ACCIDENTS AND CHANGES

Five minutes passed, but there was still no reply. Aildrin walked around the room with his phone when it vibrated—a call. His hands fumbled before he could answer it.

"Hello? Aildrin? This is not a prank, right?" Sophia said.

"Hey, this is not a prank. It's me...how are you?" Aildrin said, smiling. "You've still not changed with that perky voice, manager."

"Stop that, you fool! Those days are already over...I'm no longer the team's manager," Sophia said. "Gosh! It's been almost two years since I last heard your voice! Where have you been?"

"Yeah, time waits for no one. Still here in Peace Valley, just took some time to...reflect. Do you still have a room to spare for me tonight?"

"Yes, we have rooms here! I'll pick you up, where are you?"

"Malabar Apartment, somewhere north."

"Woah, that's so far away from your home. Alright, I'll be there in an hour."

The call ended. Aildrin let out a breath of relief when someone knocked on the door. It was no other than Miss Malabar.

"Your ID is fake! You're not the real Allan Granger! Who are you?" she said with an electrogun in her hand.

Aildrin stepped back and raised his hands.

"Who are you? Show me your real ID or I'll call the police!"

"Miss Malabar, I can explain..."

"I need an ID, not an explanation! In the count of three...two—"

"My name is Aildrin."

Miss Malabar lowered the electrogun. A lump formed in her throat. "Aildrin?"

Aildrin lowered his hands and gestured a "wait" with them. He then ambled back to his bed and fished out his ID from his wallet.

Miss Malabar dropped her jaw and electrogun. "No way. You-you're Aildrin Gentrix? The real deal? What the hell happened to you? You look...uglier."

Aildrin's eyebrows furrowed.

"I knew it! No wonder why you're too familiar!" Miss Malabar bit her lip and picked up what she had dropped. Her cheeks were pink as cherry blossoms. "Don't worry about your rent, it's all free now! You may stay here forever...if you like."

Aildrin ran out of words. Just a while ago, this lady was just about to devour him. But now she worshipped him like he was some god, except for the blasphemous comment. What a brat.

"Do you need anything? Coffee? Hot chocolate? Cold water?" Miss Malabar said.

Aildrin scratched his head. "It's okay, Miss Malabar. Thank you for your kindness. I'm about to leave, anyway."

"What? Your rent is now free! Where are you going?"

"I will return...to WisDoom." Aildrin smiled. "Can I trust you to keep my identity as a secret between us?"

"Of course, you can trust me with secrets!" Miss Malabar winked. "But, WisDoom's long gone? Anyway, can I take a picture with you?"

Aildrin already knew the news about WisDoom, but hearing it from someone else was a punch to the gut. The team he had started from scratch was now a distant memory of the past.

"Let's do away with pictures if it's okay," Aildrin said.

"Fine, how about an autograph?" She then searched the pocket of her denim jumpsuit and fished out a pen and a notepad. "I am a fan of Lonestar and his weapon, Soulsworth! My name is Lilia! It's nice to finally meet you!"

After almost two years of staying in the same building, the owner finally told Aildrin her first name. What a weird turn of events.

"Who stands before me, and where did that boorish landlady go? They're different people, right?" Aildrin thought.

Miss Malabar poked him with her pen. "Autograph?"

"Ah, yes! Sorry, Miss Malabar." Aildrin smiled awkwardly. He then signed the notepad.

"Just call me, Lilia."

"Okay, Lilia." The change in treatment amazed Aildrin. "We're of the same age, right? Eighteen? You know, you look young or maybe because of your height?" He emphasized the last word and squatted to keep their heads level.

"Nah, you're a year older than me, dork!" Lilia said, ignoring the subtle insult from Aildrin.

"What? You were just fifteen back then?"

Lilia nodded with a badass grin.

"Woah. You're so...independent."

"I had to. My parents died way too early in an accident...and life must go on."

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that," Aildrin said. The mention of death changed his perspective of her. "If you don't mind, how did they die? And do you want to eat something? I've got some...fruits here."

"I'll tell you my story, but you must answer my questions! After all, you just disappeared like a bubble! And how dare you leave WisDoom hanging, I need some explanation! And that Championship match! I was watching it on the TV when..." Lilia stopped.

"When what?"

"When...we both lost our parents that day."

"Oh. You mean—"

Lilia nodded grimly. "They went for a grocery ride on that day and never returned. Their bodies were nowhere to be found until now."

But then hope rippled in her blue eyes, clearing the sadness away. "And you're my first tenant, remember? God, you look like such a dork when you came here! I could barely recognize your face with your tangled hair!"

"It was a tough time for both of us, so I can't blame you if you can't appreciate my beauty back then, until now." Aildrin smiled.

Lilia rolled her eyes. "And Allan Granger, huh? What a farce! Nice try!" She giggled. "So, tell me. What's with the Lonestar name? You never answered that question during your interviews, you snob!"

"Ah, it's a silly mistake. I clicked a button by accident when I first played Battle Arena, and it was the Random Name Generator. I was lazy to think of a new one, so I just adopted it. And the rest was history. Lame, right?"

"Oh. It suited you, though. Your playstyle never revolved around anyone. You're always...lonely on the battlefield. Lonestar, the last man shining," Lilia said.

