Zam and Julia walked down the sidewalk with the hot chocolates in their hands. Julia savored the extra-large cup slowly, while Zam grumpily held his much smaller cup up with one hand and the other one with his other, trying to get used to its heat as he slowly took small sips. The two siblings continued to walk down the street till they reach the corner store where Angela and Liam told them they'd be buying gifts.
The store was packed full of small and medium-sized ornaments and T-shirts placed near the window. Most of them were wooden carved penguins with scarfs on. Some had a small sign that read: "A small gesture from the end end of the world!". While most of the T-shirts were gray colored with a stylized drawing of Ushuaia and text that read the same as the ornaments.
The two teenagers spotted Liam standing inside through the window, looking impatient as he waited for Angela and Zam to return.
Once they entered and approached him, he gave them a brief nod as a hello.
"'Sup, Dad. Busy buying the gifts?" Zam greeted as he took one small cup and put it to his lips, taking a small sip out of it.
"Yup." Liam nodded in response, eyeing to the side and towards Angela who was busy talking with a man about some small marble decorations near a large display shelf carved out of a trunk.
"Your mother and I still can't decide between clothes or a decoration though..."
"Told ya'" Zam said snarkily.
Angela noticed them looking at her and waved them over to her.
"Well, I'm gonna go over to your mother. You guys look around and see if you'd like anything as a souvenir. And please keep those hot chocolates warm for us. See ya' in a bit" Liam said as he walked back towards Angela's side.
"Planning on buying something, sis?" Zam asked Julia as he leaned against an aisle wall near a window. He placed one of the cups on the window sill next to him.
"I'm thinking a sweater or a shirt...or maybe some knickknacks."
"Knickknacks? You'll probably just throw them away after a year anyway." Zam said to his sister as he kept leaning against the aisle wall.
"Maybe... Or maybe" She replied as she pulled a small stuffed penguin out of a bin full of them near the door and examined it. Do you think we could just pick something simple? Like this plushie." Julia added, holding up the toy to show Zam how cute it looked. It seemed plain but still adorable.
Zam shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know... I'm not really the type to buy stuff on vacations, Julia" He responded as he took another quiet sip from his drink.
Julia chuckled softly as she put the penguin back into the bin beside the door before turning her attention away from the penguin. Julia walked near the window Zam stood next to and placed her large cup and the other smaller one next to the one Zam placed.
"Keep these warm for me, ok?" She asked politely as she placed the last thing she wanted to purchase on the counter before going to look elsewhere. Moving past some shelves.
"You got it, Jules." Zam waved before taking another sip from his drink.
As he drank from his warm cup, he heard the loud motors of cars passing by outside the store, and the hum of the heating pipes in the shop. A few customers walking by were talking excitedly among themselves, and the multiple steps of people walking outside. The sun shined brightly above in the clear sky, bringing down a warm light in contrast to the chilly wind. It was such a normal day.
Yet that normalcy didn't stop him from thinking back to a few minutes ago...
'What was that before...?' He calmly thought to himself as he continued to sip the delicious hot chocolate.
The warm chocolate liquid helped to ease the tension in his body. He didn't really have a good feeling in the air. After that small encounter he had in the back alley, he couldn't get that strange feeling out of his head. His mind kept drifting back to that voice he heard. That feeling he felt...
'So cold...'
'So...dead.' He couldn't stop the shivers running down his spine as he thought of that word. As if someone was watching him. As if he was being watched, by someone that wasn't there at all, yet he felt so sure of what happened just a few minutes ago.
The unnerving cold ran down the back of his neck, causing goosebumps to appear there. It happened so quickly that even now he could barely process what had happened back then.
Even now, as he was alone, he could feel that same feeling beginning to invade his body again. But this time...It felt colder, more sinister. More menacing.
And this time...it was coming from somewhere near... He gulped hard, placing his nearly empty cup onto the window sill next to him. He turned around and stared out the window.
"Wh-what?" He said to himself in a whisper. His breath now showing.
But there was no one outside. Not a single person in the streets.
No cars. No people...only an empty street, sidewalk, and a petrifying silence
"Am I seeing things?" Zam muttered quietly to himself.
He turned around to look and the gift shop...and nothing. He shook his head and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, nothing was different. Everything was the same. The shop looked untouched, practically the same as it was when he entered with Julia.
Yet... something wasn't right.
The once busy store, full of chatting customers. Now sat silent and undisturbed. Only Zam remained standing alone in the aisle, with the wooden floor settling with his steps being the only sound filling up the empty store.
The familiar feeling returned...the feeling of danger lurking in his heart, making him unable to breathe properly. The chilling air began to swirl around him as his long locks of brown hair started to float upwards and his hoodie blew lightly with the wind.
The silence shrouding him somehow became more intense by the second.
He stood alone, yet he felt like he was completely surrounded.
His heart beat faster as he began to shake. All of a sudden, he felt very hot. His skin began to burn as beads of sweat formed along his temple. His body began to shake uncontrollably. And a sense of dread washed over him. His body suddenly felt incredibly heavy and slow. He could feel his legs starting to fail and collapse under him.
