Chapter 11

Zoe

I would have liked to stay a will longer, she thought, caressing the cheek on which the young girl had placed her lips. After a second, she pressed the button to open the lid that was still locking her in. Getting up, she stretched her arms, sitting in her capsule. Lorina was still there, finishing checking something on her screens.

“Well, are you stopping already?”

“Unfortunately yes, I have an appointment this evening.”

“Yes, with your uncle, right?”

“Indeed.” In the meantime, she had recovered from her dive and stood up.

“Now excuse me, I have to get going. I’ll come back later today.”

“Of course, I won’t keep you. Just one last thing, the next time you come, please ask for me at the front desk, I still have to watch you a little bit.” She said before she stopped to add. “But I might not be available later today…Well, we’ll see.”

“Understood. See you next time, Professor Liddell.” Said the young woman, shaking her head as she left the room.

***

As she crossed the building, Zoe noticed that the V.D.C was becoming more active. She met one or two people in the corridors, greeting them and being politely greeted in return. It was around six pm, and the centre was finally getting a little more lively. Exiting through the glass doors, Zoe did not pay particular attention to the young woman with glasses who passed by.

Only a tiny stray thought crossed her mind. Isn’t she living in Uncle’s building? But ti soo disappeared. Once more taking the path she had used earlier in today, she again enjoyed the view of the red carpet of flowers. Arriving at the exit of the area, she directly went to the parking lot where her Uncle was already waiting for her in a car, a Gold Supermotors this time, another rare piece of collection.

He was nodding his head to the song’s rhythm, his grey’s hair swaying catching lights with the tiny lustre that gave a hint on their younger colour, the typical family gold-blond. Oh? He braided them when I was playing? She was really thinking about when he found the time to do it, but her Uncle had always been very careful about his hair. The young woman could not help smiling at him.

“Hello Uncle. So, how is your day so far?” She got into the car and hugged him, since from her point of view she hadn’t seen him for more than a day. The time acceleration is really a strange thing.

“I would want to say that I’m fine but since I searched you for nearly twenty hours straight I’m a bit tired.” He answered with a faint smile.

“Hey! It’s not my fault that I spawned in a no-com zone, right?” As they were talking, her Uncle had started to drive over the New Roosevelt Avenue while listening to his niece.

“That’s also true, let’s talk about this oddity around a pizza.” He said happily.

“A pizza? Oh, we’re going to Gaspar’s place!”

“Yes we are.”

“Nice! I’ve not seen him in a long time, I miss his restaurant.”

“I know, that’s why we’re going.” He answered with a cocky smile.

Antoine

The night had fallen for some time on Clarity and the guards were keeping a vigilant eye on the surroundings, tensed by the events of the day. The full moon illuminated the darkness like a huge beacon in the night sky, giving more substance to the shadows. Draped in the dark, a figure tried to move discreetly with mixed success. Believing itself undetected, it stopped before its secret passage.

It turned around one last time to check that it was not being followed, before being startled when it saw two small shadows behind itself. It soon recovered by being grateful to them. ”What are you doing here?” asked Antoine, whispering, for it was him.

“You are going to the Wishes’ Shrine, aren’t you? We’re coming with you!” Replied the first of the two twins with emotion. Without even looking, Antoine knew it was Morgane.“We also want to be able to do something when another tragedy of the same kind as the one of this afternoon hits the village.” Calmly continued the other. And that should be Liliana. “You want to be stronger so you can fight monsters!” Added the first with a fiery gaze. “And to be able to help the ones suffering around us.” Calmly ended the second.

Faced with their resolve, the young boy was unable to find arguments that could reason with them. In fact, he even perfectly understood their feelings, his presence here holding identical thoughts. He nodded his head to show his agreement toward the two of them accompanying him. Sneaking through a small crack in the wooden wall, the three youngsters were quickly outside, checking the surroundings before heading to the shrine.

As they were gathering mushrooms earlier in the day, Dzīve had explained to them that she had made a pact of mutual assistance with Élet through the shrine of wishes, and the shock of the undead attack had caused the three young people to want to do the same, to be able to have someone to train them and make them capable.

When they finally reached said place, Antoine knelt down and made a wish, mimicking what Dzīve had described to him. Please have someone come for me, to protect me and teach me, as competent and kind as possible, please… The chains orbiting the sphere aligned, becoming a disc.

“Valid summoner detected. No valid summons available, request pending.” Nothing else happened, and the chains resumed their dance around the golden object. Disappointed, the boy rose.

Morgane and Liliana

“Maybe Dzīve was a special case, to have someone answer the call right away, right? Don’t worry, I’m sure a deity will come down for you!” said one of the twin sisters to comfort him.

“What my sister says makes a lot of sense. Be patient, maybe they watch before showing up.” Calmly added to the other.

“You’re right…” He seemed to get used to the idea, before going on. “Come on.”

And so the twins put themselves in the same position as Antoine before, side by side to make their wish. I want someone brave and powerful, to show me how to fight without rest and fear, so I can crush monsters and protect my sister! Thought Morgane. I want someone who is sharp and be intelligent, who can teach me how to thwart the plans of my enemies and support my allies, so I can kill monsters and protect my sister. Thought Liliana. The same thing happened for Antoine, without any more reactions, but the girls were already prepared for it.

