Mysterious Minstrel

Chapter 22

I finger the hem of my midnight blue choir robe.

Aileen looks at me like I'm wounded. But I'm fine. I've been fine for the past hour. We've checked into one of the apartments—a high rise owned by Olivia Park. The place is decked out with rogue equipment, sleek and minimalistic furniture matching Olivia's personality. I behold a stunning view of Kap City, the buildings making an uneven landscape that borders the wilderness of Gloria. The leaders of Mysteriously gather in the kitchen, mixing virtual fizzy drinks.

"Are you okay?" Aileen asks, after a long silence.

I bite the inside of my cheek. "I'm fine. It's not like Ken actually wounded me."

She sighs, taking the seat next to me on the navy blue couch. "I know that. But he wanted to shame you and beat you in front of all those people. I already hate everyone in Dragoon."

"It's fine," I say. "I'm the one who accepted the duel. I have to accept my defeat, even if the whole battle lasted only a few seconds."

Aileen doesn't look convinced. "You can take a break from the game if you want."

My ears burn with embarrassment. Did my loss really look that bad? "I'm not taking a break. It's not even dinner time yet."

Aileen sighs. "Whatever you say. But if it was me, I'd log off and take a rest."

I don't have time to respond. Nathan and the others return with Italian sodas, handing them out with smiles that have forgotten about my recent defeat.

I drink and try to forget the sensation of the dagger digging into my chest. Everyone's a bit kinder to me, even Cody. I spend the rest of the afternoon watching as the sun paints the sky pink and purple. The skies turn dark, and the lights of the city glow bright. It feels like we've stumbled upon a constellation on earth.

"We'll regroup tomorrow," Nathan says. "We'll begin hunting for a boss. Josiah and Aileen are still a bit low-leveled, but we'll steal more experience as we move along. How does that sound?"

I down the last of my soda, the coolness and sugar making my tongue feel alive. "Sounds great."

The other members log out. Soon it's only me and Nathan.

My emotions start rushing out, unreserved. "I'm so sorry about earlier. I know you and Dragoon have a history. And I made the whole guild look bad."

Nathan's kind eyes flicker toward me. "Don't even worry about it. I'm just glad you're okay. Sometimes people get hurt in real life from the shock of losing a duel. You seem to be holding up."

I force a smile. "Thank you. And thanks for an amazing day. I love my new equipment."

He reaches out and brushes some hair out of my eyes. "My pleasure. Let me know if there's anything else you need."

I want to stay here, asking him a thousand questions. There's so much I want to know about Nathan Lum. Instead, I whisper instructions to my VRS, logging me out from the world of Starlia. I enter my bedroom, my eyes adjusting to the duller color palette. It feels like I've gone from paradise into purgatory. I'll never get used to the drastic change from Starlia to the real world.

I sit on my bed until my mom calls me out for dinner.

Even she can sense that something's wrong. "Something happen at school?"

I grimace. I don't know why, but I decide to recount the whole story of today. Starting from entering Kap City, to being challenged by Ken, to losing in front of all those people. Suddenly, it feels like the weight of disappointment weighs down my chest. I feel a pressure behind my eyes. Could I really end up crying just because of a lost duel?