“You have served your purpose.”

A cloaked woman blocks the path in front of me. Her face is obscured by a mask, as is her voice.

I try to activate my chronicle, but it falls inert to the ground like a worthless paperback. Is this another test by Drako and Marjorie? I don’t want to fight, but I will if I have to.

“The Gray One will rise. It is as we desired. Now, you must die to make it so.”

I put my shoulder down and charge at her like an angry buffalo. Without my magic, this is the best I can muster. As I make contact with her, the world becomes indistinct and white. The space around me pixelates into different colors. It takes on shades of green and gray, in a way that is not much unlike when I first awoke in the swamp.

Suddenly, I find myself sitting in a completely foreign place, alive and well – my chronicle floating in front of me, rearing for battle.

I stand up and stare at the looming obsidian castle in front of me, it towers to the height of the Empire State Building and looks even more impressive. Its prominence is doubled by the high cliff that it straddles. At its apex are large conical spires, with what appears to be dim candlelight emanating from their windows.

Far below the grandiose structure is where I find myself, in a city of some sort. It is a lifeless place, cold and gray, and choked full of vines. The tangled mess of green and purple thorns spread between stone-hewn homes and shops, covering them from their foundations to their chimneys in growth.

“The Imperial City”, I find myself muttering. I have seen this place before. Roderick used to spend lots of time in this location when he played Tales of the Imperium. I never paid much attention to his video gaming, but I remember this place. It used to be the central hub of the game world and a very bustling location of trade and commerce.

I walk down an empty street and try to rationalize what happened to me. The overcast sky produces thunderous echoes but no rain. My assailant sent me to the heart of the Imperium, the center of a once-thriving empire.

The last thing I remember is walking towards Drako and Marjorie’s cottage. That’s when she jumped me.

She was shrouded in black. Her left arm was covered in dark black veins. Her hand was twisted and gnarly. Once she saw me, it was too late to retreat. She already had me tangled in her trap.

“So this is the Affliction of Briars and Thorns,” I carefully step over a vine and make my way toward what appears to be a central square. The affliction truly did strip the land of all its life, just as Acolyte Margot had told me. Why did I get sent here? What did that witch mean when she said that I had served my 'purpose'?

I make my way into an abandoned market. Thorns cover at least a third of its surface, but there are also some terrifyingly well-preserved areas here and there. Pots and utensils sit out at food stalls. Colorful red and black tapestries hang next to racks of dresses and suits, dusty but otherwise like new. A chess-like game board sits on a table, its pieces are half-played and locked in a stalemate.

“This is so eerie,” I whisper to myself.

Each step I make through the empty square reverberates loudly between the stalls and buildings. I am the only living thing around. There aren’t even any birds or bugs to be seen. It is just like that stupid swamp.

Another thing that I can’t help but notice is the lack of human remains. Centuries had passed since the affliction had rotted this land of life. Even so, I expect to see some bones here and there, but there is nothing of the sort.

“I bet Roderick would have some insights on this.”

Roderick, I feel an empty hole take form in my stomach. What if that lady attacks him next? He is hundreds, if not thousands of miles away from me and possibly in danger. How can I survive without him? He has been the one who has helped me navigate the challenges of this world so far.

A grim thought takes hold of me, one that feels even darker than my surroundings. What if I never see him again?

My heart begins to sputter out of control. The air in my lungs feels shallow and devoid of oxygen. My pills. I need my pills.

The baggie with my pills in them shakes wildly as I struggle to open it. I thought I was weaning myself off of my meds, but my separation anxiety desperately reels me back in. I am already over my limit. In the past few days, I have taken more than my recommended dosage. I can’t stop myself.

I grasp one of my pills in the palm of my hand and desperately look around for some water. I thrash into market stalls, frantic to find a liquid to wash them down with, even 300-year-old grog will work. I don’t care.

“There’s nothing to drink,” I heave an empty clay pot to the side. It shatters into a hundred pieces against the ancient cobblestone street.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I spot it. A puddle. It is shallow and muddy and rests along the broken ledge of a storm drain.

Am I really desperate enough to drink that? I clutch my chest and stagger towards it.

What am I so anxious about? My brother is still alive. If I find a map and navigate my way back to him, we will definitely reunite sooner or later. Everything will be ok.

