Nhyx didn't follow me. He lingered in the doorway. When I looked at him, I noticed the scowl on his face. His hand hovered over the doorknob.
I cleared my throat. "Is something wrong?"
"Well, you see, Miss," Nhyx chuckled before shaking his head, "it saddens me that you're here. I gave every person an invitation for one reason." He slowly placed his free hand on his chest. "I handpicked all of my attendees."
I bit the insides of my cheek. "Okay, that's fine. I'm sorry." Nervously, I rubbed my fingers together at my sides. Deep breaths in, out. "I mean, I can go out and find her." I'm lying, but whatever, I have to follow a story, right? "Would that make it better?"
With a sigh, Nhyx shook his head. "It wouldn't."
We locked eyes, and I froze. I wasn't sure whether to run past him and leave or continue to listen.
"I'm sure you know stories of the haves and have-nots, don't you?"
When he spoke, I nodded.
Another sigh, he continued, "Well, lovely, this is a town with so many haves; every person has their every desire. And me, a mere warlock from a poor upbringing, had not for so long."
Glancing at the surrounding jewels, I pressed my lips into a thin line. "I think you have a lot."
"You missed the keyword, miss." Nhyx's hand closed around the doorknob. "Had. Now, I have my every desire. And do you know why that is, miss?"
Slowly, I shook my head.
Nhyx bared his teeth. "Because I take from those who have too much and place it here," he nodded towards the crates and chests around me, "to have, forever. Like the Mulin jewel, you're looking for."
My mouth dropped. How did he know?
"It's here if you're wondering." He pointed beside me. "Right there, gently nestled within its dragon crest."
Despite being found out, as weird as it was, I followed his finger. To the right of me, seated perfectly on top of a golden crest, was a dragon's egg. Not a chest or box. All I need to do is grab that, right? Quest over?
"You're a strange one," Nhyx said, laughing. "No questions as to how I knew your identity. Shame."
I turned back to him. My fingers itched for my staff. "I mean, I'm curious but..." Does it matter?
"Hm, seems that's all you are; a curious little kitten." Nhyx turned his head, glancing back down the hall. For a moment, he scowled and shook his head before looking back at me. "You were so eager to find this blasted jewel, you fell into my trap."
What? "A trap?"
Nhyx grinned and pulled the door close to his chest. Only his head was inside the room. I took quick steps toward the door. "Wait."
"Everyone here was invited and given my raspberry wine. Laced, it was, as you probably assumed. Within the next few minutes, they'll be fast asleep, which allows me to steal every expensive item on their person."
Everyone out there, dancing and lusting at each other, would be under his spell. I knew Nhyx couldn't have been a good person, but to invite an entire town to his manor, then drug them? Woah.
Without saying a word, I mentally brought up my in-game menu, something I knew Nhyx couldn't see. At the right were the messages from Luis I had accidentally ignored. To the left were my bagged items; my weapons.
In my head, my plan was simple. Clearly, Nhyx had lost his marbles and I could easily kill him; mid-boss kind of thing. I'd gain the experience, which would probably be shared with Luis. Then I'd grab the pretty, golden egg, and teleport back to town with Luis so we could turn in our quest. Simple, right?
But when I tried to equip my weapon, I found not only could I not reach for it, there was a small red 'x' near its name. Problem number one.
Trying not to panic, I turned my gaze to my unread messages. Luis. Reading the one at the top, I held my breath. "The other workers think I'm a spy. We need to hurry the hell up, huh?"
Ho-kay. We're going to die.
"If you're thinking of attacking me, don't." Nhyx grinned as I looked at him. "This room is coated with anti-magic."
"Anti-magic?" I closed my menu. "Nhyx, you can't do this. You can't—"
"Says you." He rolled his eyes before pulling the door closed another inch. "I can do as I please. All my years of struggling have allowed me to do this. Now you—" His eyes slid up and down, looking me over. "You can't leave."
