Quest 50 | ONC 2024 HONORABLE MENTION ✨️✨️

Twelve:

The alien didn't say a word to us as we passed them. They gave me a small nod instead. I took that as a "Prove yourselves worthy," but that also could've been my mind telling that to myself. Damon and I needed to do this. Not only were our lives on the line, but hundreds of others. While I didn't know how many of the players were from different areas of the world, I knew they mattered. I will make sure they matter.

As we walked into the mountain's cave, Damon looked at me as he grabbed his two daggers out of the holders in his pants. He left the samurai sword stayed strapped to his back. "Did the alien give you any clues to this boss? I couldn't log in quick enough for the mini meet-and-greet." He chuckled.

I got my sword ready as we slowed down our steps. The cave hadn't changed. The glowing drops of water still fell from the ceiling, splashing into the small puddles scattered throughout the open space. Each splatter prickled my skin as I remembered the serpent woman. I pictured her to the left of us, slithering between rocks, and hissing with her hands beside her head. Paranoia wracked me. Had I truly killed her? There couldn't be a way for her to regenerate, was there?

"Nina?" Damon whispered.

I looked at him quickly. "There wasn't much," I said. "Just the small announcement that we had to beat tonight's boss before tomorrow."

His brows pinched together. "Did they have any clues at all? Last night's clue was the heart, right? I couldn't help but I know that's what you did."

Deeper into the cave, a shadow moved ahead of us. I stopped moving. Had I imagined it?

"We didn't talk about tonight's boss," I said to him. I needed to be open about tonight, without honesty, what were we? Sidestepping, I faced him. "We talked about my position in this game. This quest. I'll become a captain in this Galaxian war."

His brows shot up. "Really? That's great, Nina!"

My gaze panned back to the direction of the mysterious shadow. I could've let my imagination play with my head because, unlike the snake woman, this shadow wasn't large at all. It looked like the silhouette of a man slowly lurking beyond the rocks. It didn't scare me.

I cleared my throat. "It is, but it isn't." I forced a smile at him. "When will this end? We fight tonight, we fight tomorrow, and then, what, we fight for the rest of our lives? We go into a war with aliens and it's not like this game—"

"Hey, hey." Still holding his daggers with his thumbs, pressing the cool blades into his palms, he cupped my face with the rest of his fingers. Damon planted a soft kiss on my forehead and when tears welled in my eyes, he came even closer. "We're going to survive this, we keep saying that."

I sniffed and looked into his eyes. "I said you needed to be my co-captain."

"Me?" He rubbed my shoulder.

I nodded. "It's why you're—"

A small rock rolled in our direction. Both Damon and I stared at it as it reached our feet. My gaze panned to the shadows it came from. Damon shifted closer as he put an arm in front of me. "As co-captain, I swear to protect you with my life," he said.

I pursed my lips as I looked at the side of his face. His jaw was firmly pressed, clenched with what I knew was determination. There was a small trickle of sweat around his hairline. It mixed with the blowing drops that fell on top of his head. He inhaled sharply as I blew out a ball of air.

Another rock came our way. Damon held my arm and I gripped my sword as the suspected shadow solidified; a black mass of a man without features. Damon stepped in front of me and kept his daggers at his side. "How should we do this?" he asked.