Light Within

No more turning back...

Katherine takes the first steps to redeem her enjoyment. She readies herself in her room, waiting for her father to work himself in his study room. She will work her plan off, no matter what. 

"This should work", determined Katherine. 

             Katherine always wonders where her father would store her VR set in his room. She tries to sneak in when he was not around. "Hmm, I should do it at night, but the event starts in the midnight", thought Katherine. She puts her right hand under her chin, thinking carefully, "But I want to meet the other first". She finally decided to snatch the VR and locked her door after she succeeded in the theft. "Katherine, dinner's ready", yelled Eddie, from the kitchen. Katherine pretended like she did not hear him, as she cannot bear to be in the same room with him. Eddie, who felt helpless, took his dinner and went to the workroom, to continue his work, and to let her daughter takes her food. After hearing the sounds of the door closed in the workroom, signing that it is time for Katherine to work her plan. She deviously gets into the action, and quietly opens her bedroom's door, to avoid the noise. Step by the wicked step, she finally reached her father's room. "Well, here goes nothing."

            Katherine slowly turns the doorknob, avoiding much noise when she slightly pushed the door open. She scanned her father's room. Pictures of her mother and father, hanging at the walls, covered it. She takes her time to look at the picture, one by one. One of them is when a young lady figure, with a trophy "The Best Game Designer", standing beside her father. "This must be mom, in her younger age...And got to admit, Dad looks clean here", thought Katherine. After a few admirations towards the pictures, she quickly regains her focus, to find her VR. Astral, thinking deep in her thought, "If I were Dad, where will I hide my daughter's VR?". She noticed that in her father's walk-in wardrobe, there was a box, sealed with newspaper, with headline 'Mysterious disappearance of a young woman'. Out of curiosity, Katherine took her moment to read a piece from that news. "Hmm, a young woman, after giving birth, a few days later", she continued to read, "The authority suspected that, the mysterious disappearance of the lady, is connected to her well-being company's scandal, despite her junior position on that company". Eagerly, Katherine scrapped the paper from the box to find out that the missing person was her mom. She gasped, but quickly put her hand at her mouth. She cannot believe it, after all, she only thought that her mom died, in some car crash accident. Her mind was completely dizzy.

            Although she already ripped the paper, to open the box, her brain was too occupied with the overwhelming information she had to know. "I need to find Dad, now!", thought Katherine, furiously. 

            She took the box, along with her VR, to her father's workroom. She stomped, loud enough, even Eddie left his room, to find out what is going on. "What's wrong, Katherine? Is there any thief broke in?", asked Eddie, but before he can hug her, he noticed the box. His face suddenly changed, from worrying to mad, "Where did you get that?". Katherine threw the paper in front, where it dropped between her father and her, with sad, yet anger-looking face. "What is this? Answer me!", yelled Katherine, making her father more furious. Eddie, glaring into her daughter's eyes, refuses to answer, yet he replied, with cold, harsh tone: "You're breaking into my room? How dare you!". Katherine already put the box on the floor, as she does not want to wreck her games. She continued to throw her tantrum towards her father, "How could you? After all the people, you can't even trust me with this, and you expect me to respect your request?". They both continue to argue, Katherine starts strong, "Dad, you want me to listen to you, yet you conceal this one BIG secret from me?", she hesitated, but she continued, "What makes you think I will trust you afterwards?". Eddie alarmed, but he refuses to let his daughter talks like that, "You're too young! Do you want me to discuss with you about that? You wouldn't understand it either". Offended by her father accusation, Katherine pushed through her father and headed straight into her room. 

The last word, before Katherine locks her door, with VR's box, "Well, don't even acknowledge me as your daughter then, if you can't even trust your blood". Eddie hurried into her room, but too late to enter. "Open this door, once!", yelled Eddie. Katherine, for once, felt determined. She quickly took her VR's helmet, laying down on her bed and then start the game. "I wish I can stay in the game, Forever!", wished Katherine. Little that she knew, her wish will come true, later.

.

Changing to Astral.

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             When Astral already logged in, she found out that Noir was hanging around at the Resting Nest. "Astral?! I thought that your dad confiscated your VR. What happened?", asked Noir, surprisingly seeing Astral online. Astral ignored the question and pulled Noir's hand, going to meet the others. "Where Ritsu and Haiz? The event should start in a few hours. We should meet them first", said Astral, while avoiding to meet Noir's eyes. She does not want her to see her teary eyes. Noir, senses something wrong about Astral's behaviour, lets it through. She quickly becomes her cheerful persona, and hugs her, "Yeay! We can finally go into our first event". Seeing Noir happy, Astral wipes her tear, and smiles back. They both now walk side by side and discuss their strategy.

 "Took you, girls, long enough."

            Ritsu and Haiz were already there at the meet spot. It was planned by Noir before their last meet up. She wanted to do some check-up and gained some insight from those two about the event, as additional information. She wanted to make sure that if, Battle Royal, have the same concept as the typical online games or not. If it does, then the chances to get into the top 3, are quite promising. "Hmm, as far as I already gathered from the players around, the event might take place in the new area...far from what we've already explored", reported Haiz. All of them looks excited, except Noir, who still in her deep thought. She carefully planned in her mind, the ways to defeat all the players, swiftly. "Oh, come on Noir. Don't be so stressed. We came here for fun, right?", cheered Astral, wrapping Noir in her arm. Noir giggled, and put her hands on her waist, "Well, I don't want my trophy, The Best Online Player, been snatched from my room". The girls laughed, while the boys, could not catch up on their conversation. After that, the group discussed and chatted about the event's looks and procedure.

 "Ah, it almost the time."

             Ritsu looks at the time on the Player's Tab, as it already indicating the event would about to start. They realized that all the players had already gathered at the centre of Ludea, waiting for the announcement. "Wait!", shouted Astral, as she drew her staff and chanted some buffing spells. "Though we will be enemy later, it doesn't hurt to help friends earlier", said Astral. Both Ritsu and Haiz thanked her, and all of them walked to the gathered people. As they arrived there, a countdown from the sky, ticking from time to time, to almost zero. Noir grabbed Astral hand, smiled, "Remember the last time we played together? Well, today, we will do it again". Astral returned the gesture, squeezing Noir's palm and smiled, "They should be afraid of you right now, not knowing what will hit them". Astral chuckled and looked back at the countdown.

"Lets the game begin!"