He saw himself working in The Santa María’s hangar. Moving weapon crates and repairing the compromised locks was fine, but his favorite task was giving maintenance to the Custos.

Alan had to climb up a ladder and walk through a service ramp to reach their heads and check their systems. One of his favorites was red with green eyes, which he nicknamed Captain Ketchup.

“How are you doing today, Captain?” Alan would say every morning, waving at it, and the stationary 60-feet tall metal statue always remained silent. “Your day to save the universe will come someday, I know it! In the meantime, let me see if everything is in order, okay?”

That was his routine for a week until the eighth day when Alan noticed that Captain Ketchup’s eyes were glowing.

“Get back, Alan!” one of the Isabella-controlled drones said, as the red Custos removed its bindings and stepped forward.

“Captain?” Alan muttered as the shadow of a giant foot grew over him. The last thing he saw before a service robot pulled him back was another blue Custos, shielding him.

“A remnant survived, Alan. The hangar is no longer safe until I take care of it. Return to your room now.”

Even after the automatic reinforced doors closed, he could still hear a constant banging metallic noise.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, finding a known ceiling. I’m here, safe and sound in the Shooting Stars’ Headquarters.

He jumped out of the bed, eager to start the day, ignoring the fact that a sunless morning awaited him outside. This is it. Today is the day, Ashley, he thought, while frowning at the gray clouds above.

He dressed as quickly as he could, putting on his new favorite red jacket, and exhaled in front of the mirror.

“Astrid, do you have a minute? We need to talk… Hmm, no… Not like that.” He turned serious. “Babe, there’s something you should know… Wait, babe? Are you serious? So cringe.” He cleared his throat. “Astrid, listen to me, I need to tell you something really important… The—S-s-safety of… Dammit.” He pursed his lips. Ashley, I know we should maintain this a secret, but… “She’s the only one I can trust…”

Finding new resolution on his own gaze, he nodded to his reflection and walked towards the door. Before getting out, Amelia’s black artificial beetle flew from last night's clothes and silently landed on his baggy pants.

Astrid will understand. I know it, he thought, while making his way to the cafeteria. Once she agrees to help me, I wonder if she’d let Ashley train in that private dungeon too, after picking her up first, of course.

He glanced outside, to the swimming pool and the training grounds, imagining his new life. We could get used to this place. And… Is it my imagination, or is this place really, really quiet?

The cafeteria was empty, except for the NPCs that greeted him. No one in the Trophy Room and the Library. I don’t even want to peek at the PVP arena. He shivered, remembering only a fraction of what transcurred there, as the sound of people reached him from afar, especially Astrid’s powerful voice.

“Keep in mind that now that we’re at the bottom of the ranking charts, we may never reclaim our place back!” Her voice was heard through speakers as Alan peered inside a large room. Astrid was standing atop a podium, wearing navy-blue formal military attire, her hair tied in an updo. “So if any of you still have doubts in your heart, don’t hesitate! If you’re not satisfied with how things have turned out, you have my blessing to leave! I won’t chase you, I won’t punish you, just go and never come back!”

She maintained a firm posture while a large group started to leave. “Let’s go,” Alan heard one of them say, “this guild is done for.”

Astrid quickly saluted at them. “Thank you for your hard work! Without you, Shooting Stars would have never climbed to the top!”

Alan hid behind a lion’s monument and started counting. Close to thirty people are leaving…

When the building’s doors shut, Astrid continued: “To all of you that stayed, are you sure about this decision?!” she asked in a deeper voice. “Whoever stays with me will have to work twice, no, three times harder than before now that we have been reduced to less than half of our people! Would you follow me to the depths of hell if I asked you?!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Are you still Shooting Stars?!”

“Proudly, ma’am!”

“Do you still thirst for the glory of reaching the top?!”

“Until we reach the end of the universe, ma’am!”

“Then I have something to tell all of you!” She met eyes with every one of them, showing her tenacity until tears started running down her cheeks. “Thanks for staying with me, you idiots!”

Is she crying?!

Alan returned to his spying spot, looking at Tamara and some women from the crowd, forming a wall around Astrid that kept her out of sight.

