《Island Intervention [a LitRPG Fantasy-Drama]》


 Prologue

    "¡ªIt will turn out exactly as it always has. They''ll learn magic and wipe themselves out." Gabriel said, turning away from Quentin. He was standing in front of a large window, arms tucked behind his back. Kaleidoscopic streaks of multicolored light flashed across his view. The hexagonal room was vast and tall. The light from the geometric chandelier hanging above had been dimmed, leaving only the glow from the window to illuminate the space.


    "What if we tried something different this time?" Quentin knew better than to undermine his creator''s authority, but he didn''t care. Not this time. "What if used different initial variables?"


    Gabriel tilted his head back towards Quentin. "What are you proposing?" He had seen nearly the same outcome arise from hundreds, if not thousands, of scenarios over the millennia. Memories of countless failed experiments flooded his mind.


    "Let <i>me </i>oversee this time, I know there''s a way."


    Gabriel snorted a laugh. "You <i>really </i>think there''s hope for them? I''ve seen them destroy themselves countless times. They''ve destroyed planets, all living things around them. A taste of magic is enough to erode their civility, degrading themselves to savage, bloodthirsty beasts."


    Quentin walked up beside Gabriel, smiling as he turned to his mentor. "Not this time."


    ***


    In the center of another room, an intricate ritual diagram had been shaped using thin golden tubes. They snaked back and forth, forming a constellation around the outer rim of the diagram. It was roughly circular, with an empty space in the middle for a plush, padded cushion to sit on. The seat was occupied by a hooded figure in a meditation pose. Quentin''s face was mostly obscured by the cloak, his eyes closed.


    Weeks of preparation had left disorganized stacks of books scattered around on various tables lining the outskirts of the room. Handwritten notes had been tacked to empty walls with crude nails. Quentin muttered a long incantation to himself, doing his best to articulate the complex phrase at as low of a volume as he could maintain.


    The tubes began to glow red-hot, gently shaking back and forth as they filled with a thick lava-like liquid. Above Quentin, a ghostly image of a hand appeared, fingers outstretched. The hand closed, then opened, an eye appearing in the palm. When the hand closed again, Quentin opened his eyes, a bright blue light shining out from them.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He inhaled a sharp, deep breath, and placed his palms in the pair of hand-shaped outlines on the ground in front him. The outlines lit up with a blue glow, and he closed his eyes once more.


    ***


    Clusters of dark mass rippled and shook in an amorphous bubble. Massive, ghostly hands reached out from the starry void to shape the mass. Bright light glowed from within, like coals in a furnace. The mass congealed into a solid, imperfect sphere. Streaks of red lightning danced across the surface, dissipating into nothing.


    Ethereal fingertips carved blue, glowing symbols into the surface of the new planet. A pale blue dot was plucked from the void to serve as a template. According to the ancient texts, this drab modest planet was a rare find among the cosmos.


    Colossal hands guided the twin planets together, squeezing them in their nebulous palms. When the hands opened back up, only one planet remained. The faint glow of the symbols faded into darkness. All but one of them had been blue, its sinister red glow crackled with bright, remnant lightning from its distorted formation.


    As the hands of the Administrator disappeared into the void, a violent flash of red lightning streaked out from the corrupted symbol. The hand shook and warped, color shifting in chaotic lines across its fingers. It reeled from the sudden attack, a hasty retreat sparing it from any further damage.


    ***


    Gabriel leaned in on the rim of the circular display in the center of the room. A floating, holographic sphere rotated slowly above it. His eyes were weary, and his sunken expression aged his face. Blue dots on the surface of the sphere glowed, except for a single red one. It was far away from the outlines indicating a landmass on the planet.


    An ornate wooden door opened across the room from Gabriel. Quentin closed it behind him as he stepped into the room.


    "Is there a problem?" Quentin asked, as he walked over to see what Gabriel had been staring at.


    Gabriel turned to Quentin and pointed at the hologram. "This¡­ anomaly." His expression hardened, the weariness in his eyes turned to a flare of anger. "What did you do?"


    Quentin shifted, uneasy. "There was a problem initializing the mirror. I made a mistake."


    "What mistake?" Gabriel said his question as a statement. The blunt tone shook Quentin. He had rarely seen Gabriel''s anger, and never once directed at him. He steeled himself to deliver his reply as clearly as possible, hoping to minimize the fallout. "There''s a corrupted tether. The instability has locked us out¡ª"


    Wide-eyed, Gabriel interrupted him, grabbing him by the shoulders before he could finish the explanation. The panic in his voice sent a chill down Quentin''s spine. "What do you mean: ''locked out''?"

 Chapter 1: Marina

    It was unusual for someone to be seen reading the newspaper, but Roy Ketran quite enjoyed the activity. The occasional strange look from passersby did nothing to ruin the relaxing warmth of the late morning sun. Roy had never gotten used to the salty ocean breeze, the occasional sour whiff of rotting fish tickled his nostrils.


    Frequent checks of his watch did not make the time go by any faster. Todd''s last message had been over a half hour ago. Roy returned his phone to his pocket with a long sigh.


