CLOSE TO DEATH While holding Fiona, feeling her life slipping away, panic rushed through me. Blood gathered under her, tinting the arena ground red. Chaos broke out as onlookers screamed and hurried to find shelter. A lot of people were unwilling to lend an ear or offer assistance. Every man had to look out for themselves."We need to summon medical help with an ambulance!" I shouted once more, my voice filled with urgency. However, in the chaos, my words appeared to get lost in the noise of fear and confusion. The tension in the air was palpable. Rosetta crouched next to me, her eyes filled with surprise and dread. "Fred, what should we do?" she inquired, her voice shaking.I desperately looked for any indication of assistance, but the group had turned into a chaotic crowd, preventing any chance of help. I felt like time was moving at a snail's pace as I held onto Fiona, hoping she would hang on and keep fighting. I gazed at her facial expression and saw vitality leaving her being.
THE WEIRD HOUSE { FIGHT BETWEEN ZACK AND JONAS }I tried walking out of the room I was and noticed it had been locked. Fear enveloped me with the thought I was going to die without anybody knowing the cause of my death. I looked around me and noticed there was nothing to communicate with the outside world. I remembered that I had revived a gunshot wound. I was bleeding, my memory played back what happened after my combat with Jonas. " Let me out! Where the hell am I?" I shouted banging at the door I heard some footsteps approaching the door and I quickly moved back. I watch as they walk in looking at me. I quickly took a fighting stand and they both looked at me with a funny look. They released a gaseous substance into the air. I tried covering my nose but they came at me. I was overpowered and out to sleep once again. "Wake up! Wake up!!." I heard a voice speak gently into my ears. I slowly lifted my eyelid and everywhere was dark. " Where am I? Am I dead?" I soliloquy to myself.
{ THE BRAWL }Everyone kept silent as the phone kept on ringing. Zack looked at Davina. " Why is Fiona's phone with you? What did you both do to my girlfriend!" He shouted rushing and grabbing her by the neck. I felt the room tense and I kept quiet to understand what was going on. My mind went back to my phone. I needed to complete my task but how? I don't even know who has my phone. The last thing I remember was trying to get to it. " Did Rosetta have it?" I was lost in thought when I heard Jonas's voice " Let her go, Zack or I swear to god I am going to rip out your heart!" Jonas shouted in anger " I bet that was the exact way you did to Fiona, huh! Did you rip her heart out also?" Zack shouted as his hand tightened around Davina's neck. " Did you see her die, Frederick? Did you see the life leave from her body?" I heard Zack's voice laced with anger I nodded even though I wasn't sure. " Some masked men came for her. She was at the point of death, I don't know who they are but I
{ THE AWAKENING OF MY GAMING AVATAR }The hole on my chest gave out a light and they all wondered where it was coming from. My voice resonated within the room and my clothes were changed too. Jonas looked at me and wondered what just happened. As the light coming from my body illuminated the room, I could feel a surge of power coursing through me. The system had taken control, and I knew I had to act swiftly to turn the tide of this chaotic situation.In a commanding voice, resonating with authority, the avatar within me spoke, "Release us and I won't have to hurt any of you." There was a moment of stunned silence, broken only by the sounds of shuffling and heavy breathing. Then, Jonas's voice cut through the darkness, filled with disbelief, "What is this? Who are you?" he asked trembling with fear "I am the voice of justice," the voice declared, my words echoing ominously in the darkened room. "And I will not allow any more bloodshed tonight. You can either have it the easy way or
MY FIRST AVATAR { SHADOW BLADE }I gasped for breath as I looked at my stomach being pierced by an iron rod by Christopher. Zack opened his eyes widened and was shocked. " What did you do Jonas!" he shouted looking scared " It is not the first time you are going to witness something like this so why are you scared?" He replied back praising Christopher for putting me down for good. " Grab him!" Jonas said to Christopher I heard as Zack begged Jonas as he was being dragged away. " Fred! Frederick!!." he shouted my name as my eyelid closed gently Tears flooded my face at the thought of dying. There were almost of things I had to do. I opened my eyes and I saw myself again back to the gaming world. I was dying and blood was oozing out of my wound. I heard a gaming sound and suddenly I found myself standing up back on my two feet " What happening to me?" I looked at myself [ SYSTEM RESPAWN ][ SYSTEM LIFE: FOUR MORE LIFE LEFT ] " Four more lives?" I shouted looking scared. " Wha
{ THE DUNGEON}I looked around me and it was indeed a mess. Jonas vomited seeing body dismemberment. " If you don't want to end up like them you had better start by telling me what I need to know," I shouted at him in anger. The fact that I didn't know I had this other side of me that was ruthless and ready to kill was scary. He fidgeted as he looked scared. " Eye on me buddy. Give me what I want and you won't have to hear from me again." I shouted in anger " The ant at the house of shade," Jonas said swearing profusely. " You told me they were over there. " Jeez," I rubbed my hair. I was losing it and I know Shadow Blade was thirsty for some blood again. " Let's calm down. Can you take me to them? Take me to them!." The four if us entered the black SUV in the compound and drove out heading for the unknown. Jonas drive and I promised to have him killed if he tried anything funny. " Where are we going?"I asked seeing he as driving us back to campus. " Why are we going back over th
