Fawlen: All right, I know I've been re-writing this story a lot, but it can't be helped, my writing is improving each day. My ideas have also changed and after some thought, I converted the two chapters into one, so the whole monologue is just a lengthened version of the summary, like BuBuWinter suggested. This story is still dedicated to them, and I want to say thank you for all of those who have put up with me. I'll try to be more consistent, but there's no guarantee that will happen.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Wizard101.
Warning: There will be a few cussing in this story.
Not everything has to always depend on magic. You don't always have to learn magic to defeat monsters. People just think it's easier. Honestly, I think they're wrong. Magic seems like a waste of time. It takes time to cast a few spells, and if you don't do it fast in a battle…well, let's just say it won't end up pretty. The Spiral isn't as innocent as it looks in games. The place is like a battlefield.
The monsters here are vicious. They won't hesitate to come after you. It doesn't matter if you walk on the sidewalks, they'll still come after you. They're not generous. They don't give you turns to cast spells, and you definitely don't re-spawn after you lose all your health. I don't know what all of you think, but this place is truly like living in Hell.
Many people have lost their families. We barely have any food and there's barely any space for anyone. The people that are richer are selfish. They don't care about the food shortages because can buy it with their money, and they certainly don't care about other people dying. They live in their safe, comfy home with a few well-trained guards to protect them. I sued to envy the people in the high society when I was younger, but now, I despise them. I truly hope I'll never have to meet one of them.
This isn't a game. This isn't just for fun. People die every single second of the day. It's not like the game 'Wizard101', it's different. And I hope that one day, you'll be able to see just how cruel it really is, because the game isn't a game. It's a trap. Once you play it, you'll get sucked in. And there's no way out. The graphics you see are all just a lie. Nothing more but a mere illusion. Merle Ambrose doesn't exist. None of it does. But the world I currently live in does.
"Hey, you gonna help us or what?"
"We need the almighty Beta Tester to help us!"
"Whatever you say, kiddo!"
Those were the last words someone spoke to me before I was sucked in.
I remember it all so clearly. I remember logging in and creating a character. Then the graphics started to change. The colors changed into duller shades. Merle Ambrose's face melted like candle wax, and the owl's beady eyes stared at me with great intensity, as if it was staring straight into my soul. Its eyes flashed a demonic red, and the next thing I knew, black tendrils seeped out of the screen. They reached out for me. The room darkened with the computer screen as the only source of light.
The room trembled along with my body, and I scrambled back as quickly as I could. My back hit the door, and I twisted the doorknob to escape. It didn't budge. I tried again and again, but the result was still the same. I banged on the door, screaming for help. I had hoped my mother or brother would hear. They didn't.
The tendrils wrapped around my legs and arms, immobilizing me. I couldn't move. The only thing I could do was scream and thrash my body around. It was all in vain. I couldn't stop it from happening. All of it seemed like a nightmare, but it was all real. I could feel myself being dragged. I could feel the vice-like grip the tendrils had around my wrists and ankles. All of it was real.
"Nobody will save you! You can't escape!" The old wizard's voice screeched.
I screamed one last time before blackness overtook my vision. My vision blurred, and the last thing I remembered was the sound of someone banging on my door. It was too late though. The game had already trapped me. I couldn't escape no matter how much I tried. It was simply impossible.
My eyes snapped open, and I was met with a whole different world. It looked exactly like Wizard City, but at the same time it wasn't. The bright, vibrant colors were replaced with darker, grimmer colors. The grass was a shade of pale yellow, the trees were bare of their leaves, and the lake was a murky green/black color.
The streets were crowded, filled with kids around the age of ten. Panicked cries and sobs filled the air, and the smell of tears lingered in the air. I squeezed through the crowd and navigated my way around the streets. If I played my cards right, then I would find Ravenwood somewhere around this bend.
A group of teens stood in front of the entrance to Ravenwood. They seemed to be around the age of sixteen, maybe older. There were only three, but I still felt quite intimidated by them. The girl of the group seemed to spot my quivering figure hiding behind a tree, which just so happened to be there. She smiled, her kind brown eyes softly staring at me, and gestured for me to come closer.
I timidly walked closer until I stood in front of the girl. Her companions, two boys, seemed to notice that there was a small girl standing in front of their friend. They didn't do anything. They just stood there, watching. The girl still had that same smile plastered on her face and enveloped me in a hug. This took me by surprise, and I just stood there, my body frozen to the ground. I didn't know what to do.
