Of Starlight and Signal Issues

John Newman exhaled heavily as he shut his front door behind him. He was completely worn out. Everything he’d been through finally began to catch up to him as he was enveloped by the familiar comforts of home. Finally, he was allowed to relax completely. It had been a good day, but a very long one.

As he wandered into the living room, John could smell gentle notes of whatever his mother had made herself for dinner wafting over to him from the kitchen. He was glad that she’d seemingly had something nice while he was out; it had been many years since he hadn’t been home for dinner. Part of him wondered if there were any leftovers, but the rest of him knew he was full.

’Ela ate enough food for the both of us anyway.’ The Gamer chuckled to himself as he shrugged his jacket off. ’Man, I’m tired.’

“Mom! I’m home!” he called, taking a seat on the couch and untying his shoes. Hearing footsteps in the hall behind him, the anxious nerd braced himself for his mother’s questions. ’She’s definitely gonna wonder why I spontaneously went out this afternoon.’

He kicked his shoes off, doing his best impression of someone who didn’t have a magic hammerspace to keep all his everything in. Running a hand through his hair, he stretched out, willing away the phantom soreness in his muscles. He thanked whoever had granted him his powers that [Gamer’s Body] seemed to do away with real muscle fatigue.

As he waited for his mother’s response, he checked the single notification that had popped up on his UI.

John smiled wryly. ’Of course there would be an achievement for that.’

There’ll be another when you have a real date.

He flushed pink at that, though he was interrupted before he could form a reply.

“Welcome home, sweetie!” Brenda Newman said, entering the room with a beaming smile on her face. A mischievous glint shone in her eyes. “...So, how was your date?”

John’s mental preparations crumbled instantly under his mother’s teasing words, and his faint blush grew to a deep crimson as he avoided her gaze. “It… it wasn’t a date, Mom! We just went to hang out and stuff.”

“Oh?” She sat down next to him. “Stuff?”

“I- You know what I mean!” John exclaimed, his blush growing ever deeper. He hadn’t really considered how much he would have to casually lie to his mother regarding his magic, and the indecision on how to do so only layered on to how flustered he was getting. ’Maybe there’s a way I can let her in on the secret eventually.’

“OK OK, honey. I’m just teasing you. Will you at least tell me who this mystery girl is?”

The Gamer swallowed nervously, trying to calm himself. “Her name’s Ela. She’s just someone from school. I, uh, met her in the library yesterday and she helped me with some project work. I guess we had some stuff in common. We wanted to talk about games and stuff for a bit, and it got late enough that we wanted dinner.”

“I’m glad you made a new friend. You know I worry about you sometimes. You spend all that time in your room - going outside sometimes is good for you.” John could tell there was a sense of genuine relief behind her words. “You should introduce us next time instead of just letting her drive off!”

“Haha… yeah.” He really wanted to tell her about everything, but he could feel a painful twisting in his stomach at the thought. “Next time. Anyway, I’m pretty tired, and I need to get a few things done for school first, so I’m probably going to head upstairs.”

His mother leaned over to embrace him. “Alright. I’m glad you had a nice afternoon. Love you, sweetie.”

The Gamer returned the hug, squeezing her tight. The comfort of family never failed to soothe his mind and raise his spirit. “I love you, too, Mom.”

“Oh! One second!” A light shot through the older Newman as she sat upright. “I’ve got some great news for you! Your father is coming home! They finished the work overseas early, so he should be home this weekend!”

“Wait, really? That’s awesome!” John’s smile matched his mother’s now. His father, Benjamin Newman had been traveling for nearly a month working on some big project for his company, and he hadn’t been expected home for some time due to unforeseen issues. “Do we know when this weekend?”

“Not yet. Once I know, I’ll tell you,” Brenda Newman answered.

The Gamer beamed, reaching over to hug his mother again before heading upstairs to finish his school work. It felt as if it had been a month since he’d last sat down to do his mundane schoolwork. Magic, knights, monsters - all manner of things had taken over his life since his birthday. He enjoyed the simplicity of his evening, and prepared for sleep early.