{ THE ESCAPE }After Diana's punch connected, I staggered backward, the pain spreading through my face. With my teeth clenched, I braced myself, feeling the adrenaline rushing through my body intensifying my perception. This was not the moment to delay. I wasn't ready to let Shadow Blade out. I was scared Rosetta would see me as a demon. All this was because of her anyway. I quickly moved forward again and directed a rapid combination of punches and kicks toward Diana. With expert precision, she skillfully avoided and responded to every attack, demonstrating her impressive abilities. It was evident that she wasn't going to make this simple.While we fought, I sensed the gravity of the situation weighing on me. I couldn't risk losing this battle as my friends' fate depended on it. Utilizing all of my resolve, I concentrated on discovering a vulnerability to capitalize on.Nevertheless, Diana turned out to be a strong rival, responding to each of my actions with the same level of intens
{ A WORTHY OPPONENT }Jonas grinned to see me once again in pain. Thomas quickly rushed to save me as the battle intensified. Diana was a good fighter and I wondered where she had trained like that. Jonas aided her making it tough for us to break through. " We just need to hold them until Father gets back," Jonas said to his sister as they fought against us. Zack looked at me as he bled out on the floor " Fred, we could use the help of the big guy. Isn't this where he comes out to save the day?' he asked as he was tossed against the wall. I looked at Thomas and back at Xavier who looked a little scared. The gunmen were still hands down and only watched what was going on. It looks like the more we tried putting them down they were coming at us. " Can you take over Shadow Blade?" I asked covering my mouth to avoid being heard. There was silence and I heard nothing. A blow landed at the back of my neck and I groaned. " Listen, buddy, we are one. Imagine if I died right now. You also w
{ I AM BACK}Zack looked at me and was surprised. Most of the sympathisers were. "You were supposed to be dead?" Zack stammered, looking at me. "Let's just say I refuse to die." I replied with a smile. "Can you help her up?" I looked at Rosetta, who was on the floor with her eyes closed. Cassandra ran towards me and threw herself at me. She dobbed gently as she hugged me. I know I was the only thing she had left to be a brother. Everyone looked at me, and immediately the coffin was opened. The clergy looked at me and said, " This is a sign from heaven. Do you wish to share your death and return to life with everyone?" He said it with a smile on his face. I looked around to see the faces of so many students, all seated and staring at me with disbelief on their faces. I waited for the podium and grabbed the microphone. "I don't know where to start." I said it gently, with teary eyes. "I remembered my first day at the university grounds; I was just a teenager, but now." I looked at m
CONFRONTING TRAGEDY / THE BURIAL Zack, Richard, and Rosetta had a restless night, each consumed by their own thoughts on the events that had occurred. In the morning, the atmosphere in the mansion was filled with tension. The team assembled in the lounge, with a tense quiet atmosphere prevailing. Zack interrupted the silence. "We need a plan," he stated, his voice unwavering despite the inner chaos he experienced. "Jonas will keep going." We must carefully consider this. Judith was the one who replied first. "We must not allow him to escape from consequences. Jonas has hurt alot of people and now he must dance to the music. Fred wouldn't forgive us if Jonas managed to go unpunished." With red eyes from tears, Rosetta nodded. " I agree. However, we must be smart about all of this. We must not allow our actions to be dictated by our emotions."Diana looked around the room, her face showed determination. "We need evidence. If we can gather enough proof of Jonas's involvement in F
{ CONFRONTING TRAGEDY }Zack and Richard thought of a way to break the news to Rosetta. As they drove back to the mansion, they both pushed the responsibility of breaking the news onto her. "You should do it; you know I am just a member of Fred's crew. And besides, you know her more than I do," Richard said, gently trying to persuade Zack. "We both went because Fred trusted us. Now that he is gone, you are pushing the responsibility on me." Zack packed and looked at Richard. "I am sorry, but the news is going to be devastating to not only Rosetta but to everyone." Richard said and sighed. The two of them looked at each other and said nothing. Zack's phone buzzed, cutting the tension. "Who?" Richard asked, looking at Zack. "Rosetta," he said, showing him the phone. Thier heard beat fast as Zack picked up the call. "Tell me he is alright." Rosetta's voice was loud over the phone. "Can we talk when we get home? We are almost at the mansion." Zack quickly cut her shirt before she sa
