As terrified as I should be, I’m not scared in the slightest. No video game character, no matter how strong, could kill a character that easily. We’re only on the fourth floor. They wouldn’t kill players off haphazardly so early in the game. They’d rather watch us turn on each other and do the job for them so they won’t be considered responsible. After all, how could they control the actions of other people in a game, if they can’t be controlled in reality?

“Worry not, brave warriors. We will reign victorious,” Perseus shouted amidst the battle, pulling me out of my reverie. Even at the sight of blood, his determination never wavers. The more enemies we cut down, the bigger his smile grows. It’s as if facing the greatest of challenges thrills him.

With another ally at our side, we slash our way through monsters, blood splattering against the sand, turning it a deep scarlet. I notice Perseus is wielding a bronze shield in his left hand, the front of it serving as a reliable reflection of what’s ahead. It would come in handy for the upcoming brawl against the Gorgon.

There’s a castle in ruins at the end of the sandy path. Yellow-green moss creeps up the faded, chipped stones, hiding its former beauty. The gate’s drawbridge eerily, yet slowly, creaks open, emitting a puff of smoke as it lands on the dusty ground. Around the bottom part of the castle is a moat, where ravenous crocodiles lurk, waiting for a poor, unfortunate person to fall in and become their next meal.

“Don’t look down, Sera,” I hear Mist say as he holds her hand, guiding her across patiently. “Just look at me.”

Serafina’s face is completely blanched, like the idea of possibly falling to her death is the only thing she can focus on. And yet, she continues to take timid steps with Mist. They finish crossing and the color slowly returns to her face, along with her usual bright grin. They wave from the other side, motioning for us to join them.

“Alright. Let’s go, Perseus,” Yumi says to the NPC, leaving me alone with Braeden much to my chagrin. To my confusion, she begins to talking with Perseus as though he’s part of the group. “What’s your favorite color?”

“I never really thought of it. I guess I never really needed to,” he replies, laughing as he rubs the back of his neck.

“Shall we?” Braeden asks. I avert my gaze, noticing he is sticking his arm out for me to grab. “The drawbridge can be a little rickety. You won’t fall, but if it offers you some comfort, you can take my hand.”

“No, thanks,” I curtly respond. My feet doesn’t even make it two steps before my gaze shifts to the menacing crocodiles below. My fear of heights has me reeling as my hands become clammy, my heart nearly pounding out of my chest. Bile rises in the back of my throat and all I can think about is how I’m not going to make it all the way across. My eyes search for alternate entrances. However, there is no other way in. Suddenly Braeden’s offer doesn’t sound so horrible.

I take a few moments to swallow my pride, thinking about how I should ask for his help when I just recently rebuffed him. Before I could get my request out, the sound of wretching resounds behind me. I spin around and catch Braeden on his knees, vomiting the contents of his lunch into the water below. The smell is rancid, and I find myself struggling to not puke in return. I’m beginning to think he didn’t ask for my sake, but for his.

I open my inventory to pull out a plain rag, wrapping it securely around my nose and mouth to try to keep the smell from infiltrating my senses further. Instead of ignoring him, I rub his back tentatively, trying to mask my disgust with comfort and understanding. “Why didn’t you say you were afraid of heights?” I ask.

“Would it be wrong if I said I wanted to look cool in front of you?” he replies. His honesty catches me off guard, despite the fact I knew he wanted to do everything to impress me. His interest is obvious, but I can’t escape the fact that I know he wouldn’t be happy with me. He’s in love with the idea of me, but doesn’t really know who I really am. “What a cool guy I turned out to be. I thought I could contain it until we finished this quest and returned to the inn tonight.”

I laughed before replying, “Desperate? Yes. Stupid, No.” I cleared my throat, trying to be as serious as I possibly can. “Look, Braeden. You don’t have to try so hard. I’m not interested in dating anyone. I have enough problems in life I have to deal with and the last thing I want to do is create another by burdening someone else. You might not be able to see it now, but you’d be happier with another girl. I’m selfish sometimes. I keep things bottled up until I explode. You wouldn’t be happy being with someone who doesn’t know how to express themselves properly. I appreciate your help in getting through this game, but that’s all you can be to me right now. A means to an end. If that upsets you, feel free to leave the party anytime. I’ll take responsibility and answer to Yumi afterwards.”

He wipes his mouth and takes a swig of water he kept stored in his inventory, before standing up. I raise a hand to offer him help, but he gently pushes my hand away. I glance up at his face, but he’s turned away from me. He proceeds to cross the drawbridge on his own, but stops halfway to face me once again. He wears his usual bright grin, but behind his smile is pain. That pain tugs at my heart, making me feel guilty for being harsh with him, but I know he’ll move on when he finds the right girl to reciprocate his feelings.