The forest clearing was serene, the rising sun filtering through the canopy, casting golden patches on the ground.
Ray relaxed and stopped in a small, clear area, looking around before giving a nod of approval. "We'll make camp here for now."
From behind him, Cassandra plopped onto a rock with an exaggerated groan. "Finally. I thought we'd be wandering forever. All we did the whole night was hunting and walking."
Ray ignored her as he pulled a tent, sleeping bags, and other essentials from his inventory. The supplies materialized in front of him, and he started arranging them with practiced efficiency.
Cassandra watched, raising an eyebrow. "You really came loaded, didn't you? Tent, sleeping bags, enough food to feed a small army. We can just log out you know"
Ray smirked as he spread out the tent. "What can I say? Preparation is survival. Not all of us rely on beginner spells and divine luck."
Seraphine, leaning against a nearby tree, chimed in with a teasing tone. "Quite the survivalist, aren't you? I mean, some of us don't need to pack so much. Guess it's good you came prepared for… everything."
Cassandra narrowed her eyes at Seraphine. "You sound awfully smug for someone who's just tagging along. You've barely done anything this whole trip. How exactly do you survive, huh?"
"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" Seraphine replied sweetly, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
Ray sighed, sensing an argument brewing but choosing not to intervene. Instead, he finished setting up the camp, glancing at the clock in his interface- 7:00 AM.
"Alright," he said, straightening up. "We're logging out for now."
Cassandra tilted her head. "Already? I thought we'd keep going."
Ray shook his head. "No point pushing it. It's morning outside, and I'm guessing you've also got real-world stuff to deal with."
"Yeah but... fine." Cassandra pulled up her menu. "But what about her?" She pointed at Seraphine.
Seraphine smirked, crossing her arms. "Oh, I'll stay behind and guard the camp, of course. Someone's got to keep the monsters away while you two 'brave adventurers' take a break."
Cassandra scoffed. "Right. As if you're the dependable type."
Ray cut in before they could start bickering again. "Enough. Seraphine got this. Let's move"
Cassandra stood reluctantly and started navigating her logout menu. "Fine. But if the camp's destroyed when we get back, I'm blaming her."
"Go ahead," Seraphine said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I live to disappoint you."
Cassandra shot Seraphine one last glare before her form flickered and disappeared. Ray, now alone with Seraphine, let a grin creep onto his face. Finally, a moment of peace with her.
"So, Princess," he began, folding his arms casually. "How do my traveling standards measure up this time? Better than last time, huh?"
Seraphine tilted her head, pretending to mull it over. "I'll admit, it's… adequate," she said, though her tone was distant, her sapphire eyes focused on something far away.
Ray frowned slightly. "You okay? You seem distracted."
She hesitated before offering a small smile. "When are you coming back?"
Ray checked his logout timer, scratching the back of his head. "I... I've got classes, so probably about six, maybe seven hours?"
Seraphine's smile wavered, but she quickly replaced it with her usual composed expression. "Alright," she said lightly. "I'll pass the time… maybe explore the forest a bit."
Something twisted in Ray's gut. For all his time in the game, this was the first time he'd ever traveled closely with an NPC, let alone left one behind. He didn't know how to feel about it, and the uncertainty gnawed at him.
He opened his menu, hesitating for a moment before speaking. "Take care of yourself, alright?"
Seraphine raised an eyebrow, but her lips curved into a faint smirk. "Worried about me, are you?"
Ray smiled back, his usual bravado returning. "Always." He paused, his gaze softening as he added, "Please take care, Princess."
And with that, he logged out, leaving Seraphine alone in the clearing.
She stared at the spot where he had stood, the smirk on her face fading into something softer, almost wistful.
"Take care, Ray," she murmured, glancing at the dense forest around her.
----------
Ray was sitting in the back of the bus on his way to college. Although most of the bus was empty as they had enough riches to buy and drive cars themselves.
He was staring through the windows as the nostalgia was hitting him seeing his college in sight. With his mind screaming the same names over and over inside his head.
Nathan Carter
Ethan Blake
Lauren Hayes
They weren't just names to him; they were brands burned into his mind. Nathan Carter, the golden boy with a wealthy family and the arrogant heir to a pharmaceutical empire
Ethan Blake, his ever-loyal shadow who laughed at cruelty like it was a joke. And then there was Lauren Hayes, the queen of venom, with her practiced charm and for twisting the knife deeper than anyone else could.
They had been his tormentors. No, his monsters.
It started in high school—something so small, so trivial, that most people would have laughed it off. Ray had topped an exam, earning a rare nod of approval from a teacher.
The same teacher who, earlier that day, had publicly berated Nathan for failing miserably. Nathan's pride had been bruised, and for that, someone had to pay.
He got the teacher fired from the job the same day, but he was still not satisfied. He needed someone to vent his frustration.
That someone had been Ray.
It began with subtle things: misplaced books, whispered rumors that made people snicker as he passed.
But soon, it escalated. His locker was vandalized with crude insults. His notes, carefully written for hours after school, were torn to shreds and dumped into the garbage.
Once, he found rotten meat in his backpack with a note that read: "You belong with the trash."
Ray could endure it—or so he thought. He told himself it was temporary, that they would grow bored and move on.
By the time they all ended up in the same medical college, their cruelty had transformed into something far darker.
Initially Ray thought he had forgotten about him, as he maintained his distance from Nathan.
Although, once Nathan and Ethan was about to bully him when Lauren defended him.
It had been his first year in medical college. Ray had always kept to himself, trying to avoid trouble, but Lauren had been different. She was kind—or at least, that's what he thought.
She was one of the few people who had smiled at him, sat next to him during lectures, and even defended him from Ethan and Nathan in the cafeteria.
It wasn't long before Ray found himself falling for her. She was beautiful, smart, and seemed genuinely interested in him.
Lauren had asked him out during a casual conversation in the library, her smile disarming. "I like you, Ray," she'd said, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "You're different from the rest of them. Would you go out with me?"
Ray had been speechless. Nobody had ever shown him this kind of affection before. For weeks, they'd talked, laughed, and spent time together. He had started to believe that, for once, his life was turning around.
The library had always been Ray's sanctuary—a quiet place where he could lose himself in his studies and momentarily forget the torment that awaited outside. He was there when they came for him.
It was supposed to be an ordinary evening. Ray had been poring over his anatomy notes when he felt someone's shadow fall across his desk.
"Hey, loser."