Choices

A gentle knocking on the door, was coming inside the room. Aurin was unfazed by the sound, she had somehow wrapped herself in the bed sheets. She was lost in the bliss deep sleep, remembering an entire life had left her exhausted.

"Dammit, AURIN WAKE UP" a yell accompanied by heavy knocking, "WAKE UP"

Aurin woke in a daze, she knew the voice, but there was still a delay in how her mind processed the information "IM UP", she replied. She was sitting trapped in the bed sheets, she had things to do.

"Like Hell you are, hurry up, I made you breakfast" the voice replied from the other side of the door "Your exam is in 2 hours, if you want me to help you carry your model, you have to get up".

The exam… that did the trick. She slipped out of the bed sheets and started moving. She went straight for the bathroom. For a moment she hesitated, she had not heated the water with a rune stone… steam went up as warm water fell on her body. Right, there was no need for rune stones anymore.

She had a quick shower, and trusting in her mother advices, she had already left the clothes she would wear ready. Black jeans, a white blouse with a black necktie, a classic according to her mother. She like a bit more color tough, so she had a checkered jacket in pastel tones. She looked for her phone, but it had left the nightstand. The alarm had ranged, and she had silenced it, dammit. She found the phone at the other end of the room. The expensive protective case had proved once more its usefulness.

She checked it out, it was still holding. She went to the kitchen, there were 3 people having breakfast. They all turned and waved at her as she came over. "Hurry up and eat" one of them said as he placed a plate in the table. He was her younger brother Rai, he had gotten early and made breakfast.

"Thank you" she said as she takes a sit and started eating, "And why may I inquiry, are you two fellows doing here so early in the morning?" I asked two the other two people having breakfast were Rai's friends.

"Rai asked us to help you carry your Sistine" Marcus the biggest among them answered while he ate potatoes. Next to him sat Leo, he was the better looking one of the three. They were studying to become accountants. It sounded boring, but it was not that difficult to find a good job and it paid well. The three however were obsessed with doing different things to make them look cool, saying they were going to become accountants was not. Rai played the drums, Marcus was a football player, and Leo did yoga... well his family owned a vineyard to he had the cool part kind of covered.

"So, you are my knights in shining armor? thank you good lords" I said smiling, they came to the apartment almost every day, and in a way the three felt like little brothers, and they were good.

"Well thank you my lady" Leo said with a savvy tone and a courteous bow, the image was a bit lost since he had a piece of scrambled egg on his shirt.

"Hurry up, it will be a pain to get this thing to the campus in time" Rai cut the chit chat. We had already discussed the means of transportation. Marcus had borrowed a relative's truck, and we would take the model in it. As we all finished having breakfast, we started moving the model. Marcus and Rai did the heavy lifting, I helped a little, and made sure they could pass through the doors, Leo was moving people, shooing was a better word for it.

"Damn Aurin, the thing is heavy good thing you thought about making a reinforced base for it" Marcus said as the model had been placed in the back of the truck.

"Well thank you, I do have my moments" When I started the Proyecto and looked at the size I would need, it occurred to me, that when it had to be moved, it would need a very sturdy base, hence I started reinforcing it "Now, if you would be so kind as to deliver it to the auditorium 02, I would appreciate it". The three accountants sighed but nodded. "I'll treat you all to dinner, how does that sound?".

"Not enough my lady, but we will take what you offer" Leo replied quickly and smiling.

"It is time, go get ready, we will leave it there. Good luck" Raid came over and gave me a small hug. He was just a little bit taller than me.

"Break a leg, Aurin" Marcus said as well. What a weird expression from this world. I waved at them and went straight to the auditorium. I had the get the presentation ready.

I arrived a few minutes later at the auditorium 02, it was really a small room for presentations. If everything went well today, I would just have to finish what was left of the semester and end my paperwork.

"Hi Aurin, I came to wish you good luck" a very seductive voice came from behind me.

"Thank you, Dani," how curious it is to know someone and still feeling like watching them for the first time. I turned to face my best friend, Danielle. She is very short, but the way she walks and how casual she always seemed to be, somehow make her look a bit taller that what she really is. She had an awesome shoulder length wavy hair, she has cyan highlights on her black hair, and a pair of lovely amber eyes, and her voice did not match her looks at all. She had these sweet and kind of raspy voice, she should be recording audio books o something but instead, she decided she would study History.

"Here" she said as she offered me a usb "I actually confirmed there has never been structures similar to the arches your castle has" she said smiling, and I noticed she had noticeable big eye bags, I hesitate for a moment, but she continues "Ever since you showed me those, I had been wondering the same, and you helped me impressing Professor Smith".

"Thank you, Dani" I take the usb, and cannot help but give her a small hug.

"Stop Aurin, check the information first your exam is about to start" she says but she never backs from the hug and is a visibly embarrassed.

