Just like how we were nearing the end of the ga, so was her life.
The snow continued to fall around , blanketing the street in a silence that felt almost suffocating.
It was colder than most Januaries I could rember, the chill seeping into my bones no matter how tightly I pulled my coat around .
Three days.
January 24th.
That was the day it would happen.
The day my mother would finally lose her battle with the illness that had been eating away at her for years.
It was ironic, really-how much I had hated yet cherished these last few months together. They were so of the most painful, awkward, and frustrating monts of my life, but also the closest we'd been in years. I didn't know how to feel about that.
"She should be done playing by now," I muttered under my breath, my voice barely audible over the crunch of snow beneath my boots.
It was 1:30 in the afternoon.
Mother had been in the final stages of the ga-the epilogue chapters, as they were called.
For a normal player, it usually took about an hour and a half to defeat the world-ending bosses and wrap things up.
Knowing her, and how much her gaplay had improved over the past few weeks, she should've been done by now.
A happy ending was in sight for her, just as I had envisioned.
Just the way I wanted.
Just the way I guided her.
Just the way it was ant to be.
I'd promised to help her see it through. I'd been hyping up the ending since we started, building it up as this grand, emotional payoff that would make all her effort worthwhile.
So why the hell was I walking down this freezing street alone right now?
I stopped for a mont, glancing into the window of a nearby store. The reflection staring back at caught off guard.
My face-pale, tired, and hollow-looked as lifeless as the gray sky above.
"Fuck,"
A part of wanted to punch the glass.
To shatter the image of the asshole staring back at .
Ti slipped by, one heavy second at a ti, as the days bled into each other. And now, it was this day.
The day my mother was supposed to lose her life.
I didn't know the exact mont it would happen, but it didn't matter.
"She should be dead now, right?" I muttered to myself, the words slipping out with a bitter edge.
I let out a sigh, scoffing under my breath as I tilted my head back to gaze at the blanketed sky. The clouds were thick and unrelenting, casting everything below in shades of grey. It felt fitting.
Sitting alone on a quiet park bench near my apartnt, I stared upward, letting my thoughts churn.
The choices.
The damned choices.
When this day had co in the past, I'd been thrilled-ecstatic, even.
The news of her death had felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders.
Back then, I couldn't wait to move on, to erase the fragnt of her existence from my life. But now?
Now, doubts clung to like shadows, whispering at the edges of my mind, clawing at my resolve.
"This really is a trial," I muttered.
The in-ga descriptions had promised as much: 'The hardest trials are the ones that test your very core.' I had brushed it off as dramatic ga text, but now, living it? It felt like a
cruel joke.
Was that why Lucas's trial tested his courage and physical capabilities? To see if he could push past his limits and overco fear?
If so, then why was mine like this?
Why was I being forced to confront the fractured pieces of a relationship I thought I had
buried?
She's already supposed to be gone.
A forgotten fragnt of my life.
So why the hell am I being tested like this?
"Haah..."
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed again, closing my eyes.
Since I didn't know exactly when it would happen, maybe I could just wait it out. Let the day slip by like last ti.
Yes, that was it. I could just let it end. No involvent, no intervention.
My body relaxed against the bench, and I prepared to let myself drift off to sleep, letting the
dreary day pass by.
But then-
[So, you're making the sa choice as last ti?]
The voice ca like a bolt of lightning, sharp and electrifying, cutting through my thoughts and resonating deep within .
It was my voice.
The other .
"Haha... It's been a while," I said, forcing a laugh, my grip tightening on the controller. "You finally decide to speak now?"
I hadn't expected to hear from this guy again-not after the cryptic things he'd said last ti.
Bursting out of the trial, finding understanding-none of it had made sense.
If anything, the so-called "trial" had left with more questions than answers.
[Han... no, Riley Hell, will you make the sa mistake as last ti?]
Mistake?
I let out a dry chuckle, though it felt hollow.
The words felt almost laughable, hearing them spoken in a voice that was eerily similar to my
own.
This trial-it was just a construct, a distortion of my consciousness and mory. A test, twisting the things I'd forgotten, dredging up the past to see how I'd react.
