Civilization

"What. What do you mean?"

As I question Melody I check her stats.

Name: Melody

Race: Human

Health Points (HP): 10/10 

Mana Points (MP): 10/10

Strength: 7

Vitality: 5

Intelligence: 15

Dexterity: 10

Agility: 7

Luck: 5

Skill: Dream or Nightmare (Passive)

Dream or Nightmare (Passive) - Once the individual sleeps there is a chance they may experience a real dream or a fake nightmare about an event in the near future. The higher the individual's intelligence the longer the visions and the more clear. 

"How and when did you start experiencing these visions?"

"3 days ago. I was praying at night to Ariel before I went to sleep. That was the first time a vision came to me and I'm not too sure why I am experiencing them. Ian, I'm scared and worried."

"Okay, tell me in as much detail as you can, what did you see?"

"The first night was you falling into a hole or something. The second night, I saw David and Kingston fighting a large beast with the ground covered in blood. Last night, I saw everyone piled up like a mountain, dead."

"Was that all? You didn't see it in more detail?"

"No…How can I? It felt like I was right next to them when it happened. It is like a flash of light. It comes and goes before you even know it."

"Okay, so along the journey there will be a hole of some sort, a large beast and all of us dead. Can you describe the beast?"

"Umm, it had 2 legs, 2 smaller arms, a head as big as a house, scales as skin and along the back it had triangle points all the way from the top of its head down to its tail."

"A dinosaur?"

"What is a dinosaur, Ian? Do you know what the monster is?"

"Umm, maybe. I'm not sure but I think I have an idea."

"Can I come along?"

"I still don't know why you want to come Melody."

"I may know the future and I want to stay with you. What if I see more on our way there?"

"But-"

"I know, Ian. I'm not a fighter but, I won't be in the way."

"Melody…I would prefer you to stay here. I don't want you to get hurt. Why risk yourself?"

"I. I just want to help…"

"You will be helping Melody. Look at how much everyone has learned from your teaching. You are doing great. You are helping here."

"R u sure…?"

"Yea. I'm sure."

"Not lying right?"

"I'm not."

"You won't die right?"

"I won't."

"Okay…I'm going to help Lucina with the packing."

"Okay. "

I watch as Melody walks away slowly, constantly looking over her shoulder with worried eyes. I can't blame her though, what she saw was very different and must have felt very real. The only problem is that what she saw might be real or might be fake. The description for the skill speaks of either a dream or a nightmare. Of the 3 dreams, there are chances that 1 or 2 or even all 3 of them were nightmares. 

Do I take the visions with a grain of salt?

Or…?

Are they legit?

Even if I die or Kingston dies, we are players we would come back. 

But.

If the others were to die then…

I'm so confused.

A hole, a dinosaur, and a mountain of corpses. This does not bode well for our trip. I toss my head around, racking my brain for any possible hints in Melody's words and the skill description but nothing out of the ordinary pops into my mind. It doesn't matter if what is going to happen is real or fake I should investigate the map regardless. I sigh to myself and look around as I walk to the bottom of the canyon where I spot Kingston sitting by the table on the wharf. I walk over and talk to him after placing my hand on his shoulder.

"Kingston, what are you doing there?"

"Nothing. Just sitting."

"For how long?"

"From when I woke up."

"Just here? Looking at the waterfall?"

"Yeah."

"Are you okay? Did something happen in real life?"

"No."

"Then? Why are you just sitting here?"

"I just want to sit here. My mind has been a mess recently."

"Want to talk to me about it?"

"I don't know if it would help me to talk about it."

"Try me."

I take a seat next to Kingston waiting for him to speak first. Seconds went by, then minutes, until finally, Kingston opens his mouth, speaking with a quiet shaky tone.

"I… I feel like killing someone."

"WOW. Wow. Wow. What? Kingston, mate. Are you okay? What happened?"

"Ian… I don't know. My hands… They… They itch constantly. The feeling of beating something down completely hasn't left me."

"Was it in the Ikanda? You never told me much about the final challenge."

"That place is a hell hole! What happens in there…Needs to stay in there."

"Not when you are acting like this. Tell me. What changed you in there?"

"Everything."

"Everything?

"Everything. From the darkness, to the constant laughter. You know. I woke up today hearing it in my ear. The same laughter echoing in that dark hole, next to my ear but the thing is nothing was near me. Noone was near me. BUT. I can hear it. The waterfall drowns it out."

"Kingston…"

"No. I don't. I don't want to hear it."

"But-"

"STOP!"

Kingston pushes his chair back, getting up aggressively and grabs my throat, lifting me off my chair. His bloodshot eyes glares at mine. I see him clenching his teeth hard as he grips on my throat harder. I struggle at his hold, desperately gasping for air. My hands flail about hitting his wrist and forearm. His face blurs slightly and dizzines sets in. I open my status only to see my HP dropping and right before it hits zero, Kingston drops me. His face full of shock as he sees me coughing and wheezing for air. 

"Ian! Ian! I'm so sorry. I…I…"

I raise my hand up, placing it on his shoulder while giving him a weak smile.

"It's…*cough* *cough* fine. Are you…okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I'm so sorry Ian."

I shake my head and flop down, taking deep breathes. 

"Kingston. Want to tell me a little about what happened?"

"The skill activated. Endless Rage."

"The one you told me about before. I thought it only happens when you are below 50% HP."

"That's the thing. It should only activate when I'm before 50%. I don't know why it activated."

"A bug?"

"No… Honestly, I felt it rising, my anger. Maybe there is a hidden condition to the skill which isn't displayed. I'm sorry, Ian."

"No, don't be sorry. The skill is a curse as much as it is gift. Did you lose any stat points because it activated?"

"Checking…No, I didn't. It's like a split personality or a disorder."

"The skill might be affecting how you go about in the game just make sure you know the difference."

"What do you mean?"

"This is a game and the skill is in the game. If you get upset in real life remember that is because of your own actions. You can't blame the skill or the game like how you can when you are here."

"You think, I might be more proned to aggressive behaviour…?"

"I don't know but… Better to be safe than sorry. I see that the waterfall is having a healing effect on you. Listening to it calms you down, so maybe have waterfall noise in the background when you are out of the game and find methods to calm anger. While it won't have an immediate effect or anything it will definitely help."

"Maybe… Maybe. I'll try it once the game shuts down for the night."

"Yeah. Your real life affects your gameplay as well."

"Yeah… Thanks Ian. For now I'm just going to be here. I'll have to fish out our chairs but other than that, I'll be here. Tell me when we are setting out okay?"

"We set out tomorrow morning. Everything should be prepared by then okay?"

"Okay…"

I walk away from Kingston slowly. I still find it hard to breath properly. I decide to just relax for the rest of my time, watching Gobi train anyone in the training field. The activity relaxes me and the incident in the morning is placed in the back of my head. 

The game ends for the night and I wake up in my room. I try swallowingmy saliva but I found it hard to do, like something was stopping it. Forcing it down with a cup of water was the only way. My cracked lips sting as the water touches it and afterwards I take a shower. I look in the mirror and to my surprise there were slight red marks similar to that of a hand grasping my throat.

"What the-"

I blink once and it disappears. I touch my neck to be sure but nothing.

The red mark disappears or maybe it wasn't even there.