The Beginning of the End

The Beginning...

So, I was getting out of work one day, late at night, after the most interesting conference meeting about our newest prototype ideas, all related some way or another to robotics. It looked amazing, easy enough though, I am sure that with a day or two of binge studying a couple of those books, I could make an army of robots. *Haha*

I was talking to my girlfriend on the phone and we were about to cut off the call, the last thing I remember is me telling her that I missed her and how much I love her, how happy she sounded, and how it made me very happy to hear her like that. Suddenly a huge thunderstorm covered the night, and the weirdest thing happened, from afar I saw what seemed to be an organized group of lightning bolts all striking the ground, in what seemed to be a sort of rhythmic fashion, I could see them striking in different areas right by the city and much farther. I didn't notice at first, but by the time I realized I had lost connection with my girlfriend through the call. Not a second later it happened again, this time right in front of where I was standing, it was surreal, it felt for a second like time had stopped. As soon as the thought went through my head, I heard a voice responding with a calm demeanor, but with a sense of authority:

"Time has indeed stopped."

As I looked up I could not believe my eyes, I thought I was dreaming, and as soon as I thought that, he promptly answered again:

"No. This is not a dream, and before you wonder..." Correctly guessing my next thought said: "No, I am not reading your mind. I only know your questions due to the anticipation of you all having them. Lastly, yes, it is I, Wol, Captain General (Wyrm) and one of the founding members to the Heroes of Hope."

It was shocking, that he was actually here, in the flesh, and no he was definitely no random cosplayer, although he could win first place in all the competitions in the world and I'm sure he would always place first. The quality and design of his full armor, from head to toe and the dedicated, detailed design of his sword and the shield that he carries in his back with what seems to be a sense of pride and authority. He indeed looked like the legitimate protagonist of the first OG main Fantasy's End games. I could only stutter while asking:

"W-w-what is this? W-why are you here?"

Again he promptly answered: " I will explain everything. Please pay close attention, I'm about to give a very large amount of information and I need you to retain it all, as it is of utmost importance that you do. Yes, time may be paused, but that is due to a spell we have put, and it will wear off soon."

In which I immediately replied: "Stopaga..."

Wol smirked at me when I said that and said: "That, Nix, is the very reason we have come to you today."

Still confused I asked: "What do you me..."

He interrupts initially raising his voice in an almost soldier-like manner: "Listen up! You, Nix Obscurum, have played all the Fantasy's End games and cleared them to their entirety, knowing everything within them from locales all the way to the name of each and every monster and creature in the game. Well, let me tell you, it is all real, every single bit of it, real. Today, some of the other members of HoH are going around the world looking for the 15 new Heroes of Hope, all carefully studied through every one of your actions in-game. All of the games you spent hours on end grinding through and learning all of the lore and history of, are actually secretly, virtual recordings of pre-historic events of many incidents that have happened around the world in an distant time and civilization so to speak. The games are a sort of test, so to speak, for us to be able to easily identify and recruit the best candidates to be the Heroes of Hope guild, as all of the 12 comrades recruiting the other future members, were also recruited before today. This time around, there is need of 13 more at one time, as we face a potential new threat that will shake our very cores."

"This is crazy, but ok, so who are the other 12?" I asked full of wonder and fear.

"You may only meet them after you agree and come to the training ground with us."

" Yes." I replied immediately.

"Are you sure, Nix?" He asked. "Yes, it may look fun at first glance, but you will have to leave everything behind for a very long time; family, friends, partner, even your home. You're also going to be put through some rigorous mentally-draining training routines that could take a huge toll on some."

"I understand, and it is incredibly hard for me to even think about leaving my family and friends behind, but I gotta take this risk. I trust in my family and friends, and in my girlfriend as well. They love me as I love them, but if that threat you speak of, is as bad or worse than the ones I've seen in the Fantasy's End series, then it could destroy everything and everyone I love. Yes, I am afraid, and I might not be big and strong now, so the training will suck, but I got to give it my best try anyways."

Wol stood in silence when out of the darkness itself, shines a light coming from behind him, and from it, all the other 12 main Heroes of Hope all from the mainline games show behind him. Wol then answers: "Good" and without another second passing he says: "Then it is settled, come with us." As he utters those words, I lose sight of everything, all is pitch black, I just hear the words: "This is the beginning..."