Chapter 2
“No way… this has to be some kind of joke. There’s no way the game’s NPCs are actually real!” Sarah stared in disbelief, her eyes darting back and forth between the computer screen and the little girl standing in front of us. Meanwhile, Coco stood there smiling sweetly, looking for all the world like a perfectly normal kid. “Big sister,” she said, tilting her head innocently. “Did you find Coco’s favorite thing yet? It’s getting late, and Coco needs to go home. Hurry and tell me, okay?” My hands started to tremble—not from fear, but from excitement. I thought I’d never see them again—the friends who had been with me through the hardest five years of my life. When Sword World shut down, it felt like losing a piece of myself. All the people, the stories, the memories I’d poured my heart into—they were gone in an instant. All I could do was sit by helplessly as years of effort disappeared overnight. I remember the shock when I first heard the news. It was like my blood had turned to ice. I couldn’t stop replaying it in my head; I couldn’t stop panicking over what life might be like without them. But now… now they were back. Sure, the situation was strange—terrifying, even—but I couldn’t help feeling a spark of joy. Sarah’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “Who the hell knows what she likes?” she said, glaring at Coco. “She’s just some random NPC from the beginner’s village! She barely even has a role in the game.” Then Sarah’s expression shifted. Her eyes lit up with an idea, and before I could react, she grabbed my arm and shoved me forward. “She knows!” Sarah blurted out, pointing at me. “Ask her! She can tell you!” And then, without a second’s hesitation, Sarah slammed the dorm door shut behind me. Through the small glass window in the door, I could see her smirking at me. “I’m not perishing for this,” she said with a cruel grin. “If anyone’s meeting their end because of this eerie little creature, it’s you.” She gave me a mocking wave. “Besides, isn’t this your thing? You’re always obsessing over NPCs and their stories. Time to put all that ‘research’ to good use. Go on, Betty—this is your big moment!” Her voice was dripping with malice, the same condescending tone she’d used so many times before. It was just like the way she’d told everyone I was “crazy” for treating NPCs like real people, the way she’d turned the entire class against me. Fine, Sarah. If this is how you want to play, I’ll play too. I turned to Coco, forcing myself to stay calm. “Coco,” I said gently, “I know what your favorite thing is. But after I tell you, can you promise me something?” She blinked, tilting her head curiously. “What is it, big sister?” “You have to ask that big sister, too,” I said, nodding toward Sarah through the window. “She really wants to answer your question as well.” Coco’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Does that big sister want to play with me, too? Okay! But you have to go first! Once you tell me, I’ll ask her next!” Behind the door, Sarah’s smirk vanished. Her expression twisted into panic as she realized what I was doing. She started banging on the door with her fists. “Betty, you bitch! You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? Just answer her question and get it over with!” She was practically screaming now. “You’re gonna get me in serious trouble! Darn it, Betty!” I ignored her. Leaning down, I whispered into Coco’s ear, my voice low enough that only she could hear. “Coco loves the butcher’s big cleaver, doesn’t she?” For a moment, Coco’s eyes gleamed with something sharp and unnatural. Then, she let out a soft giggle. “Wow, big sister, you really know a lot!” she said, clapping her hands together. Behind the door, Sarah’s banging grew even louder. “What did you tell her?!” she shouted, her voice cracking. “Betty, what the hell did you say?! You can’t just leave me hanging like this!” She sounded frantic now, her words tumbling over each other. “We’re roommates! You can’t just let me go! Help me!” But before I could respond, Coco’s cheerful voice cut through the chaos. “Hmm… but you got it wrong!” What? I froze. Sarah stopped yelling. For a moment, everything was silent.