    A flurry of shuffling feet caught his attention, lowering his newspaper to look for the source of the disturbance. The looming, wide frame of a man rounded the corner of the coffee shop Roy was seated in front of. Upon spotting his friend, he ceased his frantic search, panting with exhaustion.


    "Finally found you! We''ve been looking all over for you, man." His deep, smooth voice was like dark chocolate. His beard and hair were well trimmed, and his large, square-framed glasses emphasized his chiseled features.


    "What happened to you? Since when do you go out in public looking like a commoner?" Roy''s eyes picked out casual sneakers instead of Todd''s usual freshly-shined leather shoes, a lack of a vest over a collared shirt, and no hat to top it off.


    Todd shot Roy a flat look. "Despite what you seem to think, I''m <i>not </i>some holier-than-thou rich prick; I''m on vacation."


    Roy flashed him a mischievous smile, standing up from the bench. "It''s hard to tell, you usually dress like one." Roy himself was dressed in a blue button-down shirt, a wide-brim sun hat, and strapped hiking sandals. He looked every bit the tourist as the beach-goers did.


    Todd opened his mouth to respond, but lowered his head with a chuckle. "Clearly, you haven''t changed a bit." The pair exchanged a handshake and a pat on the back.


    "Where''s the others? You told me to be here an hour ago." Roy checked his phone to confirm that he had read the message right. He narrowed his eyes when he realized he had selected the wrong coffee shop in his navigation app.


    "I told you it was the Higgin''s by the docks, not the beach." Todd said, gesturing out towards the array of people lounging on towels under umbrellas. "It was a mile run over to here. ''Em wanted to come along, but someone had to keep an eye on our luggage. Ian and his new lady friend went out for ice cream."


    "I''m not the only one who hasn''t changed, it seems." Roy put a hand on his friend''s shoulder. "Let''s catch up on the walk over there, just like old times."


    ***


    Todd and Roy walked along the sidewalk curving around the top of the beach. There were various park benches, and shaded spots for visitors to picnic. Many were doing exactly that, some making use of public grills. The delicious aroma of grilled meat filled the air, overpowering even the strong scent of the ocean breeze.


    Roy was holding out his phone to show Todd a picture of a dilapidated building. The remnants of the old bank sign had left an outline of less-weathered bricks above the front door.


    "¡ªIt''s unlike any you''ve ever seen! It''s spacious, discrete, and best of all, the floor is hardly cracked at all!" Roy''s enthusiasm was practically spilling out from him, his excitement was contagious.


    Todd raised an eyebrow at the image on display, unsure of what his friend was planning this time. "What would you want with an old bank building?"


    "I want to turn it into one of those small mom-and-pop type stores, with living space up above. The building''s cheap, and the town shows promise for growth over the next few decades." Roy seemed completely confident in his outlandish idea.


    "What would you even sell there? You hate working retail! Last time we had you over for dinner, you told us you had just quit your job at the hardware store. You vowed never to work a job like that again."


    Roy shifted, his resolve waning. "Maybe you and Emily could help out, hasn''t she always wanted to sell her crafts?"Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Todd immediately shot that idea down. "Not a chance. I''m far too busy at the university, and Emily''s busy with the kids. You''re on your own with that one, man."


    Roy shoulders slumped, defeat in his voice. "Yeah, you''re probably right. As usual¡­"


    ***


    The duo arrived at an identical coffee shop, a row of sailboats bobbed in the waves, their rope ties securing them to the pier. Sitting on a bench in front of the shop, there was a woman dressed in a floral sundress and a wide brim hat.


    She tossed pieces of bread to the resident seagulls that had stopped by in search of free snacks.


    When she spotted the approaching men, she stood up and greeted them with an excited wave.


    "Hey there, Roy! Long time no see!" She hugged Roy like an aunt hugging a nephew.


    "Hello, Mrs. Hathaway." Roy said with a slight bow. The sly smile on his face at odds with his polite demeanor.


    "You know I hate it when people call me that, it makes me sound like an old lady."


    "Well, you are¡ª" Roy realized he was digging his own grave.


    "¡ªlooking lovely today, Emily." His tension made the words nearly come out as a squeak.


    "That''s what I thought. Also, don''t bow, I''m not a queen." An evil smile replaced her icy death glare. She looked at Roy like he was guilty dog that had tracked mud into the house.


    "You are <i>my</i> queen, though." Todd interjected with a cheesy grin.


    Emily rolled her eyes, a wry smile breaking through. "Love you too, honey. Now, how did you end up on the other side of the marina? I swear Todd had told you-"


    Todd cut her off to answer for himself. "I wasn''t specific enough on which Higgin''s, honest mistake." Roy eyed his friend, but he wouldn''t meet his gaze. He shook his head in disapproval, but said nothing.


    "Regardless, we''re here now. My father said the boat should be fully fueled, and ready to go." Todd searched the empty ground near the bench.  "Where''s the luggage?"


    Emily crossed her arms with a disapproving look. "It''s all loaded up. You two took your time getting over here; it''s already almost noon." A distant church bell rang out as if on cue. "See? I feel like I''m talking to children¡­" She let out a tired sigh.


    "Who are they staying with, by the way? Did you finally hire a nanny or butler?" Roy asked, earning an elbow jab from Todd. "Ow¡­"


    "They''re staying with my parents. ''Em''s are out of town. They had to fly to see a specialist for her mom''s cancer." Todd looked weary as he spoke, his eyes distant.