Alan then watched a male guilder stomping his way towards Oscar, the big guy that had brought him to Londorus alongside Marissa Laflamme. “If you hadn’t listened to Marco’s orders and brought Ghost here, we could have avoided all this!” the guilder shouted, grabbing Oscar from the collar of his shirt.

“You’re a fool if you really believe that,” the taller Oscar replied, without a hint of anger in his voice. “This has been a long-time coming.”

Alan stepped back, returning to the safety provided by the monument’s shadow, but he could not stand there.

He went outside of the building, found the main entrance, and ran towards Londorus’ streets.

 

* * *

 

“He exited HQ,” Amelia Laflamme said through Party Chat while sipping Piña Colada. “It’s all yours.”

“This was faster than I thought!” Karen Svensson replied, giggling. “A lucky star is finally looking my way. I can feel it!”

“Yeah, yeah. Go before you lose it. He’s in…” Amelia expanded the system window that displayed her spy beetle’s video feed, and the most remarkable landmark that she recognized was a giant soft drink ad. “Lancesmith Bridge…”

“Understood. Wish me luck!”

“Nah, I don’t think I will…” Amelia said to herself while cutting off the communications.

“Excuse me, miss?” the NPC behind the bar asked, smiling. She stared at him, recognizing he had green eyes. Seeing that made her look away.

“Wasn’t talking to you. Give me another one of these.” She raised her cup aloft, but the NPC stepped back.

“I’m sorry, miss, but the bar is currently closed.”

Oh, so it’s time.

“Okay, everyone, it's time to go!” Kathleen Maher could be heard saying, and Death Bringers and ex-Shooting Stars alike, followed her outside the building.

“Our Guild Master is going to move the bar,” the NPC said to Amelia. “We must leave. Come this way, please.”

“There’s a backdoor through the kitchen, right?” Amelia said, giving the last sip. “I’ll use that.”

“Understood,” the NPC said, walking away.

After helping myself to another drink…

Amelia jumped over the bar, found two bottles of wine, and saved them in her inventory. Thanks, Kat. She then strolled towards the exit, ignoring the constant system messages that urged her to leave.

Outside, while she waited for her Black-Winged Tiger to spawn, she admired the gray sky. I remember seeing the same weather when Marissa and I left Carcella.

“You weren’t here when that happened,” she said to her summoned tiger, which purred as she caressed it under its chin. “Between you and me, Marissa cried a lot. Don’t tell her that or she’ll get mad at me.”

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She mounted it and immediately took flight, stopping only to watch the building gradually getting smaller. In a minute, The Drinking Banshee was the size of a dollhouse, which her ex-guild partner took from his new boss’ hands.

This is the last thing I’ve done for you, Amelia thought, exhaling. Have fun in your new guild…

 

* * *

 

“Forget your troubles drinking something cosmic! Tee-hee!” 

 

The pink-haired Idol from the ad made a V sign with her left hand while holding a soda can in her right one. Her purple dress matched the brand’s logo, and her smile was bright and almost too sincere, as if she truly believed what she was advertising.

“Oh, man…” Alan muttered, “I never thought of listening to the advice of an ad, but I really need a sip of that.”

“Would you like to try the new Moontain Dew, miss?” a jolly voice got his attention.

A few feet away from him, a female NPC wearing the same purple dress as the idol was addressing every passerby. A vending machine, with elongated robotic arms and tiny feet, danced behind her.

“Sir! Would you like to try the new Moontain Dew?” the NPC said to Alan while approaching him. “Here’s a free sample. One per account. Tee-hee!”

The energetic, seemingly happy robot stepped forward, and pulled out a can from its metallic ‘belly’. “Here you go, sir! Enjoy, and have a nice day!”

“Well, then,” Alan said once he was alone again, taking a sip. When the sweet taste invaded his mouth, he gulped it all. “This is false advertising, Miss Idol…” He chuckled. “You said I could forget my problems drinking this…”

He crushed the empty can by closing his fist.

“Are you going to give me a sip of that?”

Alan recognized the voice and his heart skipped a beat. Astrid stood beside him, wearing a black loose dress, and a somber expression on her face.

As if she was mourning something.