I stare down at the pool of water, and then at the pill in my hand. Then I remember that hooded lady. She has the power to separate me from my brother. She can torture me with her ability, again and again, forcing me back to this stupid place. I am too weak and pathetic to stop her.

I kneel down next to the puddle and slurp it into my mouth, downing back my pill. I need it. There is no way around it.

Wallowing in pain and self-hate, I lie back on the hard cobblestone ground and allow my emotions to flood out. My moans echo through the empty city streets for hours, creating a symphony of sadness and agony. I was once a star baseball player. I was confident and proud. I didn’t let anything, or anybody, get in my way. Is that who I need to be again? Is that what Cumberland wants from me?

The years I spent without my brother made me gentler, but also fickle and weak. I both love the person I have become and despise myself at the same time. I know I can’t keep living like this. I have to choose. One extreme or another.

It takes my medicine an eternity to fully kick in. The effectiveness of my anxiety pill diminishes with each dose I take, but it is still better than nothing. By the time I settle down, the streets are much darker and the day is much older.

I leave the square behind and gaze up at the towering castle in the distance.

My mind was not imagining things earlier, there really are lights coming from its upper floors. They faintly flicker a purple color, but I can’t tell much about them beyond that. I want to believe that there is someone up there who may be able to help me. Perhaps they can help me get home to my brother if I ask them. In reality, I know better than to expect that there is anybody alive in a place like this. If there is anyone here, then they are likely here for nefarious reasons. What sane person would willingly come to an abandoned city choked by genocidal thorns?

I turn away from the gargantuan castle and make haste towards the fringes of the city. Something about this place feels off to me. It is the same uneasy feeling that I felt at Cumberland Interactive. It feels as though I am not alone.

Maybe it is that light in the castle, or the foreboding sounds of thunder echoing through the streets, but I can’t help but feel as though I am being watched.

I take a left, then a right, then another right. The city streets are laid out in a rectangular gridiron pattern closer to the center, but as I move my way towards the city’s outskirts, the roads become more unordered. The same can be said of the surrounding structures. Gone are the durable stone structures of the market. In their place, the collapsed remains of wood and plaster structures litter the streets with hazards. Combined with the thorns and vines, my progress becomes increasingly sluggish as the day turns late.

“Damn it, another dead end,” I say, exacerbated and out of breath.

I approach a collapsed tavern of some kind. The whole front end of the building has slid down into the street, leaving a large hall and some guest rooms exposed.

A flash of lightning illuminates the structure, allowing me to see what is inside. Ghoulish purple eyes stare back at me.

My heart tingles in fear, wiping away the effects of my anxiety meds in less than a microsecond.

I double back down the alley I entered from, only to be met with more evil glares from the broken windows and doors of the surrounding buildings.

My chronicle shoots in front of my face, displaying a bold message.

Imminent Danger Detected. Prepare for Combat.

“Activate battle mode,” I whisper.

My body covers itself in magic chainmail once more as I raise my hands and ready myself for an ambush.

A single shadowy figure emerges from the collapsed tavern. It is short in stature and decidedly human in shape. It hobbles towards me, slowly revealing more and more of its nature.

My chronicle flips itself over and begins to profile my enemy.

Accursed Peasant Level: 3 Race: Peasant Faction: ??? Specialization: None Constitution: 30/30 Stamina: 30/30 Weak Points: Multiple

My enemy is extremely weak, even compared to Drako’s level 2 shadow clones. Stats in this game seem to vary based on ‘race’ and level. Even though I am level 1, I have 10,000 magic points since I am an Imperial and a household head. This level 3 Peasant doesn’t have any magic at all and their overall stats are much lower than mine.

My enemy might be weak, but it is beyond terrifying to look at. The Accursed Peasant emerges into the dull light of the square. Its body is half-decayed, and its jaw is detached and swaying. It limps towards me, seemingly craving my flesh.

I steady myself and allow my medication to suppress my fear. I have no choice but to fight for my survival.

“[Fireball]”, I release my first attack. It slams into the zombie-like creature, instantly setting it ablaze. The beast grunts and reaches its arm towards me, but its purple eyes flicker out, turning a lifeless gray.

Moans and hoarse groans fill the streets. Zombie-like creatures begin to emerge from every conceivable nook and crevice. They surround me quickly, forcing me into action.

I run towards a large group of them closing in on me from my right. Taking advantage of their close proximity, I blast them with a fireball, instantly burning them to ash.

