Sword Art Online: Tales of Aincrad

The Damaged Soul

"Right, I have to go now. My parents are arguing again, I think it might be about me seeing as they never argued before I was trapped, or maybe I just didn't notice it before. I'll update again when I find somewhere a little more quiet".

Diary Entry Number 3: May 15th 2015, 15:08pm

"Sorry for the interruption, I'm now sat in the garden now where it less noisy so you might hear the occasional bird song, but it's a major improvement from what's going on inside the house. Family life is something that I've been having to get used to again, seeing as for two years I only had the people I would occasionally talk to when I wasn't fighting with or against them. Mum and dad seem to be the same people, they argue a lot which is new to me but maybe that's something that I didn't notice like I said earlier. The other family members who I have seen haven't changed much either, they all fit with the memories that I have of them. But of course I had to meet some of the new members and learn about who has left us. But perhaps the biggest change that I've noticed is my little sister, she was twelve when I traveled to Aincrad, a sweet and innocent child without a care in the world. But now she was something different, always off doing her own thing and never giving a glance to anyone who didn't interest her. I have spoken to her a few times since I have awoken, but even with that I'm getting the feeling that she seems to resents me for some reason. Maybe it's because I left her alone in this world, leaving her vulnerable to the things that her big brother should protect her from. Even if that is for that reason I would like to talk to her more, maybe I should try harder, or maybe I should just give her some space. I don't know, I'm starting to think that people are harder to understand in this world, they all seem so much more delicate than the other players who I met in Aincrad, there is something that makes them weaker but I just can't understand what".

"It looks like everything's calmed down now, I'm going to go back inside as I have chores to do. I'll update this again when I have something interesting to talk about... hopefully".

Diary Entry Number 4: May 21st 2025, 16:00pm

"I'm going to attempt to complete this entry as best I can, I've just got back from physical therapy and I'm exhausted. Hmm... seeing that I'm on the subject I might as well talk about it. Like everyone else who has been evicted from Sword Art Online, I am being rehabilitated in order to settle back into my old life. This is being done through countless hours of physical and mental therapy that are designed to strengthen both my body and my mind, there's no doubt that I can feel my life slowly but surely returning to the way it used to be before the events of SAO. But even though they want to make me normal again, to put me back into their system, I have recently found myself becoming quite nostalgic for that digital world I called home for two years of my life, and with all of the information that they have drip fed to me, it has simply passed me by quietly while I remember the battles I fought and the glory that I received. I will admit that I am gaining something through these sessions, a few weeks have passed since I started them and I have grown strong enough to stand without any need of support, this did brighten my mood as I did not feel as weak as I had been when I had woken up. But recently the happiness has been slipping away, it started to disappear when I once again looked in the mirror to monitor my progress. But instead of seeing a healthy man on the road to recovery, all I saw was a shadow of my former self. The shadow of a man who had fought monsters, dueled players and earned the title of King, the man who I had once been. But I had been removed from that body, and all I was now was weak man who couldn't hold his own in a fight, a creature that should be ashamed of its mortal form with no reason to belong inside of the arena. I broke the mirror earlier today... I smashed it in when I saw my reflection, when I saw that creature looking back at me. That's seven years bad luck for me then I guess, but to be honest I can't imagine it getting any worse than this. I am trying to adapt to this world as best I can, if I did it in Aincrad I should be able to do it here. But no matter how hard I try to fit it, to be normal, there's always a part of my mind that wants to go back to that digital world".