"You're , aren't you? Then you should know better. I've never regretted anything. Not
once. I have never felt bad about what happened." My voice dropped, steady and resolute. "If
anything, I'm-"
[You're lost.]
"What?"
[You are deciding way too early. Go and see her while there is still ti. See the mories you've yet to see. See through the mistakes we've made. See past the trial.]
The voice paused, as if letting the weight of its words settle.
[Only then, make your decision. Your choice.]
...
"You're here..."
The voice was faint, yet steady, carrying a weight that seed to press against the very air in
the room.
Standing upright with the aid of the bed's chanical incliner, Helena-my mother-turned
her head in my direction.
Her once-vivid eyes, brimming with life even amidst their lack of light, were now completely
hollow.
They were dull, lifeless orbs surrounded by an intricate web of dark veins that crawled
outward, stark against her pale, ashen skin.
The toll of her sickness was laid bare for anyone to see, leaving no room for illusions.
"You're still alive..."
The words slipped from my mouth before I could even think, a mixture of disbelief and sothing I couldn't quite place.
My body froze, paralyzed by the sight before as I tried to process it all.
This wasn't the mother I rembered the formidable presence who once commanded
respect and fear alike.
What sat before now was sothing else entirely, an empty shell. No, worse. An empty husk being kept animated by sheer force of will.
That was my first thought. Sothing that shouldn't be alive or breathing, yet was sitting right in front of , speaking as if nothing had changed.
The faint crackle of red energy danced around her like fireflies in the darkness.
Her psychic powers-the very force that had once made her unstoppable-were now a
desperate lifeline.
It was clear they were pushing beyond their limits, keeping her alive, but only just. "Fufu-" She chuckled softly, her lips curling into a faint smile that didn't reach her eyes. "If I
were to croak that easily, I wouldn't have been part of the Codex, kid. The role of General
wouldn't have been blessed in my na for as long as I held it."
"Is that so..."
In front of her, the screen glowed brightly, casting its soft light across the room.
The familiar background music of Hero's Legacy played steadily, a nostalgic lody that
tugged at my heart.
It was the kind of music that brought you back-mories of late-night gaming sessions, quiet escapes, and fleeting happiness all wrapped into one.
The controller in her hands lit up faintly, its subtle vibrations almost like a heartbeat, waiting
for its player's command.
But the screen wasn't showing gaplay; instead, a large PAUSE button dominated the
center.
In the background, the looming figure of the epilogue boss filled the screen-Erebil, the Evil
God of Darkness.
The world-ender.
The root of the abyss itself.
One of the final challenge in Hero's Legacy.
I blinked in surprise.
Hadn't she finished this ga a few days ago?
Don't tell ...
"What are you standing there for?"
Her words snapped out of my thoughts. I turned toward her and caught the faintest trace
of a smirk tugging at her lips—a triumphant, almost playful expression, as if she'd just won a private bet with herself.
Before I could respond, a gentle force tugged at .
Her telekinesis, subtle but firm, pulled closer until I was seated beside her on the bed.
Her warmth—though faint, a reminder of her declining health—radiated against .
She didn't let linger in my thoughts for long. Taking my hand, she pressed the controller
firmly into it. Her grip, though weak, was decisive.
"You play," she said, her tone light yet carrying an undertone of insistence. "I'll make the decisions. Now..." She looked at the screen, her smirk softening into sothing almost wistful. "Let's finish this ga together, shall we?"
.....
[Interfering wasn't part of the plan, Fourth...]
[Kuku... you say that, but you've interfered more than once now, Third...]
[Those were inevitable situations...]
[You don't want him to take the sa route as us, do you?]
[Clouded by judgnt and hatred, he'd end up the sa way as First and Second the sa as
us. This ti, things must be different.]
[There are rules we have decided...]
[You know as well as I do... This path isn't just his struggle-it's a chance for us to rewrite
what ca before. To break free from the cycle. Besides, his reward will be guaranteed after breaking his tutorial in the end. A little advice here and there won't tip the balance too
much.]
[The laws of causality won't be so lenient next ti.]
[I know...]
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