11:58pm

-Two minutes until the server closes, what a good time to remember the two times we were killed by the boss in the first dungeon," I said. My finger pressed the key assigned to "press to talk".
-Haha, that was eight years ago, wasn't it, Sekkai?
-Yes," I answer.

I am Sekkai. Today is the last day of this game: Navalheim.

-It was when the game first started," I continue. Now you all know that in that first dungeon you mustn't...
-You shouldn't go against an ice lich with ice weapons because it's immune.

"Javelin... don't remind me of those embarrassing moments..." I think.

We all laugh. I'm not the only one who couldn't help but look ridiculous that time.

As we continue to talk, I look wistfully at the image on the monitor. The icons of everyone in the guild glow as their voices ring out. They look like distant stars in the night. In a moment the glowing stops. Everyone is silent.

The pause becomes long and uncomfortable. Perhaps we all know why. The image of "Y-60", the guild leader, lights up again.

-It's already eleven fifty-nine, I think we'd better say goodbye," he sighs. It's been a great, amazing, great eight years.
-What time do we cry? -Javelin's image glows again. Her voice sounds like she's yawning. We laugh again.
-Any time you want! -There's not much time left! Here we go! Eleven, ten...!
-Who starts counting in eleven...?
-Shut up!

We all laughed. We continue counting in chorus. We are accompanied by the fireworks of "Necrostars", one of the best known guilds.

"I wish I had belonged to such a guild..."

For a moment, envy overcomes me. What would I have gained by playing for eight years just for score? I'd rather have played for friendship, even if our exploits never reached the top hundred.

-Long live the "Dragon Rat Tavern"!

"Connection problem"

"Attempting to connect on (10)"

"Retrying connection on (9)"

"Retrying connection on (8)"

"Retrying connection on (7)"

Retrying connection on (6)"

Retrying connection on (5)"

Retrying connection on (4)"

"Retrying connection on (3)"

"Retrying connection on (2)"

Retrying connection on (1)"

"Connection problem"

"Retrying connection on (10)..."

I look up at the ceiling. I take a deep breath and then look at the screen again. What I find saddens me.

My friends' characters no longer move by the action of their owners. Some are inert, like forgotten puppets. Others repeat a simple animation over and over again. A few are bent over, who knows if they are initiating or finishing a command from their former owners. The virtual fireworks continue to illuminate the landscape, but in a moment I realise that they are nothing more than a sequence of lights constantly restarting. What was once a world full of life is now a scene full of luxury, but empty of soul.

"Connection problem"

My parting shout seems not to have arrived in time. I stand for a moment in silence. The only sound in my room is that of the computer fan. Faced with the dead world in front of me, I feel almost like I'm at a wake that only I have been to.

I struggle to muster the strength to close the game. I find it even harder to turn off the computer. The fan stops.

"What next?" I think, not knowing what to do.