Ch30. Reminiscence

Diego sat at the edge of the bed, his hands trembling as he held a damp cloth against Miles' forehead. The faint amber light from the salvaged LED strips cast a soft glow over the room, but it did little to ease the gnawing anxiety twisting in Diego's stomach.

Miles had been convulsing only moments ago, his body writhing violently before going limp. Now, he lay still, his chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths. Diego swallowed hard, brushing a lock of sweat-dampened hair from his friend's face.

"You're okay now, big bro…" Diego whispered, more to himself than to Miles. His voice shook as he wrung out the cloth in a small basin of water beside the bed. "You're going to be fine. You have to be fine…"

The quiet hum of the apartment was a stark contrast to the chaos that had unfolded just hours ago. Diego's mind replayed the scene in the alley.

The glowing green eyes, the disjointed movements of the Fallen Puppets, and the flashes of Miles' frantic charge into battle. Or so it seemed, while Diego was drifting between consciousness and the cold embrace of death.

It was reckless, stupid even. But it was also… Pure Miles.

Diego's lips pressed into a thin line as he looked down at his friend.

"You're always acting like you're invincible," Diego's voice was tinged with frustration. "But you're not, big bro… You're just…"

He trailed off, shaking his head.

Glancing at the makeshift clock on the wall, its hands cobbled together from scavenged parts, Diego looked out the window.

The faint light of morning filtered through the glass. The city outside was deceptively calm, but Diego knew better. The monsters were soon going to start popping up here and there, and the game would start issuing quests to the players.

With a deep sigh, Diego sat back, his mind drifting to the past.

It had been a little more than three months since Diego had become a player. Back then, he was just a kid trying to survive in a world that had crumbled just when it was supposed to give everyone a chance for new beginnings.

The day The Glitch descended upon Earth was still vivid in his memory. The people counting down, waiting for the new year to ascend on the horizon, and then the screams, a kaleidoscope of fire, and chaos.

The strange holographic notification came first, hovering in the sky like a high-tech sign of the end of times. Only that people did not know it back then.

[Updating home-world 39515's version]

[Version 20.25 update brings a lot of fun and games with the new and improved survival mode]

[Do you want to convert your previous avatar to home-world 39515's latest version?]

[Yes] [No]

Then, the monsters came, tearing through the city like an unstoppable force, the system flashing across the skies like a sick joke as people screamed and died gruesomely all around.

Huddled in the ruins of a grocery store, clutching a rusted kitchen knife and praying to gods he wasn't sure existed, Diego pressed [Yes], unsure of what was going on, knowing only that the world had changed, somehow, and survival meant fighting back.

The Glitch didn't give him a choice. When the system prompted him to become a player, he hesitated, his finger hovering over the translucent screen. But then he heard the guttural growl of a Beast closing in, barging through the store's door, and fear made the decision for him.

[Congratulations! You have now become a player.]

[Your avatar's data has been successfully converted.]

[Your current Class is: Novice]

[Player level: 01]

He'd barely survived his first fight, a scrawny kid going up against a bloodthirsty goblin, holding nothing but a rusted knife. The scars on his arm were a permanent reminder of that day.

But Diego had survived. And over time, he learned.

It was just a week after the game had begun, that he met Miles.

Diego smiled faintly at the memory, his eyes softening as he looked at the unconscious brotherly figure before him.

Miles had come crashing into his life like a hurricane, full of energy and determination that felt completely at odds with the bleak, dark world they now lived in.

Diego had been hiding in the rubble of an old electronics store, nursing a sprained ankle and convinced he was going to die, when Miles appeared out of nowhere, wielding an oversized crowbar and yelling something about "teaching those bastards a lesson."

It had been a group of goblins that time, led by a huge troll, and Miles had dispatched them with an efficiency that seemed almost cocky.

When the last goblin fell, he turned to Diego with a grin that lit up his entire face.

"Hey, kid," He said, offering Diego a hand. "You good?"

Diego stared at him, dumbfounded, before finally nodding between sobs.

From that moment on, Miles had become a constant in his life. A protector, a mentor, and a brother. He had taught Diego how to fight, how to navigate the city's treacherous ruins, and most importantly, how to keep going even when it felt impossible.

Until Miles vanished with nothing but a few words about some sort of hidden quest, saying that he would be back in no time, and if Diego would, please, take care of his apartment for him.

But now, as Diego looked at Miles' still form, he couldn't shake the fear gnawing at his chest.

He reached for the damp cloth again, dabbing it against Miles' forehead. The fever seemed to have broken, but his skin was still clammy, his breathing shallow. Diego's gaze flicked to the system notifications hovering faintly in his peripheral vision.

[Skill: Swift Healing – Level 03]

[Skill Description: Allows the player to heal minor wounds, both external and internal]

And yet, the skill did not seem to have any effect on Miles.

He thought back to the fight against the Fallen Puppets, the way Miles had thrown himself into the fray without hesitation. It wasn't the first time Miles had done something like that to protect him, and Diego knew it wouldn't be the last.

But this time felt different.

Why was his skill not working on Miles?

A soft groan broke through his thoughts, and Diego's heart leaped into his throat.

"Miles?"

The older boy stirred, his eyelids fluttering as he let out another groan. His hand twitched, fingers curling slightly before he finally opened his eyes.

"Diego…?" Miles' voice was weak, barely above a whisper, but it was enough to send a wave of relief crashing over Diego.

"You're awake!" Diego exclaimed, his face breaking into a wide smile. He leaned closer, his eyes scanning Miles' face for any signs of lingering distress. "How do you feel?"

"Like I got hit by a truck," Miles muttered, his voice hoarse. He blinked slowly, his gaze drifting around the room before settling on Diego. "What happened?"

"I don't know. One moment you were fine like daylight, and the other, you just… Collapsed." Diego's smile faded into a frown. "You were shaking and… I thought…" He shook his head, swallowing hard. "You scared the hell out of me, big bro…"

"Sorry…" Miles' lips twitched into a faint smile. "Didn't mean to freak you out."

He pushed himself up into sitting up, groaning as he leaned against the headboard. His movements were slow, his body clearly protesting against the smallest effort.

"You need to rest." Diego said, placing a hand on Miles' shoulder to steady him.

"I'll be fine." Miles' voice strained, unconvincing. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before focusing.

"What in the…?" Miles' expression shifted from confusion to shock, and then to utter disbelief.

"What's wrong?" Diego leaned over, furrowing his brow.

Miles didn't respond immediately, his gaze fixed on what could only be the system window.

"I'm…" Miles swallowed hard, his voice barely audible. "I'm back at level one."