Chasing Brinley (a story inspired by Sword Art Online)

Prologue

Players swarm the main city, frantic and panicking. They want answers. They want to know why there isn't a log-out button in any player's menu.

The survivors of Sword Art Online unfortunate enough to repeat history express their anger by kicking the sides of buildings, killing non-hostile creatures, and trying to tell everyone not to bother crying over spilled milk. Not to bother scurrying away from the inevitable.

A girl and a boy stand beside each other, not acting like the survivors or the terrified newbies. The boy roughly shakes the girls shoulders, the girl unresponsive. The girl clenched her fists and grits her teeth, creating little friction in her mouth.

Everyone stops dead silent when they hear a booming voice scream, "Quiet!"

The girl responds. The boy takes her hands off her shoulders and lightly flails them around before resting them by his sides.

"You are all wondering the same thing." The voice says.

Someone drops a paperclip. Everyone hears.

"You, my friends, are stuck."

Someone coughs. Everyone hears.

"You, my friends, are trapped. Trapped inside this game."

Someone sneezes. Everyone hears.

"I assume you all know of the Sword Art Online incident? Akihiko Kayaba trapped ten thousand players inside of Seord Art Online. Over half of them escaped alive."

Someone gasps. Everyone hears.

"Now, history is repeating itself. You are here. You will be here for a long time."

Someone cries. Everyone hears.

"If you escape, congratulations in advance. That is all." The voice is not heard again.

Everyone continues their frantic running and crying and yelling.

The girl screams. No one hears.

The girl and the boy hold an unofficial race to their favorite spot in all of Magic Mine Online, specifically a field.

Another girl watches as they run as fast as their feet can take them.

She smiles.