It’s ironic that the questions seem to come after me when everytime find myself walking back home. I bumped my head lightly on the door, pressing against it as I shifted the door handle to open.

The sunset lights streamed from the window. Everything was the same, predictable. From waking up in the morning, until coming home to this. It was “normal,” yet it felt like it was no longer mine. The thought of living on what seemed to be borrowed time was difficult to ignore.

With a sigh, I dropped my bag on my chair. I reached for my phone and squinted at the screen.

August 23, 2018, 9:00 PM

The holoscreen appeared, without a hitch.

I waved my hand, turning the holoscreen off. I struggled out my jacket and went to the bathroom. School was exhausting, playing pretend was even more exhausting. Splashing water at my face, I gripped the sides of the sink tightly.

It had been two days, and on both days I ineffectively avoided my situation. Every quest and task, I tried to remove from my sight: literally and figuratively.

Exhaustion filled my body. I checked my [Status]:

“60 health points left.” I thought dejectedly, “20 mana.”

“Borrowed time,” I thought bitterly. I looked up, eyeing my reflection. “Any ideas, Quinn?”

Managing to be “normal” and living this game-reality, 24 hours didn’t feel enough. Contrary to all the games, novels, and game-logic--time was constraining. It was painful to be held by the throat.

I left the bathroom and stared at my laptop. “It’s all fun and games until it happens in real life.”

Fatigue ripped me. I opened the holoscreen menu.

“Inventory,” I commanded.

I stared at them. I wasn’t sure of what to do, nor do I know how to equip them. I spoke, “Equip Minor Health Potion.” That felt significantly weeb of me. So awkward. To add to my already awkward situation, nothing happened.

I sighed. “Why didn’t you just come with a manual?”

With an unsure thought, I reached towards the inventory screen. My hand merged inside the holoscreen, the potions palpable. I pulled the Minor Health Potion from it, my heart thumping against my chest.

“Seriously.” I was in a state of shock. I weighed the light glass filled with crimson potion on my hand. The potion no less than the size of my palm. Glass cold to the touch. Crimson fluid moved beneath. The emotions I felt were different from experiencing a two-dimensional holoscreen--this one, this potion, this was real.

I felt… excitement.

I pulled out the glass cork, which gave without resistance. I exhaled, not realizing I had been holding my breath. I was beholding an actual health potion, all my years as a ‘gamer’, this is definitely a noteworthy moment.

“Holy shit,” I muttered, “Why didn’t I figure this out yesterday.” Because, my head supplied helpfully, you’d be wasting your health potion if you immediately drank it up yesterday.

I then thought warily, “I’ll only have one health potion after this.”

Realizing that I had to drink it was another emotion all together. I took the bottle close to my nose, it smelled of… nothing I was familiar with. It wasn’t unpleasant, to say the least. It was unfamiliar.

Without much to lose at life anymore, I drank it all in one go. The taste was still unfamiliar, there was a sweet yet metallic undertone. It was thinly liquid in nature, not thick nor blood-like, as people would normally expect. By people, I meant me. I honestly did expect it to be some sort of goopy coagulated blood-like potion.

I finished drinking, and instantly, it felt rejuvenating. Literal healing, all the fatigue and exhaustion left my body. It was insane.

“Insane, yes. That’s the word.”

Looking at the empty bottle, the holoscreen prompted:

“Battle,” I whispered aloud. “Nope. No. Battles are a big no. No battle--No dying, at all costs.”

I did the same to the minor mana potion. The thrill of it was still novel.

The mana potion tasted moderately sour, but not the fruity-type of sour. It’s the sour you’d experience when getting pasta-fillings from your dentist. Very potent. It felt of power, if that was a taste.

My face scrunched up after I downed the mana potion.

“Amazing,” I shook my head in disbelief. “This’ll definitely kick Red Bull out of business.”

Having felt much better, I stared at the two empty bottles unsure of what I should do with them. I opened my [Inventory] and placed the items inside.

“It should work, right?” I thought curiously.

For once, my prediction came true. The similar items were left inside a single cell.

