Reminiscence

Cicada chirped loudly as an elderly man sat swaying in a wooden rocking chair, his body dressed with wrinkles. Thinning white hair lined his head, and thick eyebrows hung over his face as he sat on the porch watching the sun begin to set. The porch was wooden and painted dark green; the boards were cracking in quite a few places, but they withstood the constant day-to-day pressure of time. He wiped the sweat from his brow and watched his granddaughter running through the yard with her friend.

“Arte,” He calls out.

She quickly shoots up and runs over to him, her tiny legs swinging as fast as they can. Her red hair bounced with each step as she hopped up the stairs.

“Yes, Grandpa!” She calls out eagerly.

“I want’cha to have this.” He pulls out an odd teardrop-shaped stone. It was smooth to the touch and light brown with a black pattern shaped like a splotch of ink. It was connected to a thin black rope, similar to a shoestring. He hands her the necklace, and she puts it around her neck.

“If you ever feel like you can’t bear it anymore. If you feel like you’ve grown tired of—” His words cut off as she holds the necklace in her hands.

Confused, she watched as the scene began to fade into mist. The yard from her childhood, her grandfather, and now the very house she grew up in disappeared like the sun behind the horizon. Finding herself alone in the dark, light began to pierce its way through, as she was thoroughly engulfed.

“Arte, wake up. The invoices are done, we can finally get outta here.” A male voice spoke.

The sensation of a hard material against her cheek was strong. Upon opening her eyes, she was staring into a stack of papers. The smell of nicotine and coffee hung heavily in the air, and she quickly rose from her desk.

“How long?” She asks, her voice low from exhaustion.

“Twenty minutes. I just had to add the finishing touches.” He stands beside her.

She stretched her arms upward and yawned, then took a look around the room, noticing tens of other similar gray desks in the room, all empty. Aside from the computers and the messy papers, there was naught else at the desks. The lights were off for most of the office, aside from the group that hung above them.

Her long red hair was tied into a messy ponytail, and she had sharp bangs that framed her face. Aquamarine eyes that peered at the blank computer screen before her, and a slim build. Wearing a collared button-up shirt, skirt, and Mary Jane shoes.

The man beside her packed his backpack, making sure to slip his laptop in gently before zipping it up.

“Come, let's get outta here. We’re going drinking still, right?” He asks.

“Is that even a question, Leo?” She lazily reached over and grabbed her bag from beneath the chair, slipped her laptop in, and quickly touched up her hair before rising. They exit the office, staring at the gray walls the whole time, while waiting for the elevator. She looked over at Leo, who was almost a head taller than she. His skin was dark, his hair was platinum blonde, and his eyes were amber-colored. His frame was decently bulky with wide shoulders. He had already removed his tie, leaving his collar unbuttoned.

After exiting the building, the streets were empty, sirens blaring halfway across town, and nary a car around. It was roughly midnight as they silently walked down the street, the cold night air a bitter reminder of the changing seasons. While chilling for some, for the pair, it served to awaken them from their late-night work stupor.

“I had a dream about Grandpa earlier.” She spoke.

“What kind?” He asks.

“From when we were kids, he gave me the necklace.” She says.

“He was like a family to me, too.” He spoke with a forlorn look.

“He loved you just as much as he did me.” She stated.

“We were pretty much inseparable. So he saw a lot of me.” He added.

She placed her hands on her hips and raised a brow.

“And which of us clung to the other again?” She questions.

“I remember you pissing off all the cats in the neighborhood because you stepped on one’s tail. Then running to me, crying.” He recalled.

“That was an accident!” She exclaimed. “And who was it that accidentally knocked a beehive over and got chased until I helped you jump in the river to dodge them?” She added.

Leo shivers at the thought.

“I hate’em.”

About ten minutes passed until they arrived at their destination. Aromatic spices and meats wafted from an open vent in front of the shop, the shop's strategy to lure customers seeking good eats. The sign above the bar entrance read ’Mihler’s Taphouse’. The front window displayed a variety of dishes and several large glasses of beer. Leo was salivating as they drew closer.

“L-Lets hurry in!” He says while rushing to the door.

Arte grinned and quickly followed suit. Once inside, the bartender, a well-groomed man, welcomed them. The bar was polished dark wood that matched the gleaming surface under the warm, hanging lights. Several stools rested beside the bar of the same material. Several patrons were comfortably seated by the door when they entered. After exchanging a quick nod, they continued past to the back of the bar and sat on their usual stools.

“The usual?” The bartender asks.

With exasperated expressions, they both just nod. While waiting for their drinks, Arte lays her head on the counter.

“Arte, how much longer is this ‘Introductory period’?” He asks and massages his shoulder while rolling his arm.

“Dunno. It feels like it’s just an excuse to push all the annoying work onto us, honestly.” He massaged his shoulder while rolling his arm.