My jaw dropped.
"You can't." He shook his head before slamming the door shut. I heard it latch as I rushed over to it. Pulling at the knob did nothing but make it rattle.
On the other side of the door, he continued, "You see, I've told you all of my secrets, which I would never tell a soul. And you, dear mage, give off a scent of magic so potent, I couldn't let you walk out of here alive. You would surely notify the town official to have me arrested."
My fists slammed against the door. My heart hammered in my chest. I couldn't look away from the wood in front of me; I feared glancing back inside the room.
But I can't let him know I'm panicking. No, I can't let myself panic.
I slammed my fist against the door. "Nhyx, they're going to find you! These jewels aren't yours! And they'll reclaim what's theirs!"
"They might," he said on the other side. "But I'll be long gone before they find out. And you, sweet mage, have just ten minutes to consider your last moments in life. The gas should be painless, or so I've been told."
Gas...
GAS?
He laughed. "The Apothecary said those who inhale never see it coming. Literally."
I pushed away from the door. The hairs on my arm stood straight. Normally, in a game, this would've been when I cursed the villain, the crime. But as I stood in the midst of it all, I couldn't curse at anyone but myself. And as Nhyx walked down the hall, his footsteps echoing away from the shut room, I did just that.
"Shit!
Who wrote this storyline!
|||
One minute.
Two minutes.
Three.
I wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed. The thumps from my beating heart helped, but not in the way I hoped it would. It only made the situation worse. It suffocated me, strangling me with an invisible hand.
My first response was to rush back to the door and pull at the knob. When that didn't work, I opened my in-game menu and tried to log out. That was when I found leaving wasn't an option during a quest. This wasn't like real life; I couldn't pull myself out of the moment and run from the shadows of my panic and anxiety.
I had to get through this. Had to manage my emotions, pull it together, and survive.
With my back against the door, I opened my inbox and scrolled up through Luis' messages. After the last one I read, there was another.
"Chari, I'm coming. I need to get out of here," it read.
Biting my lip, I tapped into the game's communications and replied to his messages out loud, "I do, too. I'm trapped."
There was a moment's pause. No response. I partly wondered if he received it, or was he too busy getting himself out of his sticky situation? Unlike me.
I slid down to the floor, debating my options. "I can find a way out. This is just a game."
As I fixated on the candle chandelier overhead, Luis' next message came as a voice, not words. I listened to him, and a sense of relief came over me.
"Where are you?" he asked. "You're not moving on the map? Everything okay?"
I mentally pulled up the in-game map. His blue marker carefully moved through the halls not too far from me. My red marker stayed in place. And I swore it trembled along with me.
"Chari," Luis said my name, and I closed my eyes. "Chari, what happened? Do you need help?"
I do. I need help.
"You're not too far. Did you find the jewel? Do you need me?"
I do.
When I opened my eyes, tears fell. It was hard to breathe. My temperature spiked. The edges of my vision blurred as I tried to think of a response.
"I..." I hoped he'd hear me. "Nhyx locked me in a room."
"Nhyx?" Luis responded quickly, both curious and concerned. "The quest didn't update on my end. Where is he? What happened?"
I just told you. Are you listening?
"I don't see any enemy nodes. At least, not next to you. Estás bien, Chari? Tell me."
The room shook. In the corners, I spotted small vents. And I wondered, would I see the gas when it entered the room? Or was it clear, scentless, like Nhyx's Apothecary meant it to be?
Even if I don't see it coming, I won't really die. This is a game.
I pressed my hands down against the floor, pushing myself back up against the door until I stood straight.
But that doesn't make it less scary.
"Okay, wait," Luis said. "There are some enemies there. I can sneak around the corner."
I bit my lip and glanced back at the door behind me. "Can you sneak fast?" My voice trembled.
"I... yes," Luis said.
"Because gas is supposed to come into this room." Deep breaths. Close your eyes. Clear your mind. Positive thoughts. "Nhyx is going to poison me for discovering his plan."
