The time was 2 a.m.
The obsidian shade of night lay across the entire western hemisphere, blanketing everything in the colors of the void. Under the star-studded sky and early summer climate, the central states of the U.S were in the midst of an hour where only the most stressed were still awake.
That, or the most irresponsible.
I remember it vividly, that moment of adrenaline and triumph while I was holed up in my small room. My eyes ached from the light; my heart struggled to keep up with my flickering movements. I was leaning forward in my chair, quite nearly standing up if I was honest. I'm glad my parents were out of town; I'm shouting so much it wouldn't be a stretch that they would have barged in and shut me up hours ago. Sweat accumulating on my forehead, face frozen in a crease of concentration, I probably look like a mess.
But I'm on cloud nine, a welling sense of excitement buzzing in my thoughts and actions. I'm joyous, I've never been this close to victory. I have never been this close to defeating the Elden Beast.
"Come on!"
I shout, curling in my toes until they're biting into the carpet. My thumb strains my controller's left stick, other hand in a mess of three inputs as I try to look and run at the same time. My character, a strapping young man donned in jet black armor, moves earnestly; a colossal sword that looks like it's made of spiraling white wood leveraged against his shoulder.
My screen is a hail of golden light, music that sounds like a harp joined singing elves fills my ears. Trees that shine like the sun make up the background, and a massive creature that looks like galaxy filled space itself sails across the screen, glowing pebbles of holy light breaking off its ethereal body before streaking toward my character.
He moves quickly, narrowly dodging certain death as his heels are grazed by what feels like a thousand projectiles. It's nail biting, it makes the walls of my room seemingly disappear, my own perception of my reality wavers. It's as if I'm my character, as if it's me running, altering my path to draw in close to the final boss. I draw near, with a light attack, I strike at the beast's abdomen.
There is a noise of blade against flesh, the nearly opaque body of the creature flashes like lightning. Black flame, an amazing attack I've learned about, travels across the creature, whittling down its health fast enough for me to notice it. As if in retaliation, the Elden Beast rears its massive sword, telegraphing its movements with a broad windup. When it first tried this, I panicked. It hit me, killed me, and made me yell. But that was hours ago, I've learned this pattern now.
Two large sweeps, I dodge them nearly perfectly. I hit the creature two more times, that health is just a sliver now. I'm fully standing at this point, hunkering close enough to the screen that it's all I can see. One more hit, I can feel it. One more hit, and victory will finally be mine.
The beast runs, I pursue. It swings that sword about, launching waves of holy light at me. I dodge, run, dodge, and run more. When I first tried this boss, I got annoyed at how often it moved. It would constantly flee, attacking me from a distance. As a melee user, it's infuriating. But in this moment, it's as if it's a wounded creature, trying desperately to escape my blade. I grin at this thought. Yes, run. I think to myself gleefully. Your end is near. Legs pumping, water splashing. Weaving around and dodging though attack after attack, like a hero in a battlefield of chaos; closing in on his greatest foe.
It's exhilarating.
I see my window, as the beast rears up, sun-colored flames welling at its mouth. I should run away, if the boss had more health, then I surely would. But I don't stop, and in a rather embarrassing moment when I look back at it, I shout. "You're mine!" My character's blade arcs away from his shoulder, coming down to deliver the killing blow. The fire comes, but it's too late. The attack connects, and a familiar noise sounds out, one when a person or entity is slain in this game. I've heard it many times before in this arena; but this is the first time that it hasn't come from me. The Elden Beast loses its fire breath, jolting back. It's neck cranes, arms starting, before it begins to disintegrate. I jump in place, a victory cry exiting my lips.
"YES!" "Yes yes yes finally!"
It sounds like I'm laughing, though I think I might be crying too.
Large lettering displays on my screen, a first for me.
God Slain.
A remembrance is given, and more runes than I've ever held before dance up on the bottom right of my screen. I did it, I won. I sit back down, playing the rest until a final cutscene plays, and my character sits on his new throne. I grin, and quickly take a screenshot, before it fades to black. The screen stays dark; I'm so happy, I need someone to share this victory with me.
I waste no time, and I snatch my phone off the carpet covered floor, dialing up my closest friend, Daniel. The phone rings twice, I'm up and pacing while I wait. Oh I'm so excited to tell him.
He finally answers, I beat him to talking first.
"Daniel! Daniel guess what!?"
There's silence, I answer anyway.
"I beat Elden Beast!"
More silence, until my friend finally speaks.
He sounds groggy.
"Dude, it's like 2 in the morning." He grumbles to himself, before yawning. "I know it's summer vacation, but you should really call it quits for tonight."
I raise an eyebrow.
"Chief, I literally just finished the game, of course imma call it quits after this."
"Oh yeah." He says haphazardly.
The guy finished his playthrough nearly a week ago, he's a much better player than I am. Despite his early victory, he's still been egging me on this past week, I would have thought he would be a little excited at the very least.
"Took ya long enough." He says instead.
I hum sarcastically, he continues.
"So why'd ya call me?"
I think about that for a moment, temporarily stopping my pacing.
"You know, I don't remember." I try to sound annoyed, hoping I could get the tiniest bit of guilt off the guy. He doesn't bite. It's his turn to hum.
"Well, I'm going back to sleep, you should do the same."
I roll my eyes, probably aiming to call out his lackluster attitude. But my eyes catch on the screen. Maybe I was expecting there to be credits rolling, or maybe it would take me back to the home screen. But there is a mere question, with an answer for yes or no.
