Yukai Heizen

Alone but not alone. Here but really not here. These are the aspects of the RPG game ‘The World’ that you have to get used too. You have to understand what is real and what is not. If you can not tell the difference, your life will be consumed.

I stand here waiting for him… Him that is not real… Standing on this computer generated balcony. A trick to the player’s eye. Everything here is a trick. The wind is a trick. The sun is a trick. My being is a trick.

“Kasumi?”

It was him. The biggest illusion in this whole game. My biggest downfall.

“What are you doing here all alone?” He leaned on the deceiving rim of the balcony.

“Just thinking, Heizen.”

“Thinking, hm... About my-?”

“Yes. About that…”

“It’s been a month now, Kasumi. I am not trying to rush you…”

“I understand that.” I shouted defensively.

It was true. My time was nearing to an end. Even though I did not want to reject him, I couldn’t bring myself to decide.

“What am I supposed to say, Heizen?”

“Say yes…” He pleaded.

“But how can I? We barely know each other.”

I threw my hands up into the air. My irritation started to set in.

“We’ve known each other for five years now Kasumi!”

Five fake years. Years that I devoted only to him. I only wanted to be with him. Then why? Why was it so hard to decide now?

“Not this again…” Heizen placed his hand on his forehead.

“Heizen… You know it’s true. How can I say yes if you know it’s true?!”

“Kasumi… Our love is true. Isn’t it? Why would you hold it back because this is a game? ‘The World’ is a game. We are not.”

I laughed. If we are in ‘The World’ we are not real ourselves. It’s almost funny how ridiculous he sounds right now.

“You can’t know a person without seeing them, Heizen. I can’t marry you.”

“Why didn’t you decide this a month ago?”

I knew it… He felt rejected. You can hear it in his voice.

“I don’t know…”

“Kasumi. I can’t believe how foolish you’re acting.”

He always did this. Whenever he was saddened he’d get angry with me.

“I’m not acting foolish, Heizen. You’re being a dreamer.”

“I am trying to keep our love alive while you try to kill it off.” His voice was stern.

“Did you know I graduated yesterday, Heizen?”

I smiled. I couldn’t help myself. This whole conversation sounded as if it were a joke.

“Of course I did.”

“Were you there to see me?”

I can feel the water releasing from my eyes, but why can’t my character cry? He needs to see me like this. Pathetic and realistic.

“You know I couldn’t of, Kasumi…”

“That’s right, Heizen. You can’t go to my graduation because you live so far away. You live so far away! How am I supposed to get married to you Heizen if you live so far away?!”

My anger was rising. He could see it on my computer generated character, but could he see how sad I truly was? How painful it is to reject him?

“Kasumi… Once we’re married in ‘The World’, I could change all that. I need to know that you really love me before I pay for you to come live with me.”

“What if I don’t want to move over where you are?”

“Well then, I’d come and move wherever you are.” A sigh escaped him. “Listen Kasumi, it doesn’t matter where I go, you are my home…”
I choked back a gasp. How can he believe in a fake character so much? He has never seen the real me. He has so much faith in what he knows isn’t real… And then I snapped…

“Heizen! You’ve never seen me in real life! You don’t know how I look, act, or feel! You don’t know anything about me! All you see is the fake me! Fake looks, fake feelings, and maybe even fake love! You’re fake too, Heizen…”

“Ugh… I’ve seen cases like this before…” He once again pressed his hand to his character’s forehead.

“I’m not one of your patients, Heizen. I’m just stating what is real.”

“I can’t take this anymore… I’m at my point in life where I need to settle down with someone, Kasumi. I love you, but if you’re just going to turn me down because of your insecurities then I should leave.” He began to walk away….

I just stood there watching him. Watching him walk down the computer generated path and farther… and farther…

“And Kasumi…,” He seemed to shout. “I know you more than you know yourself.”

And that’s when I knew… I’ll never love anyone but him. Computer generated… or not…



Three days. It had been three days playing ‘The World’ alone and no sign of Heizen. He had not been logged on since their heated discussion. Kasumi slumped as she looked around Mac Anu and found that nothing interested her. She was too depressed and sighed a bit too often. What was she really doing waiting for him hours on end? She’s the one who drove him away.

Feeling another wave of failure overwhelm her, she began to log out.

“...”
She began to log out...

“...Huh?”

She began to log out!

“Why can’t I log out?!”


For some strange reason, Kasumi couldn’t bring herself to log out of the game. Her heart started to beat faster when she realized she didn’t know where she was. Where was her home? Why couldn’t she see anything else besides ‘The World’?!

“Where am I?!?” She screamed.

Clenching her head in confusion, she stared at the other players who seemed to be experiencing the same problem. Soon, Mac Anu errupted in a panic as other players started to realize they couldn’t log out themselves. Screams of confusion were echoing through out Kasumi’s fake ears. Wait.. This wasn’t fake anymore. She was really inside the game. This was real.

“No.. This.. This can’t be real.”

Kasumi raced to find an Administrator of CC. Corp to find out what exactly was going on.

Reaching the Dome area of Mac Anu, Kasumi saw a big crowd surrounding what seemed to be the Administrator.

“Why can’t we log out?!” A women had shouted.

“Is this your idea of a sick joke?”

“It isn’t funny anymore!”

“Uh-uh.. We’re.. We’re trying to control the situation. Don’t panic. Please don’t panic.” The Administrator had advised.

The panic hadn’t ceased.

“Ah great..” Kasumi rubbed her forehead. “CC. Corp doesn’t know how to handle the situation themselves..”

Kasumi is stuck in ‘The World’ as her character. As unbelievable as it sounds, ‘The World’ for this moment in time.. Is real.

“It seems like CC. Corp doesn’t know what to do about the situation either.” A boy laughed.

Kasumi strained to listen.

“It seems so. Aida definitely has something to do with this.” A women responded.

“Let’s head back to Raven’s @home.”

Aida? Was that a player name? An alert was sounded. Kasumi had gotten a message from Zelkova asking all of Moon Tree’s members to report to Moon Tree’s @home.

“I wonder if Moon Tree knows what’s going on?” Kasumi walked up to the chaos gate in hopes of asking any of the generals questions about this certain unbelievable event.

Upon entering Moon Tree, she was automatically sent to their meeting room. The meeting was held by Sakaki himself asking all of Moon Tree’s members to offer their help to keep members of Kestrel under control. It seems as if the Kestrel members are using PK as a way to calm themselves. Although Kestrel is known for having Player Killers running rampant, they haven’t PK’ed so many players at one time. Zelkova dismissed the meeting and assigned us to a group and an area.

“Delta.. Hidden Forbidden Holy Grounds..” Kasumi mouthed. That area had seemed vaguely familiar to her.

“Ah, Kasumi.” Zelkova approached.

“Hello Master Zelkova. Is there something I can help you with?”

Zelkova just smiled and waved her request off. “No. Not really. I haven’t seen Heizen, and you two are usually partnered. Do you know where he could be?”

It stung to know Zelkova his self felt as if something was up between us.

“No.. I haven’t heard from him...” Kasumi muttered.

“That’s strange.. He’s online. I wonder what kept him from attending our meeting. Ah well.” Zelkova waved once more and bounced off.

“W-wait.. Online?!” Kasumi was extremely baffled.

It seems as if Heizen actually was online, but hadn’t contacted her.

“He must really be upset with me then...” Kasumi drooped her head.

Just then, a really bouncy giddy girl tapped her shoulder.

“H-huh?”

“Hey! My names Meredy! We’re partners.” She beamed.

There was something about this girls peakiness that irked Kasumi.

“H-hi.” Kasumi tried her best to smile back.