It was a few days after the first dungeon dive—a simulation designed to teach the students the horror of the unknown and the necessity of cleansing the turbulence darkness within. For most, it was a lesson of survival, a rite of passage into the reality. But for Erik, it was no more than a tutorial stage, which he had been playing countless times, that somehow bled into reality.
The tutorial had ended, and the story was moving into the first arc of the story. A moment of peace that he needs to prepare for the upcoming arc.
"It was supposed to be like that,..." he mumbled, his voice soft akin to whispering to someone invisible.
Yet, betrayed by reality. He was here, sitting on a bench beneath the tree, hunching his back as he put his hands to his face.
It happened this morning, when the morning sun filtered through the stained-glass, casting a fractured light to the corridor. Erik walks towards the compulsory magic class, leaving a small echo through the corridor. The sun had already set in the sky, to indicate that he was barely safe to attend the class.
"Ah, student Erik."
He turned to see an old woman approaching, in her hand—a tome that its cover seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly light. Her eyes deep and knowing, held a warmth that belied her presence. She was the professor of magic, a figure revered and feared in equal measure.
Erik tilted his head, "Yes?" he replied, his voice barely a whisper.
The professor smiled, a gentle expression that seemed to pierce through his veil of thought, "You are not required to attend my class," she said, her tone was as soft as the rustling sounds of the autumn breeze. "As my class won't be able to teach you much about the path that you seek."
Erik's frown deepened, what path? He wondered, the question echoing inside his mind.
"So you should be doing your own thing, ah, but come attend my class sometimes," she said, her voice carrying a note of promise. "I'll be waiting for you."
With that, she turned and walked away, until her figure disappeared behind the door at the end of the corridor. Erik stood frozen, confused, can be seen on his face.
"...What?" He said to the void.
And here he was, sitting still, pondering what to do after circling the entire academy, yet the same answer kept coming out from every professor he met.
A sigh escaped Erik's mouth, soft and heavy, as if carrying countless unspoken thoughts. He rose from his seat, the faint creak from the wooden bench beneath him echoing in the quiet solitude of the academy ground. "Let's go to the city," he murmured to himself, his words barely audible, as though speaking it out loud will make a crack in the fragile peace of the moment.
The city was sprawling around the academy like a living, breathing entity, its buildings and streets forming a perfect circle around the academy. Four grand bridges connecting between the academy and the city, their arches rising high. It was a place born of necessity—a gathering of merchants and travelers that, by the time, bloomed into a thriving metropolis. Erik crossed one of the bridges, piloting his foot to the city with hands tucked inside his pocket. The spring wind blowing, carried a scent of bread and flowers within, a comforting reminder of the city's warmth.
"It's fascinating," he mumbled. Before, he was only staring at the scenery through a monitor. A scenery that he won't be ever witness with his own two eyes now in front of him.
The central plaza was bustling with life, a symphony of voices and laughter that filled the air. Merchants called out to passerby, their stands brimming with colorful wares. The children darted through the crowd, their laughter ringing like a ringing bell as they played a game of tag. Erik wandered through, his eyes drifting over the scene, savoring a simple joy of it all.
"...Started with a group of merchants, ended up as a city," he said under his breath, his voice was low and contemplative. The words were tinged with quiet awe, a recognition of the scenery before him.
As he walked, a melody reached his ears—a soft and haunting melody drifted through the air, weaving its way through the noisy plaza like a gentle breeze in the autumn—ethereal yet grounded, a delicate balance of hope and happiness. A familiar melody that he had heard countless times—the city's background music, before this world became reality. The notes seem to warp around him, pulling him towards their source. He was walking until his step slowed as he approached the great tree at the heart of the plaza.
Beneath its sprawling branch sat a girl, her back against the trunk as she played the harp on her lap. Her petite frame almost swallowed by the grandeur of the tree. Her long hair was tied into a low twin-tail that cascaded over her shoulder, catching the dappled light of the sunlight that filtered through the leaves. Her fingers played daftly, its string shimmering as her finger danced across them, coaxing out a tune that was both familiar and otherworldly. She wore a simple knee-high dress, worn yet clean, with boots that spoke of countless journeys. Her eyes closed, her face alight with concentration and joy as though the music she was playing is part of her soul.
Erik stops a few paces away, listening to the music that she played. "....So here you are," Erik said softly, his voice was barely a whisper.
The girl didn't seem to notice him at first, she was playing, lost in her world of melody as her finger danced through the strings. But then, as if she was sensing his presence, her eyes opened and directly looked at him.
Her gaze sharp and lively, as a smile bloomed on her face, she called, "Hey there." Her voice warm and inviting, as if she had been waiting for him in the first place.
Erik's lips turned into a smile, his eyes guarded as he spoke, "You seem free,."
A small laugh came from her mouth, a sound as bright and clear as her music, " I am~" she sang, her voice playful and light while she continued her play. "It's my day off~"
Erik closed his eyes, he exhaled his breath as if releasing a burden that had been weighing on him all this time, "Is that so," a smile carved on his face as he witnessed her cheerful antics.
She tilted her head, one of her eyes closing in a playful wink, "Why are you just standing there?" She asked, her tone teasing. "Come closer, and sit here." She patted the ground beside her with her firm hand.
"Come come~" She urged, her voice rising in a cheerful lilt. "I won't bite~"
Erik, with a calm step, walks closer, closing the distance between them. He lowered himself, leaning against the great tree with her side by side. The wind blowing against them, caressing all that hinder them with a gentle breeze. The leaves rustled, creating a tune of melody amidst the silence between these two. Her finger still dancing, creating a melody, rendering all other sound into her own music sheets.
The world seemed to fade away, leaving only the tree, the melody, and the girl beside him. Erik closes his eyes, letting the notes wash over him.