It's real. It's all real.
And I'm... flying..
"Whoa Kurt!!! What the hell?!" I shouted. We were literally in the sky, floating. The Gameworld was down below us and everything looks very small from this point in the sky. But oh was I flying. "Get me down now!"
"Just relax and stay still, Ms. Sheffield. You will not fall as long as you have me with you here, or not you would already have your face hard to the ground." Kurt said, giving me an evil smirk.
"Okay, okay." But it wasn't okay. It felt like standing but with nothing on your feet to stand on, and when you look down it feels like you will get pulled to the ground from a great height.
"Come on, this way now." Kurt said, dragging me in the air.
Everything is clear and detailed from this point. The houses, the streets, the people, unless they didn't look like humans. They were like Kurt. And not just guys. There were children and elders, both women and men. And they don't live on the ground either. The lands somehow.. float.
It was a beautiful city. Kingdom. Like those in Fantasy games and movies. Exactly why it's called a Gameworld. The houses were beautifully structured and the floating lands filled with different buildings. And the sky! Ooh the sky. It was the prettiest landscape I've ever seen. It was breathtaking. A mixture of yellow, orange, red, and pink. And it was warm and peaceful. The people must live in harmony here.
After a few minutes of sightseeing from the sky, there we were. The Castle. The biggest, most majestic thing here. It was huuuge and like the others, also floating. And also very beautifully and perfectly structured and carved with every detail... there.
"Welcome to the Palace." Kurt greeted me. He dropped us down right in front of the castle where there was a huge tall door which I expect is the main entrance, with all those soldiers lined up along the entrance. Now this is not what you call military trained. This is friggin' super military trained soldiers.
When we walked along the long entrance to the huge door with all the soldiers lined up, my PJs that I've been wearing since I got here transformed as we walked. Like magic. Sparks flying and changing my clothes into a pretty dress and my medium legth brown hair into a nice wavy complicated braided hairstyle. I felt literally like a princess. I felt really clean and neat. Lastly my shoes. They turned my bare feet into bare feet in really pretty leather boots.
"And that is what I'm talking about," Kurt said. "You look royalty now. I guess His Highness was really expecting you."
"What? I look like Barbie now? Puh-lease." I scoffed.
We entered the Palace when the huge tall door opened by itself and then a voice came out of nowhere "Welcome, Ms. Sheffield." Thank you I said in my mind.
Soon we got to His Highness' throne and like any other moments like this, we bowed before spitting a single word.
"I have brought Ms. Sheffield, Your Majesty." Kurt said.
The King wasn't as what I expected. I expected a huge giant with white hair and facial hairs. Old. Muscular and.. Like Ariel's Dad in The Little Mermaid. Like that. Yes.
But no. He looked like Anduin Lothar from Warcraft, instead. Kinda young, good-looking, still no white pigmented hair growing out, fit. Just super hot. And when he smiled at me. Oh...
"Hello, Ms. Sheffield. I have been expecting you the most today." He said.
"Hi.. Umm, call me Anduin- I mean Zoe, instead. I'm Zoe Sheffield, you see. Zoe, Sheffield? Zoe's my name, so.. yeah, get it?" Stop bluffing, Zoe! I can't believe I'm falling for the King. Ugh.
"Hahaha. Alright then, Zoe. So I assume Kurt here has told you everything?" He said.
"He told me about the Gameworld and you, never really about what I'm supposed to do here."
"Since I've been expecting you most today, how about we talk somewhere else?" He said, and before I replied we were already walking.
"So why have you been expecting me most? What's so special?" I asked.
"So here's the thing. You know by now that my job is to watch the mortals in your world as they improve their gaming to be able to be called here. Before we go further, let's talk about what we do here. Alright, so here players can make something close to an account. Like in MMORPGs. You make your own account in order to participate. With that account, you play here. The game they play will be the game they're best at. Here, the games aren't like any of them, though. You enter the portal to the Game Arena and you become the player and the main character. Each Game Arena has their own story and it is your job to solve the problem and finish the game. You see, behind every game there is always a story they creators make. Everything starts from imagination." He said, so fast he was skipping one or two breaths. He was surely so excited.
"Why is it necessary to play here again if we can just play it in the real world? Is there anything we're trying to achieve here?" I asked.
"Yes! Good question, Zoe. When you win a game here, you get a copy of the Game Arena into your Area library. Especially when you're the first winner of a Game Arena. You get a copy plus become the owner of that Arena. Well, at least 50% of it. And you can visit the Arena whenever you like maybe as an short escape plan or you know, to chill. And maybe hangout with the characters there and just enjoy their world. Now, the more Arenas you completed and add to your library, the better the chance of you becoming the Ruler of this Gameworld when it's time for a new leader. Take the Arenas as points."
"So if I agree to play here, can I still go back to the real world? To my life." I asked.
"Yes, of course. But I'm not saying completing a game here is easy. It depends on the level of story. The higher the more points you receive. Oh! And, call me Osias, please." He said.
"Okay. What if my family or someone realises I'm gone in the real world?" I asked.
"The time here is much much faster than Earth's. Say you spent a month here. A month here is maybe around 10 minutes in the real world. But. If you die in the Arena, you won't respawn. Instead, you will be sent out of the Arena and to your room, which will be here." Osias said, as he showed me a really fancy futuristic princess-y room. I already love it.
"Does it affect my body in the real world, though?" I asked.
"If it is really terrible, then yes. You won't actually die, relax. Maybe some burns or injuries later. The Arenas are supposed to test your physical, logical, and mental skills. Are you worth it or not. So you should expect some pain." Osias said.
A couple of injuries can't be so bad. Besides, I always wanted a scar or two..
We went inside my room and Osias let me check it out for a while. He was smiling at me as I went in awe everytime I see something rare. Which was EVERYWHERE.
"So what game did you pick for me?" I asked, without looking at Osias and still focusing at the furnitures.
"You, young lady, were picked the game Vainglory. The first ever to be picked this game," Osias said as he gave me the book Kurt showed me earlier in my room in the real world.
"Vainglory? How in the world do they make that game as a story?" I asked as if I was talking to myself.
"I don't know. That is your job to find out." Osias said.
This is going to be fun. I mean, I'm gonna meet Ringo, Catherine... them..
And it's a story. And I will wrap it up. Me.
"So I'm going to meet the characters in the Arena? The heroes?" I asked one last time.
"Yes, Zoe. And you're going to talk to them and find a way to get them to work with you." Osias said.
I already know it was going to be awesome asf.
"Deal. I agree. I'll do it. Whatever. When do I start." I said, so happily.
"Great. Make sure to fuel up before you start. Then find us and we're good to go." Osias said, walking towards the door with Kurt. "We'll see you later then. Soon." He said and smiled, then left.
Taka, here I come.