got shot in the shoulder instead. "Axel!" She shouted while aiming her gun at the player again.
Autumn and Mitchell respawn to a different server after being eliminated. Everette knew they will never get to see them ever in this land.
Axel collapsed onto the ground while the player kept her gun aimed at him. "Hey! Leave him alone!" Everette shouted with tears streaming down her cheeks. She was thinking about killing the player until she remembered that Axel is still alive and he's only wounded. "Just let us go. We don't want to fight you."
The player laughed. "Well, that's too bad." She then aimed her gun at Everette again who closed her eyes and started thinking about Axel until she felt someone pushing something sharp against her neck.
But Axel withdrew his katana and killed the player. Everette escaped with Axel. She revived Axel with a healing potion. Eventually, he regained strength.
"We're going down there," Axel said.
Everette followed him on these tall stairs leading to a building on this island they're on. Everette was thinking of all the possible scenarios on how they'll be able to escape, but she knows deep down that there's nothing they can do other than survive until the end. That's it.
They reach the rooftop and lay down on it with a pillow they brought from a house nearby. Everette then looks at the stars on top of her head, and for sure there's no roof above them to block anything whatsoever. She's too tired, her stamina lowered as well as Axel's. They have no resources left to regain stamina.
"Are you afraid?" Axel asked her.
Everette replied, "I'm always afraid." There is no room for doubt about it. She is afraid of being alone since she always has been, and now she's in a new world where not even a single person is similar to her.
"Of what?" Axel asked again.
Everette blushed as she said it, "I'm afraid I'll never see my family again." There are times when tears fall from her eyes and she is not able to control them.
Axel hugged Everette after she became calm again. "Don't worry, it's okay." As long as he's around, nothing bad will happen to her. He needs to make sure she'll be safe.
"I never get enough of watching stars," Everette said. "What about you?" she asked Axel.
"I've always wanted to do something more important than staying home and looking at some dots," he replied. Everette looks at him while he's looking somewhere far away. "Do you know what I want to do?"
"What?" Everette asked.
Axel replied, "I want to see the world outside of my little house." He has always wanted to travel around the world or even beyond it if possible. There are times when his curiosity takes over him, but he keeps it to himself. Everette never asked what happened to his family.
The two of them decided to go back to a house since they don't have anything to fight for anymore. Axel's condition got worse as the game went on because the players are becoming more vicious and ruthless. There were times when he felt like quitting and going home. He already told Everette about quitting, but she convinced him not to since they'll be safe together. So now that's their ultimate goal for this game: surviving until the server is off.
They don't know when and until when their glitch will be fixed so they need to stick together. The glitch is their only advantage this time since they're both solo players while other players were with their squad and they're too strong with no mercy at all. Just what can they do? A 5 vs 2 is not possible! They'll be outnumbered every time.
One night as Axel was watching over Everette as she sleeps, he heard a voice saying his full name as if it roams around the entire house. He got up and saw a man standing by the window looking at him. Without hesitation, he jumped out of the window.
Everette woke up to see Axel's spot on the floor empty. She looked around and she found him sitting on one of the building's stairs below them. Everette went down to see him.
"What are you doing here?" Everette asked as she sat beside him. "I just woke up and saw you gone."
Axel replied, "It's nothing, I just can't sleep anymore." Not even with Everette around since he cannot control his fears about dying.
They must not keep dying or the system will recognize their glitch and fix it soon!
The Safe Zone began shrinking and they check their map every time to keep track of their movement. Suddenly, a military vehicle came in their way and there was a player maneuvering it. Everette got snatched by the player, but she recognizes the player. She knows him in real life!
"Rizwan?!" she exclaimed in confusion.
He remained silent as Axel followed and sped up to catch up. Axel shoots the tires of the vehicle, blowing it up. But Rizwan managed to protect himself with Everette in a barrier.
Axel and Rizwan were both gripped by the same fury. They glared at each other with daggers in their hands. The creases of Axel's forehead deepened as he looked up at his old friend accusingly. "I'll kill you without hesitation." Axel snarled out of anger, adrenaline coursing through him like venom.
His past indiscretions were on his mind and he could only see the present, nothing else mattered. "You can't stop me." Rizwan threatened quietly as he clenched his right hand into a fist. His knuckles were bleeding, but he didn't care.
Axel lunged forward with his dagger outstretched at Rizwan's neck, who caught Axel's wrist and twisted it until he dropped the dagger. He kicked the dagger away from them, never letting go of Axel's hand. "Weakling." He repeated as he shoved Axel backward hard, making him stumble and trip over a rock.
Rizwan took a step back but countered with an assault so fierce that it would've taken down most opponents with one blow for sure - but not Axel. He took the hit squarely to his chest and came back swinging so hard they both narrowly missed stabbing themselves in retaliation for their own attacks.
He followed after him quickly but Axel managed to get back on his feet in the nick of time. Using his left hand, he caught Rizwan's wrist before it made contact with his face. He pulled Rizwan towards him, sending his left hand into Rizwan's stomach which made him gasp for air. Axel used this opportunity to quickly knee him in the abdomen and let go of his wrist before pushing him away from himself with both hands on Rizwan's chest.
Rizwan stumbled backward until he was caught by surprise when Axel wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him in close. Rizwan choked and gasped for air as Axel pressed his arms against Rizwan's throat to choke him further. His ragged breaths sounded like a dying pig being strangled. At that moment, he was wishing that the person crushing his windpipe would just let him die already so that this
will end.
"Stop, Rizwan, or I'll kill you," Everette said, trembling as she held a gun. Axel wouldn't be threatened by her no matter what. But if she kills Rizwan now, he might never see her again.
Rizwan let go of Axel and dropped all his daggers.
Everette pointed her gun at him cautiously as she walked towards them, Axel could tell that she was shaking a lot more than usual but kept quiet about it. Maybe I should've told her to stay put. Axel thought dismally, but he knew that she probably wouldn't have listened to him even if he did tell her to stay put. He watched her carefully as she stood behind Rizwan aimed the gun at his back.
Rizwan remained still as he didn't want to do anything that would make Everette angry with him further or drive her away.
Everette glanced over at Axel and knew what he wanted so she turned around to watch Rizwan's back and keep him in check while Axel retrieved his dagger from the ground where it had fallen. He picked it up and not a moment later Everette looked away from Rizwan and gasped loudly when she saw that Axel was covered in blood.
"Axel, you're bleeding! He didn't cut you with the knife did he?" Everette asked frantically as she walked towards him and held his arm to examine it herself. Axel hadn't noticed that he had been injured before now for some reason. He saw that there were three cuts on his left forearm and another on his left side which was probably why he had been feeling like he'd been stabbed.
"It must've happened when we were fighting," Axel said flatly, still looking at Rizwan who hadn't moved an inch. They tried finding a healing potion but there was none. Everette let go of Axel's arm and turned to look back at Rizwan to make sure that he was still there.
"Let's team up," Rizwan said. He was serious, looking forward to Everette's answer. She had witnessed his skills and the advantage of him being in their team, making it possible for the three of them to survive.
Everette smiled, "sure, let's form a trio!"
Everette and Rizwan formed a handshake and were smiling at each other. At this moment, they knew they were going to be a good team. A versatile, flexible man, what more can she ask for?
But Axel was furious. His blood was boiling, hearing their voices converse. Axel grabbed her wrist, pulling Everette closer to his body as he threw his death glare at Rizwan.
"Three is a crowd."