A Memory From the Future

Welcome back!

When I feel that I’m already inside the game, I opened my eyes and look around. This is the same dark room where I started my journey, and the same room where my soul went after I've lost. The room is dark until someone enters. Therese, the caretaker of the Portal. She walks stunningly towards me, her aura lighten up the room like a walking torch.

Then she speak.

“Hello, Alvin. It’s nice to see you again.” Then smiled. The smile that I didn’t noticed before when we first met. I examine her face and see how beautiful she is. Her violet colored eyes was locked at me, her long blond hair, glowing with her white dress. I can’t take my eyes away from her.

“Hey,” she said, waving at my face. And then I realized that I'm too dumbfounded, so I responded.

“Uhmm hi, I–I’m sorry”

“Oh, you have a crush on me?” she confidently said. “Sorry, I'm not interested on you. My gorgeousness is too much for ya.”

“No, that’s not what I’m going to say!” I denied. Well she is gorgeous, but her attitude? Not really.

“Don’t deny it, I can see it the way you looked at me” she said, teasing me.

“You’re assuming” I said, “Why would I said that? I'm just trying to remember you” I added, alibiing

“Okay, if that’s what you say.” she replied. “Follow me” she said, turning back and started to walk. I followed her and then I asked while still walking.

“Where are we going?” She stopped and give me a quizzical look.

“Don’t you remember?” she asked. I just stare at her, puzzled.

She sighed then answered. “Oh, right. Where going to the Selection room.” Now I remember, the room where I will choose my character, my special ability, and my sword.

“Right.” I said. We continue walking. “Have you seen Marlon and Lisza here?” I asked.

“Yes, maybe four hours ago.” She answered. “How do you know them?” she asked.

“They are my friends” I answered.

“Ah, I see. I thought they were just talking about another person, but well, it’s you.” She said. “They went here almost together.” She added.

“Oh, I see.” I said. “Who came first?” I asked.

“Lisza. She can’t believe that this game were true, so as Marlon.” She said. “The boy said, 'he's serious. I thought he's just hallucinating.’” Very talkative, tsk tsk tsk. I thought but I put away.

“I'm not the only one plays the game right?” I said. “When the last the I played the game, I've never seen or meet any co player inside.”

“I don’t know.” She said, but I think she’s lying. The part of the wall that we are facing glowed with white light, forming a door. We walk through it and enter the Selection room.

The room is lit by several torches on the wall, the floor is covered by blue carpet. In the middle of is where the characters are standing.

“Choose your character.” Therese said. She walk a few step and stop near the first character. “This is Samuel.” The first character in the line is a tall they’re all tall but he’s the tallest. dark man, bald and black eyes, wearing a red armour, a pair of maroon colored gloves and a blood red boots.

I walk close to the next character. “Sotero” I said.

“Oh, you still remember.” Therese said. He's the smallest of three. An olive skin, green eyes and ash grey hair. He wears a dark blue armour, a pair of black gloves and a pair of army blue boots.

And I walk closely to the last character, my character. “Christoffer” I said. His hair is black, and his eyes are blue. He wears a matte black armour, a pair black gloves and a pair of black boots.

“Why do you want to play the game again?” she asked while I’m reading the characters information.

“Because I want to finish the game, obviously.” I said.

“OK.” She said. “Did you already made your choice?” she asked, as if she’s in a hurry.

“Yes. I choose Christoffer.” I said. He's the strongest I think. Christoffer disappear and the remaining characters sank at the floor.

“Now, your special ability atribute.” The choices are Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Plant. I picked fire last time and now, I'm choosing it again because, fire is pretty strong and cool.

“That again?” she said, rolling her eyes. I don’t know if she’s bored or disappointed or both.

“What?” I demanded.

“Nothing. Plant ability is cooler and more practical.” She explained.

“Well, we have different tastes” I said. Three floating swords appear. They have the same sizes but their handle have different designs. The first one is black, the second one is gold, and the third one is ash. They have the same attack power, but I think they power, sort of. I chooses the black handled sword.

Therese continue to walk so I followed. After a few steps, a big mirror which is the portal. I look at the portal and my reflection is no longer me but Christoffer. Wearing the all black armour, blue eyes and all. I look at my hands but I’m not wearing the gloves like at the reflection. I didn’t remember this one because I entered the portal immediately the last time. “OK, this is your guide booklet just in case you forgot something. . .” and she handed me the info-status card, it’s the plastic card like the credit cards, it’s made of bronze, but it will change into other mineral when you levelled up. “that card is for your status and everything.” My real name, level, special abilities, the balance of my money and amethyst (for upgrading equipments), and QUESTS are written on the card. “Do you remember your first quest?” she asked me.

“Of course.” I said. I put my booklet and card on my pocket. I’m nervous so I breathe deeply and shake my hands to relax myself.

“Don’t be nervous, Alvin, this is just a game.” She said. I don’t know if she’s concern or teasing me but it irritates me, making me more nervous.

