Snowflakes drifted lazily from the gray sky as boots crunched across the packed earth, the morning quiet save for the wind threading through the trees. They had just passed the village gate, the last houses falling behind them, their breath blooming like fog in the frigid air.
A sudden shout cut through the stillness.
"Wait! Hold on, wait a moment!"
The voice was cracked and old, scraping against the cold like a branch against glass. They all turned.
The elder shuffled out from between two snow-covered homes, wrapped in so many layers he looked like a bundle of rugs held together by sheer will. His cane jabbed the snow with each urgent step, a trail of breath hissing from his lips.
One of them stepped forward. "Is something wrong?"
The elder paused, hunched and wheezing, his cheeks red from the cold. He held up a trembling finger like he'd just remembered a prophecy.
"I forgot to tell you something very important," he said.
They waited, tense, expecting a warning, a sign, anything that might explain the sudden alarm.
He blinked slowly, solemn as a priest, and said:
"Don't eat the smoked fish in the third pantry."
Silence.
"They've been there since the frost of '41. Might be cursed. Definitely rotten. I wouldn't trust a dream you had after chewing that."
A long pause, then someone gave a dry snort. Another tried to hide a grin behind a gloved hand. Even Adrian—quiet and still as he was—let the corners of his mouth twitch.
The elder's expression softened, a touch of warmth cracking through his usual dryness.
"…And also," he added, more quietly, "I want you to find me this flower is actually what I wanted and what I am looking for, I cannot climb the mountains like you kids, so I hope it is not too much trouble and those orbs will lead the way since they are the flower nutrients haha."
His mouth twitched again, a bit annoyed, but he tried being patient with the elder.
Adrian stared down at the orbs, unsure of what to make of them. They weren't like any in-game item he'd ever seen before. Most items were tagged with information, but these... nothing. No description. No stats. Just an unmarked, pristine orb that seemed to pulse faintly, almost as if it was breathing.
"Uh, thanks?" Adrian managed, still trying to process the oddity of the situation.
The Elder simply smiled, his eyes gleaming with what seemed to be a knowing wisdom. It was clear he was trying to impart something important, but it was beyond Adrian's comprehension at the moment. He didn't know whether to feel honored or confused by the mysterious quest, if it even is a quest.
The Elder muttered, as if reading Adrian's thoughts. "But that is all and exactly what I called you back for."
Before Adrian could ask any further questions, the Elder motioned toward the door of the cabin. "This is something I require, something simple, but important for my well-being."
The Elder stood slowly, his old bones creaking with the movement. He turned, drawing their attention to his robe and towards his chest, which he opened, and inside, there was an assortment of strange and exotic herbs neatly inside a glass bottle. The smell of dried plants filled the air even inside the bottle, a calming, earthy scent.
"I need a flower from the mountains," the Elder continued, turning back to face them. "A rare bloom, a delicate one. It is called Eirun's Veil. It only grows on the highest peaks, where the air is thin and the snow is deep. I need it to brew a tea—something that will soothe my old body and keep me warm in these cold nights."
Adrian furrowed his brow. The task sounded simple enough. Go to the mountains, find the flower, and return it. But the mention of the high peaks, the cold, and the arduous journey felt all too real. It wasn't just a mission for some in-game questline; this felt like an actual errand in another world.
"I'm sure it'll be a simple task for adventurers like yourselves," the Elder said, waving a dismissive hand. "But take caution. The mountains are not kind to those who are unspirited."
The words hung in the air as the reality of the situation began to settle in Adrian's mind. What was once a simple game—a distraction—was becoming something else entirely confusing. His pulse quickened, and the presence of the Elder, the chilling touch, the eerie sensation in the air, all began to converge in a single thought that echoed in his mind.
This isn't like the game I played. This is really weird.
The Elder watched him with an amused, knowing smile. "You're really deep in thought, boy, you know, you're too young to be thinking this deeply about whatever you are thinking about."
Adrian opened his mouth, but no words came out. The enormity of the situation had him frozen in place. This was no longer a normal readable digital world where he easily read and understood what happened outside the game, he rewinded back in time. He wasn't sure about reality anymore. He wasn't the same as before.
"Take those orbs," the Elder said, as if anticipating Adrian's thoughts. "They will guide you. Use them wisely. They will show you the way."
With a soft, deliberate movement, the Elder took a step back and gestured for them to leave. "Go now. The path to the mountains lies beyond the village. The flower waits for you."
Adrian felt a lump in his throat, but he nodded. "Right. We'll get it."
Alice and Sarah stood silently, the same thoughts clearly weighing on their minds. They could no longer ignore the reality of their situation. But they didn't speak, not yet. They followed Adrian as he turned, the soft sound of their boots crunching in the snow the only noise as they left the Elder's house.
The cold air hit Adrian's face again as he stepped outside, the mountain looming in the distance, as distant and unreachable as the thought that this was all real. But despite the disorientation, there was an undeniable pull—a feeling that had been growing within him ever since the Elder spoke. This was no longer just an adventure. It was his journey now.
He glanced at Sarah and Alice, who were each taking in the same reality, but neither of them spoke. Adrian knew what they were thinking, even if they weren't saying it. The game was no longer a game. The Elder had confirmed it. This world, the cold, the mountains, the tasks—everything was real.
It wasn't just about completing quests. It was about understanding his reality too. And they had to move forward, together.
"Let's go," Adrian said quietly, his voice betraying the determination that was growing within him. He didn't know what lay ahead, but he had to face it.
And as they walked toward the mountain pass, Adrian felt the weight of the orbs in his hands. They were strange, foreign objects in his grasp, but somehow, they felt... right. He didn't know exactly what they were or how they worked, but they were his only clue, his only guide.
The wind howled as they walked through the snow, the mountain looming higher with each step. The cold air bit at their skin, and the sharp scent of pine and snow filled their lungs. Adrian, Alice, and Sarah trudged forward, their boots crunching against the deep snow that covered the path ahead of them. There was no sign of life, no movement, nothing to break the silence.
The trek had been uneventful, but the longer they walked, the more the mountain seemed to swallow them whole. The trees stood like sentinels, their branches weighed down by heavy snow. The sky was a dull grey, the clouds thick and oppressive, casting everything below in an eerie, dim light. It was as if the mountain had a life of its own, and it wasn't sharing any of its secrets.
Adrian's breath fogged in front of him as he glanced over at Sarah, who was trudging alongside him, her face a mixture of concentration and confusion. Alice walked a few steps ahead, her usual chill demeanor replaced by a quiet focus. Even she, normally so laid-back, couldn't shake the feeling of unease that seemed to hang in the air.
They had been walking for a long time now, the path winding higher up the mountain. But still, nothing had changed. No creatures, no challenges, no signs of life at all. Just endless snow, ice, and trees. It felt wrong, almost too empty, as if the world was holding its breath, waiting for something.
Adrian paused, squinting through the thick fog ahead. "I don't know. Normally, you'd expect something by now. Creatures, or... well, anything."
"Maybe it's like one of those games where you have to walk forever to get to the good stuff," Alice said, her voice distant, as though she were trying to convince herself. She glanced over her shoulder at the two of them, her usual smirk now absent. "I don't like the look of this. This place is way too quiet."
Adrian's gaze swept across the horizon, taking in the endless stretch of snow and rock. It wasn't just quiet—it felt... lifeless. He had been in enough games to recognize the feeling of artificial emptiness. But this was different. Was the mountain being kind to them?