Finally, a reunion (REWRITTEN MARCH 25)

The man named William shut the door slowly, making Alan feel as though he had been locked inside a lion's cage. But why would I feel this way?

Once seated, Marco pointed at the giant screen. "We have something amazing going on here, Alan."

Alan turned to the projection, which now showed what seemed to be the final moments before winning a tournament. In those glorious thirty seconds, Alan watched William charge at a team of three and bash the closest one with a shield as big as him, while Matthew healed him from a modest distance. Then, an opponent carrying a giant sword took center stage, stopping William's rampage. But everything was a distraction for a devastating move. William jumped to one side as a roaring column of fire engulfed the entire enemy team. The commentator went wild, praising that winning strategy, as the rest of Shooting Stars charged against the enemy's base, destroyed their 'core', and won the match.

The last scene focused on a familiar redhead, holding a smirk. She then noticed the camera, frowned at it, and immediately turned her back.

Was that Amelia? Wow, that fire spell was impressive! It was like a dragon unleashed a hellish breath on the battlefield. His awe quickly dissipated as he realized it did not feature Astrid.

It doesn't show this guy either, so I suppose they were commanding the troops from a distance?

Alan crossed eyes with Marco, who sighed and laid back. "What do you think?" he asked, resting one ankle on his knee. "And I'm not just talking about this video." He extended his arms to his side, gesturing to Alan to take a hard look at every single achievement caught on video. "You may have not explored the entirety of these facilities, but you must have taken a good look at them from the air. So I ask, what do you think of what Shooting Stars have accomplished?"

Alan was taken aback for a moment. "Truly impressive. This whole place, this long trajectory as a competitive guild… Amazing." Alan then narrowed his eyes at the seemingly calm gentleman. "But something tells me that's not the answer you're looking for. When we met, you called me 'Founder', right?"

Marco formed a half-smile, looking amused. "You're on the right track, Alan. I'm asking you what do you think about these guild progress, as the man that started it all but was never present."

It was obvious that this would be the topic of this conversation. 

"Do you resent me for being absent?"

"Not at all!" Marco giggled, leaning toward a coffee table to grab a mug. "Don't misunderstand me, Alan. I'm not accusing you or something like that. Ah, by the way, would you like some tea too? Please, be my guest."

Alan glanced at the second mug, resting elegantly on a delicate porcelain saucer with a matching cover. He picked it up, appreciated the exquisite smell and took a sip. "It's cold," he murmured.

Marco stared at him with a blank expression. "Oh? That's odd. Is the auto-heating function not working properly?"

Auto-heating? 

Alan checked the mug and noticed a temperature slider, reminding him that every dish from the Dragon's Belly had it too. His cheeks and ears turned crimson.

"Ah, right… W-What were you saying about not accusing me for not being around?"

"Why don't we talk about the true reason for your absence first, Alan? Could you please share your story with me?"

Sure, let's get this over already.

Alan gulped his cold beverage. "I was in a coma."

Marco's lips parted, his eyes seemed to scan Alan's face and hands over and over again, and then, with a snicker, he finally said, "Pardon me? Could you repeat that?"

"I was in a coma," Alan shrugged. "I wasn't officially logged into the Novus until today."

Marco kept a rigid posture and said, "I'm sorry, but could you please elaborate?"

Although Alan presented himself as calm and nonchalantly, his mind and heart were working like crazy, second-guessing if his story was convincing.

But what else can I say? I can't reveal anything about Isabella's mission, and people of this guild would, sooner or later, find out about my low level and lack of resources. So why not communicate this info to the one that surely is high in their hierarchy. And why is this guy the Second Officer anyway?

As a pang of jealousy tried to overwhelm him, a memory resurfaced from the day before boarding the Santa María. Astrid was joking about the hundreds of malfunctions that could occur during their voyage, or worse, when the ship tried to take off, and something about how the cryo-pods worked made Alan shriek.

"Why are you telling me all this?!"

"Doesn't knowing all this make you feel more secure? So if anything actually happens, you won't feel as distressed as being in the dark. Don't you think so?"

That is what she answered with an innocent smile. But when he asked her how she knew all that, she changed the subject.

It's better to tell the story of another, actually believing it's true, while also filling up the details with what I've learned during my time as a technician. That way I'll be the most convincing ever.

"One cryo-pod out of ten thousand can present factory problems… Uh, I think it has something to do with the Neuro-Regulator… Array? Yeah, NRA! That freaking thing." Alan continued his explanation as he eyed a plate of pastries. "It's what keeps the brain's signals all smooth and steady while you're in cryo-stasis. But if it's busted or miscalibrated, it messes with your head. Like, either overdo it or not do enough. When that happens, the brain kind of… freaks out? And to protect the user, the whole thing just shuts down, putting the person in a coma." He chomped on a cookie. "So yeah, that's what happened to me."

Marco nodded, frowning. "I see, I see. It must have been horrible. Not being fully conscious, and feeling like a frozen steak at the same time. Just one thing… how do you know all that? I mean, I'm not discrediting your story, but…"

"Ah, don't worry, it's natural to be curious. All I'm sharing with you it's what the captain told me while I waited for my pod to be fixed. It's not as if we have spare pods, am I right? So when I finally woke up from the coma, I had to spend two days outside before logging back."