    The whimsy that had been in Roy''s voice was absent, replaced by a soft, solemn tone. "I''m sorry to hear that. I wish her the best with the procedure." Roy gave her a consoling hug.


    "Thank you, we''re confident it''ll go smoothly. Though, it''s always a gamble in the later stages."


    A couple, each holding an ice cream cone, rounded the corner of the coffee shop, their other hands interlocked. Roy recognized his long time rival, Ian, but not the beautiful woman he was with. He eyed Ian, probing for the best angle to antagonize him.


    "How kind of you to finally join us. I see you''ve brought a lovely plus-one as well¡­" Roy trailed off, his target acquired. "Ready to get out to sea? We haven''t got all day. Well, maybe <i>you </i>do. Though, on second thought¡ª"


    Roy stopped himself when Emily shot him a death glare, nodding at a family passing by.


    Ian''s face flushed with anger, but his partner whispered something in his ear, too low for the rest of the group to hear.


    Ian scowled at Roy, but paused to calm himself. "Fine, but if it wasn''t for you, we would''ve left an hour ago. Jackass."


    Roy rolled his eyes, then turned to smile at the unfamiliar woman. "I don''t believe we''ve met. I''m Roy."


    He stepped past Emily to invite a handshake. Emily moved to stand by her husband, whispering something in his ear.


    "No way, that''s bullsh¡ª" Todd earned an elbow jab from his wife. "Ow¡­ Was that really necessary? The kids aren''t around to hear us."


    Emily glared at him, unrelenting. "You should know better, we''re in public."


    Roy looked back with a raised eyebrow. His attention was pulled back when he felt a soft, cold hand meet his.


    "I''m Beth, it''s a pleasure to meet you." Her sultry voice was smooth and rich like fresh tea. Roy had little interest in the beverage before that point, but he had a newfound desire to expand his horizons.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you as well." Roy''s eyes sparkled, putting his best foot forward.


    Emily pulled Todd away towards the boat. She whispered to him as they walked. "Don''t you remember what happened when the guys were in high school? There''s no way he would let that go without making a show of it."


    Todd''s shoulders tensed, remembering a conversation between him and Roy right after Roy''s graduation party. "You don''t think¡ª"


    She nodded before he could finish his sentence. "Yes, unfortunately, I do." She let out a long, tired sigh. "You know him better than I do, but you saw how he was back there. I worry about this trip."


    With a comforting hand on her shoulder, Todd pulled Emily into a side hug as they walked. "It''ll be okay, I promise. I''ll have a talk with Roy once we settle in."


    Ian stood aside, bewildered, a cone in each hand. Beth returned for her dessert, motioning for him to follow. He handed the cone back, scowling at Roy as Beth turned to follow the others. Roy shot back a malevolent grin, shrugging off Ian''s attempt to stab him to death with his eyes.


    Todd interrupted the standoff from the deck of the boat. "Hurry up, we''ve got a long ways to go!"

 Chapter 2: Delicacy

    Inside the large hexagonal lounge, Gabriel sat on a plush couch holding his temples. His thoughts were scattered, racing about in his mind in random directions. There was a plate of neatly stacked caramel apples on the ornate glass table in front of him. The apples had not moved since his servant, Teedu, had left it there for him.


    Quentin entered the room from a small side door, closing it quietly behind him. "Lord Gabriel, might I suggest a refreshment?"


    Gabriel let out an annoyed groan. "Ditch the politeness, Quentin, you''re not a servant. What do you want?"


    "Gabriel, I''m growing quite concerned. I haven''t seen you pass up mortal delicacies in centuries." Quentin gestured toward the undisturbed plate of glistening caramel apples.


    Gabriel looked up at the plate of apples, then back down again. "Yeah, and what of it? It''s not like I <i>need </i>to eat anyway."


    Quentin sat down on a nearby couch, leaning back with a long sigh. "Why has this one failure caused you such distress?"


    The attack from the corrupted symbol ate away at Gabriel. He wanted to hate Quentin for his mistake, but how could he be angry? How was he to learn if he wasn''t allowed to make mistakes? He thought for several long moments before finally speaking again.


    "It''s not about that, it''s about the corruption. The way it fought back should not have been possible."


    Gabriel reached out to grab one of the apples from the pile, placing it on a small serving plate from the stack next to the apples. He took a bite, enjoying the sweet flavor of the delightful snack.


    Quentin smiled at the sight, the tension in his body subsiding for the time being. As he mulled the corruption over in his mind, the tension returned. "How do we fix this? There must be a way."


    Gabriel finished munching on his caramel apple, returning his plate to the table. He cleared his throat, making a circular motion in the air with his arm. A ring of yellow symbols glowed brightly in the air, fading out into mist a moment later. A champagne glass filled with sweet-smelling apple cider appeared in his hand. He drank a generous gulp, then set the glass down.


    "Nope, there''s no way <i>we </i>can fix it." Gabriel said, staring forward, a blank expression on his face.


    Quentin stared incredulously at his creator. The most powerful being he knew to exist was giving up. "There must be something we can do to fix this!"


