Mirabelle sat beside Valerie's hospital bed, listening to her friend's weak but still sarcastic voice. Even with the oxygen mask on, Valerie couldn't resist making jokes, her wit sharper than ever despite the situation. Larissa, sitting on the other side, joined in the banter, and for a moment, the weight of the fire, the near-death experience, and the chaos that had unfolded seemed distant.
"Seriously though," Valerie mumbled through the mask, glancing down at her hospital gown, "I think I'm gonna start a new trend with this. Who needs designer clothes when you can rock the 'I just escaped a fire' look?"
Mirabelle chuckled, shaking her head. "You're unbelievable."
Larissa smiled but her eyes still showed traces of worry. "Only you could make fashion out of a hospital gown, Val."
Valerie lifted her hand in a mock dramatic gesture. "It's all about attitude. Confidence is key."
Mirabelle appreciated these moments more than anyone could guess. Despite the terror they had all experienced in the fire, sitting here with her friends, joking about gowns and fashion, was what kept her grounded. It was as if they could push back the darkness by laughing together.
"You two should keep the comedy act for the stage," Mirabelle teased. "You'd make a killing."
Valerie winked through the mask. "Maybe, but only if I get to split the earnings."
As the conversation ebbed and flowed, Mirabelle found herself slipping into her thoughts, her mind already starting to shift towards Saga. The events of the night had left her shaken, but she knew she couldn't stay in this moment of levity for long. There were decisions to be made, plans to form, and her team in Saga was waiting.
After a while, Valerie's eyelids began to droop. She was clearly exhausted. Larissa stood up, giving Valerie's hand a final squeeze. "Rest, Val. We'll check on you again tomorrow."
Mirabelle followed suit, rising from her seat as Valerie settled deeper into her bed. "Yeah, get some sleep. We'll take care of everything else."
Valerie gave a weak thumbs-up, her eyelids already closing. Larissa and Mirabelle exchanged glances before quietly exiting the room, the sound of the hospital door clicking shut behind them.
In the hallway, Larissa stopped and looked at Mirabelle. "Are you logging into Saga tonight?"
Mirabelle hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Yeah, just for a little while. I need to check in with the team, make sure they're okay and update them on what's happened."
Larissa nodded in understanding. "Okay. Just don't push yourself too hard. We've been through a lot tonight."
Mirabelle gave her a reassuring smile. "I won't. You get some rest too, alright?"
With a nod of agreement, Larissa left for home, leaving Mirabelle alone in the quiet corridor. She felt the weight of everything settling on her shoulders as she made her way to the parking lot. Her car was parked just outside, and once inside, she leaned back in the driver's seat, staring at the roof for a moment.
Mirabelle closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before reaching into her bag to pull out her VR headset. Logging into Saga was something she always looked forward to, a place where she felt alive—truly alive. The virtual world offered her an escape, but more than that, it was where she felt in control.
After a few moments, she slipped on the headset and activated the system. The familiar hum vibrated through her senses, and she allowed herself to drift away from the hospital, from the reality that had weighed so heavily on her tonight. Slowly, the sensation of her body shifted as the digital world of Saga began to take shape.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing in the middle of Mist City.
The towering gates and the city's foggy streets stretched out before her, bathed in the faint glow of lanterns that lined the cobblestone roads. NPCs and players moved about, some engaged in casual conversation, others trading goods. The city looked peaceful, as if unaware of the turmoil Mirabelle and her friends had experienced in the real world.
Mirabelle took a deep breath of the air, feeling the comforting weight of her sword strapped to her back. In Saga, everything felt sharper, clearer. She was stronger here, her body reacting to her every thought with precision. Here, she wasn't bound by the uncertainties of the real world. Here, she was in control.
She immediately opened the guild communication menu, summoning the rest of the Thorn Mercenaries who were currently logged in. Asking them to come to her inn, as they were in a safe space now, in their rooms in an inn, the group chat worked. After getting some information she ordered the rest to come into the meeting. They appeared one by one, their avatars standing before her in a semi-circle, each one of them looking eager for orders.
"Hey, everyone," Mirabelle greeted them, her tone calm and professional. "I wanted to give you all an update on what's happening. There was a fire in the real world... it was bad, but we're all okay. Valerie's still in the hospital, and Emmett's recovering from smoke inhalation, so they won't be logging in for the next few days."