"It's all right. We're not going to hurt you. We'll help find a way to escape this madness." The girl whispered.
And with that, I felt my whole body shake with sobs. I clutched onto the back of her shirt and cried as she whispered soothing words into my other. The other teens knelt down beside her and gave me comforting smiles. I guess, maybe living here isn't so bad after all.
After I had gotten rid of my sobbing mess, I learned their names. Hope was the name of the girl that had comforted me. Her name described her perfectly, for she was the one who gave me hope in this despicable world. She had long ebony hair pulled into a single braid and soft chocolate brown eyes. She was tall with wide hips and small pink lips to match. Her looks could rival that of a model, and any boy would be lucky to have her.
James was her twin brother. He had the same features as her and only a few inches taller than her. His presence gave off an intimidating aura, but his personality said otherwise. Many girls held crushes due to his looks, but he didn't spare any of them a glance. The only thing he cared about was his sister, his friends, and me.
Lucas was the other boy who were with them. I learned that he was both of the siblings' best friend and would follow them wherever they went. He had short brown hair and ocean blue eyes. His eyes always twinkled with mischief, no matter the situation. He would always crack jokes whenever he can, even if they are pretty cheesy. I realized now that I miss those jokes, even the bad ones, I can't help but admit.
They took me in and treated me like a family. Hope and James were like the older siblings I never had, and Lucas was the best friend that I always confided with. I felt happy. They were the only thing keeping me alive.
Soon after that, everything became a blur. I remember becoming a knight and watching my friends grow stronger each day. The two siblings became two of the most powerful wizards in the Spiral, and Lucas became the head captain of the knights. He taught me how to use a sword and how to manipulate your surroundings to help you in a fight.
Everything was going well. Because of those three, a lot of the trapped players gained hope in finally leaving this wretched game. But all good things must come to an end – as the saying goes. I had thought the little expedition would be easy. I would have never thought we would get ambushed. I actually never thought that the monsters would get smarter.
It was July fourth, Independence Day in America. We decided that we should hunt some monsters down just to celebrate one of the most important days in America. We traveled through Unicorn Way, killing monsters as we go.
Everything was fine, until I felt a cold breath breathing down my neck. I had let out a shrill scream, alerting the three that there was a Ghoul behind me. Although Ghouls can easily die with just one slash or a simple magic spell, they were hard to kill.
Lucas grabbed me by the elbow and slashed his sword at the Ghoul. It disappeared into a billow of smoke. I let out a sigh of relief, which was until I heard Hope scream. Lucas and I whirled around, his sword drawn, to see one of the most horrible sights I've ever seen. Hopes skill was a deathly shade of white. A trail of red escaped between her lips, staining them with its red color, and her eyes lost their sheen. Worst of all, the blade of a sword was protruding from her stomach with a Skeletal Pirate standing behind her.
James let out a cry of rage and charged at the Skeletal Pirate, his wand buzzing with white hot energy. Next thing I knew, we were surrounded. Skeletal Pirates, Ghouls, and Pixies had formed a circle around us. The Pixies' demented giggles rang through my ears, and I watched as James was blasted with a giant ball of black energy. His body fell, convulsing until his whole body ceased of any movements. The energy encircling the wand fizzled out into tiny sparks. His spell took too much time that he wasn't able to kill any of them off.
Lucas let out a low, feral growl and slashed through the throng of monsters, creating a gap big enough for one person to escape. With a smile, Lucas pushed me through the hole and drew all the attention on him. "Save the Spiral!"
I stared with wide eyes at the crowd of monsters surrounding Lucas. My body felt numb, and all I could do was stare at Lucas's fighting figure. His blue eyes met mine for a split second and he conveyed all the emotions through them: anger, hurt, sorrow, and determination. I drew in a deep breath and watched as the sheer amount of monsters overcame him. Blood splattered on the floor, and I stared in horror. Tears left my eyes, blurring my vision, and I dashed away from the scene. Loud growls and psychotic giggles rang through my ears. That was the last memory I had of my family – dying before my eyes, and I couldn't do anything to save them.
After the attack, I had vowed to myself that I would save the Spiral and escape from this wretched trap. All of it…I would do all of it. For Lucas, for Hope, for James, and for everyone else trapped in this nightmare of a game.
Magic won't save you. I learned that after seeing how fast Hope and James died. No matter how good you are in magic, it won't save you when you're surrounded. Only blades and shields will save you in this world. It's a cruel reality, but you should learn by now that magic is just a trick to entertain. It's not meant for fighting – in a game or in real life.