He shook his head and showed the crushed can. “S-sorry, there is nothing left.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked, leaning on the railing. “Are you more interested in the girl over there than me?”

Alan followed the direction of her gaze and looked at the soda ad. “W-what? No! I just came here to—”

“You know? I was thinking that maybe this won’t work…” she whispered, peering at him from the corner of her eye. The noise of the people and vehicles seemed to quiet down as he held his breath.

“Oh… I…”

“Do you even have the qualifications to be a good leader? Do you know how it feels to have everyone relying on you? Any idea what this responsibility feels like?”

Alan felt his chest tightening. You know I don’t have an answer to that…

He avoided her gaze at all costs, but he could still feel her judgmental glare. There was hurtful melancholy in her tone of voice, and he could not stand hearing it a second longer. And yet, all he could do was wait for those ridiculously long moments to be over, which stretched out by her loud sighing.

“I’ve been thinking since last night’s dinner, that maybe it’d have been better if I forgot all about you,” she continued while tucking strands of hair away from her forehead. “I was a fool to believe that your ghostly memory had given me the strength I needed during these years… I… I tricked myself into believing your spirit had helped me do the impossible when it was always him who carried me all along. You know whom I’m referring to. While you were not around, he stood there for me, always. And now he’s gone. Seeing you, after all these years, has finally made me realize it. He was more than a guild partner, you know what I mean. And now I’m stuck with you…”

I knew all that already…

“I-I see…” he said while observing her golden-colored nails, and her fingers impatiently tapping on the railing. “I-is it a terrible moment to talk about why I got disconnected, then?”

The blonde beside him squinted. “I’m listening.”

He straightened his posture and verified that there was no one around. “I’m on a mission. Something happened outside, on the ship… And the… current Captain has asked me to carry out an investigation. But!” He kneeled, just like Astrid did the night before. “I won’t be able to do it alone! I know the guild is currently in shambles and that rebuilding it should be a priority, but I need your help!”

“What are you talking about?!” she asked, enraged.

He lowered his gaze. “Forget all about that private dungeon you mentioned, and the weaponsmith’s help. I don’t need it! Just help me contact an Administrator, that’s all I ask! I can’t tell you all the details, but please, trust me when I say that—!”

“Trust you?” she sneered. “After everything you’ve done to MY guild, you’re asking me to trust you?”

“I… I know it sounds selfish, but…”

She pushed him with one foot, making him fall on his back. “At least you’re recognizing that this is all your fault! How can you have the nerve to ask me this?!”

He met her eyes. Instead of the icy glare she was known for, she was holding a more hurtful, disgusted expression on her face. “A-Astrid…”

“Do you think an Administrator would have the time to talk to you?! You truly are pathetic! No, a burden, that’s what you are! Is this mission of yours more important than ME?!” She paused, waiting for a response, but after long seconds of staring at his pursed lips, she snickered. “Don’t involve me in this mess of yours! Why was I thinking when I offered you the co-leader’s position?! You make me sick! If I could do it three years ago, I can do it again! Even if I’ll have to drag your ass this time around!”

He did not notice when she walked away and when the rain poured down.

“At least I tried…” he said to himself, bitterly chuckling, walking in the opposite direction from hers.

 

* * *

 

From her office’s window, Astrid Bradford looked at the rain falling over Londorus. “Do you know the reason Marissa is offline?”

“She was killed last night,” Tamara informed behind her. “Fighting William The Stoic, according to Helen.”

“Why was she…? Forget it.” Astrid exhaled, absently opening her User Interface to change her formal military clothes for a white crop top and blue jeans. “Okay…” she mumbled, walking towards the door.

“Are you going somewhere?” Tamara asked after glancing at Astrid’s lost gaze.

“We’ll talk later, okay?”

“Yes, Guild Master.”

Although Astrid assured herself to be calmed, she rushed her steps towards his room, where she knocked on the door. “Alan? Can we talk?” She sighed. “Please?”

Getting no response, she slowly entered the room to notice he was not there.

Looking for answers, she looked for his location on her Friend List, but a more ominous message caught her attention.

 

Alan Warden has quitted the guild.

 

 

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