Large metal gates slowly opened.
“You are free to go,” a voice sounded behind me. But before I could even reply, someone pushed me and I tumbled forward, taking two steps forward but managing to recover on the third one; preventing myself from diving headfirst onto the asphalt.
I swiftly turned around and saw three men standing behind the threshold of the gate, all wearing prison guard uniforms. The ones from left and right were slim while the one in the middle was fat. I furrowed my eyebrows, “What’s the big idea? I almost dived head first onto the asphalt!”
The fat prison guard chuckled, “Just a parting present, let’s not meet again, Ni Ran.” He turned around and shouted, “Close the gates!” The two men standing by his side nodded and sprung into action.
I frowned,
You bastard!
I thought as I was sure that he was the one that pushed me.
I stared at him until the gates closed and he disappeared. A sigh escaped my mouth, and I looked up into the clear blue sky,
where do I go? What do I do?...
Shortly after, I lowered my head to a normal position and shook it. I turned right and walked down the street with a hastened step.
You may already be wondering who I am and why was I in prison… My name is Ni Ran, I was born with black hair and green eyes. Not handsome or ugly, not rich or poor, not smart or stupid. I was normal. Attended a normal elementary, middle and high schools. The friends I made in elementary school were also my friends in middle school and high school. Although there were less of them each time.
After graduating, I applied to a university and that’s when we all split up. Each one going down their own paths… Four years later, I graduated as an IT major, but then, a short year later, I was forcefully enlisted into the army. Once I returned, my parents died…I got a job in an indie game studio and even got married… She wasn’t the girl I loved or even liked, I just married her because the opportunity presented itself and I had to continue my bloodline or I wouldn’t be able to face my parents… But when we had a child, something happened… something that sent me to jail for ten years but I assure you, I was falsely charged… and even though, I was falsely charged, she still divorced me there and then… I am now forty-nine years old and I am finally out on 20XX/01/15.
Walking for a few hours, I stopped in front of a two-storey building with overgrown grass that reached all the way to the windows.
I am back,
tears formed at the corners of my eyes. I quickly raised my arm and rubbed my eyes with the back of my arm. Drying my tears, I took a deep breath composing myself and walked up to the door. Out of my right pocket, I pulled out a key, inserted it into the keyhole and twisted it. *Clang* The door unlocked, I pulled it out, opened the door and walked inside. Entering, I locked the door and turned around.
I slowly moved my eyes across the entryway as I thought,
It has been so long since I was here. Everything is still where I remember it.
I smirked,
just dustier…Well, why wouldn’t it be? I moved out of this house after their death and no one has lived here since.
Hmm… Now that I am out, I would like to see my son, but before that, I will need to find a job and before that, I will need to clean the house and my yard…
Acting on my memory, I quickly found the vacuum cleaner, a bucket and a rag. I grabbed the latter two and walked into the bathroom.
I hope the water is not cut off.
I turned the faucet and water started flowing
, That’s good
. I sighed with relief and started cleaning.
Starting with the bathroom as I was already in it and continuing onto the living room, the entryway, my parent’s room and my room but by the time I walked into my room, it was already evening.
Looking around the room, it was exactly the way I left it. To the left stood a double bed and a bookshelf; to the right. a chair, a table and below it my old tower.
After cleaning my room, my eyes trailed to my old tower, I walked up, sat down on the chair and pressed the power-up button. The fans started up, spinning so fast and loudly that it seemed that a jet engine was running here in my room. The monitor lit up and my eyes locked onto a single icon.
<RE: Eternal Fate Online>
I double clicked the icon, desktop disappeared and it was replaced with a login screen of the old game; a message popped up.
<Servers will be shutting down at midnight of 20XX/01/15>
<Thank you, everyone, for playing until now>
<Okay>
My eyes widened, I jumped up and shouted in shock, “The servers are shutting down?!” I collapsed on my chair and closed my eyes,
so the game, I played with them is closing down… it’s good that I turned on my computer today. I can play it one last time…
Clicking the button <Okay>, the window closed and I once again saw the login screen. I quickly inputted my account information as it was imprinted into my brain and clicked the button, <Login>
The screen flashed and character selection window opened but there wasn’t a single character in it.
Eh?!!… where is my main character?! Were the characters wiped?!! I wanted to play with my main, one last time...
I lifelessly moved the pointer to the big red button, <Create new character> and clicked.
The screen changed and five races appeared before me. Old memories flashed through my head and I smiled.
Well, it’s the last day, I should enjoy it regardless if it's my main or not.
I shook my head, focusing on the race selection screen.
<Human>
<Elf>
<Dwarf>
<Orc>
<Troll>
<Undead>
<Random>
Out of six the available races, Humans, Elves and Dwarves belonged to one faction while the other three belong to the other. And even though players could only choose these six races. There were much more playable races like a Werewolf, a Vampire or even a hybrid of the two. To get one of these unique races. Players could either fulfill certain conditions in-game or rely on luck and select the random option but it was less than 1% chance. And players couldn’t just create unlimited characters either, as one could only create a random character once a month. And since you had to buy the game to play it, you couldn’t abuse the random option by creating multiple accounts.
Moving the pointer, I clicked on the <Random> option.
Ding!
<Randomising race>
Ding!
<Human race selected>
I never luck out do I…
The screen changed from race selection screen into class selection screen.
<Warrior>
<Sorcerer>
<Archer>
<Priest>
<Random>
Like with races, outside of the four selectable classes, there were more of them. And players could get them by fulfilling certain conditions or by selecting the <Random> option and getting the hidden class by relying on luck. But unlike with races, switching into another class would drop player’s level to 0. But even then, players would still choose to do so as all the hidden classes were stronger than the normal classes. Both at the early levels and after completing class upgrade quests. As for me, I started out as a Sorcerer but eventually changed into the Warlock, and became the player on the top of all PVP ladders; the guild I led became the number one guild on raid progression.
I moved the cursor onto <Random> and clicked it.
Ding!
<Randomising class>
Ding!
<Warlock class selected>
My eyes widened in shock and I jumped up from my chair, “What?!!!!” I shouted out. Not believing that I was given my favourite class that had put me on the top of this game.
<Please customise your appearance and select your name>
“I don’t have time for that, I want to play my Warlock!” I mumbled and randomised both. The screen flashed; a notification flashed.
<Character Drak has been created>
The game started loading, I jumped on my chair and stared excitedly at the slowly filling loading bar.
The game loaded and I swiftly accepted the first quest without even glancing at the dialogue and went on to kill monsters. I felt so happy that, I couldn’t believe it. The time quickly passed and before I knew, I fell asleep.
…
Consciousness returned to me and I opened my eyes. In front of me laid a green field and not my room. My eyes widened and I hastily looked around myself.
Where am I?! Why does this area seems familiar?