    With a raised eyebrow, Gabriel turned to face Quentin. "I never said we couldn''t do something about it."


    "What do you mean? You just said¡ª"


    "<i>We </i>can''t fix it ourselves, but an <i>agent </i>acting on our behalf certainly could." Gabriel flashed Quentin a sly smile as the young man''s eyes went wide with realization.


    "You mean using mortals? You told me that it''s too dangerous to intervene directly." Quentin was dumbfounded at the idea. There''s no way his creator would attempt such a reckless plan. "You would risk trusting a mortal again?"


    "Who was it that tried to convince me there was still hope for them?" Gabriel reached down for his glass to take another sip. He finished the glass with a long gulp, wiping his mouth with his hand.


    "But¡ª this is different! Guiding them as they develop is not the same as involving mortals in our affairs. That kind of power¡­" Quentin trailed off, deep in thought. "¡­would certainly corrupt them, no? That''s what you told me before we made the mirror."


    Gabriel gave Quentin''s shoulder a friendly pat with a tired smile. "As you said: ''not this time''."


    ***


    Deep blue sky spanned overhead, not a speck of a cloud in sight. It was late afternoon, and Todd was fast asleep on a folding lounge chair, a thick book folded up on his lap. His wide brim sun hat shaded his face, and large sunglasses shielded his eyes.


    The deck of his father''s boat was spacious for the small craft that it was. The floorboards had been meticulously waxed and shined. The sleep quarters below deck had a pair of stacked double bunks, and a long couch in the main area. The kitchenette was minimal, but had been well-stocked for a few days out at sea.


    Roy and Ian had taken over the dinner table for their various card games. The floral shirts worn by both men undermined the stern, serious looks both men held as they focused on the ongoing war between them.


    Above deck, the two women sat together on a ledge, dangling their feet above the cold, salty seawater below. Both wore swimsuits, looking forward to the sun tan they were sure to have by the end of the trip. Emily wore her usual sun hat, Todd had gotten the same one to match on their last vacation. Beth let her long, ginger hair down to blow gently in the calm ocean breeze.


    The pair had only made light conversation on the way to the marina from the airport. Now, Beth felt more comfortable opening up. The American woman was friendly and nonjudgmental. Most importantly, she didn''t have an agenda in getting to know her.


    "What part of England are you from? I don''t recall if Ian ever said for certain."


    Beth''s eyes beamed with joy when she thought of home. "I''m from Bristol originally, but I''m stationed at RAF Croughton."


    "RAF? As in Royal Air Force, I assume?"


    Beth nodded. "It''s near Brackley, if you know where that is."


    Emily shook her head with a sigh. "I have no idea where that is, sorry. I could probably point to London on a blank map, though."


    Her new friend''s lack of knowledge did not seem to bother Beth at all. "No worries! It''s about one hundred kilometres north-west of London. That''d be about an hour and a half by car."


    Using her hand as a reference, she drew an imaginary line with her finger to show the distance between the cities.


    "My hometown of Bristol is around two and a half hours away from London, about one hundred and seventy-five kilometres directly west."


    Emily smiled, giving an appreciative nod at the explanation. As she thought about the amount of distance Beth had to cover to arrive here on this boat, her mind began to wander.


    Beth looked out at the vast, empty ocean ahead of them. "Where are you from? Ian was very vague when I asked him about his family."


    Emily didn''t respond. She seemed lost in thought, staring out to the vast ocean beyond. Her mind was blank, except for the faint sound of writing on a chalkboard. It echoed in the distance, as if she was in a room, but she was clearly outside.


    "Do you hear that? It can''t just be me." Emily asked, her voice monotone, like she wasn''t really there.


    The noise grew louder and more distinct from the sloshing waves against the hull of the yacht. In her mind, she could clearly see strange, alien symbols being written on a flat surface by a ghostly hand. The symbols were drawn in a circle shape, with an eye-like symbol in the center. As the runic diagram was completed, all the symbols glowed blue, the vision vanishing moments later.


    Beth had only heard mumbling, the waves washing out any coherent words. "What''d you say? You said it under your breath."


    "Sorry, what? I spaced out for a second there."


    Concern was plainly painted on Beth''s face. Their conversation had been flowing back and forth for what felt like hours, only interrupted by the occasional half-conscious comment by Todd in his slumber. Now, her friend had gone silent.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Beth placed her hand on Emily''s shoulder. "Are you alright? You were mumbling and staring off into space like a zombie."


    "Yeah, I''m fine. I think I just need some water. Care for a drink?" Emily asked, standing up to head below deck.


    Beth thought for a moment, studying her. "That would be lovely, thanks."


    Emily nodded, then strode away like nothing happened. Beth''s eyes lingered, perplexed at the odd behavior.


    ***


    Below deck, a battle raged on. The two men locked eyes, each strategically playing their cards to maximum effect. Each round won by the slimmest of margins, tactics rapidly changing with each defeat.


    Emily absently walked past the pair, headed towards the sleeping quarters. She closed the door behind her and laid down on one of the bunks. When she closed her eyes, her thoughts were consumed by the vision she had. Questions over her sanity seemed counterproductive, but no other explanation made sense.