As he settled in, John Newman thought back over the last couple days. Magic had brought him closer to **** than he’d ever been, yet now he felt more alive than he had in years. He smiled to himself, hoping that it wouldn’t always have to be so risky, but it had been worth it in every way. Life was looking up for The Gamer.

Ela Grzmot walked through her house, alone. She’d tried to get used to being alone in recent times. For so many years she’d shared rooms - with her sister, in the orphanage, then with her fellow knights in their barracks. So many people that hadn’t made it. It had been refreshing to have someone else around again, even for a little while.

The quiet now was deafening.

The blonde wandered to the nook on her back wall, opening the window curtains to allow her a view of the night sky. She’d set up most of the living room around the little indent, furnished to give her a comfortable reading space, though she rarely found herself in the mindset for it these days. Curling up beneath a blanket she’d left there, Ela lifted a picture frame to her chest, hugging it gently.

“I hope you are doing well out there, Alyx,” she mumbled to herself. “I am doing better today, I think.”

That was how she fell asleep that night, nestled tight, next to her bookshelf, the light of the stars upon her. She dreamed of happier times, of those she desperately missed, and a certain lanky nerd, who’d offered her a little more brightness that day.

Fiery red hair lay scattered over an all-too-big bed. Its lone occupant tossed and turned, disquiet keeping her from desperately desired rest. She sat up, throwing off her blankets, a frustrated sigh escaping her lips. The redhead stood, brushing down her embarrassingly pink pajamas as she wandered over to her window.

Though she’d never admit it, uncertainty was not something unfamiliar to Moira Brighton. She tried her best to project strength and confidence in all aspects of her life, from her mundane cover to her training as Warden, but she knew more than anyone else, save maybe her father, that she had a long way to go before she could truly be considered a peer to the Wardens of Sword and Spear.

Despite all that, a single guiding light had given conviction throughout her life - the Lady. She knew that no matter what else happened, she had been entrusted to become the Lady’s shield over the Abyss, to protect the innocent from those who would do them harm. That duty and her commitment to it were unwavering.

Tonight, however, as she gazed out the window of her room on the upper floors of her family’s manor, the Warden wondered if something had changed.

The Order of the Golden Rose had stood steadfast for generations. Why now would the Lady choose to bless another? Was John Newman a sign that the Order had failed? That they had gone astray? Had something they’d done been an affront to their sacred duty?

Idly, Moira twisted a lock of red hair around her fingers, casting her mind’s eye back to the events of the day. She knew almost nothing about John Newman, but he had seemed the kind and naive sort to her - one who meant well, without truly knowing what that would mean. Perhaps, instead, he was a sign of darker times ahead, ones that the Order would not survive alone.

Moira sighed, resting a palm on the window. ’Oh, Lady, what do you have planned for us?’

She spent quite some time like that, lost in thought, hoping that the stars would afford her an answer, before conceding to the need for sleep and returning to her bed.

Hours later

John was up before the sunrise, which was normally very unusual for him, but something he suspected might be more common now that he was doing things besides gaming until 2 AM every night. He idly scrolled through his phone, checking assorted notifications and spending energy in his favorite gacha game. The mundanity of it all struck him as amusing; they’d gone from things that were core to his morning to something he might forget if they weren’t so ingrained.

He groaned as he crawled out of bed, his body protesting the decision to leave his warm blanket behind. The Gamer stretched, working out the tension in his muscles as he started to wander over to the bathroom for a shower.

’I don’t think I have anything in mind for the day, right?’ he thought, allowing the hot water to finish waking him up. ’Maybe I’ll go check on Ela and see if she has any advice for working out… Maybe she’d be willing to show me someday.’