“Come on, let’s go home fast before someone realizes we’re gone!”

“Understood.” The twins answered with one voice.

Clara

“S-s-so you’re sure that’s all I need to know to start playing?” Said the young woman in a trembling voice, cheeks slightly red.

“Perfectly Madame.” The person at the reception answered her.

“Then... Thank you so much for answering my questions, I am very grateful.” She bowed a little to show the sincerity of her feelings.

“This is my job, Madame.” Replied the young man at the reception, a little embarrassed by the behaviour of this client.

“Could I bore you with one last question?”

“Of course!”

“Thank you. Could you show me the way to my capsule?”

“I can even take you there if you want.” He said nicely.

“No, the explanation alone will suit me very well!” she replied, panicking. The young man lost his words and remained frozen for a second, before pulling himself together and giving her the instructions she asked for.

The young woman with glasses finally moved away, still red from discomfort. it... it didn’t go too bad as a first conversation in... a while... no? She lost herself three times on the way but did not dare to ask the rare passerby for help, her shyness each time gaining the upper hand for sure. Ah, finally. She thought contemplating a capsule embedded in a wall that was filled with it. One could read the number 49498 above.

My own capsule... Even though I feel a little guilty about using part of my parents' rent for this… No, you were told that it was effective to gain self-confidence and have social contacts, you need that! And besides it’s not like other online games, I won’t be able to hide behind a stoic avatar…

She thought by putting herself right. She opened the capsule and leaned into it after finally finding how to do it. Being a little afraid, she took the time to calm down before launching. I wonder if my usual roleplay is going to take over even then... I hope not, it would be so shameful... Just thinking about it, she blushed and, to stop this thought process, launched the dive…

Antoine

They had gone back in the opposite direction, hurrying home to avoid punishment, but the lonely cloud hiding the moon at the moment did not make things any easier, as it was making the road very dark. Suddenly, a shape appeared a little further on the path. Damn, an adult! He turned toward the twins to consult them.

“What do we do?”

“We make a detour through the woods to avoid them!” replied Morgane.

“Or we go to them and explain the situation, to minimise the potential damage that our misbehaviour could or will cause.” Liliana lucidly replied. They turned to each other, opposing their idea through a battle of looks.

And now it’s up to me. Thank you girls! It’s always like them, the two of them opposing their ideas and me or Dzive needing to chose at the end! He thought, dissatisfied, before thinking two minutes and speaking again. “We will do as Lilliana proposes, it is less risky than going through the forest.”

Hearing this, the interested party smiled almost imperceptibly as Morgane made a long face. As a result of this decision, they openly advanced towards the adult standing before them. They slowly turned in their direction.

“Hu... sorry to be here, we know we’re not supposed to go out at night, especially today, but… I mean, sorry.” He said in his most falsely apologetic voice. The man did not answer them, he just stared at them.

Something is wrong. He thought to himself. The cloud passing in front of the moon slipped away at this moment, letting the light flow again. Antoine could finally understand where his discomfort was coming from. The eyes of this man were rotten, like his flesh in many places. Blood and other less appetizing substances covered it, oozing from all his orifices. The took one step, only one, before a powerful light suddenly surrounded Antoine.

Clara

She had finished wringing out all possible information from Hermes and had created her character as well as dispatched her points, all in Mind.

Anyway, I’m going to play a magician, so… Thought the young woman, shrugging her shoulders She then jumped from the top of the floating island, as the A.I. in a bad mood told her to do after the young woman’s close interrogation.

I wonder what face my summoner will have? I hope he will be cute… She thought, blushing again. She soon stopped falling and began to materialize. A forest, at night, without any source of light except the moon, she remarked, interesting…

She had landed on the ground having after completing the materialization process. In front of her stood a young boy of thirteen, maybe fourteen years old, shocked and surprised.

“So yah’re the one who summoned me, brat? Yah’ve a cute face, I like you!” she said in a bold and cheerful voice.

Aaaand shit, I just can’t help it, huh? Well, too bad, we’ll deal with it for now. She thought blushing inwardly. “Do you agree to sign the contract with the native Antoine?” “Of course I accept!” she replied in the same voice.

Antoine

He remained speechless while a tall young woman of almost a one hundred and ninety cm appeared from nowhere in front of him, her golden hair raised into a complex bun tied by numerous combs, trinkets and other charms. She spoke in a bold tone, but Antoine was too focused on the voice in his head to hear.

“Do you agree to sign the contract with the summoned Kailun Dolteri?”

Euuh… “Yes?” Then, as Dzīve had told him, chains appeared and surrounded the two parties concerned, sending them crashing against each other. Antoine blushed a little when his head was pressed against the belly of the tall woman. The ritual ended, it backed rapidly, his cheeks taking a nice cherry colour.

“Bahaha, don’t be so shy, you look like a tomato!” The remark only aggravated the state of the already deeply blushing boy. He soon recovered, however.

“K-Kailun, an enemy is there, please help us!”

“A fight, already? Ah, consider it done, baby!”

Oh, by the gods, why is she talking to me like that? Did he think as he was more than a little embarrassed. His blushing had happily gone beyond the stage of an apple to reach that of a sunset.