“Yeah, only a game, a game where you can die literally, so yeah, only a game.” I said, half nervous and half joking.

“Are you ready?” she asked me. She stares at me, waiting for my response. I breathe deeply and respond.

“Yes, I’m ready.” Confidently, I walk closer to the portal but Therese put her left hand on my right shoulder.

“You can beat that stupid snake and finish this game!” she said, motivating me. I turn my head to her.

“Thanks, and I will.” I said. She remove her hand and smiled at me again. Her smiles motivates me more. I step on the portal but just half of my legs. It feels warm inside. I step again and my whole body is inside the portal, but before I enter the game, I heard her said good luck and I step more and I’m finally inside the portal. Inside the portal is warm and bright, and I float inside. I closed my eyes and wait for my arrival inside the game

When I feel the steady ground, I opened my eyes and see the village up-close, up-close? I look down and I almost had a heart attack because I’m standing on the roof of a house. I lose my balance and I fall to the ground, but my body automatically move itself and make a perfect landing like the superheroes do. I stand and look around if somebody seen my idiocy. None of the people see because of they are busy. I thought there’s no one sees me but A girl, holding her handmade doll looking at me. “Are you okay mister?” she asked, concern.

“I’m good.” I said. She just stand in front of me, not saying a word, she’s just staring at me. I gave her a what do you want? look. “Rossa!” someone shouted, a woman’s voice, her mother I think . The girl run and I look at her while she run away. And I was right, it was her mother.

I feel something hot on my pocket. I touch it and it’s the card. I pull out the card out of my pocket. The card is glowing. A hologram appears, a bigger version of the card. The word “Quests” is glowing, so I tap it, and then I remember that I have a quest to complete, the first quest is: go to the Kingdom’s castle and release the wizard by solving a puzzle. The wizard that always scolds at me when I did something he didn’t like. I don’t know or I just can’t remember where I am, so I ask a villager, about 40’s. “Excuse me sir,” He turn his head to me and look at me from head to toe.

“What?” He asked. He's holding an axe in his right hand.

“What village is this?” I asked.

“Yanhua village.” He answered. He looks confuse and I know if he's going to ask me if I’m new here.

“Thank you.” I said. He didn’t say a word, not just like I thought. He just nods and continue his walking. Now I remember, this is four more villages away from the Royal Capitol. I start walking while looking around the village. The village is quiet alive, like nothing horrible happened here. Children are playing, one of them fall his knees and cried out loud. Instead of laughing, his friends help him up and check his knees. What a helpful friends, I think. I continue walking, the village is small so I passed there quickly. When I passed to Yanhua village, fields of lavender showed up, it smells good, I like how the colour of the blue sky, violet fields and green mix, it’s so beautiful. I walk to the path way in the middle of the fields.

I've passed through Nucifera village, Cucumis, village, Salix village. One more village and I’m up for my first quest. Unlike in the other villages, Zea is peaceful. Maybe because it is the closest to the Royal Capitol. I don’t know how long that I've been walking, maybe an hour or two, I don’t know. I took my booklet guide on my pocket to read some things that I've already forgotten. It only tells basic information, like energy is required to use ability, stamina is use for faster running, gold is the money they use, and amethyst is used for upgrading equipments such as swords, which I've already know. What I need to know is the other things about here, so I turned the page. But nothing is written, nothing yet, I guess. I closed the booklet and continue walking.

I arrived at the Royal Capitol before the sun is down. I walk a little more to see if someone is still living here. There are few people outside but the evening is too quiet. Here now, I'm facing the stone maze that will be the entrance of the castle. This maze is very confusing, the first time I entered this maze took me almost a day before I can pass through it but this time, maybe I can pass through it faster. I entered the maze and started walking. Inside the maze is lit by torches. I walk right then straight, left, right, left, and some dead ends. I walk a little further, I take the path where I didn’t took last time. I turn left and it was a dead end again.

I got tired so I sit down on the ground and put my back on the wall. My feet hurts and the sun is down. I look up in the sky and put my hands on the floor. I wonder if Marlon and Lisza had passed through this. My palms feels numb so I put it on my head to relax. I heard a sound of crushing stone behind my back, and my heart almost jump of because I the wall c***k open and I fall into it. I roll, roll, roll and roll all over and over so as my stomach. I feel I'm going to vomit, I feel that my esophagus is burning and I'm screaming at the top of my lungs. I can’t see anything because of the darkness and also because I'm rolling. I force my self to sit so I won’t roll anymore, and it work. Now I'm sliding. My butt feels hot even if I'm wearing thick pants. Where this tunnel will take me? A minute later, I see a light, and as I got closer, It’s getting bigger forming a square hole. I got closer and closer and “SCORE!” I'm inside the hole. My feet hit the wall. Inside the hole is dim, and cold. My eyes adjusted in the dark and I see that my feet didn’t hit the wall, but a stair. The space is not so big and not too small. Spiral stairs and small space? I think for a minute. “A tower, the wizard's tower!” I said, feeling excited. Why didn’t I saw this tunnel last time? I asked myself. I climbed to the stairs and get the good old wizard. I climbed on the 4,506 stairs, yes, I counted it. I reached the top of the tower and see the big-30-pieces-magic puzzles.

