Fate.
The word itself felt heavy inside this fabricated world yet, when the pale blue hologram interface showed it to Auren, he could only accept.
Name: Bryant Lakeland.
Role: Hero
Background: A third generation rich kid who wants to elevate the world's status in the universe.
His neighbor, his supposed 'fated' encounter is the Hero of this game world. Auren's eye twitched twice before he exhaled slowly, a sigh cutting across the sterile air of his digital walkway.
"Of course. It had to be the protagonist," Auren muttered voice carrying both derision and weariness.
Auren asked the game AI once more,
"I chose wanderer. Why am I encountering the Hero?"
[Dear player: Mortals are bound by fate. Their time brushes quickly. Encounters cannot always be avoided and decisions shape the fate of the world.]
Auren wanted to crush the cheerful AI voice. He quickly checked through the gamer network and saw that many Therions complained and others just enjoyed the thrill.
[So some people ended up so sickly they died. Others died the moment they logged in because they forgot to save while driving.]
"G.AI, I didn't log in to face fate. I want to wander around."
Auren ignored Bryant but this only drew the boy closer. Like a shadow refusing to lift, the young 'Hero of the world ' hovered around Auren with wide eyed sincerity.
Bryant asked questions trying to spark conversation with his prospect tutor. He already requested for the MMA fighter to be his trainer.
Auren clenched his fists. Without Primis, he couldn't force distance or even block the Hero. Without divine bloodline, Auren couldn't freeze the boy to silence. Here he was just another mortal, his power stripped to nothing but flesh, sweat and decision.
Auren looked at the Hero onc, walked to his house then closed the door to his house. The Hero just stared before leaving. The home was beautiful but his mind was elsewhere.
As Auren was busy thinking of a way to escape fate he received a game message from his coach asking Auren to hed to the Lakeland mansion. Auren was about to reject when a call came.
"Hello Mr. my name is Yvette and I am calling to inform you about the post match commentary for today's game. Kindly avail yourself."
"Mm." Auren just accepted and cut the call.
[It seems the NPCs cannot call our player names.] He thought as he went out and called for his driver.
A 30 minute drive later, Auren had arrived. The studio lights were brutal, too bright and too hot, the kind of radiance mortals adored.
Camera whirred and floating drones circled like silent hawks. Auren entered the set wearing simple dark jeans and a jacket. His fighter's aura radiated through him. As he walked through Auren froze.
Across the room, lounging in casual arrogance was a figure all too familiar to mistake. Even if the avatar had been altered, he could never forgo his hair.
That hair was styled beautifully and those lips had curled in a smirk that screamed audacity, eyes gleamed with unrepentant pride.
Name: King Fox (Player)
Role: Actor
Background: A famous actor with many awards. A great influence in mortal fashion and standards.
Auren's lips curved in spite of himself. He didn't need the name because he knew that flamboyant arrogance anywhere.
"Eiran." Auren called out.
Eiran looked around to see who called him when their gazes clashed for only a moment but it was enough. A silent agreement passed between them as they shared friend request. They would talk after this farce.
The interview began.
Auren answered questions with clipped precision, not offering more than necessary and evaded the questions that asked about his loss in the match. He wasn't here to entertain, only to fulfill his role.
The interviewer NPC laughed nervously at Auren's bluntness but pressed on, sensing the producers hints because the audience loved Auren's cold charisma.
After the interview was done, Auren stood up and was about to walk out through the back door when the entire room's presence shifted.
The studio grew unnaturally quiet. The many hosts and actor NPCs started to shake in slight panic and nervousness. Auren noticed Eiran's puzzled look but they all turned to look at the entrance.
The man who entered didn't need an introduction.
Tall, muscular in the way a warrior is built. He is clad in dark combat uniform that seemed to drink in the light. His hair long and black as midnight.
Auren looked at the man his instincts flaring and as though sensing him those molten gold eyes laced with something darker, stared right at him.
Those eyes reeked of death and the golden color did nothing to suppress that. The man's presence was suffocating, pressing against the lungs of everyone in the room.
Auren promoted the status reveal and the information caused his breath to hitch, forming a lump in his throat.
Name: Zevaros Mantil (Player)
Role: General
Background: The one man army who kills on his own command and controls the nation's military with an iron fist.
Zevaros didn't speak but his eyes also never left Auren's. The NPCs went back to doing their own things but Zevaros just stood there at the far edge of the room, gaze fixed solely on Auren.
Auren forced himself to look away and leave. When he felt the wind on his face, his mind still felt those gold eyes watching him. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Auren logged off and went to search for information about Zevaros online in the gamer network.
After much searching and not finding anything , Auren just lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, hands behind his head.
The game was meant to be just a small entertainment. A playground to be mortal once more but it's already becoming something far more.
Auren looked at his terminal and checked the dates. The school break lasts for 2 weeks and so far it's been about 9 days so Auren only had a few more days to figure out who this man called Zevaros is.
"But why do I want to know?" Auren muttered to himself, rolling to his side.
[Cause of his eyes? The way he looked at me? ] Auren stopped the thought before it could progress but it was too late.
The man had the eyes of someone who had seen it all and based on his game avatar, he doesn't seem that old.
"Maybe 19 or 20? I mean fuck he could be older or younger." Auren continued to mutter to himself while scrolling through the terminal.
As he passed through every Therion named Zevaros he didn't see any who had the man's eyes or his aura. Auren was beginning to doubt he even existed when Eiran's call came through.
"Auren. Did you see him?!" Eiran shouted over the call.
"I did." Auren answered while sitting upright.
"I don't know who he is but... I want to stay away from him. Did you know that after you left he still stared at the spot for 3 more minutes before logging out! Fucking creep."
Eiran complained mindlessly.
Auren listened to Eiran's complains but his emotions were not at ease. He couldn't tell if he was happy that he made an impression or if he was annoyed or if he was intrigued.
Eiran continue to talk about how his role as an actor is fun but also boring since it's like illusions being manifested through words and actions so he was planning to kill himself.
"Why do you want to kill yourself?" Auren asked puzzled.
"Didn't you read the gaming manual? For every mortal life you have you can't change that character. Death is the only way out of the mortal life. Then when you log in, you get a different role but you can't choose your path." Eiran explained.
Auren remembered the Game AI informing him that time moves on in the game and that there is no respawns. This means if Auren's avatar that has the role of MMA fighter dies, he can't respawn and will revive with a different role maybe a painter or a driver.
"Auren. You need to play more games. All you've been doing is training since we joined school. Read gaming manuals before playing." Eiran instructed his tails wagging happily.
"Okay." Auren mummered, half distracted.
Eiran looked at Auren through their video call and noticed how distracted he was so Eiran decided to change the topic,
"Show me your room."
Auren heard the demand but he didn't act. Eiran just stared at his friend, from the time he knew Auren he's always been like this.
Anything that catches his attention he always has to get to the bottom of it and that's an unhealthy obsession. Eiran's tails waved with frustration as he cut the call.
"My room?" Auren muttered as though what he heard, had just been processed.
When he looked at the terminal and saw that Eiran cut the call, Auren just sighed and typed a sorry. He then fell back on the bed but his mind still thought about those golden eyes.
"Zevaros. Who are you."