欧洲无人区天空码头IV

Is that me, right there in the living room?

Mom left the hospital?

"What are you doing?" asked Jack.

"Playing a game, wanna join? It\'s a steampunk turn-based roleplay game! You like those, no?"

"Ehh. Maybe next time?"

What? Say yes! Why would you say no?!

"Oh, I see... All good, maybe next time?" she said.

"Yeah, next time."

The room became darker, but bright lights started flashing around.

As Mori squinted, the light was coming out of a flashlight.

A policemen?

"Are you Jack Law?"

Mori staggered backward, showing Jack who was standing where he was, frowning.

"What is this about?"

"It\'s your mother."

Mori fell to his knees, the scene changing yet again.

"Are you seriously trying to eat my leftovers?! So pathetic."

Jessica?

"Sorry, I know this has been hard on you," said Jack. "This is just a rough patch, things will get better and I\'ll be able to cherish you better."

"When? You haven\'t taken me out to eat in months. We even have to live in this poor people district, it\'s disgusting."

"Right now we\'re just doing what we can to get through the worst, then it\'ll get better, I promise."

"Right."

I should\'ve left there.

Knocking?

Mori turned around, his front door again.

He stepped aside, Jack was standing in front of it.

"Uhh. Jack, I guess?"

"Yeah, who are you?"

"George, I worked with your mother. I\'m sorry, I heard what happened... Hope she makes it out of the hospital soon."

"Thanks. What can I do for you George?"

"I need to retrieve some work material. The timing isn\'t the best, I know, but we really need it."

"Sure."

"Thanks, kid."

George? Ah, I had forgotten.

Jack sat on the couch, while George entered his home, followed by four more people.

Did they need to be this many?

They started looking around, room by room, while Jack was on his phone in the living room.

This... This one has a gun?!

"Mori."

Mori turned around, it was his mother on her hospital bed.

He stepped aside, expecting Jack to appear, but he did not.

"How do you enjoy my game, so far?"

He tried getting a good look at her, but tears were obstructing his view, sliding down his cheeks.

"Ah. Look at your arms. You\'re pushing the limits, huh?"

"Is this really you? Are you really there?"

"Listen, don\'t push yourself too much, alright? Games are meant to be enjoyed, right? Make sure to enjoy the small things, too."

"They killed you. You\'re dead. I will never see you again."

"Mori-"

"The only enjoyment I\'ll have is when all of them are dead, every last one of them. I swear, I will."

"Mori?"

Jack squinted again, his vision blurry from tears revealing a ceiling, he was on the floor.

"Mori?"

Mori brought his arm to his face, wiping his cheeks.

"You moron!"

Jumping on top of him was Aleesia, her arms reaching his back as she tightly hugged him on the floor.

Her head was hidden on his shoulder, he could feel her hands slightly trembling as she desperately held onto him.

He could feel her quivering while quietly sobbing, she just kept repeating his name and some synonyms to the word stupid.

He brought his hand to her head, caressing it.

"There there," he said.

Wait, my arms?

Mori lift both arms up, they were there, attached and well. The tattoos were there too, identical to what they should\'ve been.

He let his arms fall back to the floor, closing his eyes while exhaling deeply in relief.

I survived.

"You dumb... small-brained..."

"Alright, alright, I\'m here."

Aleesia detached herself from Mori, her face was a mess.

He smiled, an expression that said \'no need to worry anymore\', and she smiled back.

Then, in a quick motion, she did a wide-arc slap, throwing his face sideways.

"You stupid fuck. You plan on dying in here? You\'re not leaving me alone in this hell-hole!"

Mori slowly brought his head straight again, with only a faint smile remaining.

"Sorry, I know-"

Another wide-range slap echoed through the room, turning his head. His ears were now slightly ringing, he even felt a little dizzy.

"Yeah right! You couldn\'t care less! You are so reckless, you basically committing suicide by dungeon! The Unkindled told me what state you were in. Don\'t even try to play dumb."

I know you can hear this, stupid cat. Just know you won\'t be getting food for a while.

"Don\'t make that face!" said Aleesia. "If it wasn\'t for the Unkindled\'s good will, you\'d be bleeding out to death in that room."

"But I beat the boss, I should-"

Mori\'s eyebrows arched.

Right. I need to use the menu to leave the boss room, and only once I leave that I\'m healed.

"You did a real good job on that boss, and on yourself too," she said.

Mori sat upright, Aleesia still on his lap. He leaned in, hugging her.

"Alright. I\'m back. That\'s what matters. I can\'t die in here now, while they\'re still alive."

He broke away, gently pushing her aside while standing up and stretching.

He was in his room; it was the same way he left it before, with the cat by its flame.

He got close to it, and crossed his arms on his chest. But his expression softened.

"Thanks for getting me out of there."

It wasn\'t me.

"Huh?"

"It wasn\'t?" said Aleesia.

You selected [0-0] in your dungeon system, that\'s what brought you back.

"But I was unconscious."

Indeed.

This makes no sense.

Mori frowned.

How? Did I subconsciously do it? Thoughts can be used, while less intuitive, to navigate the different systems. Still, I\'d need to be conscious to do it... unless my subconscious did it?

"Don\'t worry," he said, turning toward Aleesia. "I won\'t tempt fate again."

"You better not."

"That spear\'s blast takes away my arm holding it. If I lose both arms, I\'m most likely passing out, so we know my limit is one blast per level."