Begin a new adventure?
"Hey Daniel…" I say as I sit back down, puzzling over the question. "What does it mean when it asks if I want to 'begin a new adventure'?"
More silence.
"Huh?" Is all he says.
"Begin a new adventure." I restate. "It's asking if I want to right now."
Daniel sounds confused.
"You sure it's saying that?"
"Well yeah," I flick between the two answers I can choose. "I'm not epileptic or anything."
"It should ask if you want to start Journey Two." Daniel clarifies. "It'll be if you want to start NG+."
I puzzle over the term, hovering over the 'Yes' option.
"Start what?"
"You basically start from the beginning, but you keep your stuff, and your level too."
"Huh." I consider selecting yes. "Did you do that?"
Daniel hum to confirm, I make my decision.
"Sounds fun, I'll give it a try."
I select Yes, and Daniel starts to say something.
"You should wait. You need to try and get-."
He goes dead silent right when I press the A button, nearly right on the mark.
I don't realize he stops talking for a moment, but I stand up, turning my back to the screen.
"Daniel?"
My eyes slowly try to adjust to the dark, my slightly hunched shadow casting up my walls and single window to my room.
"Daniel I lost you. Hello?"
My phone answers with three beeps, before hanging up. Did he just drop me? I dial him up again, and he almost immediately answers.
"Daniel!" I exclaim. "Why did you-"
I'm interrupted by a woman's voice, and in that moment, I feel a shiver travel down my spine. "The number you have dialed has not been recognized." It states.
"The hell?"
I pull the phone from my ear, moving toward my window. The number's right, so what's the problem? Might be the reception? The Midwest has spotty service at best, could try sticking my phone outside for better bars. It's the only solution I can think up.
I slide open my window, but I freeze in place.
I'm not conscious of it, but danger signals in my head go off, and the strongest urge to keep my arms indoors comes over me. More than that, I have the urge to flee, to run and hide from… the window? Why would I run from the window? My conscious self puzzles over the sensation, and I take my first look outside at my neighborhood. There is no neighborhood. At least that's my first impression, and it makes me do a double take. But the houses are still there. There's still cars, still lawns, still buildings lined up in rows. It's a common sight from one of the front windows on the second floor of a small home in the cul-de-sac, a view that lets me see perfectly down the street to the entrance of the neighborhood, where a fountain and bushes make up the small island within the roundabout. It's a similar view, but I can't see most of it. I finally recognize what must be making me scared, the streetlamps are knocked out. No light, not from homes, nor passing cars. I can only see with what little sliver light the full moon provides; I can barely see the fountain from here. Freaks me out, but my mind makes a connection. Oh, must be a blackout. That might explain the problem with contacting Daniel. I chuckle a little bit to myself.
"Must be the universe telling me to sleep."
I found my answer, things add up… so why can't I shake this feeling? I can hear my heart beating in my chest, The feeling of my body going cold from the sudden rise in heat. I feel like I should run or call for help. But there's a part of me that doesn't even want to do that. It wants to curl up in a ball in the closet.
And hope the thing standing by the fountain doesn't come any closer.
I freeze.
…What…?
It all collapses on me at once, and I wheel about my room. My tv is still on, it's light seemingly the only glow in the neighborhood. That first bit takes a chip out of my resolve. It's not a blackout. I wheel on my window, and my eyes immediately focus in on the fountain…
Dear God.
I didn't truly see it at first, because it's not supposed to be there. I didn't process it at first, because nothing can be that horrifying. I saw it first when I opened my window to try and get better service, yet only my subconsciousness noticed it.
But now I see it, standing next to the fountain and bushes, shrouded in shadows with meager moonlight. Hulking mass of an abomination, unmoving silence like a predator ready to pounce. My eyes stare, and a pair of glowing eyes stare back. Those danger signals flash bright in my mind, shivers running rampant through my quaking body. I'm stuck in a primal sort of fear, as if I noticed a hungry lion has been watching me, and I didn't even know it was there. There's something abominable at the end of the road, and it's watching me, only me. I want to run, but I don't want to break eye contact. As much as it's terrifying me, I don't want to look away, not for a moment. Because I fear I know what will happen next if I do. That thing will disappear, and I won't know where it is. But it will know where I am. Because… crap!
I spin, and I rush to turn my tv off. It's light, it's making me a target. I fumble with the power button, but the screen finally goes dark, and I'm left in the black. For a moment, just a split second, I want to keep my back turned to the window. I don't want to look; I don't want to see whatever watches me again. I want to pretend it doesn't exist, to pretend that I've just stayed up too late. But soon the shadows of my own room begin to terrify me, and I take in a gulp. I force myself to look again, my own fear can't seem to decide what it wants to-
It's gone.
That thing, whatever it is, is nowhere to be seen near the fountain. All that's left in its wake is kicked up dust. Some would assume they're seeing things; others would think it must be a waking nightmare. But I run, run away as fast as I can. I can tell, I can feel it in my gut. I recognized that thing's outline, and if it is what I think it is, then the thing just jumped.
I bust through my bedroom door and run out into my living room. It's a good thing I did, because it's not a moment later that my bedroom ceiling caves in, and a Grafted Scion's shrieking roar tears through my home. A thought crosses my mind, and it's not mine. It's four simple words, and it comes before two ornamental straight swords slash my bedroom's dividing wall to pieces, and a body of distorted limbs and cursed souls crashes into me.
Get out of there!