"Poison you?"
I looked back at the map as I focused on calming myself down. Luis' marker came closer. As did the nodes belonging to enemies.
Focus. You're a mage leader. You're a healer. This is child's play.
"Okay, poison, that's fine." Luis laughed. It was nervous and awkward, and I knew it wasn't ha-ha funny for him. "How long do I have to get to you?"
I sniffed the air. Nothing. I glanced at the vents once more. Nothing. Or is it already here?
"Chari, how long?"
"He said ten minutes." I took a step forward. And another. The tip of my shoe hit a ruby, and it rolled away. Shimmers of red spread across the wall as the light from above hit it. "Like... five minutes ago. I think."
"Five minutes. Shit," Luis hissed. "Okay, I'm coming."
He'll be here.
I knelt and scooped up the glistening gem before it rolled too far. It was warm in my hands. A little abnormal. But that wasn't what I focused on. I caught a reflection on its side; an image of the jewel I needed to get.
The Mulin jewel was still in the room with me, safely kept in its dragon crest.
I lowered the ruby and stared at the quest's prize.
"Okay, I'm close!" Luis said. "Just around the corner. Whatever you do, don't breathe it in."
Like that's easy.
The jewel's location glowed as if beckoning me. When I approached it, I thought I heard it hum. My fingers itched to grab it.
"I have the jewel, Luis." Standing directly in front of it, my hand wrapped around the small egg. My thumb brushed against its golden crest. With a push, it opened, and the Mulin jewel glistened inside. I couldn't help my smile. "I have it."
"That's great!" Luis sounded close, not in my ear.
I turned towards the door as the knob rattled. A fist slammed against it on the other side. "Chari, I'm here!"
He's here. Placing the jewel in my inventory, I rushed towards the door. How did he get here so fast?
"Luis?" I grabbed the doorknob. "Luis, can you get the door open?"
"Of course, I can," he grunted on the other side. "Just give me a minute. As a thief, I—"
A puff went off behind me, sputtering from the wall. With a sharp turn, I looked up at the vents in the corners of the room. From them, I saw yellow smoke. Gas. With color; not colorless. I sniffed; not odorless, either.
Eggs. Why does it have to be eggs?
I pressed my back flat against the door as I eyed the poison entering the room. "Okay, yes, thief, great, ah-huh," I said quickly, nervously, stammering over my words. "Can you get me out of here, please!"
"I'm trying!" Luis said. The knob rattled again. Yet nothing. It didn't open. Still locked.
I held my breath. Wake me up...
"Chari, I almost got it. Just another lock pick.... just..."
I squeezed my eyes shut. I can't wake up...
The cool air from the vents steadily filled the room. I felt it on my skin, on my lips. Afraid to move, to think, I shook my head and drowned my thoughts in the song I hummed whenever times got rough; focused on the lyrics with someone else's pain and not my own.
Because if I tore myself away from reality, from this game, I wouldn't know death when it hit me.
Save me...
"Chari!"
The door opened. With nothing behind me, I fell into the hall, out of the room. And into Luis' arms. He covered my body with his; one elbow beside my shoulder, the other hand near my face. We locked eyes as the yellow crept around us, slowly outlining our bodies.
I didn't want to open my mouth to breathe. But my chest burned. My heart wanted to explode.
Luis' head snapped up for a moment before he looked down at me. Yellow smoke enveloped his ears.
He opened his mouth. Inside, I panicked. With wide eyes, I shook my head. Lowering his, he said, "Kiss me."
I stopped shaking. But my eyes widened even more. What did he say? Kiss?
He leaned closer, eyes hooded as he no longer looked into mine. He was focused on my mouth, my lips.
I felt hot, and red, and I wasn't sure if it was my lack of oxygen or him.
What are you doing? The gas! Don't! What? Why!
"Breathe with me," he whispered.