Disclaimer/A/N: I don’t own anything but the plot. Please tell me if you don't like this chapter, and I'll rewrite it. I had alot of trouble with this one. From Wordperfect crashing, to a million mistypes, and so on...

Chapter Five: Falling

The first thing I did when I woke up wasn’t opening my eyes. The pain didn’t return instantly. I couldn’t really move. I couldn’t really breathe. It was a strain just to pull air through my lungs. I couldn’t remember what happened. The pain came back, full force. I tried not to scream. Finally, the memories settled. I tried to sit up, but could barely move. I knew I had to open my eyes. I was afraid to. I forced them open.

“Haseo!” Atoli exclaimed happily. I felt a little more comfortable. If Atoli was here, it meant I was in heaven. Silabus called my name too. ‘Am I alive?’ I asked myself.

“Where am I?” I asked weakly. They both looked at each other, then back to me.

“You’re in Canard. Silabus saved you.” Atoli told me. She was smiling, apparently happy I was alive.

“Can I ask what happened?” Silabus asked. He always seemed nervous around me.

“I’m not sure. For some reason I can . . . feel things in the game.” I told them. They both looked confused. I needed information.

“Silabus. Go find Kuhn. Tell him to call a person named Yata.” I instructed. Silabus nodded. He left me and Atoli alone. It was silent. What could we say?

“Do you think a healing spell would work?” She asked. I tried to shrug, but instead I just stayed quiet and still. I was afraid that if a spell didn’t work I have to kill myself. This pain was to intense. My body was shaking just trying to hold a scream in. Atoli looked incredibly sad. She used a Retph spell. It made the pain disappear. I never felt that happy before. I felt like jumping for joy, but my body was still weak. Atoli giggled. She was happy too. I smiled.

“I’m glad I could finally help you Haseo.” She said happily. There were a lot of things on my mind. What happened if I died?

“By the way.” She started. I faced her. She looked at me straight in the eyes. She took a deep breath and continued.

“You aren’t okay in real life, huh?” She asked. I felt like crying again, just mentioning ‘real life.’

“What that? That’s not a life. It’s a prison.” I told her. She looked at the floor again. She took another breath.

“I think I might know how you feel.” She said. I just remember Atoli’s state in real life. I heard her say.

“Now I have to be sure.” She reached for my hand. I had been holing the cut arm differently. Apparently wounds from real life couldn’t be healed with a spell. I didn’t expect it at first. I tried to sit still, to not let her know it hurt. I didn’t move. She started to take my glove off. I panicked again. I didn’t want her to know how weak I was.

“Atoli?!” I asked loudly. The cut was still on my character. She gasped. I hoped she thought that it was from those PKs.

“You did this?” She asked. As much as much mind was yelling for me to lie, I just nodded. I sat there, not used to being this open. This weak. She wasn’t looking at me anymore.

“Haseo.” She started. I was staring at her. I could take my eyes off her.

“I used to . . . I used to do that too. My life felt like a prison too. I hated everything. Then I met you. You showed me to be strong. I did everything in my power to break those habits. Every time I thought about it, I would picture you. The day you came back to my in Hulle Granz Cathedral, was the happiest I’d ever felt. Then I thought you just felt sorry for me. You avoided me again.” She had tears falling out of her eyes. I was shocked. I felt like I was going to cry too.

“Oh . . . Atoli . . . I’m . . . so sorry.” I told her. My voice came out shaky. She was crying. Why was she crying? I didn’t know what to do. I put my arms around her.

“I didn’t do it because I felt sorry for you. I did it because I care about you. I thought I wanted Shino, but I never could erase your smiling face from my mind. Even when I was with her.” I admitted. It was a mix of emotions as I said that. I wasn’t sure how I felt. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, but hearing her speak so sadly hurt me more. Even so, having her this close made me feel alive. I never wanted to let her go. All the pain I had caused her, did she still feel like that?

“Are we interrupting something?” A man asked cheerfully. I turned to see Kuhn, Pi, and Yata. Kuhn was smiling like an idiot. He must have thought this was funny. Pi looked a little surprised, and Yata looked dead serious. Atoli’s face turned crimson. I felt heat rising to my cheeks as well.

