“Come along with me…” hummed Charlie, “and the butterflies and bee-ees. We can wander through the forest. And do so as we pleaaaaaaase…”

Charlie tried to stay positive by thrumming happy tunes from his childhood. He might be walking straight to his grave, knowing the girl might be untrustworthy. The singing helped alleviate the fear since silence caused tension, but as long as he was still alone, peeing oneself remained a possibility.

He felt thankful his wounds had healed. In the Escapist Dream, damage done to a guest automatically healed over time, as long as said guest gave the body time to regenerate. Being invincible was illegal here; one could not ask the system to give superpowers of invulnerability and unkillability.

The best way to slow your health from decreasing was by keeping yourself mentally strong. That was how Charlie survived the orcs, he braced every one of their attacks. Fighting here was similar to a boxing match – it was useless throwing fists unless you set them up, catching opponents on the kisser. Such tips and strategies were still known to him.

Then again, there could be enemies out there who had no weaknesses – no ways of being killed.

A blue orb suddenly hit the ground Charlie was walking on. “Holy shiiiiit!” he yelled as he was thrown from the blast. As he scrambled back to his feet, sniper bullets poked holes around him, making him dance like a carnival monkey. He could barely get his lightsaber out as war cries invaded his ears. A whole army of inimical geeks charged like a tsunami sweeping a coastal city, waving their magical and sci-fi melee weapons, firing whatever guns or spells they had. Charlie failed to give a proper swipe as he was pounced and piled upon.

When he reopened his eyes, Charlie was in an empty circle, surrounded by geeks who kept their distance, giving him a congregation of unpleasant looks. The American geek had never seen such a battered group of lost souls – disheveled and forsaken. However, Charlie also couldn’t help but be excited, seeing geeks in their magnificent costumes, inspired by their favorite media.

“Y’all look fuckin’ awesome! Now tell me, who is the leader of this outfit?”

A man from the crowd came forward, his face much more serious. His walk spoke of superiority, no clinks in his armor as he moved. There was no timidity in him, only the confidence of a true alpha. A jock in nerd’s clothing, he was a chad amongst betas – a god amongst men.

“Who are you?” the guy asked with a deep voice.

Charlie was too engaged admiring his armor to reply, only blurting out, “Holy shit are you… Yeah you are! You’re wearin’ Solaire’s armor! Fuck yeah, dude!”

“I’m asking you a question.”

“You don’t have to worry, bro. I was sent here to help you.”

“Bullshit. I have heard the portal had opened, but I don’t believe anyone from the outside coming in. Who are you, really? And what are you planning to do with us?”

“Dude, relax. I’m just like you. I ain’t no enemy.”

The guy put his hands on the sides of Charlie’s head, caressing it softly as one pets a cat. “Some of our guys who can read minds tried to get into your head, but you chose a passive ability that automatically blocks telepathy and mind invasions. Smart. Very smart.”

Suddenly, he started yanking his head from his neck, making Charlie yell and grab his arms. The guy then doubled down by squeezing his head with superhuman strength. “Remove your mental protection! Or else I’ll crush you like an egg!”

“Dude, please! You gotta believe me! Jeezus! I chose this ability to protect my mind because I don’t want anyone knowin' wh– well let’s just say I came here to help!”

Someone from the sky dropped near the two, making dust fly, surprising everyone watching the show. It was a woman dressed in futuristic armor, whose face was in shock as she saw a familiar face.

“Oh my God, Charlie?!” the woman yelled.

“Catherine?!” replied Charlie as he tried to keep his head conscious. “Wait?! I… Cath! You gotta help me!”

“Amp, let him go!”

“You know this fella?”

“I know him! He’s Charlie! He was one of those who were trapped with me here three years ago!”

“How can you be sure he is whom you say he is? For all we know this is just a trick. The Nihilion might have created this… doppelganger or illusion into making us think someone from the outside came here to help. He’s getting into our heads again!”

“Give him a chance!”

Both geeks locked eyes, seemingly not backing away. But Amp finally relented and lets him go. Charlie knelt while massaging his temple. “Fuck that guy!” the geek cursed.

“Are you really Charlie Anderson?” asked Catherine who also knelt down, putting her hands on him, discerning any human characteristics.

“What the hell are you doin’ here, Catherine?” Charlie asked. “Like seriously, what the fuck did you do? Are you seriously tellin’ me you got yourself trapped here? For a second time? Have you not learned from what we’ve gone through all those years ago? What were you thinkin’?!”

