Valenius awoke with a start, finding himself back in his Earthly bedroom. However, this time, it felt eerily different. The room, once filled with his cherished possessions, now appeared stark and barren. Gone were the posters of his favorite artists, the scattered games, and the familiar clutter he had grown accustomed to. All that remained was a solitary desk and his TV perched on its stand.

As he approached the TV, a sudden crack appeared in the screen and the screen started to shattered into pieces, sending him into a panic, his scream echoing through the emptiness of the room.

With a jolt, Valenius found himself back in reality, gasping for air, his body drenched in sweat, and his heart racing. Reflecting on the dream, he pondered the significance of the shattered screen, his mind swirling with unanswered questions.

Pushing aside the damp sheets, he rose from the bed, the dim light filtering in through the open door. The absence of Val had been haunting his thoughts.

Stepping out into the deserted village, Valenius navigated the muddy paths, his black boots sinking slightly with each step. Yet, the eerie atmosphere of the night before seemed to dissipate in the morning light, revealing the neglected beauty of the abandoned cottages.

He noticed a change in the atmosphere—it was no longer as eerie as the night before.

Some of the once-white houses revealed themselves to be small cottages, their paint faded and covered in dust and cobwebs. Many had cracked or missing windows, while others lacked them altogether. Among the dilapidated structures were a few makeshift sheds resembling horse stalls, constructed of wooden planks with nothing stored within.

Continuing his journey through the town, Valenius noticed a faint light seeping from beneath the door of one of the cottages, piquing his curiosity further.

As Valenius opened the creaky door, there was Val, bent over the table, writing with his left hand, deeply engrossed in his task. Val sat at a weathered wooden table, consumed by the words flowing onto a piece of parchment, oblivious to Valenius's presence.

"Val," Valenius whispered softly, breaking the silence.

Val quickly straightened up, eyes fixed on the wall, silent. Val clenched the pen tighter, jotting a few more words before lowering his gaze, shoulders slumping as the pen slipped from his hand, and he took a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" Valenius asked, concern evident in his voice.

Val swiftly rose from his seat, turning to face Valenius with a neutral gaze. Val met Valenius's concerned expression with a sigh.

"Yes, sorry. I was just writing a few notes about our conversation because sometimes I forget what happens here. As you know, I write before I can forget," Val explained.

Val looked at Valenius in despair as he continued, "This is what happens when you travel too much between worlds, which was completely out of my control."

Valenius looked at Val, as tears appeared . Val then studied Valenius's posture and asked, “What do you want most?”

"I am very worried about my mom and what is happening on Earth now. Is time passing by without me in the real world?" Valenius expressed his concern.

Valenius's eyes started to water up as he continued, “I fear that I will be in a coma, like my father, and my mom will have to live with the grief of her son and husband being in a vegetative state, asleep and unable to respond. I don’t want my mother to deal with this alone, so I must find a way to return home and never come back to this game.”

Val looked at Valenius, his gaze shifting for a second before returning with a slight smirk on his face.

Val then spoke, “I may be able to help you return home, as I have been studying the game for quite some time. I still don’t know how to go to Earth, but sometimes I went there when the game didn’t intend for me to. I need to know more about how you came here and why the game brought you here, so I can understand, and we can maybe find a way for you to return home.”

Valenius interrupted Val, “Why are you suggesting for me to return home? Why don’t you want to return?”

Valenius, with a somber expression, replied, “Everything I had and loved is gone. I have nothing left on Earth. This is my new home. But that doesn’t mean everything you lost is gone. You still have time for which we need to hurry. So I need you to tell me everything that happened to you when you came in here. Usually, the game has some entities or people or influences to guide you on your journey. Please elaborate. Maybe you have information that can help me help you.”

Valenius paused, looked to the ground for a moment, and then swung his head to face Val as he spoke, “I went to the game when I was grieving about my father and saw how much time had passed by. I wanted an escape. When I got to the game world, I found your letter, and eventually, I was carried to a prison cell where I saw Eleantra. She briefly helped me, let me out of the cage, and then I last saw a wolf, which I later realized was Eleantra in wolf form. she carried me in her mouth when she was the wolf, and she got hit by a fireball. I was thrown off a cliff and saved by some Dragon, and then I saw Salintus, who healed my wounds, gave me a gauntlet, and left me alone. And then I saw you."

Val looked at Valenius confused and said, “Let me understand. The only guides you had were Eleantra and Salintus , you sure there was no one else who helped”

Valenius nodded.

Val continued, “The only people who helped you are too powerful and would not be influenced by the game. They aren’t NPCs you would be familiar with in video games. There is no way the game brought them to guide you, and yet it happened.”

Val shook his head in frustration.

Valenius said, “What about your letter?”

Val chuckled as he spoke, “There is no way the game chose me as your guide. I wouldn’t be influenced either. Besides, I have anger towards the game for what it took from me. I would never allow myself to do what the game wanted. However, I do want to help bring you home so you don’t suffer as I did. I suspect Eleantra and Salintus interrupted before the game could guide you to wherever it wanted, and I find it odd that my letter was the first thing you saw. Anyway, I will go now to get food, and in the morning, I will train you quickly. Then I will give you supplies and direct you where you should go alone. Hopefully, the game will guide you from there.”

Valenius asked, “Are you not coming with me?”

Val shook his head and spoke, “No, I have things to do, and I doubt the game will guide you while I am here.”

With that, Val left the room, and Valenius looked at Val as he exited, returning his gaze to the desk where Val was writing a note, letting out a deep sigh.

Author Note

Dear Readers,

I'm excited to share with you a new journey I'll soon embark on: re-learning the art of making video games. As I start to learn, I'll be documenting my journey through my newsletter kinda like a devlog,  If you're interested in following along and maybe even becoming a playtester for my upcoming games, as well as gaining access to bonus content, I invite you to sign up for my newsletters which can be found in gaming website www.storylygames.com. It would mean a lot to me to have fans of my writing join me on this gamedev journey.

Additionally, if you haven't already, consider signing up for my newsletter to receive a free ebook or audiobook of my completed novel, "The Swords of the Unforgotten Memories." Simply follow these links:

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For more updates on all my projects and interests, including my aspirations to create a short indie horror game, you can find all relevant links here: https://linktr.ee/sheenaoloughlin  

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Thank you for reading this note. I eagerly anticipate sharing the next chapter of our journey together.

Warm regards,
Sheena