A shudder ran down his spine at the thought of Ela in fitness gear - a tight sports bra, maybe some sweatpants or yoga pants, sweating as she did a morning workout with him. He shook his head, trying to banish his growing erection, to no avail. The Gamer settled in for a long shower.

Eventually, John managed to get himself into a presentable state, donning a fresh uniform and heading downstairs to greet his mother, who had just begun breakfast preparations. As he had the previous day, he joined her in cooking. Though the nerd thought himself more a hindrance than a help, Brenda Newman appreciated his presence nonetheless.

“By the way, I’m going to try and make us a nice family dinner this weekend when your father gets home,” the elder of the two said, setting a plate of pancakes on the table. “I’m thinking that we could have steaks. Do you have any sides that you want?”

“Some of your mac and cheese would be great!” John answered, setting down his own slightly overcooked contributions to their morning meal. “Maybe some potatoes, too?”

She smiled at his requests. “That sounds good. I’ll probably also make broccolini for us.”

John returned his mother’s smile, happily digging into the breakfast in front of him. “Works for me. I can’t promise how many vegetables I’ll eat, though.

His mother let out an exaggerated groan at that, and the pair laughed off his occasional pickiness. While they started eating, they settled on a few more specifics so that Brenda could go shopping later that day. Excitement for the weekend building, the two finished a nice morning meal together before having to go their separate ways for the day.

Half an hour later

’This morning walk is already way better than it was on Monday,’ John thought to himself, having traveled most of the way to Ashcroft Academy. ’The Endurance makes this really pleasant, honestly. No discomfort at all anymore, just time to enjoy the cool breeze and drift off in my mind.’

He smiled to himself. “I shoulda been doing this before.”

’Plus it means I have no chance of seeing Frank or Vanessa in the mornings.’ That thought took a moment to process. The two of them seemed a world away to him now. ’Not that my levels up have given me the physical stats to stop the meatwad from kicking my face in. More reason to take Ela up on that fitness idea.’

That thought brought his mind to very dirty places, and so he did his best to cast it aside quickly.

’Not now. I’ve already thought about that enough this morning.’

John was rescued from himself by a notice that his phone was ringing on his UI, prompting him to retrieve his device and answer the call from his mother. As he did so, he passed through the beautiful iron gates in front of Ashcroft, sliding onto campus much earlier than usual. His morning journey had been sped up considerably by even his small stat gains.

It was quiet in the well-kept grassy area outside the school buildings.

“Hey Mom, what’s up?” he asked, finally answering the call. “Everything OK?”

“Oh, yeah, sweetie, I just-” static cut into her words. “-late tonight-”

John frowned. “Hold on, you’re cutting out a bit.”

He kept walking towards the library as he fiddled with his phone, checking for reception and finding almost all of his connections fading. “Hey, Mom, sorry, I think something’s up with my phone.”

“OK, hon-” she continued to try and speak through his protests, though The Gamer couldn’t tell if she didn’t understand what was happening or if she couldn’t hear him at all. “-t you-”

“Gimme a second, I can’t understand you.” John looked up at the sky, but there was no sign of a storm or anything that could be interfering. ’Heck, what’s going on?’

The call cut out completely, leaving him standing befuddled amongst Ashcroft’s buildings. As quickly as he could, he tried to send a text message apologizing and asking what she wanted to talk about, but that too did not go through. Confusion growing, The Gamer hurriedly jogged over towards the library, hoping that Ela would be able to let him use the landline within.

Just as he had the previous day, he found his blonde friend working alongside the librarian, returning books to shelves and preparing for the day. The Bookworm Knight seemed her normal cheery self this morning, bouncing around quickly as she carried the majority of the books that they were putting back up.

He made no effort to approach discreetly as he had before, and both turned to greet him. Offering his best smile to them both, he did his best to not seem as if he’d just run over into the building. The blonde nodded towards him, and he returned the friendly gesture.

“Good morning, John. You’re here quite early,” the elder librarian said softly. She was a kindly woman that was among the few instructors that seemed to actually like him, rather than just tolerating his existence. “Can we help you?”