    ***


    Beth was still outside, sitting alone on the edge of the yacht. Minutes passed, and she wondered what was taking so long. It wasn''t a simple matter of impatience, the woman had been acting strange just prior to leaving. Unsure of what else to do, she consulted the most reliable source she could think of.


    With a polite, but firm poke, she woke Todd up from his late-afternoon nap.


    "What¡ª Oh, hey Beth. What''s up?" He lowered his sunglasses and set the book down on the deck.


    "Something seems off about Emily. We had been talking for a while, then she suddenly went quiet. She didn''t respond to anything, and when she finally came to, she said she was fine."


    Todd sat upright, fully awake. "Alright, where is she now?"


    "She went to go get us drinks, but that was a few minutes ago."


    Todd furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment. "That seems rather unlike her. I''ve never known her to be rude to a guest, especially not one so close to the family."


    "She had been a saint to me, I don''t know what happened." Beth seemed quite distraught.


    "I doubt you did anything wrong. I''ll go check in on her, alright?" Todd''s warm smile put Beth at ease. She nodded, and he left through the doorway to the cabin.


    Alone again, Beth looked down at the book Todd had been reading before he had fallen asleep. It was a thick leather-bound textbook, though the cover seemed hand-made. The title lettering was faded and hard to decipher. After a moment of concentration, she read aloud.


    "Introduction to Applied Nonlinear Dynamic Systems and Chaos by Stephen Wiggins"


    She didn''t really understand what the book was about, but was intrigued by the title line. She read it again silently, imagining what the application of this topic could be.


    ***


    Roy spotted Todd entering the cabin and broke his attention from the game. "Hey man, you want to join us? I just beat Ian again for the third time in a row!"


    Ian groaned and tossed his cards on the table. "I''m done with this game anyway. Drinks, Todd?"


    Todd shook his head. "No, thanks, did either of you talk to Emily when she passed through here?"


    The two men both shook their heads. Ian spoke up first. "I saw her walk by, but I was focused on the game. Is something wrong?"


    Todd was troubled by what he had heard from Beth, but steeled himself. "Not sure, I just want to check in on her just in case." He excused himself, moving past them towards to open the door to the sleeping quarters, closing it behind him.


    With the sudden turn of events, an unspoken truce was called between the two great leaders, the battle put on halt for now.


    "I''m going to go check on Beth." Ian said as he walked out of the cabin.


    Roy nodded. "Alright, good game, man."


    "Good game."


    ***


    That evening, Emily laid down to rest and recover from the stress of her vision. Todd had brought his book to read next to her. Roy and Ian had roped Beth into their card game, resulting in both of them losing repeatedly to the newcomer. After many embarrassing defeats, Roy managed to regain the upper hand. Ian eventually gave up, leaving to prepare a late dinner.


    The group ate together under the stars on the deck of the yacht. The new couple, Ian and Beth, shared stories of their time in their respective neighboring military bases in England.


    Ian was clearly tipsy by the time the question of how the two met was brought up. "We met out at a pub on a Saturday night near base. That night''s a bit hazy for me¡ª Which one was it?" Ian looked to Beth for help to remember. She rolled her eyes, but didn''t respond.


    "I''m going to get some air, excuse me." Beth got up from her seat at the table and walked to the observation deck at the very top of the yacht.


    Roy raised an eyebrow at this, curiosity piqued. "What''s her deal?" He asked, looking to Ian for an answer.


    "Ah, she doesn''t like it when I drink. Had a fight once when I got too drunk to stand." Ian slouched into his chair. "I go a bit overboard sometimes."


    Todd put a comforting hand on his younger brother''s shoulder. "We understand. As long as you keep yourself under control here, there won''t be any problems."


    "Thanks, bro. I don''t like talking about it back at base. Don''t want to be the odd man out and all that."


    Todd gave him a comforting smile. "I know how that feels."


    ***


    Ian left to smooth things over with Beth, and Emily went back to bed. This left only Todd and Roy to clean up.


    The two men were silent for a long time, only the sound of running water and clattering dishes disturbed the calm night air. The stars were bright and clear, the sky still devoid of any clouds that might obscure the grand display.


    Todd broke the ice, speaking with a soft tone. "Can we talk about you and Ian?"


    Roy paused the scrubbing of the plate in hand. "What''s there to talk about?" He said, resuming his cleaning.


    "You know what I''m talking about. Back when you were in high school, when Ian got together with¡ª"


    "I''m over that, why do you have to bring that up?" Roy''s scrubbing turned more vigorous.


    Todd placed the last clean glass back in the cupboard, closing the door. "The way I see it, you still resent him. When''s the last time you were with someone, anyway?"


    Roy kept his attention on the dirty dishes. "Why does that matter?"


    Todd said nothing, glaring at his friend. He stood, waiting.


    There was a long silence, Roy breaking the ice this time. "Three years."


    "You haven''t been with someone since college? I find that hard to believe. You, of all people." Todd shook his head, inhaling sharply. "I''m worried that you might try to get back at Ian for what he did to you."


    Roy placed the last dirty plate, now cleaned, on the drying rack. "I want to. There''s a burning desire in me to lash out at him. It''s so easy to say yes to that feeling."