A molting zombie with a missing arm lunges towards me from behind, and I just barely dodge its attack.

As I slide underneath it, I blast it with a [Force Wind], sending it splattering into a nearby building. Chunks of rotting flesh rain down on the monsters, covering their already putrid bodies with even more rot.

I blast fireballs in as many directions as I can. I run right, dodge left, and shoot fire with both of my hands. The sheer volume of zombies makes the task of defeating them seem insurmountable. Fortunately, they are very feeble.

As bodies pile up, my room to maneuver shrinks. There is eventually only one direction still available to me, and that’s up.

Finding my footing is difficult, but I climb the mound of burning corpses anyway. I continue to hurl off fireballs whenever I get the chance, but most of my effort is spent on making a safe ascent.

Warning Low Stamina - 9/100

Resting to restore my stamina is easier said than done at the moment.

Hundreds of accursed zombies shove against the hill of flesh and fire, desperate to reach me. None of them have enough coordination to make the same climb that I did.

“Thank God,” I let out a winded sigh.

With my enemies incapacitated and unable to reach me, I unleash a barrage of fire down upon them. The attacks burn scores and scores of their ranks, sending thick clouds of fetid smoke into the stormy air.

My chronicle continues to update my stats as I fight. My stamina stat is next to empty, and my magic points are slowly depleting at a rate of 10 points per attack. Still, I think that I should be able to survive for at least another hour or two. If I can deplete their numbers enough in that timeframe, then I can give them the slip when an opening emerges.

“Ah Kah Hooo,” a rasping voice billows through the streets.

Without warning, the mindless enemies that have been crawling towards me cease their attack. I continue to rain fire down on them, even as they back away from me.

Something is wrong. The air along the street is starting to change. It feels weighty and full of pressure.

The bodies beneath my feet vibrate and shake as a gargantuan shadow pounds towards me. It carries a bulky curved object in its hand and it's aiming it right for me.

Accursed Giant Level: 10 Race: Thrall (Giant Warrior) Faction: ??? Specialization: Archer Constitution: 10000/10000 Stamina: 1000/1000 Weak Points: ???

I almost explode into a million pieces as an arrow the size of a ballista spear flies within a centimeter of my forehead. The attack is fierce enough to have its own atmosphere.

A strong gust blows me backward, sending me sliding down the mound of zombie corpses.

I scamper back to the top of the mound to face off with the terrifying beast. Its muscles are pock-marked with oozing purple welts, and its face droops about an inch to the right side. On its shoulders ride two equally frightening monsters, shrouded in ripped hoods and broken black armor.

Accursed Elven Warrior Level: 7 Race: Thrall (Elf Warrior) Faction: ??? Specialization: Archer Constitution: 700/700 Magic: 700/700 Stamina: 70/70 Weak Points: ???

These enemies are no joke. I am in serious trouble, even with my large reserves of magic.

The giant monster nocks another arrow into its bow and draws the string back using a lever. The accursed elves on its shoulders do the same, imbuing their arrows with bright purple energy that sparks and flares on the tips of their arrowheads.

I’m at a loss. There is no way that my fireballs are going to easily dispatch these enemies, especially the giant. It is going to take at least a hundred hits to bring it down, if not more.

My enemies release their attacks against me, and I quickly counter with a [Force Wind]. My heart freezes as my blast of wind just barely deflects the giant arrow away from my head. It arches to the side and harmlessly pelts itself against a ruined building.

I dive to get out of the way of the other incoming attacks.

Crap! Something is wrong. My feet are stuck.

Danger - Personal mobility will be severely hindered. No Remaining Stamina - 0/100

One of the smaller arrows impales me right through my right abdomen. My body spurts blood in a grotesque and gory spray.

Critical Damage Sustained! -60 Constitution Points Accursed Energy Doubling Effect Applied! -60 Constitution Points Total Constitution 0/100

My chronicle falls inert to the ground. A torrent of accursed energy flows through my channels, rendering my muscles cold and lifeless. I can’t breathe at all. I can’t even feel myself collapse. I'm dead. My life is over. No. No, not like this.

In the end, I was too weak. I was a spineless coward who couldn’t even protect the people he loved. All it took was one arrow to take me down. One lousy arrow.

---

I’m sorry Roderick, Embrosia, Annie, and Dad. I failed you all. I wasn't worthy enough to play this game. I didn't have the spine for it, but...

Perhaps the old me could have done it.

---