"I'm sorry, kid. I really am…"

As the girl began sobbing, Charlie could not help but hug her and apologize for what he said. He did not intend to hurt her, realizing he should have been friendlier in this reunion as she was one of his old friends.

Amp told the others to disperse, asking to be alone with the two, wanting to learn the secrets inside Charlie's head. He continued his interrogation in a more subdued manner, saying, "So Mr. Charlie, if you are who Catherine says you are. Tell me, what are you doing here exactly?"

“Like I said, I can’t tell you or anybody. This is why I had to protect my mind; to make sure enemies won’t know what I’ll be doin’ here.”

“You better give me something about this secret mission of yours, or I can’t help you.”

“Okay, fine. You see, I was visited by the FBI who asked me to come here and give you a hand. They were hopin’ my experiences three years ago would be helpful here.”

“Well, that sounded like a dumb plan.”

“I know, right? But that’s what they wanted, and here I am fuckin' things up. I can still remember the name of one of the agents who flashed me his identity. I think it was a guy named Young or somethin’? Agent Young, maybe?”

Amp stayed silent, rolling his eyes, making movements with his mouth as if cursing. Charlie hoped this was enough. He came here to help these people, not fight them.

“Well, you gave me something that saved you. But it’s not enough for me to trust you yet. You have to tell me everything if you want to ride with us.”

“I’m tellin’ you. These are the only things I could share.”

“Amp…” Catherine pleaded, but the former only walked away without a farewell.

“Seriously, fuck that guy!” Charlie cursed again. “If he don’t want me here then fuck him. I can find my own way of helpin’ you guys out.”

“Charlie…”

“It’s okay Catherine. Now tell me, what happened here? What’s goin’ on? Did a virus did this?”

"It happened a year ago," explained Catherine. "It was like any normal day. We were all having fun make-believing and role-playing, having the time of our lives, when the Nihilion invaded. We didn't know what it is or why it is here. It just… appeared out of nowhere, sending its armies forth to occupy all four areas of the Escapist Dream. At first, we thought maybe it was only another AI villain. But then we found out the logout button had disappeared, before finding out that you could now die in this game. We tried to fight back, find where the Nihilion was and get the areas back. But we couldn't. We just couldn't get near it with its armies and bosses."

“Oh my God. So for a year, you guys were bein’ massacred?”

“You don’t have to worry since our luck had begun to turn. Just recently we’ve defeated one of its strongest bosses, some fiction fascist named the Professor. We have to beat the bosses first before we can fight the Nihilion, and the moment we beat it, we can finally get home.”

"How many bosses are remaining?"

“Three more. So it’s not entirely hopeless.”

“I see. Well, we’ve survived this before so surely we could survive this again. Say, were you the only one from back then who got trapped here? Is there any else I know here?”

Catherine could only look at him with sorrowful regret. She could barely contain her tears as she said, “There were but… I’m sorry… Charlie. I’m really sorry.”

“Oh…” replied Charlie. Catherine was one of the bravest people Charlie had ever known, so seeing her like this punctured his chest painfully. She was a badass back then, now reduced to an embodiment of abasement. What the hell had this place done to these people?

“Well, it’s nice to see you again, Catherine. It’s really good to see an old friend, whatever places we meet.”

Near where Amp’s forces camped, was a small makeshift shanty, made up of old wood and tarps, standing firm in the breeze. Inside the hut was a collection of anime merchandise, the type of which would make any otaku drool.

There were shelves containing manga, light novels, anime DVDs of both the safe and unsafe kind, their cases shining in glory from the dim light bulb. At the center sat a flat-screen, hissing in static, surrounded by figurines and toys. An old PlayStation 4 was connected to it, beside an equally old Nintendo Switch collecting dust. Both consoles had Japanese titles, stacked on or near them. These weren’t much but it was a way to cope.

Masked by darkness on the side, stood a dry crusty futon. Laying on it was the young Japanese girl, her painful thoughts still persisting. Racked with emptiness, her frown was eternal like that of a statue. Sleep would have been nice, but the Nihilion made sleeping non-existent. Even if she slept, tomorrow would never change – it would only be another day for suffering.