    "What would that accomplish?"


    Roy sighed, lowering his head. He was unable to find the courage to face his friend. "Nothing. Everything."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    Roy turned around slowly, doing his best to hold back his tears. "I don''t know, man. If I had answers, I wouldn''t have lashed out at him the moment I saw him." His eyes were red and puffy, his face flushed.


    Todd''s stern expression softened. He had known Roy long enough to recognize when he was at his breaking point. "Do you remember the conversation we had after your grad party, before you went off to college?"


    Roy gave a hesitant nod. "Some things never change, huh?" His voice broke. "What should I do?"


    "Focus on building the life you want. Everything else will come later."


    Todd''s words echoed in Roy''s mind. He pondered them, wrestling with how to apply them. When he finally spoke, his voice, and his eyes, had cleared.


    "Thank you. I owe you one."


    Todd''s warm smile lit up his face. He moved to stand next to his friend, leaning against the counter. With a pat on the back, he spoke. "You don''t owe me shit. Just don''t mess with Ian or his girl. Be the better man."


    Roy nodded, his resolve and determination revitalizing him. He smiled deviously. Todd groaned, knowing what that meant.


    "How about a game of chess?"


    ***


    Ian climbed up the steps to the observation deck. Only the dim path lights lining the baseboard were on, leaving Beth shrouded in darkness. Ian sat down next to her on the plush couch. The couple gazed out at the grand beauty of the starry night.


    Ian put his hand on Beth''s. It was cold to the touch, no surprise to him. "Hey." He turned to look her in the eyes. She was still staring up, but he could see the reflection of the stars in them.


    "I know you don''t like it when I drink. The others helped me talk through it. I don''t want to make any excuses for letting things get out of hand." He waited a few moments, gauging her reaction.


    She blinked, turning her hand over to hold his. She remained silent, but tilted her head to listen, prompting him to continue.


    "I know that you don''t like it when I share that story, it brings up painful memories. I''m sorry for that, it wasn''t my intention."


    She nodded at that, leaning into him. "Thank you. I shouldn''t have left so abruptly like that. It''s not an excuse, but I felt overwhelmed thinking about Emily. That story being brought up was too much." She squeezed his hand.


    She turned to meet his gaze. "Have you ever thought of leaving the military? Moving far away to start over?"


    Ian''s stomach twisted into knots. Beth felt his hand tense and pull away from hers. He looked away, staring down at the reflection of the stars in the dark expanse below them.


    "Why''d you have to ask me that? You know I can''t leave that life behind. That''s who I am, that <i>is </i>my life. I thought you understood that." His tone was cold and distant.


    "But¡ª"


    "But nothing, Beth. That''s how it is. The only time I''m going to leave is when I retire, or if I''m kicked out before then."


    There were tears in her eyes now. She felt a cold wave wash over her, despite the calm ocean air.


    They both stared out at the dark expanse below them. They both saw the same flicker of movement in the reflection of the stars. Their eyes were drawn up to watch a new constellation form in real time. This one, however, was not connected by imaginary lines. Each of the stars in the outline of a colossal eye glowed blue. Hazy blue lines spanned between the points, like trails of a comet. Extending out from the eye were four wing-like clouds, two on each end of the eye.


    Ian stood up in a haste, speechless.


    Beth gasped and trembled at the sight. "What the hell is that?"


    Blue motes of light floated down like snowflakes, a ring of dense swirling fog appeared around the ship. Todd noticed the blue glow through the cabin window and rushed outside to get a look; Roy followed close behind.


    The four of them stared in awe at the astonishing display. The thick fog rushed in with a strong gust of wind, the blue particles glowing brighter. All five people aboard the ship vanished, the great unblinking eye staring down from above.


    The empty ship bobbed peacefully. The reflection of the moon and stars was clear through the calm ocean surface. The stars were just as they had been, no new constellations could be seen. There was no breeze, no fog, no snow. Only a ghost ship shining its bright lights out into the night.

 Chapter 3: Fractal

    Inside the futuristic, yet gothic complex, a very distressed Quentin scoured his study room to find a way to undo another catastrophic mistake on his fast-expanding track record of them.


    Disorganized stacks of books were shuffled and re-stacked multiple times. Handwritten notes were torn off the walls and nailed back on with little sense or care given. His usually well-kept hair and beard were long and disheveled. His eye sockets were dark and baggy.


    Obscenities echoed through the spacious room in various languages, none of which could properly convey his frustration and panic.


    The calm and collected Gabriel gave a gentle knock on the door before entering. He cracked it open to peer inside, curious as to what all the commotion was about.


    "Quentin? What''s going on?"


    Quentin froze like a fawn in an industrial spotlight. He was clutching a thick, worn, leather bound notebook in his hands. It took his best effort to avoid dropping it in that moment of panic.


    "Lord¡ª I mean, Gabriel. I''m just trying to find some notes, is all."


    Gabriel raised an eyebrow, not believing such a bald-faced lie for even a second. "Alright, what is actually going on here? We both know that''s a load of sh¡ª"


    "I acquired an agent to fix the tether." Quentin braced for impact.


    "...And?"


    "Well, I actually acquired five."


    "Five?"


    "Five."