His vision began getting blurry as he fell to the ground with a thud. He tried desperately to push himself up with his arms.
"DAD!?" He screamed as loud as he could, struggling to move despite the pain in his limbs. His eyes squeezed shut as he continued to cry in agony. "MOM?!"
Nothing...
No one answered, no matter how hard he shouted for help.
Nothing came. Just silence. He could still hear his own heart beat. The sounds seemed muffled and distant. He began sobbing loudly, trying to move and force himself to stand. Yet, everything was getting darker. Everything was becoming darker. He felt weak...so, so tired…
"Ju...lia...?" Zam whispered weakly as a tear escaped from his eye. Suddenly, he saw...something.
An icy blue color...flowing from a dark area in front of him, just barely visible due to his blurry vision.
Slowly, he reached his shaking hand towards it, and his fingertips brushed against it, which made the blue color disappear into the blackness. With a sound similar to an old TV static as it was turning off. As he pushed and pulled, pushing himself up with all of his strength to get to whatever was moving closer to him, he could see more and more. He saw flashes of colors and shapes, mixed together as they appeared out of nowhere.
Zam slowly but surely crawled on his elbows until he was able to fully sit upright and look in front of him. The colors swirled around each other, creating shapes and colors that were impossible to describe. He had to move his hand in front of his face due to the dancing light in front of him as he tried to make out what exactly it was that he saw. There were shapes and colors all over, forming a beautiful mosaic. Then the beautiful mosaic began to fade and disappear.
And as it did...
*POP!*
The sound of a singular pop reached his ears, which sounded extremely close to him. Like...very close. In front of him in fact!
His blurry sight finally focused on a large rectangular box sitting a couple of meters away from him. It was Icy-blue in its hue as it emitted a soft glow that bounced off of the floor and shelves nearby.
"W-wha?" Zam muttered as he rubbed his eyes, blinking several times. He focused on the rectangle in front of him and squinted slightly. "It... looks like a screen?"
A screen with letters displayed on it. A small box of bright white text.
<===>
Hello, "User Solis"
<===>
The screen spoke with a clear female voice that echoed throughout the room. Zam jumped in shock after hearing it.
He knew that voice... It was the same voice from before! But, clearer and much less distorted than it was previously.
"What the hell...?" He mumbled.
<===>
Congratulations are in other for starting your tutorial
Exactly (00:00:05:00) have passed since your connection to the <
Rewards pending...
<===>
Zam stared in shock as the screen continued to speak and display text.
"I... but... what is happening...?" He slowly spoke. His mouth agape as he continued to stare at the glowing rectangle as if it were hypnotizing him. He could feel his heartbeat rapidly increasing and speeding up. His breathing quickened as his heart raced in anticipation. "I...I don't understand anything of what's happening right now!"
<===>
?
I sense confusion in you, "User Solis"
Is there any need for me to explain something to you?
<===>
"..." Zam stayed quiet for a moment, staring blankly into space. His brain processed everything he just saw or at least the parts that seemed important enough.
<===>
There is no need for shyness, "User Solis"
I am here for your benefit.
So please, be not afraid to ask me questions.
<===>
Zam gulped at the word being displayed and spoken to him. 'Benefit'? What did it mean? And how did it know his last name? Did the screen want him to do something? Or...what...? He couldn't tell...he had no idea what all of this meant.
He opened his mouth to speak, hesitating for a brief moment before managing to say, "Uhm...w....well...if you're here for my benefit..."
<===>
I am here for your benefit, "User Solis"
That's right. If you wanted some assistance, I can provide it.
<===>
The voice interrupted. "...help? In what way?" Zam said cautiously.
<===>
I am your personal guide "User Solis".
I have been specifically made and selected for your use in the field and use of the <
In a sense. I am a computer or machine made for the explicit use to aid my "User".
That is you. Other terms may apply to your position as well. Such as "Player" or "Performer" if you wish. However, "Users" is the most commonly used term.
For example, I would refer to you as "User Solis", in this instance.
<===>
"System?" Zam repeated. He could barely believe what he heard. "Wait, wait a minute-" He stammered in disbelief. "I'm a player or user or- whatever?! Me?"
<===>
Indeed...
!
...
Please hold for one second.
<===>
A small dinging is heard by Zam as the screen seemed to pause. Leaving a confused Zam to his thoughts for a brief minute.
Then, another dinging sound was heard.
The screen flickered for a couple seconds as it began to turn itself back to normal.
<===>
Starting rewards:
-1.000 Credits
-15 LPs (Level Points)
-Random starter weapon crate (Common)
-Random starter equip crate (Common)
---
Due to proximity to specialized items, you are being given bonus starter rewards.
Bonus rewards:
-Medium-sized Hot-chocolate X3 (Uncommon)
-Extra-Large Hot-chocolate (Rare)
Please review before proceeding...
<===>
"..." Zam frowned as he stared at the screen again. He didn't understand anything that he just read. "I.... bu-... wh-... what...?" He stammered. He shook his head as he took in a deep breath, closing his eyes to calm down, which resulted in him letting out a low sigh and opening his eyes again.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!!??"