{THE BRINK OF DARKNESS }"What is it going to be, Fred? Do I need to shoot her before I get you to talk? Tell me what you know about the system. I know you didn't have it destroyed." Jonas barked I looked at Rosetta and back at Jonas. "You need to believe me when I tell you that I had the system destroyed. What do you want from me?" I shouted in anger. "I want absolute power, and I want my face changed. I can do that with the power of the system, and you are going to help me.'" I looked at Zack and back at Richard. "I will do that if you let Rosetta go and have me as a hostage instead." I replied Emily looked at Jonas and nodded. Rosetta was immediately pushed towards Richard and Zack while I walked over to Jonas. "Take care of her." I looked at Zack as they walked out of the warehouse. "Now you are going to tell me what I need to hear, or I am going to kill you, Fred. You have taken a lot from me. You took my father and my sister and also turned my world upside down, and you are
{ JONAS MENACES}My mind raced as I considered the options. Reasoning with Jonas seemed impossible, but a direct confrontation was out of the question. Ineeded a plan that balanced both."Alright, let's gather everyone in the room," I said, looking determined. The crew moved to a hidden part of the classroom where we could discuss our next plan without being overheard."First, we need to find out where Jonas is holding Rosetta," I began. "Diana, can you get close to him and see if you can find any clues? You’re his sister; he might let something slip."Diana nodded, her face grim. "I’ll do my best. But if he’s involved in something big, he might not tell me everything.""That’s where we come in," Richard said, his voice steady. "We’ll need to keep an eye on Jonas without him noticing. We can set up a surveillance network around his usual haunts. Zack, you’re good with tech. Can you handle that?"Zack nodded. "I’ll get my equipment. We can cover the campus and any other places he frequ
{ ROSETTA KIDNAPPED }I slept with a smile on my face after I and Rosetta had made love. It was the first time we actually got intimate. I stared into her eyes all night before she finally fell asleep. The sound of the alarm woke me up, and I looked beside me. "Where is she?" My eyes flashed around the room as I tried to wake up. I rubbed my eyes gently, and I noticed there was a bit of a scuffle on the bed. I couldn't believe I had one good night's rest in a while, and everything was going back to being war for me. "Rosetta! Rose!!" I shouted, getting into my slippers. I walked through the hallway and stairs leading down to the main room. I was surprised to see a lot of broken glasses over my chairs, and the house was a complete mess. I quickly went to my CCTV footage, and I noticed it had been fired. "Was I drugged?" I ran my hands over my hair as I stared at the television right in front of me. I knew I needed to find Rosetta quickly. I couldn't believe I let my guards down, and
{ JONAS BACK }The university semester was coming to an end. A lot of preparation was going on for the graduating students. My joy knew no bounds because I was finally stepping into society. But little did I know a brewing storm was ahead. Many of the students were busy tying loose ends. Many were saying their goodbyes already, while others were focusing more on their studies. I knew I wouldn't have the power of the system again, so I need to focus more on my arithmetic. So far, Emily has been behaving herself, and I noticed that I couldn't find Alex and Jonas inside the school. I was just coming out of my department when I met with Emily. "What about Jonas and Alex? I don't think I have seen them this semester." I raised my eye brows. "I don't know. I promise to tell you everything, but recently, I noticed Jonas had been . distant. Do you want me to help you track them?" Emily looked at me."Track them? I thought you said you knew everything about them. Why are you really here, Emi
{ BETTER DAYS IN THE CAMPUS}The university was becoming stable, with each student minding their own daily activities. I walked through the corridor of the university, and everywhere seemed peaceful. I decided to sit down, and I looked back to when I became a part of the university. I remember being nothing, a loner who had always thought of staying low throughout my days here. I looked up to catch some of the pretty girls staring at me, and I laughed. I was becoming more of an icon by the day, with many of the students looking up to me. I felt a hand over my eyes, and I smiled. "Rosetta," I whispered softly, trying to get up to my feet. The hand moved slowly away from my face, and I saw it was Davina. "I think I told you to stay the hell away from me." I shouted in anger. "But I don't want to, Fred. I realise my mistake, and I would like to make amends. Can't you just give me the chance for old-time sake?" Davina said it with a sorry face. "Do you think I can ever forget what you
{ JONAS'S PLAN } Flora sighed, her eyes narrowing as she weighed Emily's words. "Okay, Emily. I'll talk to Fred. But understand this—if he says no, there's nothing more I can do. Your actions will speak louder than your words."Emily nodded fervently, wiping the last of her tears. "Thank you, Flora. I won't let you down, I promise."They parted ways, and Emily felt a flicker of hope. But she knew she had a long road ahead of her. She returned to Alex and Jonas, who were waiting for her back at the mansion."Did she buy it?" Jonas asked, leaning forward.Emily nodded. "Flora said she'd talk to Fred. But we need to be careful. She's suspicious."Alex smirked. "Suspicion won't matter once we have control of the system. We just need to keep them off balance until then."Emily didn't respond. Her mind was racing with the possibilities and the dangers that lay ahead. She knew she had to tread carefully if she wanted to succeed with the plan. The plan was simple. They need to know if I stil