    "How, and more importantly, why, five?"


    Quentin took a calming breath. "They were all on this ship out a few miles away from the nearest shoreline. I figured one of them would be a good candidate."


    Gabriel''s eyebrow stayed glued to his forehead. "Why them specifically? Also, why <i>five</i>?"


    Quentin shifted in place, his unease plainly on display. "My thought process was that because they were far away from any civilization, no one would notice if they disappeared."


    It took all of Gabriel''s patience to not ask the same burning question a third time. He inhaled sharply, letting out a long, slow breath. "Okay, so you have our <i>agents</i>, now what? What''s your plan for instructing them on fixing the tether?"


    Quentin looked back at the mountain of notes and textbooks. "About that..."


    ***


    Roy ached his weary eyes open, the crusty debris on them sending sharp pain from the corners of his eyelids. He desperately wanted to wipe them but his arms, along with the rest of his body, were caked in sand.


    He was half-buried in sand, the familiar ocean waves crashing against him made it clear that he was on a beach somewhere. His head felt like a metal ball bouncing around inside a washing machine.


    He dug himself out of the sand, brushing off what remained of his clothing. Last he knew, it had been late at night, now it was clearly early morning. He scanned his surroundings, searching for signs of a shipwreck, or debris, or any sort of civilization.


    Roy was alone, covered in sand, on a beach of an uninhabited island. He had spent a lot of time by himself, frequently going on long walks in nature, but nothing had prepared him for how truly alone he felt at this moment.


    He resolved to not let his thoughts get the best of him. He needed to get a handle on the situation, if he wanted to survive.


    The treeline at the top of the beach obscured view deeper into the dense jungle, though the thick moss growing on the bark gave an indication to how humid this environment tended to be. There was a distinct lack of buzzing from insects that would normally fill the air. In fact, the only sound Roy could hear was the crashing of the waves on the shore.


    "Helloooooooo?" He called out, not expecting a response.


    The silence was eerie, like the jungle was waiting for him to make the first move.


    It became clear, after just a moment of scanning his surroundings, that the only thing to do was to explore the area in search of shelter. As he walked, lost in thought, he absently tripped on a long, flat rock buried in the sand. He cursed at it, clutching his foot in pain. He recovered quickly, resuming his trek towards a bend in the beach, revealing a rocky outcropping as he rounded the corner.


    Although most of the rocks in the field jutting out from the island were sharp and dangerous-looking, some were wide and flat; ideal candidates for making camp. They seemed high enough above the tide to be dry, the only exception being strong storms that could blow in at any time.


    Roy had spent time reading about Hawaii, hoping to one day visit when he could afford the expensive vacation. He chuckled to himself under his breath, the idea of vacationing on a tropical island seeming laughable, given his circumstances.


    After finding the best choice of rocks to make camp on, he set out to the treeline to collect firewood. As soon as he tried tearing off a chunk of bark off a dead tree, a problem immediately became apparent. Roy jumped back from the broken trunk as water gushed out from the spot he had torn the bark from. It seemed like these trees absorbed a lot of water, far more than he expected.


    If even the dead trees in the jungle were wet, then that only left the option of driftwood as a fuel source. He walked back along the beach towards where he had awoken, though he didn''t recall seeing any. As he neared the spot he thought he was looking for, he noticed there was a flat, circular platform submerged in the sand.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "That wasn''t there before¡­" He thought out loud.


    With careful, slow strides, he approached the platform and crouched down next to it. The surface was mostly smooth, some shallow pits in the black stone were filled with sand. There was a large blue plus symbol in the center of the platform, and more text was still yet to be uncovered. He brushed off the sand obscuring the rest of the platform by hand, reading it aloud to himself.


    "Spawn Point Seven¡­ Huh. ''The hell does that even mean?" Roy had played plenty of video games, but that was hardly much of an explanation for this. It''s not like was in one. Could he?


    Roy determined that it was simply impossible for him to be in a video game. The world seemed too realistic, the senses too vivid, his mind too clear. He didn''t feel disoriented, not more than waking up dehydrated on a beach would leave him, anyway. He felt rational, whole, and focused.


    Although he didn''t know much about mental health or psychological disorders, he assumed that it wouldn''t be possible for him to hallucinate all this, without something seeming off about it. Even if he was hallucinating, what he could do about it at this point? He pushed those thoughts out of his head before they spiraled any further out of control.


    The fact that this platform was labeled as the seventh made Roy suspect that his friends were somewhere on the island with him. That thought both comforted and worried him.


    The blue plus symbol on the platform pulsated in a slow, regular rhythm, as if coaxing him to press it. Without another thought, he placed his palm on the symbol, the stone feeling cold to the touch. The symbol itself began to heat up and turn white.


    "Ow!" There was an audible zap from the electrical shock, causing Roy to fall backwards into the sand.


    His vision blurred, filling with blue TV static. The intense headache from before returned, his mind feeling like he had just been dropped into a pit filled with metal ball bearings. Disjointed thoughts stumbled over one another, his mind rewiring itself in real time. The world in front of him momentarily blurred into a kaleidoscopic fractal mess.


    Distinct shapes coalesced in his field of view, appearing as elements of a video game heads-up display.