“Uh, good morning! Sorry for barging in, Ms. Amara,” John started, scratching the back of his neck. “Something is wrong with my phone, I think, and my mother was trying to call me. Can I use the phone in here to call her back?”

“Of course, though I will have to make sure you leave before classes begin,” she answered, turning to the woman next to her. “Ela, would you please take him to the checkout desk? He can use the phone there. I need you back once he’s done, though, we have a new edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica to lay out, and I don’t think I can carry it all.”

The blonde knight exchanged an amused smile with the older woman. “Of course, ma’am.”

Together, John and Ela headed across the library. The Gamer’s anxiety was beginning to calm somewhat, though he couldn’t shake a particularly twisting feeling in his stomach. He hoped nothing was wrong with his mother.

“I figured that I would see you today, but I did not imagine you would be running in here so early,” Ela sang, breaking John from his thoughts as they walked.

“Wasn’t my plan either,” he deadpanned, a half-hearted chuckle tailing behind. “I mean, I wanted to visit, but my phone started acting all weird so I kinda just ran over. Couldn’t get a call or text out.”

She frowned as the pair approached the desk. “That is strange. Hopefully it is nothing serious with your mother.”

“It’s probably just something with her work hours,” John replied, mostly for his own sake, walking over to the phone and dialing the number. “I ought to make sure though.”

Nothing but a disconnected tone came out. The Gamer swallowed, a sense of unease creeping upon him again. ’I got a bad feeling about this- Dangit, don’t think those words! It’s bad luck.’

“No joy,” he said, bringing the phone down from his ear. “It’s just giving me a dead tone.”

“Let me try-”

“There you two are!” a stern voice called from across the room. The pair turned towards a flash of red as Moira Brighton walked over to them. John’s eyes met the Warden’s piercing green as she marched over towards them, noting an odd look in her eyes that he couldn’t quite place. She was pristinely put together, as always, though he thought he spotted the faintest hint of tiredness beneath her eyes.

“I guessed that you both might be in here,” she declared, looking between the two. “I have been trying to get a hold of you for the last hour, Ela.”

The Bookworm Knight’s confusion was painted plainly across her face as she turned, exchanging a look with John. “I apologize, Wa- Moira, but I have been here in the library preparing for the day. I never received a call from you.”

It was the redhead’s turn to frown. “I tried to contact you from back at the Manor as well…”

“...Are all of our phones out?” John asked quietly, an anxious chill running down his spine. He already knew the answer. In unison, the trio pulled out their devices, each attempting contact with the outside. None succeeded.

“How long has this been going on?” Moira asked, a tension behind her voice that unnerved The Gamer.

He shrugged. “I dunno. My phone hasn’t worked on campus since I got here a few minutes ago.”

“I have not tried to use my phone all morning,” Ela answered.

“We should leave,” Moira stated, looking behind her. “Something has felt wrong since I arrived. You were both requested back at the Manor anyway. I will clear your absences with the school.”

The blonde nodded, turning to John. “Come on. Something is off.”

Acquiescing, The Gamer set the library’s phone back on its cradle, following his companion back around the table. Reflexively, he invited her back to his party, and she accepted immediately, flashy 8-bit colors celebrating her return.

“What’s going on?” he whispered, following as the group moved back towards the exit.

“Strong barriers can interrupt mundane communi-”

A dizzying wave of nausea sent John crumpling to his knees. He dropped his phone, bringing a hand to his mouth as he gagged. His eyes watered as everything around him seemed to stretch and warp and pulse. Ice seemed to encase his body as he tried to hold back vomit.

Through teary eyes, he could just barely make out Ela and Moira standing back to back. The blonde had settled into a fighting stance, her eyes flickering with green mana, while a shield rapidly formed from golden fire along the redhead’s arm. She seemed to draw a hammer from within the shield, posturing defensively.

You have been pulled into a barrier!