Loading New World

Loading Zone - New Quest Accepted

The bus ride back to college felt strange.

Not bad-strange – just different.

The kind of different where you know the map's the same, but you've been away long enough to forget some of the landmarks.

Jace sat near the back, hoodie pulled up, bag slouched against his legs. The window blurred with rain, and each drop seemed to roll faster as the bus picked up speed.

He checked his phone.

A text from Robin:

"Meet you in the lobby before class?"

Jace typed back:

"Yeah. Be there in 10."

The college lobby was louder than he remembered. Voices bounced off the high ceiling, footsteps clattered over the tile floor. The smell of coffee and wet coats hung in the air.

Robin spotted him first.

"Hey," they said, smiling like it had been a month instead of just two weeks. "Survived winter break?"

"Barely," Jace said, half-smiling back. "You?"

"Leveled up my Stardew farm. And ate way too many mince pies."

They started walking to class together, Robin keeping pace without rushing him. Somehow, just having them there made the noise easier to filter out.

The first session back was an introduction to a new group project. The tutor, Mr. Khan, explained the brief: design a short narrative-driven game prototype in teams of three.

Jace felt his shoulders tense. Group work always meant talking. Talking meant attention. Attention meant...

Yeah.

"Guess we're partners," Robin said softly, already writing their names down on the group sheet. "Who else should we get?"

Before Jace could answer, Leo appeared at the edge of the table, grinning.

"Yo! You two need a third? I'm basically a game design genius. Also I make killer instant noodles."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "The noodles are relevant... how?"

"They're morale food. Very important in crunch time."

Jace laughed before he could stop himself. "Fine. You're in."

The rest of the class blurred into planning sketches and messy notes. Jace wasn't sure if it was the winter break or just being with Robin and Leo, but speaking up felt... easier today.

Not effortless, but easier.

When he got home that night, Jace opened his sketchbook. On a blank page, he drew three pixel characters: himself, Robin, and Leo – standing side by side, holding mismatched weapons.

Underneath, he wrote:

Loading New World – New Quest Accepted

Survived first day back

Joined new party

Boss battle: Group presentation

He sat back in his chair, smiling faintly.

For the first time in a while, the next stage didn't seem so impossible.