Evolution Island: Kill to Survive

Ominous

“God damn it! This stupid game!”

Zach tried repeatedly to jump off the island, but some strange force prevented him from touching the sea. The invisible barrier covered the entire island of Ashenfort, making all attempts to get off impossible.

Tired and frustrated, he gave up at last. Though he could see the ocean waves crashing against the rocky shore, he couldn’t touch the water. There was no point struggling against the rules of this virtual world. None of the players could switch islands as long as the travel lock was active.

“Are you okay?” a voice called out from behind.

Zach turned around to find Isabella standing there.

“You came after me? But why?”

“Well, Maddy told me you wouldn’t be able to get off the island because there is a global travel lock...and you might do something...stupid,” Isabella responded with a bit of hesitation.

“Right, she’s the one with the brains!” Zach scoffed. “I don’t need her help.”

“Ugghh...you’re just like sis,” Isabella shrugged. “Both of you are so mean and rude!”

“I’m nothing like her. She’s just arrogant and super selfish!” Zach realised what he had said, a moment too late, looking at Isabella’s grumpy face. She was just trying to look out for him. Though he couldn’t stand Madeline, he had nothing against this little girl.

After a few seconds of silent contemplation, Zach let out a heavy sigh. He thought about how he had lashed out in the heat of the moment and felt bad for his actions. Aaron had sacrificed himself just to make sure the group survived and now they were quarrelling among themselves. This wasn’t what he would’ve wanted.

“So...are you coming with us?” Isabella piped.

Thoughts of guilt and frustration ran rampant inside Zach’s mind. There were too many unknowns here and he sorely missed Aaron. His Pelting Rain skill had helped them defeat the Lava Golems, but it cost Aaron his life. This wouldn't have been a serious issue if they were on Solaris, but on this barren volcanic island, things were a lot different. Ashenfort was unfamiliar territory and they still hadn't discovered any save points nearby.

Zach wasn’t a leader like his friend, and he simply couldn’t find the strength to carry on. What if there were no save points on Ashenfort? What if Aaron’s sacrifice was in vain? What if he couldn’t find a way to bring him back? He was the one who had introduced Aaron to this game and now Aaron was trapped in the virtual world because of him. The overbearing sense of guilt coupled with the fear of never being able to return to his own world again, crippled him with anxiety.

“I really need to bring Aaron back. He would know what to do. He always does." The lump inside Zach’s throat kept swelling, as his eyes struggled to hold back tears. "You know, I don’t have any siblings, but I’ve always treated him like a younger brother. If anything were to happen to him...I...”

“We won’t let anything happen to him. He is my friend too.” Isabella walked up to Zach and handed him a small star-shaped pendant attached to a silver chain. “My sister gave this to me when I was 8. She said this star would always help me find a way home if I ever got lost.”

“I don’t think I’m lost,” Zach replied. “I’m just trapped in a virtual world and my best friend is dead.”

Isabella folded his fingers, closing them over his pendant. “I want you to keep it Zach, even if you aren’t lost.”

Her words sparked something inside him. There was something about the way in which she uttered those words. It was like she could see him struggling to find himself. In the end, he couldn’t refuse, and readily pocketed the pendant.

Zach and Isabella walked back together to where Madeline was standing. She didn’t look too happy to see him, but tried her best not to make it too obvious.

“We have 45 minutes to find a safe place to spend the night,” Madeline said, without addressing either of them. It was clear that she didn’t approve of Isabella’s actions.

“Are you mad at me, sis?” the little blue-haired girl asked feebly.

Instead of getting a reply, Isabella was greeted with indifference, as Madeline turned away from her. “There’s a safe zone nearby.”

Zach opened his map to check the area, but didn’t find a single marked place nearby. “I don’t see anything on the map. Are you sure about this?”

“Yes, I'm sure. It’s concealed by Magic,” she promptly replied.

“Then how did you find it?”

“I used a Dispelling Gem.” Madeline didn’t wait to answer any more of his queries and marched off in the eastern direction.

Zach wasn’t the type of guy to put up with anyone’s rude behaviour, but he avoided creating any commotion this time, just for the sake of Isabella. She was already in enough trouble because of him.

Zach and Isabella walked side by side, following Madeline closely. The rains had cooled the surrounding temperature, but the ground was still scorching hot. Zach’s boots offered some degree of passive heat resistance, making the trek bearable.

They passed by the small hills in the distance, keeping an eye on the horizon for any signs of smoke. These hills were all volcanic in nature, and could erupt at any moment.

The landscape was dotted with hills and mountains, and everything was just a shade of scorched black or burning red. Narrow crevices in the ground bubbled with piping hot lava and the sky overhead was overcast with yellowish gray dust clouds.

Ashenfort was a land of fire and smoke; an inhospitable and barren terrain where nothing grew. Solaris seemed like a paradise compared to this lifeless island.

Walking across the volcanic landscape, they left behind the scorching terrain and reached a place where the ground was coarse and black. Here the lava had cooled down to form a flat and porous terrain. Using her map to locate the marker, Madeline stopped in front of a small hole in the ground.

“I don’t see any shelter here,” Zach remarked, scanning the area.

Madeline took out another Dispelling Gem from her inventory and tossed it on the ground. Immediately, a cluster of black pillars carved out of granite emerged from the earth. At the heart of the cluster, there were a couple of stone benches facing a floating red crystal.

“What the hell is this place?” Zach had never seen anything like this in any video game he’d ever played. It looked neither man-made nor natural. He could sense a potent magical energy emanating from the crystal and it made him feel uneasy.

“This place...looks weird, sis.” Isabella stuttered. “I don’t want to stay here.”

“It’s okay, Izzy. We can rest here.” Madeline’s voice was calm once again. She walked up to them and showed them her map. The place they were currently looking at was labelled as ‘Eye of Azareth’. It was marked as a safe zone, despite having the most ominous of names.

Zach wasn’t too excited about spending the night here. He always thought of a safe zone as a place with walls, or a settlement guarded by people, but this place was just a creepy-looking rock cluster in the middle of nowhere.

With night closing in fast, they didn’t have the luxury of examining the place. Whatever this structure was, it was marked as a safe zone, which meant it was okay to spend the night there.

As Madeline and the others sat down on the benches, the red crystal emitted a shrill screech and conjured a misty barrier of magical energy around the rock cluster.

Zach’s fears were assayed for the present, but he still felt suspicious about this strange red crystal. It gave off an energy which made him feel ill at ease.