Preparation Complete
A/N: This chapter is kinda fast paced so hopefully it isn't confusing. HAPPY reading. :)
-
-
-
Davy's eyes opened, still a little dazed. As a throbbing pain flared up in his head, he couldn't help but bite his lips.
"Fuck," Davy cursed, placing his hand on his head and lightly caressing it. He sat slowly. Before another curse could escape his lips, all of his words became stuck in his throat the moment he lifted his head and saw three pairs of eyes staring at him.
He froze and blinked as if to confirm his vision. "What's going on?" he couldn't stop himself from asking the three of them. The way they were looking at him felt strange; their faces appeared uneasy, even Fallan, who was normally calm.
Nobody responded to him, as if statues were staring at him... They were more like they were waiting for something to happen. What were they waiting for? Davy narrowed his eyes as he tried to recall what had happened the night before.
As the three waited for him, his face became solemn, "Ah, right! Why am I here in my room, did I sleep in Draven's room?" He had noticed that he was already in his room when he was clearly in Draven's room the night before.
The bed bounced as someone sat beside him, then wrapped him in an embrace. Davy laughed; Lyle had always been the most clingy of the bunch, and he didn't think there was anything wrong with him.
"Why are you all staring at me like that?" he asked again, his gaze sweeping to the two standing by the bed's side.
Fallan's blue eyes were fixed on him as if searching for something wrong. Draven's brow furrowed, frowning as his deep black pupils stared at him. Davy raised his brows at them. Only then did they both seem to wake up.
"Our sleeping beauty woke up, you always make me worry, you just sleepwalk again," Draven said as he approached the bed.
"Oh, did I?" he cocked his head and looked at them, was that the real reason? However, everyone nodded, and Davy saw nothing amiss.
The atmosphere was at ease, at least for Davy.
-
-
-
These days, Davy was often drowsy and would doze off suddenly. He had no idea why this happened every time. Even after waking up, Davy could feel sleepy, as if all he wanted to do was sleep. Fallan, Draven, and Lyle were always worried for him and no one let him be alone anymore. He also even sense that the three of them were much overprotective and attentive to him lately. As though, he would disappear any minute.
Davy laughed, looking around at the three people who were watching him eat. Even Lyle, who was always gentle, appeared solemn. He raised his brows and smiled, jokingly saying, "Why are you all always looking at me like I only have days to live?" He laughed, obviously thinking his joke was funny.
His laughter faded away after a few seconds. He realized he was the only one laughing at his own joke. He cast a glance at the three of them, who were all frowning. They obviously didn't take that joke well. The table was unusually quiet; it was an uncomfortable silence.
"Sorry," Davy said as he cleared his throat.
"It's okay, dear. Just... don't joke about that anymore," Lyle said, taking his hand in his and gently smiling even though it was obvious that it didn't reach his eyes.
He nodded, and they continued eating, no one spoke anymore.
-
-
-
He always dreamed a lot. Dreaming was normal, however, his dreams often confused him. The dreams were vivid, almost too real. Unfortunately, Davy never remembered all his dreams, only that he had experienced a vivid dream.
"What is this again?" he inquired, his gaze drawn to the purple flower devouring meat in front of them.
Lyle's embrace tightened around him. Even Draven's booming voice gradually faded away. Davy's head lifted from leaning against Fallan's shoulder as he noticed the sudden shift in the atmosphere. Did he say something wrong again?
A soft voice whispered to him, "The purple flower is my gift to you when we're on the island." patiently replied.
Davy looked at the purple flower again, trying to recall something, and the memory flashed within him, the purple flower, as well as the floating island. Right, that happened.
He was forgetting a lot of things these days, and he was also getting confused about his dreams. Davy assumed he was now experiencing the effects of being trapped in the virtual world for over two months. Was it really only two months? He was befuddled once more. Perhaps?
Davy's gaze swept to the three of them, and he gazed at them tenderly. Was his time really about to come? His frequent drowsiness or forgetfulness, as well as his occasional headaches. Davy had a feeling that all of these symptoms were warning signs that his time had come.
He bit his lower lip while gripping the fork. Suddenly, even though he had some inkling that the time would come. He still couldn't accept it in the end. It was more of, the time between them was still short. He wasn't satisfied yet; he still had regrets... not that word, he still had a lot of things he wanted to do with them. Their time together wasn't long enough.
Davy chuckled to himself, remembering how, not long ago, he panicked and complained for days after becoming trapped in the virtual world. And now he wished that his time in the virtual world could be extended.
He lowered his head and asked out of the blue, perhaps his emotions flowed out so that he couldn't suppress them anymore. "Would all of you miss me if I was gone?" he asked quietly, almost in a whisper.
The table fell silent, and the sound of utensils striking the plate ceased. Davy laughed it off, "Don't mind me," as if he realized it after a few seconds. It was ridiculous to ask this question to NPCs. But then he realized that, with the exception of his first night, he had never truly treated them as NPCs. Davy began to treat him as if he were a part of the virtual world, not the other way around.
He gradually frowned as he raised his head and met their gaze. Heartbeats began to increase each second. No, the question would be for him, an incredible sadness crept into his heart. He... would definitely miss them, so much.
That dinner, too, came to an end in silence.
-
-
-
Davy almost prayed as he called and summoned the system. He wanted to ask it, and he wanted to confirm a lot of things. Each time, he was left disappointed. The system never responded.
As Davy grew weaker, the length of his sleep became longer. The silence had also become routine. As well, the three Supremes were always careful. Davy couldn't complain when they started treating him as if he were fragile and needed to be cared for. Every day, he savored each of these moments as if it were his last.
His steps slowed, and he blinked. In an instant, his palm sweated and his heart pounded painfully. Davy's lips parted, he looked forward, and his hand trembled. The three Supremes also came to a halt, as if they had noticed something amiss.
"What's wrong?" a voice asked, but Davy didn't know who it was, and someone wrapped an arm around his waist to support him. Everything was almost unrecognizable to him. His pupils contracted and his face paled as he only looked in front of him.
Davy was certain he was experiencing hallucinations. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be able to see himself–-his original body–-lying in front of him. His apartment room and the new game cabin he purchased, followed by himself lying down in it.
He blinked again, and the illusion vanished, leaving him stunned. Someone helped him up after he nearly fell over due to the way his legs were shaking. Davy raised his head, his chest heaving, and locked his gaze on three pairs of worried eyes. They crammed around him, panic evident in their expressions and demeanor.
"What's wrong?"
"Can you hear me, dear?"
Their panicked tones drew him in and jolted him awake. However, his heart ached even more. Davy just stood there staring at them, not responding. He was trying to suppress his desire to cry, not letting them out. He was scared, and Davy now admitted it himself.
Soon after, Davy realized he couldn't do it after all. As he sobbed, tears streamed down his cheeks. They all asked him again, worried faces on their faces as pain engulfed him. Davy could only shake his head as he cried hard. He couldn't even see their faces anymore, tears blinding his vision. So, he didn't see how the three of them stiffened as well.
The one he had always wanted to contact, finally came back. But what it said, finally woke him up from his long dream. A dream he never wanted to end.
[Preparation Complete]
[Last act: Please get ready]