“At this rate, we might never get out of this role.” She mumbled, slouching over.

“It's been a few months, so it’s not looking good. At this rate, our degrees will go to waste.”

“Stop that. I’m not listening to those words.” She sighed dejectedly.

The drinks arrive, and without hesitation, they begin knocking them back. They order some dishes to go with their alcohol and keep downing rounds until the food arrives. Wasting no time, they tear into the food without a shred of remorse. The other patrons stare in disbelief at the intensity with which they devour the food. Then, as quickly as they finished eating, they went back to drowning themselves in alcohol.

“Are they gonna be alright eating and drinking like this?” A patron asks the bartender.

“Ah… This is your first time here. This is normal. They know exactly how much they can take, rest assured, despite their youth, they are veterans of the bottle.” He explained.

After finishing the latest round, they let out a giant sigh of drunken satisfaction as they slump into their stools. Arte puts her head on the counter.

“Crystal Quest,” Leo mutters.

“...What about it?” Arte asks.

“When we were younger, we were looking forward to adulthood. So we could go on crazy adventures just like the heroes we admired.” He spoke between hiccups.

“A journey spanning the entire world, with nothing but the wind at our backs.” Arte fantasized.

“To slay the ultimate evil…” He added.

“...And to restore light to the world.” She continued.

“...So raise your swords, the adventure of a lifetime has begun!” He finished while staring at the white ceiling.

“Adulthood… It's not what I expected. Maybe it’s not like this for everyone… But we traded our freedom for mandatory overtime 5 nights a week.” Arte groaned.
“Our degrees in game design didn’t help. How does an entry-level position ask for five years of experience when we’re fresh out of college?” He questioned.

“Endless job interviews where it feels like we’re playing competitive matches and fighting against everyone else in the room for a chance at the position.” She added.

“Thousands of job applications a week and not hearing anything back. We couldn’t get out of this situation any faster if we tried.” Leo complained.

“I just wish we could go on an adventure. Like an actual adventure. One where we just get away from everything! Explore the world! Do anything we want!” She exclaims.

“We’re a few million short for that…” He mutters before sipping water.

“Well, we could settle for just heading to my place to play Crystal Quest.” She says.

Leo’s ears perk up.

“You still have the game?” He asks.

“Of course. That's OUR favorite game!” She says.

“Then let's get outta here!” He exclaims.

They pay the bartender and leave the bar. In their excitement, they go sprinting together down the block to an older apartment complex. After arriving, Arte is completely winded after their short sprint.

“Looks like someone skipped leg day.” Leo teases.

“Once I catch my breath… how about I use these legs… to kick your butt?” She retorts.

“You’d have to catch up to me first.” He shot back.

Vines were growing on the walls of the complex, and cracks were present in various spots. They walk up the creaky staircase to the second floor to apartment 202. Arte opened the door to her small studio apartment. The hallway kitchen was tightly packed; her fridge took up too much space, occupying part of the living room. A living room that also doubled as a bedroom. Her bed was against the far wall of the room, and a small couch just a few feet away. Her pajamas were hastily strewn across the carpet. They took their shoes off and came in. Leo picked up the pajamas and shot them into her laundry basket sitting at the end of the bed, while she slipped past him and started going through boxes in the corner of the room. Leo patiently sat on the couch and turned on her TV.

“Are you sure you know where it is?” He asks.

“Yeah. Anything else I didn’t have time for, I left in this box.” She stated.

After reaching the bottom, she pulled out a dusty, cube-shaped device. She blew the dust off and set it up, connecting it to her TV. Leo wiped down the controllers, handing one to Arte as the console booted up. The all-too-familiar scene from their childhoods played before their very eyes. A white screen accompanied by gentle music and soft watercolor art of a dragon flying over a vast plain.

“Damn, I’m gonna tear up,” Leo mutters.

“Me too.” She says.

They press the start button on the controller, and the screen fades to black. The screen opens on a small forest cabin,

“Ah, the nostalgia is strong.” He says.

A boy who stands there alone, sword at his hip. He paces back and forth before the cabin before mustering up the courage to knock at the door. Elsewhere, a girl in a wide-brimmed hat quickly leaves under the cover of night as her capital city burns. The scene then shifts again to a giant battlefield and the bloodstained commander who stood atop a pile of bodies.

“Commander Gram!” They shout in unison.

Finally, the screen turns black, reflecting their faces, and through the reflection, they notice her necklace glowing.

“Hey, hey! Your necklace is glowing!” He points.

She looks down at her chest, seeing the necklace float and glow right before her eyes, and peers toward Leo in complete disbelief, watching as he disappears into a ribbon of light. Seconds after that, she too disappears into the light; the strands of light coalesce and travel into the console before disappearing, leaving the room empty.