“That answers a few questions.” I mumbled pleased with the outcome. I listed things that I already knew.

“The idea of having health and mana affect me doesn’t sound too good.” I flopped down on the bed, my mind significantly screwed up. Everything gets worse when I’m left alone.

I closed my eyes:

I snorted at myself, “So much for that.”

There were no slimes or anything “game-like” within the university.

Three days. I only had three days.

I huffed angrily sitting up.

“Where else should I--” My words broke off as the holoscreen flickered again. It glitched into a new screen. Inconsistent and static-y.

The holoscreen opened multiple screens at once, one on top of the other. All the screens were glitched and incomprehensible.

“What…” I mouthed, the holoscreen shining bright against my room like a blue screen.

The next second, they all shut down at once.

The holoscreen then restarted again with a single screen.

The screen glared against the darkness. The glitched screen showed nothing but a string of alphanumeric symbols.

“A glitch?” I watched as the holoscreen fluctuated, like a television with poor signal. Suddenly, the symbols began changing one after the other, as if it was cracking a code. “Encrypted message?”

But before any could stop, the screen disappeared. A map appeared after, showing coordinates that I wasn’t familiar with. It was a specific screenshot of a location, but it didn’t seem applicable to the real world or satellite maps. Almost similar to a dungeon map. A red light appeared, it pulsed lightly over the map. In a between two walls, near a dead end.

“Perceive.”

Taking out a ballpen and the back of my printed transcript, I sketched it out as close as possible. It still didn’t make sense to me. It was very “old” school graphics, pixelated and in monochrome.

Before I could finish, the screen gave out. I pulled up my holoscreen menu and looked at the [Inbox].

I pulled up the [Quests] tab.

There was nothing. I scratched my head and looked at the map.

“Encrypted message,” I mumbled tapping my pen against my lap, “and a map. Was someone telling me something? There’s someone...” The realization caught me off guard. “There might be others,” I whispered to myself, thinking of Era.

I can’t. Not Era. Era had not mentioned anything, if she knew…

“I don’t want to risk it.” I shook my head, pulling up the [Status] bar.

My status is too low. All my skills are significantly low, below average.

I needed to focus on the game. I needed to focus on surviving.

Pulling up my [Inventory], I looked at my only weapon. My hands reached out for it and pulled it out. It took some time pulling it out, watching as the hilt came through the holoscreen until the top of the sword. It was more of a bokuto, a wooden katana, than a western sword. It wasn’t that heavy, similar to a baseball bat.

“Perceive.” I spoke, running my hand on the wooden katana.

I sighed heavily. “Seriously?” I tapped on the attack power on the holoscreen. “I should’ve finished that first quest properly, damn it.”

I slashed the holoscreen.

“Honey, are you sure you’re alright on your own?” My mother’s voice asked, her voice laced with worry. “Do you need me to call Wes?”

“No, Ma,” I said huffily, turning the car to the first corner. “I can do it.”

She sighed heavily. “Quinn, dear,” she said, “To be suspended from school for a week!”

“I’m not suspended,” I rebutted distractedly, counting the street before I should make a left turn. “I just needed a break. I already told Blake to send in any of the requirements.”

“Uhuh,” she mocked, “The last time--”

“I was a freshman, Ma.” I muttered, “It’s not my fault he was parked there.”

We both were silent for a while.

“Have you been well, Quinn?” she started again. “The only time you ever talk to me is when you’re not well.”

“I’ve been better,” I confessed.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. My mouth thinned, it’s always apologies and self-pity with mother.

I took a turn and spotted my house a few blocks away. “Not your fault.” I spoke, “I’m almost home.”

“Take care of yourself,” she said. I could sense her worry.

“Always,” I agreed, pulling over at the sight of my old house.

She said, “Just call me if you need anything. I’ll answer as soon as I can. I’ll be home for your birthday, I promise.”

“Fly safely,” I said. “Dad too.”

“Always,” she said. “Try to give him a call when he’s landed. Love you.”

“Love you too,” I responded.

