With my entrance completed, I wasn’t sure what else to do at the welcome event. Sure, I could make new allies and mingle with my fellow fighters, but something pulled me away from rushing directly into that. I didn’t really want to dance, either.
I ended up watching Amvery across the dining area as I ate. She was with her family. I didn’t see mine here. I chalked that up to the route I picked not having parents be a major component of the story. It did make me a bit homesick. How were my parents taking this if I was really gone from my old world? The ‘reborn in another world’ stories I read never dealt much with that. Surely some touched on it, right? There had to be some that dealt with the crushing bouts of loneliness being stranded from everyone you cared about. About how the families dealt with their sudden lost loved one.
I was reminded of a parent-teacher conference event in our old lives. That for some reason had a similar dinner event afterwards, with our school being very proud of positive relationships between faculty and families, or so they claimed. I had a wonderful time at the event, as my parents were in a boisterous mood, we all were, but between the laughs, I spotted Amvery across the way, sitting by herself. Her parents didn’t bother to attend. I wasn’t sure why she stayed by herself, maybe a classic Amvery Astrell move of rebelliousness that only hurts her more in the end. As I was about to suggest we invite her to our table to ease the painful feelings I got looking at her, she left. Now I sat in the opposite position, alone with my family no-showing while Amvery was laughing with her own.
Mikayla and Kylie walked past, each in suits like Amvery. They said something to me, but I didn’t register it, likely due to me being lost in melancholy.
“Hm?” I said.
“Just saying that you pull that gown off excellently.” Kylie said.
“Sure wish you’d have that hat though.” Mikayla said.
“Right…” I said. I hoped they weren’t going to continue pushing this baseball cap at me, which would not have looked good with the gown.
“You look like you’re having the time of your life here,” Kylie said. “You good?”
“I…I’m not sure.” I said. “I thought I needed some alone time, but maybe I don’t…”
“So maybe time to chat people up?” Mikayla suggested. “We know tons of people here if you need an introduction.”
“And you could always talk to us.” Kylie said.
“True,” I said. “How are things going? For you two?”
“Just the usual aches and pains,” Mikayla said.
“I have it together more than I usually do,” Kylie said. “So I’d say pretty good, outside of losing to some punk rookies.”
“Sorry.” I said.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Kylie said. “We lost fair and square.”
I was apologizing more for how we won, but they didn’t seem to think about the glitch loss in too much depth.
“How was your first night teaming with her on your end?” Mikayla asked.
“She wouldn’t tag me in once,” I said.
“I pulled that move on Mikayla once or twice in my day.” Kylie said.
“Why are you talking like you’re ancient?” Mikayla asked. “Anyways, every team has some growing pains. Kylie and I started off despising each other.”
“And now we’ve grown so much as people that we can begrudgingly tolerate each other.” Kylie said.
“Do you think Amvery and I have a chance to make it work?” I asked. “And what if we can’t make it work? She almost went to Crimsalia just at the idea of teaming with me.”
“I think you have a shot,” Mikayla said. “It’s gonna take a lot of hard work from both of you, but what good thing doesn’t take a lot of hard work?”
“What if I’m willing to put in the work and she isn’t?” I asked.
“If you give everything you got, and that still ends up not working, at least you can say you didn’t half-ass it.” Kylie said.
I nodded, unsure of what else to say. Mikayla and Kylie had lots of other advice for me, but it was more practical stuff about fighting in DFA and having classes at the academy, and one last call to really consider wearing the hat.
“Well, we’re probably off to dance,” Kylie said after a while. “I am at least, I don’t know about Speed here.”
“I could go for a song or two.” Mikyala said. “How about you, Louise?
“Thanks,” I said. “But I’m not really…in the mood. To dance tonight. I enjoy your presence, both of you, really. My batteries are just drained, I think.”
“Well, if you really gotta call it a night early, I don’t think anyone will notice.” Kylie said.
“Right…”
I considered that as I finished my food. With no family present and Amvery occupied, I didn’t really have much reason to stay. I shot one last glance Amvery’s way. I wondered if she did the same back at that conference, and I missed it just like she missed my glance. Did I want her to invite me over like I almost did back then? It was possible my homesickness was just manifesting here; I missed my own family enough that I was jealous Amvery got to have one here.
I felt like I was sneaking out when I left, taking a deep breath of the brisk night air. I was beat and an early sleep curled up in bed sounded lovely.
No one else was around outside the ballroom, my footsteps were loud on the concrete steps. As I was imagining how many blankets I’d be snuggled under shortly, a chill ran down my spine, one strong enough to freeze me in place.
I registered too late that I had heard the familiar noise of a ringcaster being fired. The blast from which put me in a barely visible cage. When DFA battles didn’t use the common default ring, ringcasters were the method used to set up rings elsewhere, using a kind of magic to conjure the building blocks needed for a battlefield.
“Amvery, if this is you, it isn’t funny,” I said. “Shut this off already.”
No answer. I couldn’t see anyone around me. The ring itself hadn’t formed yet, I’d need to agree to the fight first. In DFA, random battles around campus could occur, but the player had to accept them first. They were an easy way to grind for experience. I wanted to see who I was facing before I agreed to anything, though. And since I hadn’t agreed, I was stuck, completely immobile. But this meant my would be challenger couldn’t try anything to me either until our bout was official.
“Louise Lumi.” A snakelike voice hissed in the dark, one that definitely didn’t belong to Amvery, unless she had voice acting training without my knowledge.
“Who are you?” I asked. “I’ll fight you, and I’ll beat you, but I want to know who I’m facing.”
Up ahead, a woman stepped out from the shadows. The gray scales of her tail flickered as she approached me. She had short hair and a blank, almost bored looking expression.
“My name is Kiran Ralston,” She said.
Kiran…I remembered hearing that name. We were together in that ethereal place where we lived through our character creation. She sounded so intense then just saying her name. But if she was as new as I was, we likely had similar stats. It wasn’t impossible for me to beat her.
“Don’t accept just yet,” Kiran said. “I’m not particularly in the mood to fight you. Not tonight, at least.”
“Then why use a ringcaster on me?” I asked.
“Because I don’t want you to run away,” Kiran said. She was about a foot from me now, tilting her head as she observed me.
“I won’t run if you let this go,” I said. “I may challenge you to a fight right away and crush you, but—”
“I told you, I don’t want to fight right now,” Kiran said.
A menu projected before me, the same prompt that came up in game for the outside encounters. I mentally accepted the fight, hoping that would start the battle or let me move a little. But even as the battle confirmation screen faded, nothing happened. I still couldn’t move.
“How are you…?” I asked. This wasn’t possible. It shouldn’t be at least. Once someone accepts a challenge, the fight should begin automatically.
“I probably should warn you now, I have a few tricks up my sleeve,” Kiran said. “I’ll maybe tell you them someday. But first, I need to make a few things clear to you.”
I didn’t really have a choice now. “Fine. What do you want?”
Kiran took another step closer to me. She leaned in and whispered to me, her breath hot on my ear.
“I know you,” Kiran said. “I know everything about you. Our old world, too. And if you think you can run away from the sins of your old life, you are sorely mistaken.”
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