“Shut up.” I told them Kuhn laughed. I rolled my eyes. Silabus walked in behind them. I forced him a smile.

“You look better.” He told me. I was hardly paying attention, putting my glove back on.

“Yeah. Thanks to Atoli.” I said, which I instantly regretted. Kuhn started laughing again, which made me blush more than Atoli.

“Pervert . . . ” I mumbled. My embarrassment made him chuckle again.

“So she healed you?” Silabus asked. At least some people were normal. I nodded.

“Perhaps we should continue this conversation in Raven.” Yata ordered more than suggested.

“I can just leave.” Silabus said. It pissed me off that he didn’t want to Silabus to know. He did help us fight Cubia after all.

“We can talk here. With Silabus.” I said. Kuhn shot me one of those, “what the fuck is wrong with you?” looks. I just shrugged. Pi gave Silabus a death glare, so he left anyway. I sighed.

“You say you can feel?” Yata asked. I nodded.

“Maybe this has something to do with you passing out the other day.” The pink haired grappler said. I shrugged again. What was I supposed to say?

“I want out.” I told them. Atoli sighed too. Did they believe me? Why did I care? No one ever believes me. The only time this had happened before was in the AIDA server. I was sure this wasn’t one, so what was wrong?

“Haseo . . . Maybe-” Yata got cut off. He was cut off by that sound. The sound I usually only heard when an Avatar was summoned. I put my hands on my head. It was so loud. Atoli said something, but I couldn’t hear her. I shut my eyes. When I opened them, I was in a completely different place. I was in the black place again.

“Welcome, Key of the Twilight.” A woman said. I looked around, but could see no one.

“Who’s there?!” I yelled. She chuckled. Was she the one making me unable to log out? I was trying to sound strong, but my voice was shaky. I was actually scared.

“Well, you are not one for listening, are you?” She asked. I didn’t know what she meant, but didn’t ask. I kept thinking that this was a dream. That I’d wake up in my room. Then I’d walk into the kitchen and my mom would be hurrying to get to work in time. No matter how many times I closed my eyes. How any times I fell asleep. How many times I nearly died, I wouldn’t wake up. I was trapped in this prison.

“What do you want?” I asked weakly.

“I need you to open the door.” She told me. I still didn’t understand.

“What?” I asked. She sighed.

“You are the Key of the Twilight, not only that, you have an epitaph.” She explained. Something about her voice was oddly familiar. She was someone I hated. I let that half get the better of me.

“No. I won’t help you.” I told her.

“You won’t be helping me. You’ll be helping everyone. If you open the door to the real world, I’ll end this foolish war.” She said, trying to convince me. Why did she want to go there? To rule it? Her offer was tempting, but I decided it’d be better to not help. I shook my head.

“Well, you surely don’t care. Considering it was all your fault.” She said. This time she had my complete attention. She knew she got me.

“How was the war started? By the third net crisis. They all blamed each other. Humans are all foolish.”She said with a small laugh. They way she did that sickened me. Maybe the thing that made me sick was that she had a point.

“Besides . . . You have no real reason to live. Your mother will most likely never come back. The girl you love probably doesn’t like you because of the way you treat her. Your life is falling apart. You’ll be better off dead. Unless you want to return to your father.” She said. Her tone made me think she knew she had won. I knew she was right.

“You only hurt people. If you do this you’ll save the world, your sacrifice will not be in vain.” She told me.

“What do I do?” I asked, defeated.

“You just don’t fight this.” She told me. I forced myself to relax. I forced myself to give up, one thing I never imagined doing. Nothing actually hit me, but the pain the unbelievable. I started to scream in agony. I wanted it to be over. I just wanted it to end. The black area around me was transforming in to real life. My own body was turning transparent. The pain wouldn’t stop. I didn’t know what to do. I heard her laugh. Then, I suddenly knew I had been horribly mistaken.

A/N: Sorry about the cliffhanger. I’m gonna put the next chapter up very fast. I’m starting it as soon as I finish this one, I think the next is the last. It might be slightly short too. I hope you enjoyed. Also sorry for taking such a long time, I was really busy this week.