“…..”
Tuesday morning.
I stood in front of my cubicle, a box resting on my table, all my possessions packed inside. Just like that, I was fired. No call. No face-to-face meeting.
Through text.
No, not even through text… I got told by my drunk colleague.
The general vibe around the office was gloomy. I wasn’t the only one packing up my stuff, with several other colleagues doing the same, their heads hung low.
Even though I had expected it from the beginning, the reality of actually being laid off only hit me now.
And… it sucked.
It sucked a lot more than I previously expected.
This was especially so when taking into account that I had only been given a two-month severance pay.
In that time, I needed to find a way to develop a one-star horror game, otherwise…
“Huu.”
I massaged my face and stared at the monitor in front of me.
‘It’s a good thing that the strange app can be deleted.’
The computer belonged to the company, so I couldn’t bring it with me. Thankfully, I managed to transfer everything to my laptop and wiped the rest from the system, making sure nothing was left behind.
As the final files completed their transfer, I closed the laptop with a resigned sigh and placed it in the box.
Shortly after that, I turned around and left.
Ding!
The elevator chime rang, and I stepped inside, pressing the ‘G’ button. I waited as the doors began to close.
Just then, a soft, harmonious tune filled the air. Hearing the sound of it, a small smirk played on my lips.
“Isn’t this the same song I gave to that strange conductor?”
But unlike the one I had given to the conductor, this one was complete.
It was soft and soothing to the ears, making me involuntarily close my eyes. Was it exhaustion? Or was it the weight of everything that had just happened?
I felt my mind begin to sink.
The darkness embraced me, and I sank deeper and deeper into the darkness.
It felt cold, and yet at the same time welcoming.
“How nice.”
Ding!
My eyes snapped open the moment the elevator chime rang again.
“Oh, crap. I was about to fall asleep.”
I really was overworked, after all.
I moved out of the elevator.
“Anyways… What should I do now?”
The first thought that crossed my mind was finding another job. My current priority was finding a way to develop a game that would meet the quest’s satisfaction.
There were many different studios that could provide me with the necessary tools to develop such a game, but my expression grew grim when I thought about them hiring me. Let alone the fact that I was one of the people who had worked to create that disaster class, how long would it take for them to hire me?
‘I don’t have much time.’
I had no savings, and the severance pay only covered two months’ worth of income. That would hardly be enough to last me several weeks, if I took into account the cost of my medicine.
“This is bad…”
I ruffled my hair as I made my way out of the lobby. Just as I found the exit in the distance, I felt a small vibration from my pocket.
I picked up my phone to see a familiar name.
“Hello?”
—….Seth?
A hesitant voice came through the phone.
—I heard about… your recent game. Are you…?
“Ah, so you’ve heard.”
I felt bitter.
It hadn’t even been a day, and the news had already spread.
“Yes, I got fired.”
I didn’t lie and went straight to the point.
Kyle, in some way, could be considered my brother. The two of us grew up in the same orphanage.
Given my condition, it wasn’t strange that my parents had abandoned me.
But even though my condition wasn’t as severe when I was young, it still put a heavy burden on the orphanage. The moment I came of age, they directly kicked me out.
Nonetheless, the ties I had made within the orphanage were deep ones.
—Ah, that’s… how are you holding up?
“I’m fine, I guess.”
No, I felt like shit.
“But it’s not like I can do anything about it. The game sucked, so I can only try to make a new one.”
—You’re still going to develop games…?
“Yes.”
I had no other choice.
The quests made it so that I had to develop them.
—Then…
Kyle paused as if chewing over his words.
I took that time to make my way out of the lobby and reached for the door that led to the exit. Pushing it open, a wave of fresh air washed over my face as I squinted my eyes, catching a glimpse of the grim gray sky above.
“Then what?”
I brushed my hair away. The wind was quite strong.
—Then what do you think about my previous offer?
“You made an offer?”
I couldn’t recall.
Kyle had tried to help me in the past, more times than I could count. He was the reason I could afford my medication, despite my insufficient salary.
“If it’s about giving me more money then—”
I stopped mid-sentence, my eyes falling on the sight before me.
As if stripped of all air, my mouth opened and closed, but no word came out.
At the same time, Kyle’s voice echoed through the phone.
—No, I’m not talking about lending you more money. I know that you won’t take it. I’m just… You know, considering how your work is related to horror, why don’t you come over to my guild to see how things work there?
Kyle paused, his pitch growing higher.
—…Of course, you won’t have to do anything. Just observe and stuff. I’ve recently gotten promoted, and I think I have enough leeway to get you to come as an observer.
He was speaking a lot.
It was unfortunate that his words went from one ear to the other.
With my eyes fixed ahead, I struggled to focus on what he was saying, my mind blanking out at the sight that greeted me.
‘What in the world…?’
Massive high-rise buildings had replaced the park that once stood here. Giant LED billboards adorned their tops, displaying people clad in black uniforms.
At the bottom of the screen, a scrolling text read:
Guild Severed Stars managed to clear their first Ranked Anomalous-Type Gate. Only five members survived, but they…
Turning to the next billboard, an image of several people leaving a strange portal, their armors bruised and battered as they waved their hands, the flashes of the cameras raining down on them.
Another scrolling text read: