There are certain words to describe one who moves about. A nomad, a wanderer, a lost one. There are those who wander because they must, those who wander because they are forced to, or those who simply choose to. Brian Aurum Drake was one of the people belonging to the last category.

He'd played nearly every game possible in the 22nd century. A man in his early twenties, in this single life he had live he'd experienced countless others. From FPS games, to strategy, to MMORPG's, the amount of lives Brian has lived through the eyes of characters number in perhaps, hundreds, if not thousands. Yet he'd always come back to YGGDRASIL, having been the first game that he had dove in to that expanded his horizons.

In every other game, Brian would simply rush towards the game's meta apex, or otherwise known as "max level" or "best geared", in any way possible, be it pay to win or an appropriate level of skill. In fact, the lifetime of games that were pay to win were even less than the skill required ones. Brian did after all, possess a well paying job as a corporate treasurer, albeit a bit boring. If he did not like it, he would simple abandon the game and never look back. In a way, he became famous for his username, having appearing in hundreds of games. With every single one of them always having someone ask:

"Who is Nephilentines?"

And there would be no correct answer. Brian himself did not know. He left a trail of broken hopes throughout the vast internet. It is then odd, that a man like Brian, who would throw aside any other game in a moment's notice would linger on YGGDRASIL.

It was because Brian was trying to live a life he could not have.

It was because of her.

Her name was Viqtoria. A beautiful name to Brian. She had been the very first friend he had made after coming to America. She taught him basic words in English, simple phrases. They had bonded over this curious interested in each other's worlds. First, came greetings.

"Hello."

Then, came expressions.

"How was your day?"

Next, conversations.

"It was fun! We did a lot in recess."

They did not go to the same schools, but they lived close by each other, in the same apartment complex. Brian lived there because, having recently immigrated, his family had no money to spare. Viqtoria lived there, because she liked the school, and her parents were well off enough that they could afford it comfortably than paying for a home or a digi-hotel.

Every day after school they would meet up and converse. Run amok in the playground in the complex, any every other little things that seemed to amazing to kids that seem boring to adults now. Yet the thing Brian loved the most was that Viqtoria would play the violin. He wanted to play too, to join her on her beautiful serenade of magic. But alas he could not afford an instrument.

Then, came the day Viqtoria's father bought a guitar for Brian. This, was the moment, in Brian's mind, that he started living. From then on every single day they had time, the two would drown in one another's melodies. A consortium of sounds that echo upon walls and trees. This was their song, and it continued for over twelve years. Their duality allowed Brian to eventually attend the same college as she did. They fueled their dreams and their passion of gaming with smarts and love. Their band named Skyaezaeir, a twenty second century word meaning:

A certain unexpected happiness. The same feeling Brian had when he was given the guitar.

In YGGDRASIL, they too were muses. Though as they aged, they expanded to various instruments. At their prime age of 19 they had both mastered virtually every instrument that is easily accessible, from cellos's to piano, violin, drums, guitar, percussion. Of course, obscure instruments eluded them, but that was the nature of such objects.

They traveled the realms, from Niflheim to Jotunheim, to Asgard and Muspellsheimr, they wandered in wonder in each other's grasp. Playing their song as they went. They had declined invitations from various high level guilds in favor of creating a two man guild for themselves: Skyaezaeir. Their strength was the epitome of power for two players. If content was able to be beat by two players, then rest assured it was Brian and Viqtoria that would triump. That was their skill. Their unity. They owned each other's every rhythm. They knew they were at a disadvantage for content that needed more than two, but that did not matter in the presence of one another.

They had, of course, made a few allies, which helped them acquire high level gear which would have otherwise been impossible for the two of them. This is simply put because some bosses cannot be beaten by two, no matter how much damage they can do or take. Their triumphant moment was when they acquired two Grand Soul Stones. They used these to make companions for themselves. Viqtoria modeled her Soul Stone into something resembling her real best friend. Brian simply modelled his after celebrity crush he had, as he was quite the introvert, and thus, did not have many friends. This did of course, annoy Viqtoria, but it was in good spirits, these two new souls were theirs but their hearts were each others.

They named them Verdandi and Diyandi, after the names of the two sides of Gemini, a new faith born within the late twenty first century.

Two now four, with doubled forces sought a home. But that was cut short.

On a pleasant sunny day in New Washington, Brian was still in class at the his University while Viqtoria was having a day off. She was buying produce for their dinner that night at a nearby food market. Close enough that a car would just be a needless time consumption. She took the hoverboard instead.

On the way home, there was a siren off in the distance. Viqtoria at the time was cruising slowly towards the shared home she had with Brian, when the drunk driver of the pursued vehicle attempting to evade the authorities swerved into her.

Viqtoria died that day. Not an act of spiteful murder or brewing tragedy diseases. But a casualty of life. A victim of the going ons at any given moment in time.

Hearts were broken. Viqtoria's parents, Brian's parents. But most of all, his. This started a inner downward spiral. Brian became depressed, and dove even deeper into gaming to drown his sorrows. He stopped caring, and a string of tattered hearts and broken promises later he started hating. Hate, that no other would be as great as her. Hate, that he was like this. Hate, that, that... He didn't know it would be their last day on that bright day. Sorrow, that he would never see her again.

So it was then, that after wandering vast worlds of games and adventures, he came back to YGGDRASIL on the last day it was supposed to shutdown.

He logged in to find himself in a forest. The forest that they had played to the skies in. Their twin servants Verdandi and Diyandi kneeling to him.

"Follow." Said Brian.

He walked through Grove of the forest, to the pond that he and Viqtoria had enjoyed. There, he felled a nearby tree with a single swipe undetectable by human eyes. The force of the tree hitting the ground sent every bird that was chirping into the atmosphere. It was now only the rippling surface of the pond's waters.

"Fire."

Verdandi, responding to her master's command, created a small Wisp Fyre in the centre of the pond. The light reflecting off its metallic dark surface illuminating the surrounding area. There, Brian sat, his back against the log, enjoying the warmth of the fire and staring into the night sky.

I would have loved to touch these stars with you.

Brian thought. He started dosing off as the countdown closed in on zero. The traveler now sessile. At rest. He opened his friends list again one last time. Names of comrades danced under his fingers. Some he had enjoyed tough battles with. Some he traded secrets with. But her name, stood at the top. Her, he had shared his world with. A traveler in life, and in game. At the final world that he felt close to Her. He looked at his two servants.

Look what we've made, love. How I wish you were still here.

Brian was never a man of god. He had never believed in a higher entity. Not out of spite, nor out of arrogance, but because he simply did not need to. He had all the love he wanted. But now, it was different. He still, did not believe in god. But he now believed in an afterlife. At the very least, some sort of other world. Some other world where he hoped to see Her again.

And as the countdown closed to zero, do did Brian's consciousness dim. The last thought before he surrendered to the calm embrace of nocturne:

Maybe in another life we will meet again.

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