Authors Note: Sorry for the late upload. Real life has been pretty hectic these last couple of weeks and doesn't seem to be subsiding anytime soon unfortunately. But be assured that I still intend to upload as regularly as I can.
To better inform you guys as to the state of the story, I have around 35 chapters written but I am trying to improve each one before I upload, time permitting of course.
I also intend to go back and update some chapters with extra content, slight alterations and grammar checks at some point. I'm not sure if this website will inform you when his happens though so I might put up a temporary A/N to explain which chapters are affected when this happens (it'll be a long way off in all likelihood anyway)
I also want to give a quick shout out to FailtasticBelt who has been reviewing pretty much every chapter and helping me with tons of feedback and constructive criticism. Your help is greatly appreciated!
Chapter 12- January 21st 2025- "A New Hope"
Kyoto
I sat bolt upright in bed yet again. Another night of broken sleep as I saw the deaths of Kirito and Asuna play on repeat.
My psychiatrist had been trying to get me to forgive myself, saying that my grief was normal and that there was nothing I could do at the time. She was probably right, but that didn't stop me feeling this tremendous guilt.
I had found out from the SAO Incident Task Force that most of the survivors of SAO, nearly 6,000 in number, lived in or around Tokyo. This had put a damper on my psychiatrist's plans to have me meet with other survivors for joint therapy and since we all had to undergo physiotherapy it was also difficult to travel all the way from Kyoto for one of these sessions.
However, despite my therapist's intent, there was only three lives in SAO that I cared about in this moment. Kirito, Asuna and Liz.
I had asked the representative from the task force who had interviewed me about them, but they had insisted that the whereabouts and wellbeing of the other players was confidential at the time.
I stared up at the clock to see that it was 8:30 AM, yet in total I probably only had about an hours' worth of sleep.
I could hear the clattering of my mum in the kitchen preparing breakfast, whilst the sounds of the shower told me that my dad had also awoken.
They had both been incredibly supportive since I had returned. It kind of made me feel like a failure that no matter what, I couldn't get mentally better. This was all compounded by the fact that the reason I had fought so hard to return was to be back with them and now that I had returned all I wanted to do was shut myself away.
I know now that they didn't see me as a failure and were just happy to have me back, but my mind had been damaged by the ordeal and was very vulnerable to those kind of feelings back then.
Rather than face them I would spend my days trying to find out anything I could about Kirito, Asuna and Liz. After all if the government wouldn't tell me anything I would have to dig for myself. I would spend all the time I could trying to find any information about specific players from SAO, but it seemed that the information was being tightly controlled.
My psychiatrist would have a fit seeing me do this, I could hear her voice in my mind 'by doing this you are only delaying your recovery. You have to accept their loss and move on'. She didn't understand though, I had made a promise and even while in my broken state, I intended to keep it. To that end I propped myself onto one of crutches and swung over to my computer chair nearby.
As my computer booted up an email notification popped up on my screen. It was from my psychiatrist and read:
Dear Reo,
I have received a notification from the SAO Task Force that they have set up a messaging board and chat system for the survivors of SAO. I feel it prudent to explain that this information was only given to the assigned psychiatrists to share with their patients at their discretion. It may be possible to contact the friends you made during your time inside SAO using this system. But please understand that if the worst comes to light, none of it was your fault.
I've attached a link to the server in this email and I hope you find the answers you are looking for. If you do find anything or just need to talk please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours,
Akita Rujeo
As fast as my hand would move I snapped the mouse to the link and clicked. A website opened and began verifying my login credentials, which must have been embedded in the link. Once I was verified a new window popped up.
Welcome Reo,
To better help acclimatize the users of this forum and to assist in locating any acquaintances you may have made within Sword Art Online your username has been set to Tyzn. Please feel free to use this service at any time and consider this a private space. Any use of threats or insults will be harshly treated with on this forum and should immediately be reported to the admins.
I knew the part about privacy was bullshit. There was no way that the Task Force wasn't going over every message with a fine tooth comb, but that didn't matter. I had to try and find my friends.
As I closed the window a list of all members appeared in alphabetical order. I wasted no time in scrolling down to where Asuna's name would be.
Anulla, Aoan, Atlanta…. No Asuna.
My heart sank but I knew I couldn't give up hope.
Kirito would know what happened to Asuna I thought as I continued to scroll down the list.
However Kirito was also absent. I could feel my heart being torn apart all over again but then another name at the bottom of the current list caught my eye and I felt a new wave of happiness surge forth.
Lisbeth!
The small green icon next to her name indicated that she was currently online. Without even thinking I opened a chat window but then found myself stalled.
What the hell do I say? How do I ask about Kirito and Asuna? What if she doesn't remember me? All ran through my thoughts. I stayed that way for what felt like an eternity.
Finally with trembling hands I typed a message.
Tyzn: Hey Liz. You have no idea how happy I am to see you made it out.
Again an eternity felt like it had passed before the chat window indicated that Lisbeth was typing a message and finally a reply came.
Lisbeth: Oh my god! I was so worried that you hadn't woken up or that you had died! You dummy where have you been?
For the first time in the last two months I smiled. I still felt the hole left by Asuna and Kirito gnawing away at me though. I had to ask.
Tyzn: I'm sorry my counsellor only just told me about the forum. I don't mean to be cruel or anything but I need to know. Have you heard anything about Kirito or Asuna?
