graduated

Alex had finally graduated from college with good grades, but he couldn't help but feel a little overshadowed by Pearl's achievement. She had achieved grades that were far better than his, and she was always so energetic about it. Despite that, Alex was happy for her, and he knew that she deserved all the success that came her way.

That night, Alex decided to meet up with Pearl's parents, Mariana and Samuel, as he had no one else to turn to. They went out for dinner at a fancy restaurant that night, and Pearl, as usual, drank way too much and passed out. It was just Alex, Mariana, and Samuel sitting at the table, and Mariana seemed to have something on her mind.

She looked at Alex and said, "You know, there's something between Pearl and you, isn't there?"

Alex was taken aback by the question, and he felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. He tried to deny it, saying that they were just friends, but Mariana wasn't convinced.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked, giving him a knowing look. "You two have been inseparable since high school, and now, you're both here, celebrating your graduation together. There's got to be something more to it than just friendship."

Alex didn't know what to say. He had always been close to Pearl, but he had never thought of her in a romantic way. At least, not until now. As he looked at Mariana, he saw the same knowing look in her eyes, and he realized that maybe there was something there.

"I don't know," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe there is something more between us. But I don't want to ruin our friendship, you know?"

Mariana smiled at him, and she reached across the table to take his hand. "I understand," she said. "But sometimes, you just have to take a chance. You never know where it might lead you."

Samuel nodded in agreement, and Alex felt a sense of comfort knowing that he had their support. He didn't know what the future held, but he knew that he wanted to explore his feelings for Pearl further. He just hoped that she felt the same way.

As the night drew to a close, Alex said his goodbyes to Mariana and Samuel, and he made his way back to his room in the mansion. He couldn't stop thinking about what Mariana had said, and he felt a sense of nervousness as he thought about talking to Pearl about it.

He knew that he needed to be honest with her, and he hoped that she would understand. As he drifted off to sleep that night, his mind was filled with thoughts of Pearl, and he wondered what the future held for them both.

Next day,

Alex rubbed his eyes, trying to wake himself up properly. He hadn't slept much last night, his mind preoccupied with the conversation he had with Mariana. And now, he was faced with the sight of Pearl, looking effortlessly beautiful in her casual attire.

"Hey," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "What brings you here so early?"

"I missed you," Pearl said with a grin, stepping inside the room without waiting for an invitation. "And I wanted to see your place."

Alex couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth spread through his chest at her words. He had missed her too, more than he wanted to admit. But there was work to be done, and he needed to focus on that first.

"Actually, Jessica is here to go over some reports with me," he said, gesturing towards the woman standing patiently by the door. "I was just about to start."

Pearl pouted, but nodded. "Fine, I'll wait for you. We can grab lunch together afterwards?"

Alex smiled at her, feeling grateful for her understanding. "Sounds good. Let me just go over these reports with Jessica first."

He led Jessica to his desk, trying to focus on the task at hand. But he couldn't help stealing glances at Pearl every now and then, her presence in his room feeling both surreal and comforting at the same time.

After a few hours of going over the reports, Alex felt satisfied with the progress they had made. He turned to Pearl, who was scrolling through her phone on the couch.

"Ready to grab some lunch?" he asked, standing up from his desk.

Pearl looked up, a bright smile on her face. "Definitely. I'm starving."

They walked to a nearby cafe, the cool breeze of the autumn air making Alex feel alive and refreshed. As they sat down at a table, Pearl started talking about her plans for the day.

"I was thinking of checking out that new art exhibit downtown," she said, taking a sip of her coffee. "Want to come with me?"

Alex nodded, feeling grateful for the opportunity to spend more time with her. "Sure, that sounds fun."

As they walked through the exhibit, Alex couldn't help but feel a sense of calm wash over him. Being around Pearl made him feel like everything was going to be alright, like he could take on the world with her by his side.

But as the day wore on, he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He needed to confront Pearl about their relationship, to figure out where they stood with each other.

As they left the exhibit, Alex took a deep breath, gathering his courage. "Pearl, can we talk for a second?"

Pearl looked up at him, concern etched on her face. "Yeah, of course. What's up?"

Alex took another deep breath, trying to organize his thoughts. "I just wanted to ask... what are we to each other? Are we just friends, or is there something more?"

Pearl's expression softened, her eyes holding a gentle warmth. "Alex, you know I care about you. And I hope you feel the same way too."

Alex felt his heart swell with emotion, relief flooding through him. "I do. I care about you so much."

Pearl smiled, taking his hand in hers. "Then I think that's all that matters for now, right? We can figure things out as we go along."

Alex nodded, feeling more at ease than he had in a long time. With Pearl by his side, he felt like he could take on anything that came his way.

after coming back home Alex sat in front of his computer screen, his fingers resting lightly on the keyboard. It had been months since he had last played Life and Land, He had been busy with college, work, and other things, but today he had decided to take a break and revisit the game that he not as a job or work but as gamer who had once loved the game.

As he logged in, he was greeted by the familiar sound of the game's intro music. He smiled to himself, feeling a sense of nostalgia wash over him remember the days when had nothing. He scrolled through his character list and re-equipped his main character, a mage named Zephyr.

he went to the forest area where he had spent countless hours exploring and completing quests to get electric crystal for the first time. But today, he had a different goal in mind. He wanted to try his hand at combat, something he had never been particularly interested in before.

He equipped his staff and set out to hunt down some monsters. The first few were easy enough to defeat, but soon he found himself facing stronger and more aggressive creatures. He had to use his magic skills to dodge their attacks and strike them down.

As he progressed, he began to realize the thrill of combat. It was intense and exciting, a far cry from the peaceful exploration that he had been used to. He also discovered that some of the monsters he defeated dropped exclusive items that he had never seen before.

He continued to hunt, his excitement growing with each kill. He even stumbled upon a rare boss monster, a giant dragon that was said to be nearly unbeatable. But Alex was determined, and with his skills and strategy, he was able to take it down.

As the dragon fell, Alex felt a sense of accomplishment that he had never experienced before in the game. He had pushed himself out of his comfort zone and had come out victorious. He collected the drops from the dragon's lair, feeling a sense of satisfaction as he looked at the rare and valuable items.

He logged out of the game, feeling a sense of contentment that he hadn't felt in a long time. Life and Land had given him a new challenge, one that had reignited his passion for the game. He knew that he would be spending more time studying and working so this was good.

As he leaned back in his chair, he couldn't help but smile. Life and Land had been a part of his life for so long, and now it was back in full force, bringing him new adventures and experiences that he had never imagined.

End of Volume 1