"Fascinating…" Marco murmured while serving himself another cup of tea. "And truly tragic at the same time. Coming back to a world that in its indifference, moved on without you. Not being able to turn back the clock and having missed what others had experienced for three long years." He locked eyes with Alan, giving him a sympathetic smile. "I could never imagine myself in your shoes."

Alan winced a little. "Yeah… Who could."

Marco rose from his seat and extended a hand. "Well, worry no longer, friend. Shooting Stars welcomes you. We'll help you whenever we can."

Alan could not believe what he was hearing. Maybe the guild could help him in his quest, either giving him all the information he needed about strange occurrences through the Novus, or by contacting an Administrator. Either way, I did well in coming here.

Alan shook Marco's hand. "Thanks, man. Would that be all?"

"Ah, yes! Go and get some rest. We can continue talking tomorrow morning. The guild won't go anywhere."

Feeling invigorated for the first time since he logged back, Alan said good night, and disappeared at the exit, before William took his place a moment after.

"Lock the door," Marco said aloud as he manipulated his User Interface and stared at it absently with a blank expression until William broke the silence.

"Well? Was Kathleen telling the truth?"

"Yes," Marco said in a low voice before tapping on his menu and initiating a call. A secondary virtual window appeared with the name of the receiver. "Amelia, come. We need to talk."

(Okay, but give me a minute, please.)

Marco leaned back in his armchair as if he were tired from fighting a dragon. He suddenly chuckled. "A coma, huh?"

"So… What about Kathleen's proposal? Are you going to accept it?" William asked, his huge muscular arms resting on his knees. His enormous frame occupied two seats that Alan would've used.

Marco shot him a dirty look. His hazel eyes now glowed with piercing gold. "I still have until tomorrow. In the meantime, I don't want to hear a word about it. Understood?"

The big man relaxed his posture and averted his gaze, as though physically wounded. "Yes, sir."

*

*

Outside, Alan was greeted by a chill night breeze. He wanted nothing more than to return to his designated room and collapse into bed. That conversation had been more exhausting than fighting a dozen of those shadow people.

On second thought, it wasn't that bad. All thanks to her.

Recalling what had made him come up with that story, he could not help but smile.

Alan lifted his chin, filling his lungs with the crisp air. Maybe encountering the Shooting Stars so early in his quest was not such a bad thing after all. That is, until a contemptuous voice broke his peace of mind.

"So what? You think you can just return just like that and claim all the benefits we've worked so hard for?"

Alan turned around and found Amelia still rooted in the same spot from earlier, near the entrance. With crossed arms, she shot him a chilling glare that could bring anyone to their knees. But Alan only shrugged.

"I can give you these clothes back if you want."

"I'm not talking about that," Amelia hissed. "What I'm asking is, how can you have the nerve to show up here after all this time? Aren't you a man? Then get out and build your own thing from the ground up!"

What's her problem? Alan wondered until a thunderous sound pierced the sky. A known sound. 

He looked up, expecting to see Marissa Laflamme's winged mount, but instead, a larger beast hovered in the air, flapping its wings. Its rider, too impatient for the mount to land, jumped down, breaking the cobblestones with their impact, and looked up, revealing their face.

The nearest lamppost framed her face perfectly, making her hair shine golden. Her icy blue eyes sparkled like the bright stars above.

No way…

Alan did not realize when he dashed forward to meet that person, but when they were face to face, he could not form a single word.

The girl in front of him formed a half-smile. "Hey. You—you're back!" She giggled before frowning. "Or this is one of those dreams…"

"N-No! This is real! At least, I think so, considering we're inside a simulation."

The blonde girl gasped before embracing him. "Oh my god. You're actually here!"

Alan had not expected that.

He had played several scenarios in his head about what would happen once they reunited. The final result exceeded his expectations.

For a brief, fleeting moment, he forgot why he came to this place… No… That's not true at all. Even while talking to Marco, I kept your memory close. And even if I shouldn't think of anything else besides my new mission, the thought of seeing you again never escaped me. Oh, I wish I could say a million things, but right now, while you're hugging me… My mind has gone blank.

But why? Why am I so surprised by you holding me tight? Could it be that the bitter part of me thought I didn't deserve this? That I had no right to see you after leaving you alone for three Novus years? That I had lost the right to be happy, even for a brief moment, because it would slow the progress of this new task Isabella has assigned me? That I…

"I missed you," Astrid whispered, burying her face in his chest.

His mouth dropped open, struggling to find the words for several seconds.

"I… missed you too."

Astrid pulled away slightly, revealing her teary eyes, before gazing at the woman standing a few feet away. Amelia had been watching the entire scene, her mouth agape. Her eyes were a mix of bewilderment and stupefaction. 

Alan caught the brief moment when Astrid shot Amelia a severe glare.

"Come with me," Astrid said, clasping Alan's hand as she led him to her winged black lion that had landed at its own pace. In no time, Alan was soaring through the sky atop the lion, embracing Astrid's waist tightly.

Feeling her warm body felt surreal.

She said something about dreaming… When I'm the one feeling that way.