Kaveh & Alhaitham Plays Story-Based Games

[Fears to Fathom: Prologue to Woodbury Getaway]

Once again, the two men were forced into a portal that leads them to the same black void.

They should be used to it, but the portal comes up almost at random in different places (whether they're separate or not!)...

Thus why the moment they entered the black void again, is when one of them fainted from the dimension travel. The other appeared to have been sitting, and is still maintaining that pose even while floating in the endless space. His expression is indifferent, though if you look carefully there's a tiny tick mark below his jawline.

Of course, the System does not focus on that. Its job is to introduce, inform, and send them away to the chosen game for the chapter!

System: "Fears to Fathom has a new game. Excited?"

Kaveh, passed out: "........."

Alhaitham, sighing as he let go of his sitting pose: "I don't think anyone is."

System: "I do not have a say to this matter. I am simply just a system running through everything to you."

Alhaitham: "Anyways. Back on point?"

System: "Yes. So as you already know, you have played Fears to Fathom."

Alhaitham, remembering: "Ah. It's the first 4 games we played back then, correct?"

System: "Your memory is as accurate as ever."

Alhaitham, scoffing a bit: "I don't need compliments."

System, continuing on: "Yes, you are right. I trust you remember that I mentioned there will be more games in the series, no?"

Alhaitham: "Not really. But I'm sure you have mentioned such a thing."

System: "You are playing the 5th game of the Fears to Fathom series, (and also the final one of the first season!) and is called Woodbury Getaway. You are once again, playing as a female protagonist."

Kaveh, having awoke from his 'slumber': "What'd I miss...?"

Alhaitham: "Nothing."

Kaveh, rolling his eyes: "Oh har har, how funny."

Alhaitham: "We're playing Fears to Fathom again, but this time it's the 5th game. It's called Woodbury Getaway and we're playing as another female protagonist."

Kaveh: "Oh great. Fantastic. And I had JUST finished a draft for my client..."

Alhaitham, raising a brow that indicates smugness: "So late after curfew?"

Kaveh: "Says the man still at work even after curfew! You weren't home at this hour!"

System, continuing as if nothing is occurring between them: "The protagonist is Sydney Harper, a 23-year old working in a consulting firm. She goes to reside at a house for a vacation with a guy named Mike and a girl named Nora."

Kaveh, confused: "Wait, who goes to a house for a vacation?"

System: "Over the options of people's houses and hotels, travelers rent houses for a temporary amount of time because they prefer safety, privacy, less transmission, extra space, or aesthetics. Some of the houses cost cheaper than the hotels, but it is not impossible for them to be expensive as well. For your information, this is what this world calls an 'Airbnb.'"

Alhaitham: "... This is not something you'd see everyday."

Kaveh: "Well, the idea's not new in Sumeru... or in Teyvat..."

System: "You will be wearing your usual System watches, like always."

The blue watches that they have always gotten appear on their wrists.

System: "If no more questions are in order, I will be sending you in within the minute."

Kaveh: "How long are we going to be in this one?"

System: "Gamewise, 2 hours. But your situation is different, as you know. About..."

A + K: "......"

System: "2 to 4 days. Depending on our modified code."

Kaveh: "Goddamn it."

Alhaitham: "Does this also mean my headphones will be gone, like that one time?"

System: "You do not need them for this experience."

Alhaitham, sighing in disappointment: "Ah."

Kaveh: "... I have other kinds of questions, but I think the game will answer them for me so..."

System: "Good. I'll be sending you in within a few seconds."

The two men after a few seconds, got warped into the game. The black void disappears around them, but it's not that easy to know; dimension traveling for them is like sleeping in one place and waking up to a new one, unfamiliar.

The System disconnects shortly after.

Message from User 031825200901 on Saturday 11/16/2024:

Hey guys! Sorry for the recently late updates that keeps occurring almost every Saturday!

And welcome back to another Fears to Fathom chapter!

Fears to Fathom usually is prepared for you guys to read but apparently that's not gonna happen anytime soon this month. Or December 2024. But if we're both lucky, I'll get it out to you guys soon!

The games get longer with each new update rayll brings into the game community, and this 5th release is like, 2 hours long, meaning it's double the word count. It's insane, but I'll manage.

I'm also running out of storage, so there's another problem to deal with... **sigh**

I hope you guys will bear with me as I'm working on the next chapter. Thank you for your time, and I'll get to you all as best as I can!