Draven heaved a huge sigh. The bartender pushed the shots to them and he downed his immediately, like he was depressed. He wasn’t disappointed in Leo, not exactly at least. He was even surprised to see him out of the game but that didn’t mean Leo wouldn't want to go back. He, on the other hand, didn't know what he wanted. Did he want to go back into the game and fight heavily for his life and money? This was his first death and he was already depressed about his other deaths. Having two lives was just… it was just depressing. It made you think anxiously about the two remaining lives. It made it more real, more precious. Draven had been taking this game on like an adventure—which it was, for sure. But that was the thing with people who had three lives. They were reckless, happy, eager to get to the top while eluding danger. Draven was not any different from them. He thought that with his big, monstrous sword, he would be able to successfully get out of danger. For the second time eve
They found themselves in the middle of a lonely street. Leo was near hysterical with laughter. He fell down to his knees, his both hands on the ground as he laughed himself to near death. Draven leaned on a wall as he tried to calm himself down too. “Jesus,” he said when he regained his breath. “We just fucking robbed a bar!” “It’s not robbery, it’s just not paying them,” Leo said. He took a deep breath and straightened his face. “God, I’m going to die of laughter!” “I’ll be sure to laugh at your funeral,” Draven said. “Jeez man, don’t go that far.” They started laughing again. Draven now fell to the floor, sick to his stomach with laughter. He wasn’t sure if it was alcohol that had this influence on him, but everything just seemed too funny. They lay there for a long time, until their laughter died down and they got themselves a bit. The sun was high and harsh, reminding them that they were in the street and on three dirty floors. Draven stood up first before helping Leo up. Leo
Draven looked around the place. He didn’t know what he was looking at. It felt like the world between the street and the windy field was merged together and were apart at the same time. Leo was grinning, spreading out his arms, marveling at the beauty of it. “What are we doing here?” Draven asked again, just to stretch the moment. Leo smiled slowly; the smile of one who is drunk. “We’re going back into the game, Draven. Are you afraid?” “How will this lead us back into the game?” He asked. Leo sighed like he was talking to a one-year-old, yet his voice was still calm and yielding. “We’ll walk to the middle of the field and get sucked into the game,” Leo said. “We’ll get sucked in?” “Yeah, it’s like gravity, you know?” “No, I don’t know. I don't know anything about this.” “Oh that’s fine. This is your first time after all. You’ll get the hang of it soon.” “I won’t be getting the hang of anything because I’m not failing ever again.” “Jeez, relax Draven. I’m not accusing you
Draven walked a great distance before he got back into the street. It seemed like going back into the street was harder than coming in. What was Leo saying, anyway? You just have to think about it. That’s right, all he had to do was think about going back into the game and somehow he would step on that road. There had been so very little time between him and Leo; they hadn’t even discussed their interests and other things unrelated to the game. Leo gave him the feeling of having someone in the world who thought of him and wanted to involve him in every single thing. He even supported murdering people without knowing who it was. Smiling, Draven endured the rest of the long walk until he reached the street. It was magic. He was in a sandy field and the next he was in the street they’d just been in. The street was still empty, thankfully. He didn’t want to be bursting out of thin air while people were walking past. Draven squared his shoulder and began his journey. It wasn’t much, ac
Draven looked around before dragging his eyes back to him. “Why are you following me?” He asked the man, simply because there were no other questions that were fitting for that moment. “You look lost and helpless,” the man said, shrugging. “I’m high as fuck right now. I would very much like to help you. You want this, no?” Draven stared at him. The man was bushy; that was the right description to use for him. His beard and heart kind of connected together, creating a halo of black bush around his face. He wore glasses, but one side was higher than the other. Draven guessed that one of the hands had broken and the man never deemed it important to fix it. His clothes seemed dirty but in a good fit, like something that hadn't been washed in a week but still looked manageable. All in all, the man did not look trustworthy. “No,” Draven said firmly. “Thank you but I’ve got to do this on my own. It’s part of my memorable journey, you know?” “So you asking for directions is part of this
“No,” Draven said as firmly as possible. “I can’t go with you. I don’t know who you are or what you’re doing, but I’m not going with you.” A broad grin came to the man’s face. Draven took a minute to curse his luck. Why did he have to always come across situations like this? “Come now, dumb American. You must come with me. The schivoka is waiting, you see.” “The… what?!” “The schivoka. The man who you have offended, the man who you must meet. Isn’t that why you came up to me, so that I could meet him?” “What the hell…? Man I don’t even know who you ski-whatever are. This is all just a misunderstanding and if you don’t mind, I have to leave now.” I tried to corner him but he blocked my way. That was a huge mistake. I shouldn’t have tried to corner him; I should have just turned back and run down the streets. It was busy, I could easily blend in with the people. The man saw my train of thought, he followed my eyes and shook his head at me. “Nah mate, I wouldn’t do that if I were
Draven woke up feeling fulfilled. He was in a cool house full of food. He stretched and stood up from the little round couch that seemed more comfortable than Leo’s bed. While strolling to the kitchen, he thought of Leo again. There should be a reason why the guy wanted to give away his house, right? There has to be something. Leo was too simple to just decipher. Why did he find this weird? Was it possible that he just decided to give everything he owed to someone he didn’t even know? Draven was lucky to have been there at the right time, yet he couldn’t stop thinking about it. At the same time, he believed it was possible. Leo was a spontaneous person. He acted so out of the norm so much that it became normal for Draven. While he was familiar with Leo’s issue with trust, it was bewildering that the guy would just give away his house and everything he owed, plus a stupid text and silly mysterious message. Draven opened the kitchen cabinet. It was stocked with cereals and all kinds o
He was a million dollars rich. Yup, Draven had counted the whole thing. It took him three days with less sleep and so many cups of coffee to get there. The ongoing three stairs were littered with cash that Draven had counted and wrapped in thousands.First of all, he was mortified that Leo was able to store that kind of cash. Draven did not know much about him, but from the little he knew, Leo was a privileged kid. Of course, people like that hardly have any value for money. Ever since joining the game, his value for money seems to have decreased day by day. Draven didn’t blame him; everyone reacted differently to wealth.Draven, on his own, was from a very poor, very restricted background. While his father had money and was ready to spend, Draven himself did not have a share of that wealth. If anything, he lived like a pauper in his own house. He ate scrambles of leftover food from his father and visitors. Draven’s father wasn’t exactly rich, but he had enough to feed both of them. H