I breathed deep as I stopped to rest my sweat coated body. Though I was virtual, I could still feel the pixilated heat that escaped from my overexerted muscles. Even after months of playing Ithaca, I’m still amazed by its attention to detail when it came to the perfect virtual experience. I truly believed that I’m in the real world here.

“Kaw~”

A harsh screech pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up toward my destination, Mount Plessa’s peak, and covered my eyes from the radiant sun. Silhouetted against it, I caught my first glimpse of a creature I had never seen before.

A creature I had been searching for these last two weeks.

A creature so legendary that everybody knew of it since they were kids.

With a gust of wind from its magnificent wings, it descended back onto Plessa’s peak. The first word that popped into my head when I saw it was ‘regal.’ Tears started to form at the edges of my eyes. Happiness burst from within me as my long trek, my arduous solo journey, had finally reached its climax, and I was rewarded with a once in a lifetime opportunity.

At the top of the mountain, the griffin finished preening its wings before it looked toward me. I was still a fair bit away, but I swear I could see its soul inside its eyes. An intelligent soul.

“Seras. Welcome, young one. You are expected.”

The griffin did not open its mouth, yet I could hear it. His majestic voice resonated inside my mind, and my tears finally flowed, rolling down my smiling cheeks.

I couldn’t stop them.

My tears kept coming, and I cried for a joyous reason for the first time in my life. My body couldn’t contain my expressions.

But then, it happened. So suddenly, that I couldn’t process what I saw, as blood filled my vision and the griffon fell, never to soar or breathe or live again.