The sun set on yet another average Saturday. Lights started to get shut off as early risers headed to bed in preparation for the next day and all it would bring.
In all but one house, that is.
Inside, beyond the veil of curtains, a young woman sat on the edge of her seat, figuratively, with her controller in hand and headphones askew.
The final battle of Heavensward was all that remained between her and the end to the current arc of the story she had spent many an hour embroiled in. Her game companion’s voices echoed in her ears from her mostly forgotten headphones. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her hands trembled minutely with excitement on the small device in her fists that allowed her to interact with the virtual world.
She could not believe that she was here. She had never been a gamer but a simple promise to a friend to ‘give it a shot’ had lead to this. A promise made with the absolute knowledge that after a few hours she would be back to her regularly scheduled programming. And yet…
It had lead her to this moment, ready to do battle against the forces of darkness in a way that her beloved books simply could not allow her to do.
Fingers poised for the dropping of the protective blue barrier, she waited with baited breath.
She was prepared when it came down, charging into the fray, battle cry on her lips, and sleepy cat eyes fixed on her face in confussion.
How would this part of the story end? How much of a cliffhanger would she be left with to theorize about and agonize over while waiting for the next part of the game?
Ruthlessly, and yet at the same time excitedly, she forced those thoughts aside; she needed to focus on the here and now if she wanted to survive to see the answers to such questions.
Her former streams of internalized thoughts flooded from her lips to manifest audibly. She didn’t notice. She quivered in her seat at the build up of adrenaline.
84%, 60%, 43%, 22%, 10%. They’ve almost got him. They could do this. She could do this.
5%. Her HP started to dip.
4%. Her healer brought her back up.
3%. Her fingers cramped but she didn’t stop.
2%. Almost there.
1%. She could taste victory.
0%. He toppled! Success!
A cheer burbled up from her throat. Her hands went up in triumph. She almost came out of her seat in her elation. Her companions laughed their congratulations.
The thumping in her heart slowed and she settled in to watch the fruits of her labors, to learn the answers to her questions. She grinned the whole way through the cutscenes, her heart and mind on cloud nine.
The final line of dialogue had been delivered, the last note reverberated through her speakers and she had been content; at peace in a way that she had never been before. All because of a game that she had given a chance only half-heartedly. A chance that she had not regretted. She had made friends, defeated enemies, and her life would never be the same again.