    A notification box with a scroll bar appeared in the center of his vision.


    <code>> Feature unlocked: [User Interface]


    > Welcome, Roy Ketran.</code>


    It took several attempts to read the text through the pain, though his disbelief only grew by the second. He rubbed his temples, trying to his best to focus. He waved his hand in front of him, trying to reach out to touch the box, only to realize it wasn''t actually there.


    "Maybe I am crazy after all." He muttered, though speaking only made his headache worse.


    He mentally told the text to scroll, hoping telepathy would work. To his surprise, it responded without hesitation. The notification box scrolled down, revealing more entries to the long list.


    <code>> You have spawned at: Spawn Point 7


    > Now entering region: [Forgotten Islands]


    > Region discovered: [Forgotten Islands]</code>


    He raised a painful eyebrow at the messages, doing his best to understand they meant. He continued reading, a warning message appearing next, the edges of his vision turning a faint red.


    > System Announcement:


    > You have sustained a severe injury to <b>Head</b>, and a minor injury to <b>Left Foot</b>


    > You lack any healing items or knowledge of healing magic. Injuries will heal slowly over time.


    "Healing magic?" Roy mused, his throat still bone-dry. "Why should the mention of magic even surprise me at this point?"


    After clearing the warning message, the standard appearance returned.


    <code>> Spawn platform activated.


    > Feature unlocked: [HUD]


    > [HUD] activated.</code>


    "What moron would disable the HUD by default?" Roy shook his head, dismissing the last notification. He inspected the other elements that had finished forming in the edges of his vision.


    In one corner, there was an image of a human. It was divided into sections, each varied in color from green to yellow to red. Every part except his head and left foot was tinted yellowish green, the head and foot being tinted a sickly red. At the top, there was a bar-style compass, indicating that he was facing roughly south.


    Below the human diagram, There were two boxes that contained a display for his approximate health and stamina. His health was listed as "medium", and his stamina as "high".


    He could feel an inclination in the back of his mind to open a menu, almost like a muscle memory. He reached out to that feeling, experimenting with his strange new abilities as he stood up, his questionable balance threatening to topple him over.


    Indeed, a new menu did appear, confirming his hunch. There were several options listed. He inspected them on the way back to camp.


    <code>> - Objectives


    > - Social


    > - Inventory (Locked)


    > - Profile (Locked)


    > - Map (Locked)


    > - Wiki (Locked)</code>


    The only two available options were empty, though the locked options caught his attention. Each brought up more questions than answers, further undermining his insistence that he was not in a video game. With no new information to find, the menu only proved a distraction until he could find out more.


    Finding food and water were his top priority for the time being, anything else would be pointless in a matter of days without them. On top of that, he had not found any semblance of a shelter. Although it was only midday, and there hadn''t been any sign of wildlife, the idea of being attacked in his sleep gnawed at him.


    He passed by the rock he had chosen for his camp, but kept walking. Without a means of making a fire, there was no point just sitting there, waiting to die. On the other side of the rock field, the beach stretched on further, another island loomed off in the distance.


    There was a tall mountain making up most of the visible landmass, a hazy plume of smoke rising high above the peak. If it was in fact a volcano, then the surrounding land had to be dry.


    He felt a renewed sense of determination, even a twinge of excitement at the thought of seeing a volcano with his own eyes. With that, he set off towards the other island.


    ***


    Beth''s first sensation when she awoke was that of falling out of the sky. She landed hard on her left leg, the searing pain fading to numbness. It took a minute for her to regain her bearings, then several more to pull herself out of the tangled, thorny bush at the base of a steep hill.


    It was a great test of her willpower and grit to work through the pain, but her determination allowed her to push on. She was reminded of the first few days of basic training when she enlisted for the RAF.


    All she could think about was giving up and surrendering. Eventually, that desire no longer pulled at her, it no longer mattered. The pain became part of her life. That is when she had truly excelled, and now is when she needed that breakthrough the most.


    She collapsed on the ground next to the bush, exhausted from the fight to untangle herself. Now free to inspect the wound, she readied herself for the next stage of the battle.


    Her leg was certainly broken, to what extent, she had no idea. Her medical knowledge was minimal, only knowing the basics of how to set a broken limb. A pair of branches would make up the frame of her makeshift splint, and a long scrap of denim torn off from her jeans would tie it in place.


    She worked with haste, but not in a rush. It was of utmost importance that she got this right the first time, otherwise it might break when she needed it most.


    With the splint in place, and the bone set, she was finally able to take a deep breath. She scanned her surroundings, though the dense overgrowth obscured her vision further into the jungle. The steep hill behind her stretched far beyond what she had expected. It was definitely a mountain, perhaps even a volcano, though it seemed dormant.


    There was a large black disc stuck halfway in the side of the hill, like someone had thrown it like a Frisbee. A blue plus symbol glowed in the center, and a vague semblance of text arched along the perimeter, but was too far away to be legible.


    There was no obvious way to climb back up the hillside in her condition, so she turned her attention elsewhere. A beach or a stream would be the ideal spot to set up camp, either giving access to water.


    How she ended up at the base of a volcano on a tropical island, she had no idea. One thing was for certain, whoever put her here was going to have hell to pay for it.