Lisbeth: Yeah Asuna never woke up from SAO and is still in hospital. Kirito is trying to find a way to wake her up though.
He made it, he actually made it! My mind was abuzz. Kirito survived SAO and was a hero. But Asuna hadn't come back. I had heard that everyone who died in game had been killed instantly, so if Asuna was jut asleep then she couldn't be dead right? That must mean that one way or another there was hope.
Tyzn: How can Kirito wake her up?
Lisbeth: wait one sec.
This second seemed to drag on forever. Now that I had even the slightest amount of information my mind had gone into overdrive, trying desperately to parse the information and screaming out for more. Eventually another lot of text appeared on screen.
Lisbeth: A friend sent me this yesterday.
Agil: Liz calm down and let me explain. I came across a picture of a character in ALO that looks just like Asuna. I had to show Kirito. You know what he is like. He charged in to find out what was going on and to save her. But he'll be impossible to find and even if you knew where he was the map in this game is huge you'd never catch up. Best we can do is hope that he finds a way to wake her up.
My brain was on overdrive trying to work out what this all meant.
Alfheim Online, or ALO, was another VRMMO I had heard about shortly after awaking. If Asuna was spotted in this other game how did she get there without logging in herself? Someone should have noticed her wake up to do that. More to the point why would she? And what if she wasn't asleep but just still under the effects of full dive? That would explain her not regaining consciousness.
Lisbeth: Are you ok? You've been quiet for a while.
Tyzn: Yeah sorry, just trying to work out what could have happened to Asuna.
Lisbeth: you and me both. But if I know one thing it is that you three are stubborn. I know that Kirito and Asuna will be fine, we just have to wait.
Tyzn: yeah I guess you're right. Thanks Liz. I really did miss talking to you.
Lisbeth: I missed talking to you too. Just don't go telling everyone! I have a reputation to keep!
Tyzn: Your secret is safe with me!
It had been two days since I had found out about the survivors forum as us users called it.
I had spent nearly every waking hour talking to Liz and had spent some time speaking with Agil, who had met Kirito in the real world.
Agil had shown me the image he'd sent to Kirito and he wasn't wrong. Whoever that was they looked the spitting image of Asuna. I could understand why Kirito had rushed in after her and I knew if anyone could save Asuna it would be him. Still I couldn't shake the thoughts that had clouded my broken mind since first awakening and it was beginning to look like I may never be able to.
On the home front my parents had commented on how much I had improved in just two days. Apparently the colour in my face had returned and my food intake had improved. Even my sleep had got better, although it still wasn't perfect. I'd still wake up in a cold sweat and the deaths of Asuna and Kirito would still play over and over. Even whilst awake my mind would wander back to not just their demise but the thew thoughts were also joined by the other horrors that I had witnessed.
Still at least now I could also feel hope that Kirito and Asuna would be safe, even if the pain remained.
I awoke at 9:00 am, 4 hours, the longest stretch of sleep I'd had in months. As was almost ritual now I shifted my body weight on one of my crutches to swing myself onto my computer chair from my bed. As I logged into the survivors group once again an invitation from Liz popped up almost instantly.
Lisbeth has sent you an invitation to a group chat.
Lisbeth says: Get your a** in here now!
I couldn't help but smile at Liz's way with words.
Back in SAO I had given up any hope of being closer with Liz after my realization of her feelings towards Kirito. Yet in the real world I could feel all the emotions swell again. It was only now that I realised the feelings would come back every time I was talking to her and I could even picture her saying every line she typed.
It was perhaps kind of cliché and pathetic of me to feel this way. Still the warmth that it caused was one of the few happiness's I had felt since returning to the real world, so I revelled in them while I could.
Damn I thought, if I'm not chronically depressed I'm hopelessly in love.
I accepted the invite and was dropped into a group chat session. I glanced over at the list of members.
Agil, Klein, Lisbeth, Silica… that name was new to me and…. Kirito….. KIRITO!
Lisbeth: so Tyzn finally woke up!
Klein: About time you nearly missed the party!
Tyzn: Sorry, I have to take my sleep when I can.
Lisbeth: Well Kirito you gonna give him the good news? This sap had been real worried about you both!
I waited with baited breath as the screen blinked 'Kirito is typing a message'.
Kirito: Alright Liz give us a chance. Hey Tyzn! We're both glad to hear you're ok.
Tyzn: we're?
I thought I knew who he meant but I didn't want to get my hopes up.
Lisbeth: who do you think he means dumbass?
Silica: Leave him alone, he's just as confused as we were
Kirito: I'm with Asuna, she's finally back and wanted to speak to you guys, I'll type out what she says.
I couldn't believe it, I felt a huge weight lift off me as the hole in my chest closed its final gap in an instant. Liz, Asuna and Kirito, The only real friends I'd ever had, they were all back in the real world and out of that hell. I couldn't help but start to cry. But for once they were not tears of fear, sadness or regret, but of joy.
Kirito: Hey guys its Asuna. I know you all want to know what happened but it's a long story, I'll tell you all another time when I'm feeling stronger. When I am better though we all need to meet up! I miss you guys so much and I know that Kirito does too.
Silica: I'm so glad you two are ok! I can't wait to meet up with you both for real!
Agil: I second that! We will have to arrange a big meetup at my Café when you are feeling better.
Klein: Come on guys, you're gonna make me cry here.
Lisbeth: You big baby
Tyzn: I'm so happy for you both, you guys have no idea how worried I was.
