Come To Life: Into The Outerworld: SAO After Alicization

3: Realization

A soft, warm breeze touched Eugeo's cheek. The sunshine was so bright that he covered his face with his hand in order to look up at the nearly cloudless sky. Below his bare feet the grass was soft and cool as he walked through the field towards the large tree looming at its edge, towards shade. He heard faint laughter in the distance and his steps began quickening as he called towards the tree.

"HEY! Guys! Wait up! Wait for me! WAIT!"

As he ran faster and faster his breaths grew harder and shorter and he felt the sweat on his brow grow cold, even under the warm summer sun.

"WAIT! Don't leave! Don't leave me behind!"

"ALICE!"

A rush of darkness and his eyes suddenly opened. Once more he faced a plain gray ceiling and the sound of whirring and beeping machinery.

I was...dreaming?

His eyes darted back and forth for a moment trying to get a bearing of his surroundings. This room was bigger.

Different.

Where am I now?

Glancing down he noticed that there was no mask covering his mouth, just some small tubes that seemed to be shoved up his nose. His breaths were shaky, but even. For a moment he focused on his breaths, then tried once, twice, and finally cleared his throat.

A small sound rustled next to him and suddenly, a brown haired girl's face appeared above him.

Asuna?

"Eugeo? You're awake!" She leaned forward and brushed his bangs out of his eyes, her eyes wide. Now he could see her more clearly. He blinked again and shook his head slightly, then looked back at her. Asuna looked the same, but somehow different than she had when he had seen her before. Her skin was pale but her cheeks flushed with surprise, her hair seemed shinier than he remembered and her voice was sweeter.

Eugeo coughed slightly. "Asuna?" his voice hardly above a whisper. "Where...where's Kirito...and...Alice?..." he coughed again and winced at the sudden pain in his lungs.

Asuna leaned closer to him. She didn't recognize the name Alice, but put her hand on Eugeo's shoulder to comfort him.

"Don't worry, Eugeo, you're safe. Kirito is here too, but he's been asleep. He got too upset about everything and they sedated him again. Try not to move too much or they'll come back in and pump you full of whatever they gave Kirito." She looked more fiercely beautiful and scared than he ever remembered seeing her before.

"Safe?" he forced one more word out.

"It's complicated," Asuna looked down and away from him. "I can't really tell you all about it now, hopefully Kirito wakes up soon, he can explain it to you better...I just...can't."

"Where?" Eugeo's head started to swim again but he forced his eyes to stay open.

"I honestly don't even know," Asuna said, "All I know is we're trapped here by Rath and the doctors, I don't know when or if they'll let us go." She turned away again and sniffled. "But you have to rest, Eugeo, you have to get stronger, that's what Kirito said. Don't worry, I'm watching both of you, it'll be okay." She placed her hand on his; it was soft and warm against his chilled skin.

He nodded slightly at her, closed his eyes and drifted off into a blank, dark slumber.

"He spoke to you?" Kirito's eye's widened. "What did he say? Did he remember anything that we couldn't?"