The group murmured in concern, a few exchanging glances, but Mirabelle continued before anyone could speak.
"For the next few days, I need all of you to rotate shifts. We have two main objectives: first, we need to keep cultivating. Everyone should be working on their cultivation techniques because, as we know, leveling up alone won't cut it. The deeper your cultivation base, the stronger you'll be."
She let that sink in before moving to the second objective.
"The other task is more critical: finding a way into the Hill Manor. It's heavily guarded, and after the assassination of Cecilia Hill, the place is locked down even tighter. We need to figure out where the weak spots are. But I don't want anyone rushing in recklessly. This isn't the kind of place where brute force is going to win the day." Looking around at every member present Mirabelle continued, as you know, the Hill family got a Core formation elder, he could single-handedly kill all of us."
At this everyone's faces turned grim, "But hope is not lost, as this is a quest for our level, I believe that the developers must have left a loophole in the Hill family's defence, or an opportunity will arrive soon."
One of the players, Garrett—a tall, burly fighter—spoke up. "What about those of us who are close to reaching Level 12? Should we hold back on the Manor infiltration and focus on our cultivation for now?"
Mirabelle nodded. "Yes. If you're close to the cap, focus on refining your cultivation technique. Breaking through the Body Forging level and progressing to Qi Condensation is more important than anything else. If you hit Level 12 without the necessary cultivation depth, you'll be stuck, and we can't afford for that to happen."
There was a murmur of agreement from the group, and Garrett seemed satisfied with her answer.
"The Moon Scripture we got from the last mission," Mirabelle continued, "has given us the edge we need to break through. But don't rush it. Cultivation takes time. If you want to advance past Body Forging, you need patience and focus."
Another player, a mage named Kyra, raised her hand. "What about the Hill guards? Have we seen any changes in their patrols?"
Mirabelle sighed. "Yes, they've increased. We've had a few scouts watching them over the last couple of days, and the Hill family is on high alert. It won't be easy to get in. That's why we're rotating tasks. I want some of you focused on cultivation while others gather intel. We can't afford any missteps."
After discussing the finer details of the strategy and assigning roles, Mirabelle wrapped up the meeting. "Alright, everyone knows what they need to do. Stay sharp, keep cultivating, and don't do anything reckless. We'll regroup once we have more information."
With that, she dismissed the guild members, watching as they scattered throughout Mist City. Some headed to the training grounds, others to the outskirts where they could gather herbs and resources. Mirabelle stood still for a moment, letting the quiet of the city wash over her.
In Saga, she had control. She could command her guild, organize their efforts, and see her plans come to fruition. Here, she didn't have to deal with the emotional complications of the real world. She didn't have to navigate her feelings for Emmett, her frustration with Larissa, or the guilt that came with knowing she had pushed Emmett away from Larissa on purpose.
A part of her had always known that she had feelings for Emmett. Ever since they were kids, she had loved him. But life was complicated, and when Emmett had constantly brushed off her advances, saying he saw her as a sister, it had hurt in ways she couldn't explain. She had eventually pushed those feelings down, even gone so far as to get engaged to Theo, hoping to move on.
But here in Saga, she didn't have to deal with any of that. She could be strong, independent, and focus on the mission. No complications. No emotions. Just power and control.
And yet... the real world always managed to pull her back.
With a sigh, she deactivated the VR headset, the digital world fading away as reality snapped back into focus. She blinked, adjusting to the dim hospital room once more. The fluorescent lights above her head buzzed softly, and the sterile scent of the room replaced the fresh virtual air of Mist City.
Mirabelle rubbed her temples. The weight of everything pressed down on her again—Valerie's injuries, Emmett's near-death experience, Larissa's growing attachment to Emmett... It was all so much more than she wanted to handle right now.
But she had no choice.
Gathering her things, Mirabelle stood up and made her way back to Valerie's room. It was time to face reality again.
As she walked through the quiet corridors of the hospital, Mirabelle couldn't help but wonder how long she could keep balancing these two worlds—the real one and the virtual one. In Saga, she could be the leader, the strategist, the warrior. But in the real world, everything was messier, harder to control.
She paused for a moment, her hand resting on the door to Valerie's room, and sighed.
But before entering she saw Emmett sneak out of his room a few doors down, he didn't see her, why would he need to sneak? What was he hiding? Her curiosity got the better of her so she started to follow him from a distans….