A shadowy figure wearily trudged the eerie crystalline forest as the blue pallid moon shone high above the canopy, bathing the scenery in a ghostly blue light almost no different than that from the spectral whale that swam in the air around the trekker. A light mist had gathered from the outcrops that scarred the land, adding a sense of mystery to the already haunting landscape of the Crystallized Zalra at night. Diamond-like rocks jutted out from the ground like plague-spots that dotted the skin of the diseased world, its former glory long forgotten thanks wholly to the infection that had mutated the forest into a bastardized version of what it had once been. Some would regard this sudden change as a welcome one, seeing the altered state of nature as one taken out from the pages of a fantasy book. However, those who had experienced the terrors that lay beyond the mask of beauty know first-hand that behind the dreamscape was a nightmare beyond compare. Under the backdrop of a crystal forest beneath a clear sky, the shadows parted to accommodate the moonlight, to reveal the figure who stalked the forest floor to be none other than Yuichi Ichinose, now one month into the game he had invested his free time in. Although the character model looked the same on the outside, its player had completely changed in the way he viewed and played TerraSphere; his eyes of wonderment that had been accompanied by repressed awe now almost dead and lifeless, seeking only combat to hone and perfect his deadly trade. The eerie mist that distorted and separated with the young man’s every footfall, did little to alleviate his new mien as it instead gave the impression of a vengeful ghost walking along the bed of some infernal sea. The forest stalker stopped upon reaching a crystalline lake, his eyes already scanning around for a familiar face he had asked to meet with at this specific time and place. His eyes scanned his surroundings, but there was no sign of the person he was waiting for. The martial artist sighed and reposed himself to the fate of waiting for Annabelle alone amidst his ghostly surroundings. There was a sense of wrongness about the place, he admitted. Players have often noted that the air tasted foul and the constant feeling of being watched by unnamed entities from the shadows. That Yuichi picked this forsaken place as a meeting spot might have caused the Felin to question his taste in places to rendezvous, but the true reason was the same as to why players and NPCs rarely go into the mutated forest at night – privacy. Despite the oppressive atmosphere, the brown-haired pretty-boy ignored his anxiety and simply sat by a nearby boulder. He closed his eyes and bathed in the silence, not even mumbling to himself as the fighter would often do when he was alone. His nerves tensed and twanged taut like steel wires with every noise his ears caught, hoping to catch any sound that deviated from what one would imagine would come from woodland creatures. Yuichi hoped that it would be Annabelle since the prospect of waiting in the dead of the night in such an eerie place was not as inviting as maybe spending the night inside a nice inn after eating a hearty home-cooked meal. Then again, such a thing would make him lazy as meeting Annabelle there would most likely devolve into nothing more than mindless chatter. Although the thought of simply meeting the blonde beast-kin in a tavern crossed his mind, the young man knew that it would have been counterproductive towards his goal of strengthening the both of them to enact his plan of revenge. After all, it was easy to sing of feats of courage and bravery in the warmth and comfort of a tavern where horror was nothing but a thing conjured by skilled storytellers and yarn-spinners. It was an entirely different matter to face such unspeakable terrors outright; a fitting subject to a story if one were to live long enough to put the dreadful experiences down on paper. Yuichi was now living the story first-hand, and of all the ghosts and monsters that lived in the crystal forests that he was warned of, the thing he was scared of the most was all too human. From where he was seated, he could see the darkness of the forest grow deeper and more tangled. Crystallized trees took on a more twisted, uncanny beings that watched him. He licked his lips in anticipation, bloodlust forcibly replacing fear. If there was indeed something lurking, Yuichi wanted to fight it. At that point, he wanted to fight anything just to keep his mind off the imagined phantoms that stalked the trees, and whatever such apparitions brought to torture an already irritated brawler.
Buzz. Buzz. Christianna's phone vibrated as the following words flashed on the five and a half-inch screen: 'Reminder: TS - Meet Yuichi @ Zalra'. The young woman's hand sluggishly tapped and swiped the screen, snoozing the reminder for another five minutes. Afterwards, she went back to what she was doing the whole hour. No, not that she was busy with real-life issues, nor was she sleeping at that time --- in fact, she was not able to get a decent sleep for a month now, causing her to be sick most days. Amidst the darkness of her room, the double-amputee lay still on her bed. Her azure eyes fixated on the ceiling. Visage was bereft of any expression, which was the exact opposite of what was going on inside her head. It has been a month since her will was killed in the game which was supposed to bring her life, but the memories were still fresh as if it all happened yesterday. And like the first few hours after Carlson forced himself into her, questions and what-ifs still plagued her head, all of them remained unanswered and perhaps, would remain that way. She understood that life goes on, but it was hard to move on from all the hatred and pain, and the feeling of hopelessness and weakness. A loud sigh escaped her lips as the phone vibrated once again to remind her of her online rendezvous with the only reason why she would remain in Terrasphere. If it was not for 'Yuichi Ichinose', Christianna would have long quitted the game --- and living. She kept on logging in because it was only through Terrasphere she could communicate with the only friend she had since the losing her legs. It was only this vow to him that she would remain alive kept her from plunging to her death. "Fine," muttered the young brunette as she swiped the flashing reminder card on her phone. As sluggish as she did earlier, Christianna adjusted herself so she could reach for the VR system sitting on her bedside. "FullDive initiate." -------- Betwix rows of trees covered with crystals, or the trees itself were crystals, silently walked the 5'6" Felin stunner to the place where she was about to meet her Human friend. Various colors glistened from the oddly shaped 'timber'. Sure, the sight was attractive, but it never managed to rouse Anabelle's heart. She did not even pay attention to them; she just maintained her pace and kept on walking. She used her 'cat senses', sniffing the air every now and then to get Yuichi's scent. Her feet managed to take her to a certain portion of the forest where a view of the crystalline lake could be seen, and on one of the boulders sat a man with brown hair and wearing a familiar set of green training clothes. "Sorry," said she in a dead, monotonous tone which never seemed to be apologetic. She never bothered to explain why she was late since she knew the pretty boy would simply dismiss it as a flimsy excuse. "I'm here now." Her eyes reflecting emptiness gazed at Yuichi. Anabelle forced a smile. "What are we here for?"