Aildrin scowled. "How can you say that? My teammates were good ones! It just happened that I was the last to survive during tight battles. They trusted me and so did I...but I broke their trust, didn't I?"

"That's something that only you can answer. Anyway, are you aware that you were infamously known as One-Man Army? Some even teased that even without the others, you could have still won the championships...all by yourself!"

Aildrin snorted with amusement. How long has it been since he last laughed? "Tsk. It's really hard to be me, right? But, hey! You must be a superb player to come up with that insight?"

"Of course, I am!" Lilia held her chin high. "It's hard to be Aildrin Gentrix, but you survived. And that makes you a little less ugly." She stuck her tongue out at him.

Aildrin smiled. "Don't be like that. You're creeping me out. Well, I hate to cut this, but I really need to pack."

"You don't have much to carry, anyway," Lilia said, "I'll get my men to help you carry the box. But last question, though. Are you really returning to the gaming world this time? You're finally playing Wargrounds for real?"

"Thanks for the help," Aildrin said. He then paused before answering the questions with a firm nod.

"So, what's your character's name? Are you still gonna use Lonestar?"

"No...Lonestar is gone for good. I'll be Ilidran this time."

"Ew."

"What? It's an anagram of my first name!"

"Lame."

"How dare you—"

The two exchanged banters as they cleaned up the room. When they were almost done, Aildrin asked Lilia. "So, how about you? What's your character's name? Are you some big-shot or a badass in the game?"

"Secret."

"You-"

"I'll meet you in the game once you're worthy. Reach for the top as soon as possible and find me at Napalm Beach, near the Savages' territory. And when you arrive there, ask them to bring you to their overlord," Lilia said.

"Napalm Beach," Aildrin remembered the name by heart. "So, don't tell me you're that overlord? And you sided with the Concord of Darkness?"

"That's for you to find out, human. I'll wait for your descent to the Fitz, but you rookie must first earn your entrance through the wars."

"Wars? There's another challenge after the God's Trial?"

"Well, the game has to live up to its name. But you must be careful. It's a different realm and level of competition," Lilia said with seriousness. "If you once belonged to the peak of Battle Arena, in Wargrounds, you might just be the weakest link in the food chain. Especially that you just slept mostly in the past years. And the struggle for power in the game is almost complete."

Aildrin heeded her words. He could not believe that Lilia's age betrayed her depth of experience and wisdom. "Thank you. This is the most memorable day I'd ever had with Malabar Apartment. I'll never forget this! See you then at Napalm Beach, Overlord."

Lilia chuckled. "Break a leg, Aildrin." She then left the room without closing its door.

Aildrin spent the remaining minutes to finalize his things. He did not have much stuff with him except for the Battle Station's box. The apartment's staff helped him moved it outside. After everything was done, he waited at the lounge area until his phone vibrated.

"Aildrin! Where are you? I'm outside the apartment, green truck!" said Sophia.

"Coming!" Aildrin said. He then ended the call and took a last look at his hiding place for the past years. "Mom, Dad, I'll find the truth. I promise."

"Aildrin! Look at you! You've grown so tall!" said a girl who came out of the pickup truck. She was the same age as Aildrin and wore a green shirt over black denim pants. Her hazel eyes matched the color of her shoulder-level hair. She then rushed towards Aildrin and hugged him so tight.

"So-Sophia, yo-you're killing me!" Aildrin said. Two tender round breasts blocked his nose's airway.

"I missed you, you fool! Look at you! Let me see your hands, are they still golden?" Sophia said, holding Aildrin's hands.

"I doubt. I have not touched the keyboard for ages. Aren't we in a rush? Let's go!"

"Let's go then! But what's inside this box?" Sophia said, releasing Aildrin's hands. She bent her knees to pick it up. "It's heavy."

"That's a Battle Station. The apartment's staff will handle that."

"A Battle Station? Did I hear it properly? Are you back in the online world? Did you eat something magical?"

"Let's talk about it along the way, okay? Come on, let's go."

The engine revved, and the truck hit the road. Malabar Apartment became a distant view from the rear-view mirror.

"Where to?" Aildrin said.

"Back to WisDoom, of course! You asked if you're still welcome to return, right?"

"That was supposed to be a joke. We've disbanded, remember?"

"WisDoom is alive and well, Aildrin. We lost our captain and main roster, but not our soul and dreams. Plus, its doors are always open for its founder's return." Sophia smiled, glancing at Aildrin before returning her focus on the road ahead.

Aildrin smiled. Tears welled in his eyes, but he suppressed them. He then shared about the past two years, and when they reached about Lilia, Sophia's mouth would not just close. She kept on gaping.

"Did you just say, Napalm Beach?"

"Yeah. She told me to meet her at Napalm Beach. Why?"

"Aildrin, you may have just spoken and lived in the same roof with the most courted player in the World of Wargrounds! Powerhouses offered millions of dollars just to get her to join their team! All were rejected without a haggle!"

"What? That brat?" Aildrin's eyes widened. He then grinned and shook his head. Deep inside, he could not deny the warmth that only games and competition could incite. "Should we go back and recruit her?"