This is a fanfiction written using terms from the anime/light novel Sword Art Online. Any content that is not taken from Sword Art Online or Reki Kawahara is mine.
Jones
"Let's go!" I shout out to Katelyn. "I can't wait to level up my avatar in Alfheim Online more!" I turn a corner see the bus coming. "Come on! We won't be able to catch the bus if you don't catch up!" "You don't have to shout, Jones! I'm coming!" Katelyn replies, desperately trying to run with her backpack full of art. The bus pulls up to a stop in front of us. "Great, we made it just in time today!" Katelyn nods at my remark, and we get on.
Katelyn is my childhood friend and my neighbor. She's an artist and a strategist. The main reason why we're both Level 90's in the virtual game Alfheim Online is that Katelyn's clever strategies helped us level up really fast. We don't even need extra levels anymore, since we have plenty of money, our stats are maxed out, and we've already went to the top of the World Tree.
"What do you want to do now? Start on your 6th character?" Katelyn asks me, out of curiosity.
"Nah, I'm fine with the ones I have right now, although I still prefer using my first one, Zakari."
"I seriously can't believe you actually bought five copies of Alfheim Online. Even I only have two!"
"Well, it's always safe to back things up. Right, Katelyn?"
"I guess so..."
The bus stops right in front of our house. "Thanks!" I say to the driver. He nods back, and we get off the bus. "Wanna dive in over at my house?" "It's fine, I've got to finish a painting first," Katelyn replies. "Alright then, see ya later." "Same here."
...
Once I get back into my room, I heave a sigh. To be honest, I'm actually not sure if I should start a new character or not. Playing with an old character with all the stats fully set already seems boring after a while, but on the other hand, a cartridge costs the amount of allowance I get in two weeks. No, better to wait and see what happens first. I have this weird feeling that something huge will happen soon, very soon.
Despite having a lot of homework today, I still log onto Alfheim Online. I haven't logged into my first account since five months ago. Since profiles are deleted after six months, I should really log in and check to see if anything's wrong. I sigh at how bad my procrastination is affecting me right now, and I lie down on my bed in as comfortable a position I can get into without crawling into the blankets. After fumbling with the AmuSphere, I manage to get it on, and after a deep breath, I say, "Link Start!"
Katelyn
I walk away from Jones at a slow pace. Even though I only live next door, I try to take as long as I can to walk back to my house. Something seems off, as if something is watching me. I quickly pull out my cell phone and pretend to be preoccupied playing a game on it. When I finally get onto my lawn, I notice that the presence is gone. A black van also happened to drive down the road as well.
I scramble to get back into my room and analyze the cameras I have set up on the closed network Jones helped me set up. Since he's a tech genius, he helped me set up a whole security suite all over my house, and all the cameras and connections are encrypted with his own software, so it's impossible to crack. I pull up the screen, and sure enough, the same black van shows up across the street from me on the camera, parked with seemingly nobody inside. However, a small hole appears near the bottom, and just a little bit of light reflected off the lens that stuck out, revealing their secret ever so slightly. From the camera's view, it seemed like I haven't noticed them yet, and that I was walking normally back into my house.
Just then, I remember that Jones logged in to Alfheim Online, where other people might be following him as well. I quickly grab my AmuSphere and shout "Link Start!", hoping that I can make it in time.