Sword Art Online: The Crystal Swordsman

Conciousness

The final bell rang to signal the end of the school day. Today felt a lot longer than usual but it was all the more reason to head out quickly. I walked around to the back where my road was and walked my usual way, going across a railroad train storage area. Extra cars and tankers on a bunch of grouped tracks together. It always seemed abandoned but I liked that about it. I put my bag down in between two train cars and climbed up on top of one of them. I sat down and looked up at the sky. I didn't really get to appreciate the real world much, I always hated it more than the virtual ones. I hated the heartache and betrayal that life always threw at me. I loved getting away from it all. I still enjoyed the good parts of life as they came of course. I kept to myself a lot. My creative thoughts often keep me going. I loved my own ideas and creations as I made them. Player1 for example. It wasn't just a username, it was a product of my creativity. A chrome Desert Eagle wielding badass who could essentially snipe somebody with his heavy pistols. He destroyed anyone who would mess with him and he became my symbol of hope within the bullshit. That was my creativity, and in GGO I became Player1.

"But in real life... I'm just a nerd." I shook my head.

I climbed off the train, taking a final look at the cloudy sky as I stepped down. I went for my bag but I was suddenly ripped away from it to see a masked boy about the same age as me with a hood on. I recognized his eyes thru the eyeholes but before I could do anything, I briefly saw and felt a bat to the side of my head. My vision blackened and I collapsed. There was ringing in my ears and a heat coming from my head. I must have been dreaming, I thought. I eventually opened my eyes to the grey clouds above, seeing the faint sun peeking through the thick cloud cover. I heard the person run away as fast as they could and my eyes began to drift closed. I heard my heartbeat and my breath loudly in my ears. They echoed like I was in a massively open cave. My senses were heightened briefly and I started to dream. Sinon, Kirito, Alfheim, GGO, all of it. I could have been there forever. My throbbing head stopped hurting and I began to feel numb. It felt good to be relieved. I suddenly felt like I was being lifted away or floating in the vast emptiness of space as I laid. My brain said:

"Sleep. It's okay. You'll feel better." It assured.

I wanted to cry in that moment. I actually did. Was this how I died? Was this how it all ended? I opened my eyes again to take in my final view of the sky as it burned itself into my mind. Tears gently ran down my face and I lost the will to fight.

"Get up." I heard.

I cried harder.

"You need to move."

I just weakly shook my head in response.

"Get up. You might have suffered a concussion."

"Don't fall asleep or you'll die."

"Move as much as possible or you are going to die."

So many voices. All of them were mine. Wasn't I already asleep?

"Get. Up." My inner voice was more aggressive this time.

I rolled to my stomach and got to my hands and knees with the small bit of strength that I could muster. I tried to stand up but I fell to all fours again. I suddenly felt someone lift me, putting their hands underneath my arms to bring me up. I swatted it away as I stood but there wasn't anything at all. No one. Once I was finally up, I felt a push to my back.

"Move." It was me again.

I stumbled, walked, and fought hard to keep conscious. I heard police sirens and saw a police officer rush up to me hastily, getting under my arm to help me walk. Everything went in flashes after that and the tears made it very blurry. I remember being guided towards an ambulance where paramedics were coming out to assist. I was in a stretcher, then the back of the ambulance, then driving and everything went black.

My vision was blurry when I came to. Pure white. Like I just got hit with a flash bang. Ringing in my ears and all. I blinked a few times to collect myself and then, there. Perfect vision and clear as day. 

I didn't remain there for very long. Once they knew I was okay, I was basically right back to my normal life. I had started up ALO with a new mindset, hoping some level grinding or dungeon clearing might make me forget about what had transpired.

"Link start." I began.

I opened the door to Kirito's house and walked in. The girls were sitting in their usual spots but they didn't say anything as I entered.

"Hey guys. Where's Sinon?" I asked, knowing she was the only one that I needed to see right now.

"Have a seat, K." Leafa was being serious.

I hesitated but I eventually sat down.

"Everything okay?" I asked genuinely.

"K... Sinon has been captured." Leafa told me.

My heart sank. I had just gotten back and I was in no condition to take this right now. I just wanted to feel her embrace and hear her tell me that everything would be okay, but I couldn't. I was robbed of that opportunity.

"By who...?" I needed to know as I processed my emotions.

"Tanzibal." She answered.

As Leafa finished pronouncing the name from her lips, time stopped. Everyone's faces were locked to mine, waiting for an expression or response but my body felt in free fall. My mind began to drown in thoughts of Sinon being tortured or beaten by him. She gasped for air, cut up and bruised in a pool of her own blood. Only, she wasn't strong enough to get up. I watched her eyes drain of color as she fell limp upon the ground. Tears began to muster in my eyes but only for a moment. A single drop fell from my right eye along my unhealed scar until I clenched my teeth in anger. I could feel my aura manifest into fire around my entire body as I slowly stood up. The room was still, but to me the house was a hurricane.

"K?" Leafa asked.

I didn't hear her. I heard Sinon yelling my name. She screamed from the clutches of Tanzibal's claws and he held his knife to her throat, having an army of his minions below him. I began to clench my teeth hard at the idea but turned towards the door and started to head out to save her.

"Where are you going, K?" Leafa asked concerned.

"To get her back." I growled with no hesitation in my voice.

All I could see was red.