I place the usb in the laptop and start checking the files. To get my specialization in medieval architecture, I had to take a lot of history lessons as well, I met Dani there. We had started revising if parts of the structure in castle Vrant had been used anywhere else, but we just did not have enough time and I had to focus on other things, but she had continued. The information was very detailed, a recompilation of the common structures and the differences in then with mine. There were buildings in a range of 800 years. I turned to face Dani and was at lost for words "Dani, this is …" what could you say.

"You were right, no one had built them like that, I have to confess I will use this as well" she had a very small smile.

"Thank you. Now I will have to treat you to dinner as well" she looked with a a confused smile.

"As well?"

"Yeah, I bribed with dinner to the handy man carrying the model" I said smiling and she nodded understanding.

"Well, if you want to offer something, then promise you will play with me Dungeon Central" she had already been playing the game and knew I would start today.

"Well, I would've already" in a way it was my fault, I dragged Dani into becoming a more avid gamer, she on the other hand liked the tabletop Wyrms and Towers.

"Yeah, but I want to show you somethings on Dungeon Central, so, promise me you will give me sometime" she said with a wry smile on her face.

"Deal"

"I'll try to come to watch the exam, just do your thing" she said smiling

"You know it" Dani turned and left, and I finished accommodating my presentation and adding, the information Dani had given me.

"Were do we place it my lady" Came Leo's voice as he opened the door for Raid and Marcus to pass carrying the model.

"Right here please" I had already prepared the stage, a couple of tables to hold the model. The model was safely placed, and now everything was ready. "Thank you again my good lords, now you will have to choose, between pizza or tacos for tonight's dinner, my treat"

"I will have tacos, and that is the end of it" Marcus replied immediately while looking at Leo, who just shrugged "Good luck, Aurin", he said and gave me a thump's up.

"Dazzle them my lady" Leo continued and even bowed.

"Show them" Raid said and gave me a small hug. They all left after that. I checked that everything was ready. A last review at the model, and the presentation. Perhaps she should have been feeling more nervous, in another life however, she would have truly delved into the unknown, she was not easily fazed.

"Good day miss Aurin, is everything ready?" My professor had already entered the auditorium, and behind him came the other 2 professors who would be part of the exam.

"All set, professor" I replied with a smile.

"Thank you for everything Aurin, see you Danielle" Marcus said as he was going to the door, followed by Leo.

"We already taken care of the mess" as Leo spoke Marcus stopped to look at him "Marcus did, but he was the one who ate the most, so it was fair" he quickly went by Marcus.

"Congratulations again Aurin" Raid said at the door "You know everyone in the family is very proud of you, right?" I smiled at his words.

"Yeah, thank you for this morning and everything. Now go have some fun at the party" we all have passed to an awesome taco place, and incredibly simple but exquisite food.

"I think you are in for a long night, so perhaps I'll catch you up later" he waved at Dani and left.

"Well, it is time to get started" Dani said all smiles. She had brought her immersive gear; the console could hold two gears connected at the same time. We had already set them at my room.

"When you login and create your character, you will be given the option to start a dungeon tutorial" Danie explained as we were getting ready "Do not accept otherwise, that is all you will be doing and I want to show you something" she would take the bed, and I had a mushy armchair from where I would connect.

"Hey, I am not like that" I protest but Dani just shakes her head.

"The main assistance is called Dungeon Central, once your character is created, ask her to send you to the starting zone. I will meet you there" Dani was already on the bed and about the place the head gear "and try to not take to long creating your character" I smile at that "My character name is Zera, add me once you are on the starting town" she places the gear, and lay down in the bed.

I take my own gear and prepare to connect. The immersive technology appeared a few years ago, at the beginning there was hype accompanied by fear. People talking about death games and being trapped withing the game. None of this had happened, but some interesting novels had come as a result. The immersive gear had been thoroughly tested and had various ways to ensure no one would ever get trapped inside it.

I take a deep breath and prepare to immerse myself, I felt more excited to by trying Dungeon Central that what I had been before the exam. I place the gear, and a few seconds after closing my eyes, the connection is made.

A surge of gentle lights gets me on the main console, and I start Dungeon Central.

"Welcome to Dungeon Central, please choose your name" a gentle voice greets me, and I feel myself floating in space. I may appear as a simple question, but for me it is always important, vital even. There are some people who had settle already for a gamer tag or identity, Rai for instance always names himself Rae1. I however tend to use a gamer tag, in general, but the character name is different most of the times.

"Well, this one is the most difficult one" I sigh, this will be the name that people will know, if Dungeon Central is indeed the game, it is important to pick a good name. A serious name perhaps Aurimiel… no it sounds too elvish. Something different maybe, like Marmalade?, better not I would not be able to get Dani off me. I want something short, a name that tells a story perhaps… after thinking for a while I stop. "I would like to be called Saga".

"Welcome to Dungeon Central, Saga" the same voice answers me. You will now be taken to the character creation menu. After a second various humanoids began appearing in front of me, each one a race to choose, to play the game. Over 40 main humanoids appear before me as a first row, there are several mixed races behind them, and other different options. I guess Dani will have to wait a little bit more.