Then the curtains of her entrance withdrew, making her get up. Coming in uninvited was the new guy, the blondie she saw fighting those orcs. He smiled, waving as he intruded, not even minding to take off his shoes.

“Hey! So this is where you are stayin’? I’ve been lookin’ all over for you.”

The young girl said nothing, quickly becoming nervous, covering her legs with a blanket. What is he doing here? And what does he want?

“My name is Charlie, by the way,” the young man added, “and I want to say thank you for savin’ me back there.”

Even with a friendlier appearance, the girl remained awkwardly shaking, but Charlie kept coming forward, much to her displeasure. "What's your name, miss?"

The girl adjusted her glasses which were nearly falling off, before replying in a soft voice, "T-They call me G.I."

“G.I.?” replied Charlie, perplexed. “Well, nice to meet you, and can you help me? Who was that guy? The asshole in Solaire’s armor?”

“H-He calls himself Amp.”

“I see. Can you… also tell me more about him and this place? What is happenin’? Who is the Nihilion?”

The young girl bowed her head and kept quiet, her face becoming bleaker. This was an inquiry Charlie should have never asked.

“Sorry about that,” Charlie continued, “you have a nice place here by the way.” The girl glanced at him for a second, but ended up bowing down again, still remaining silent. Charlie had failed in his attempt at making friends.

But he could also sense overthinking, being scared of the wrong words coming out like social anxiety. Quietness seemed to be a virtue to her, every word was delayed as if her brain was jumbled. He knew this all too well because he'd been in a similar situation. All of the most hardcore geeks had been through it.

Nonetheless, Charlie was also sorry if his words stabbed her. He had forgotten an important rule in socializing – don’t be impatient and establish a connection first.

Charlie stood up and walked around, admiring the collection the girl had. He was impressed with the girl’s tastes, as he recognized many of the great classics there. The girl meanwhile, kept mute and observant, waiting if this guy was finally leaving or not.

“Well, well! What do we have here?” said Charlie as he pulled out a manga from her shelf. “This is Akame Ga Kill! Oh man, I love this manga and its anime adaptation! And you even have my favorite spin-off, Akame Ga Kill: Zero! Did you know what we call this book back in America?”

The girl shook her head. “We hilariously call this anime Everyone Ga Killed, because this is the anime-equivalent of Game of Thrones. You just don’t know who will die next in the story.”

Charlie grabbed another book and showed it to her, saying, “I remember this one too. This is Detective Conan, another classic, and one which my uncle used to love back then. He once told me how anime back then were endurance runs. He said that it took like 600 episodes for the main character to confess to his love interest, and another 300 for them to kiss. Even the Pokémon anime back then was like this. It took a whole decade for Ash Ketchum to win a Pokémon Tournament, and my uncle said it was one of the most celebrated events in anime history.”

Charlie sat with the girl again, closer this time, making her blush. “I also heard this here is one of the longest-running manga around. I wonder what's longer, Detective Conan or Hunter x Hunter? Both mangas have some of the longest publication runs if I remember correctly."

To the internal celebration of Charlie, the girl responded, saying. “Meitantei Konan was the first since it was released 4 years before Hunter x Hunter.”

“Spoken like a true otaku. Though I can’t say if you are cosplayin’ as an anime character I know. Your grey sweater… is it inspired by Misaka Mikoto? But I remember her's being more of a light brown vest.”

“No. Not Misaka-chan. I wanted to cosplay as Mirai Kuriyama from Kyoukai no Kanata, but my pink sweater got bleached grey. I-It was a good anime but I don’t know if people still remember–”

Charlie smiled as the girl continued sharing. Building friendship wasn’t easy, unlike in anime where someone as daft as Monkey D. Luffy or as dark as Himura Kenshin could make friends using the power of “kindness”. Talking about similar interests, and not being a jerk, were good first steps. Charlie hoped he would not be alone in this world anymore.

The American geek then stood up and said, “Well, I'll leave you alone now. But I would like to visit you again later, or tomorrow, or... I don't know. Jesus the time of this place is fucked up. Anyways, yeah, I would love to be able to talk to you again. You're a cool girl, GI."

The Japanese otaku looked at him in surprise, her lips shut, feeling her throat getting bigger. Her palms and her jaws shook, her heart throbbed a joyful beating. It’s been a while since she’d talked to anybody, and admittedly it felt amazing. Charlie may be a bit too straightforward, but he seemed nice, she liked being praised by him.