Dad
Eddie! I’ve been waiting for you!
Eddie
OMG, Dad! You wouldn’t believe it. I was awesome at this!
Eddie
You know all those times you used to yell at me about playing too many video games?
Eddie
Well, I bet you’re happy that I did now. I’m killing it!
Eddie
I killed about 100 trolls and orcs already.
Dad
The reason I told you to stop playing video games is because my whole life was a video game. I didn’t want that for you.
Eddie
Yeah, well, it’s a good thing that I did. You should’ve seen me.
Eddie
It was amazing! I ran through them all and they didn’t see me once.
Dad
Careful with the invisibility. It runs out of energy also. You don’t want to get overconfident and cocky.
Eddie
Don’t worry. Between Norville and me, they can’t touch us.
Eddie
I’ve never fought like this in my life. He’s a great teacher.
Eddie
No wonder you like the guy so much. He’s awesome!
Dad
Is he still training you?
Eddie
Not this second. We stopped to rest for the night.
Eddie
He said we should reach the castle sometime tomorrow morning.
Dad
Really? Where are you now?
Eddie
How should I know? It’s dark. It’s nighttime.
Dad
Don’t get too comfortable. Things can happen at any time over there.
Dad
Besides the cabin, there’s only one other safe spot. Otherwise, you’re fair game.
Eddie
I said to stop worrying. Norville has it covered. He’s amazing.
Eddie
As long as he’s with me, I feel safe.
Eddie
LOL! Dad, you were typing forever and you just wrote Okay?
Dad
I erased what I was going to say.
Eddie
What were you going to say?
Eddie
Seriously? C’mon, tell me!
Dad
Have you seen Mankill yet?
Eddie
I haven’t seen him since the beginning. When I was in our house.
Eddie
Weird, right? Are you sure he’s here?
Dad
Yeah, he’s there and don’t underestimate him. He’s deadly.
Dad
He’ll kill you in a second if he gets the chance.
Eddie
Dad, I know you played the game for a long time, but I’m telling you, I have the hang of this now.
Eddie
Nobody’s going to touch me.
Dad
Now you’re getting overconfident. That’s how bad things happen.
Eddie
Will you relax? Norville is with me, and as long as I’m wearing the necklace, I’m invisible.
Dad
I told you that the necklace won’t have enough power to make it to the end of the game.
Dad
You’re going to have to recharge again.
Eddie
Once we get into the castle, I won’t need it. I just need it to get there.
Dad
In the castle is where it’s going to be the MOST dangerous!
Eddie
So what? Norville and I will do it.
Eddie
How did you ever make it to the end, being so nervous?
Dad
BY BEING CAREFUL! LISTEN TO ME!
Dad
Get Norville to train you to fight mercenaries. In particular, Mankill. Do it now!
Eddie
He has. He’s already shown me tricks to fight orcs and trolls.
Dad
It’s not the same thing.
Eddie
If I can fight orcs and trolls, I’m pretty sure I can fight humans.
Eddie
They’re not as big or as strong.
Dad
The Leader gets the very best to fight for him.
Dad
Don’t underestimate them.
Dad
So how many trolls and orcs have you seen?
Dad
C’mon, you already know the answer. You just don’t want to text it now. How many orcs and trolls have you seen?
Dad
You said it a few minutes ago.
Eddie
I guess around 100 or 200
Dad
And even though they’re big and strong and mean looking, they’ve been pretty easy to kill, right?
Eddie
I wouldn’t say it’s been easy.
Dad
Eddie, you’re a novice. A beginning player, and you’ve still killed more than 100.
Dad
And how many mercenaries have you seen?
Dad
That’s what I’m telling you. Stop getting cocky.
Dad
The orcs and trolls are like pawns in a chess game. They’re the most expendable.
Dad
In any of your video games, the further you go, the more difficult the game gets.
Dad
So you haven’t even reached the most difficult part yet.
Dad
What you’re doing now is good, but you can’t go underestimating your opponent.
Dad
That’s how you’re going to get yourself killed.
Dad
I’m sorry if I’m upsetting you. I just want you to know how serious this is.
Dad
You need to focus just like you do when you’re playing at home.
Eddie
Dad, I’m really good at video games.
Dad
Yes, but the difference is, when you lose at home, you don’t die for good.
Eddie
Wait a second. You’re telling me that you NEVER lost at this game?
Eddie
How is that even possible??
Dad
I was good. There is also one way to reset, but I only used it for emergencies.
Dad
It’s also very difficult. If you don’t time it just right, you’ll die.
Dad
You can’t rely on it.
Dad
It’s better to beat the game the regular way.
Dad
That’s one of the reasons why the game wants me back so much. It’s never defeated me. I played over and over, like in a loop.
Dad
Beat the game, start at the beginning. Beat the game again, and back to the beginning.
Dad
I could never stop until I escaped that time.
Dad
I studied the weaknesses each time I played.
Dad
Normally, whenever a player is killed, another variation appears, but it’s never the exact same one.
Dad
No two players have the same thoughts and feelings.
Dad
Each one believes themselves to be unique. A living being.
Dad
That’s why it’s so tragic when one dies.
Dad
I was different. I never died, so I was the same exact player.
Dad
And the game didn’t like it.
Dad
It’s also not good if it gets out that a character escaped.
Dad
It’s not good if characters in other games hear about it.
Eddie
So why were you different?
Dad
I don’t know. But a character is doomed to be recreated again and again.
Dad
Can you picture that? Constantly dying over and over.
Dad
Always doomed to recreate the same actions.
Dad
Yes, I had to kill the same orcs thousands of times. But my thoughts stayed the same.
Dad
I was helpless to change things. Everything unfolded the same way over and over.
Dad
I was powerless to stop it if I wanted to finish the game.
Dad
No, I’M sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. But now you see exactly why it’s so important to be careful.
Dad
You’re so close to the end.
Dad
Once you reach the end and defeat the Leader, he’ll have an amulet that you can use to get home.
Dad
Just beat him and when you get here, I’m going to figure out a way to seal that portal forever.