The puzzle pieces has number from one to thirty. The number will help you for demanding the pieces to move but the order of the number doesn’t indicate if you already solved the puzzle. This s**t took me long.

The puzzle has six layers. The first number of the first layer are: 1, 4, 10, 12, 15. Second layer: 16, 3, 7, 5, 30. Third layer: 22, 19, 25, 21, 2. Fourth layer: 12, 23, 26, 6, 8. Fifth layer: 9, 14, 13, 20, 28. And the sixth layer: 18, 24, 27, 11, 29.

The last time I solved it, I didn’t understand what the heck that evil wizard was thinking when he imprisoned this poor wizard inside. Using a puzzle as a lock? Nonsense. But when I finished solving, I understood why. The pattern is to arrange the odd numbers and even numbers by separating them to each other, layer by layer like odd, even, odd, even, odd, even.. I started with the first layer. “4 exchange with 3” I demanded. Then 5 with 10, 7 with 12 and so on. I finished solving the puzzle and the pieces glowing in green light, the dusts is falling and it shows the image, an image of snake, biting a deer on its feet. What does this means?

The door cracked open slowly. Would this old thing remember me? I wonder.

The card is glowing inside my pocket and I pull it out. The hologram appear again and saying “Quest Completed. 60 points received. You reached level 2 Bronze.” This is how fast you can level up, if you always have a pop-up quests, but if none, It will take you forever. “4 power up received.” The power ups are for upgrading special abilities. Since there are 4 points and I only have three abilities, I added the two points for fireball. “Fire ball: Level 3.” Then I added the two remaining power ups on Heat-up and Energy Flame. “Heat-up: Level 2.” “Energy Flame: Level 2.”

When I'm done, I look at the door and it’s fully opened. I enter the room and look around. Inside the room is dark, only the moon gives the room a bit light. The bookshelves full of cob webs and dust, the table is messy. The room is messy, all of it. I walk close to bookshelf. I reach for one of the books.

Whoo said that you can touch one of my books!?” The old voice said. I'm startled. I look around to see where did that voice came from. But nothing. My heart starts to beat too fast. I turn back my eyes on the bookshelf, still nervous. I fall to the ground when I saw a face on the bookshelf. My heart beats faster, I feel that anytime I will have an heart attack. But I recognize his face. “What?” he said. Bartholomew!, the GOW, short for, great old wizard.

I used to call him GOW, and he didn’t like it. When I call him on that, he always said “Don’t call me GOW! Call me by my name!” “Bartholomew. Bar-tho-lo-mew.” Or “I'll turn you into a mosquito and smash you!” I stand up, still cannot believe I'm facing this old thing. “Who are you?” he asked. He doesn’t remember me. This is the same when we first met.

“I'm Christoffer” I answered. He look at me like I committed a horrible crime. He turn his eyes on the door, his eyes widened when he saw that the door is opened. He float in the air like a balloon losing its air.

“Free! Free at last!” he exclaimed. I cannot blame him for that, imagine being imprisoned in a very long time, knowing that no one is there to let you free. “Thank you, Chris.. what’s your name again?” he asked again.

“Christoffer” I repeated.

“Ah, yes.” He said, storing a new file in his brain. “Thank you. In exchange for releasing me from this dusty old library of mine, I shall guide you to your journey. I promise to help you as far as I can.” He continued. He told me this last time but he didn’t help me at, maybe a bit.

“Ah, thanks.” I said.

We exit the room. While walking, the ghost wizard is still floating in the air, circling above my head like a fly in the cartoon when the character has a bad smell. I can’t take this anymore. I’m getting irritated. He continue flying above my head while saying “I’m free! I'm free!” all over again. This wasn’t the wizard that I expected when I first met him. I thought he was a serious old man, well sometimes, he’s very serious especially when I'm on a quest or practicing combat, or my special abilities, but that’s it. He's so annoying and loud. I got irritated. I can’t help it anymore. He has to stop.

“Can you just walk, and shut your mouth?” I said, annoyed. He go down and started to walk. “Good boy” I said hilariously. After a few steps, hee stop walking and smack my head hard. I almost stumbled because of it. “What was that for?” I demanded.

“How dare you to treat me like that, you little shit.” He said, I can feel that he’s angry. “I'm five-hundred and two years old, and you will demand me?” he raise his hand, and I know that he will hit me again.

“Okay. Sorry my lord.” I said, making him not to hit me again. He put down his hand.

“Good boy.” He said then laughs. We continue walking down the stairs. Once on the ground floor, we exit the tower and enter the castle.