“Wait! So soon?” Aliyah cries out, but Vilandra is already sprinting away, frantically staring at her GPS device. Aliyah sighs, feeling the loneliness creep back in again.
I’m sure I’ll manage… she tells herself, trying to pick a mission that suits her. There are tons of those that involve simple, mundane tasks, but nothing catches her eye yet.
Until she stumbles upon an interesting one.
-
GARDENER WANTED AT GEINSTROM VILLAGE
“Lord Sifer, ruler of the village, wishes to have a player continuously take care of the wide garden at his mansion. In return, the player will be provided shelter and possible training if the quest is done well and consistently.”
Requirements: Level 1, Sorcerer/Sorceress Type
Rewards for Success: 50,000 coins, Sorcerer’s Handbook
-
Huh? The same last name as mine? Aliyah stares at the mission details for a moment, reading it for the second time. This should be interesting! It must be fate that I saw this one, she thinks to herself in amusement, pressing the ‘Accept’ button.

***

Geinstrom Village is actually a long way from Lucis. Aliyah finds that, by asking around for information, that she can get there much faster if she manages to walk towards Vastea Town, a place where players can either rent a “Dreamvec” or buy a ticket for the “Dreamtrain”. As much as Aliyah wants to cringe at these transportation labels, she doesn’t want to waste money just yet, so she figures that she can walk around and gather more coins from defeating weak enemies in the plains. The civilian NPCs, however, warn her that it’s best not to wander too far from Lucis to train and fight monsters for there are strong creatures out there that can KO her in one shot if she’s not careful.
Aliyah hums to herself as she conspicuously trails behind groups of other players who are chattering to themselves excitedly, the sounds of their voices coalescing with the others and creating a cacophony of noises which Aliyah oddly finds comforting to hear. It’s the prospect of silence that unnerves her, mainly because she already felt alone the moment Jenna—or Vilandra—left her side to pursue her own beginner quest. Aliyah finds familiarity in the laughter of the other players, basking in the comfort of friendly faces and sarcastic jibes even though she knows none of them, and they don’t even notice her presence for she tries to seem invisible just for the moment.
It’s not that she’s balking at the possibility of social interaction. It’s just that, aside from the shyness of intruding into pre-made friendships, she’s afraid that someone may recognize her. Even though Vilandra assured her that she only recognized her because they’ve been so close and together for so long, Aliyah can’t help but feel nervous.
-
“Dream World? What’s that?”
“Don’t you know, *******? It’s the hottest VR game in the world right now! You gotta try it!”
“Yeah, *******! We can all play together and gain more achievements!”
******* frowned. “I do not play games. VR does not interest me, either. I do not understand why everyone is praising it so highly.”
The moment the words left her mouth, she instantly regretted it. She had made herself sound too stiff, too stony, when she didn’t even mean it.
There was silence for a moment before her classmates chuckled to themselves.
“I forgot that all ******* does is study all day long, haha!”
“If you really don’t wanna play, we won’t force you!”
“******* is so cool, you know. She doesn’t fool around like us!”
“Yeah, she’s so dedicated…”
-
Aliyah frowns, remembering that time when she tried too hard to seem like the perfect, hardworking student. She knows that she shouldn’t have put up such pretenses, but it’s too late now.
And I know I shouldn’t be worrying so much about what others think of me… but…
I do care. I can’t help it.
If they find out I’m playing the same game I always tell them is a waste of time, they’ll make fun of me.
They’ll never let me live it down.
Aliyah exhales, unconsciously pulling at her coat. The voices of the other players are still there, still comforting her with the fact that she’s not actually alone. Aliyah yearns to talk to someone, to share her excitement over playing this game for the first time. But when she looks around, her eyes inconspicuously darting across the groups, she finds that all of them are huddled together with at least three people.
They say two’s company, and three’s a crowd.
Aliyah does not want to become unnecessary baggage.

***

The sun is setting by the time Aliyah finishes walking. The other players have already gone their separate ways, deciding to go visit the town of Filanema, a place where there are apparently a lot of tourist attractions based on their excited chatter. They must not be in a hurry to complete their quest, Aliyah thinks to herself as she trudges the grasslands alone. Well, not exactly alone, because there are still a few groups left who seem to be going the same direction as she is. However, they are still in their own world, giggling to themselves as they try out their magic and prank each other with them. Aliyah sighs at such immaturity, but the fondness soon creeps in, because she misses having that kind of relationship with friends. In the real world, she’s a straight-A student from a well-off family who doesn’t fool around, and her classmates think that she already has a future set in stone for her.
Well, they’re wrong, Aliyah thinks to herself almost bitterly. I don’t know what I want to do, either.
It doesn’t take long for her to reach Vastea Town. The place seems full of life, like a busy city with numerous streetlights and skyscrapers. From her vantage point, Aliyah spots a few planes flying in the sky; she doesn’t know if they’re operating for transportation purposes or for mere leisure, but she doesn’t dwell on it further, for even though she wants to try, she doesn’t have enough money for the ticket.