We ended the call. Several notifications pushed through. It was from Blake and Era, some other Major subject group mates as well.

Tapping them open, I responded.

Blake: Don’t be an idiot.

Quinn: Love you too.

Then to Era.

Era: Keep me updated?

Era: You home already?

Era: You owe me pizza when you get back.

Quinn: Yes to all three. Don’t worry.

I pocketed my phone and glanced at my house.

I sat on the couch, staring at the television. I looked outside.

“Might as well,” I said to myself. I pulled out the wooden sword from the inventory. I opened the sliding door and looked around. The first step I took to the yard prompted the holoscreen open:

“This should be easy,” I thought as I recalled all the tutorial grounds in-game. Usually those were a giveaway for starting players, right?

With a strong and determined mind, I choose [Yes].

Immediately after, the ground shook. I moved my foot forward to maintain my balance. Walls ruptured up and covered the entire area. The ground turned into sand, the lawn grass disintegrating into auburn dust. The walls closed up and the ground stopped shaking, but my heart and knees still were.

“Bad idea,” I muttered. “Such a very bad idea.”

After reading, the timer dropped and the holoscreen disappeared. A pink slime blob appeared right in front of me; however, as much as it looked harmless, it wasn’t as small as you’d think. It was almost my height, it’s length probably five times than me.

I, with a high probability, might be screwed.

I not-so-determinedly held the katana right in front of me with both hands, “C’mon!”

The blob came, and it wasn’t sluggish. It slid against the ground at a running pace, definitely bad. Very bad. I held my ground and slashed as hard as I could, hoping it would successfully hit it. I ran right after, not really acknowledging if I dealt damage. I needed the safety of space.

The blunt katana successfully cut through the blob; however, the damage was weak.

I swiped the hologram away, needing to focus.

The blob turned around and began it’s attempt again.

It seems my thoughts knew more than my body since “Perceive” was activated.

I tried to slash again, but the blob had successfully blocked it. It held onto my sword, the jiggly-ness suddenly becoming as hard as rock. I tried pulling and shaking the katana to dislodge it, but to no avail. The blob slowly engulfed the katana, it’s jelliness running towards me from the katana.

“I really need a spell right now,” I gritted my teeth, not letting go. Trying to focus on making something. Using all that gamer logic to good use. Trying to imagine casting up a big fireball at the tip of the blade, or anything really.

There was nothing, I let go of the sword and jumped back.

“Woah,” I said as my feet landed lightly, I jumped a good two feet there without much exertion. “What was that?”

I swallowed hard. “Okay,” I said to myself, “Yes, okay.” I dropped the holoscreen. “Let’s try again.”

With a clenched fist, I ran towards the slime. Then a row of spear-like jelly legs stretched from the slime towards me. The ends were sharp and definitely painful, I tried jumping but the jelly-spears followed like a homing device.

Before I could even land, the three sharp jelly-spears stabbed me straight to the chest. Pain flooded my body, I coughed out. With a split second, the jelly spears retracted and I fell flat on the ground.

If we’re working with gamer logic, then I hope this will work. I ran sideways, quickly reaching a blind spot. I ran towards the slime again, quick enough to attack.

I punched down against the slime, my hand entering it’s jelly body. I pulled it out, and jumped away. Hit and run tactic is probably the best thing I have right now.

I didn't have time to look unimpressed. I eyed the slime, and I’ve only dealt weak damage. His life was still more than a half. Physical attacks don’t seem to work well with slimes.

The blob headed my way, I ran alongside it, I inhaled sharply, I raised my hand. Palm facing the slime, concentrating all the “energy” I could muster. My body felt like it was pulsing, I didn’t know what I was doing. My mind acted on its own, knowing what to do before it made sense.

An amber blade appeared in conjunction to my arm, I shot it towards the blob.

The amber blade made its way inside the blob, pulsated brightly once, then twice. Then blob splattered into different directions.

The surroundings shattered into a glitchy mess, the slime disappeared leaving the katana and a wooden chest in its wake. I stood still in shock.

I raised my arms up staring up at the blue sky, “Yes!”