//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Betrayal 
// Story: SAO: Friendship Online 
// by Solar Force 
//------------------------------//

“It’s been about two months since the first boss was defeated. Currently, 14 bosses have been defeated, and now we have access to floor 15. As for me, I’ve recently become a mercenary. I know how that sounds, but I found it was the best way for me to survive in this game. Players will pay me to help them complete quests and for escort. It’s a pretty sweet gig, all things considered. But I do have 1 rule. I absolutely draw the line at Player Killing. My current Level is 31. I don’t know how many times I've been asked to join a Guild. But I’ve always said no. Solo Playing is more my gig. That is, until this one came along.”

“CHEERS!” 

A rousing chorus of cheers was heard, as drinks were raised in celebration. 

“Basically, after I finished my last job, I came across these guys who were struggling against a Golem. An Iron Golem to be exact. Golems come in many variations, and Iron Golems are particularly tricky. Definitely when they are equipped with a giant axe.”

“Hey, Lady Shimmer!” Called a scrawny teenager as he ran up to her as she sat at the table, nursing her drink. “Can I give you a refill?” 

“Hey, Miss Shimmer!” Said a young girl with glasses. “Can I get you more to eat?”

“Look, guys, I need to-” Sunset tried to object, but she was rudely interrupted.

“So, Miss Shimmer, what do you think about joining our guild?” The teenage boy asked. “I mean you know, we’re not exactly, y’know.”

“Look!” Sunset said sternly. “I know what you guys are trying to do, especially with all this food, drink and favours. But let me make something crystal clear, it’s not going to work.” She then fixed the boy with a resolute look. “I have no interest in joining any guild. None whatsoever. I’m sorry, but I work better as a Solo Player than I ever will in a guild.” She got up from her seat. “I appreciate the food and drink, but I’m just going to go now.” She turned and headed towards the door, leaving the tavern, and headed back to her home. 





Sunset opened the door of her in-game home, as far as you call it home. It really wasn’t much to look at, just a single open space, with the most basic necessities needed for her comfort and survival, but still, as long she was stuck in this stupid game, she called it home. She was about to get settled in for a long rest, when there was a knock at her door. She groaned in frustration. “This better be good!” She went to the door and opened it, her eyes narrowing at who she saw. She remembered him as the leader of the guild she had saved. 

“Hi, Miss Shimmer,” He said. “Look, I know this is unexpected and all, but-”

“Did you follow me home?” Sunset interrupted, looking at him suspiciously. 

“Yyyes, I did,” he said slowly. “But I did it for good reason.”

“Rrright,” Sunset said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“Look, I know you already said you wouldn’t join our guild,” He tried to reason with her. “But, I think I can offer you something which I don't think you can refuse.”

“Oh, really,” Sunset said sceptically. “And what is that?”

“Basically, we’ll pay you if you join our guild,” He said. 

“Oh, yeah?” Sunset said. “How much are we talking here?” 

“Whenever we complete a quest, you will get an extra 15% cut along with the 25% you get from simply being a member, and whatever items we obtain, you can have whichever one you want, no questions asked,” He said with a serious tone.

Sunset was still sceptical. “And If i do accept this offer, how long will I be working for you? You realise there is absolutely no way that this would be permanent,” She stated firmly.

“Yeah, I know. You’d rather be solo, like you’ve already said. You would only have to stick around until we all reach Level 30. I’m at Level 12, and the others are all still at Level 11,” the leader explained.

“So, you guys want me to stick around until you all reach Level 30?” Sunset asked.

“Yes. We would be so grateful if you’d help us.”

Sunset frowned. “Forgive me for sounding insulting, but at this point, you should all have at least reached Level 20. What’s taking you so long to advance?”

“Uh, well,” The leader said, looking very uncomfortable. “Back on the first floor, we just… ran and hid while all the other players levelled up. We only just started advancing last week.” 

Sunset’s eyes widened, before she slapped her forehead, groaning. “Well, that’s just great! I’m dealing with a bunch of complete amateurs!”

“Look, your right, I know we’re amateurs,” The leader said. “But you can’t tell me you're just going to pass up this opportunity. You get to make loads of money and you can have whatever items you want from whatever we find. The only thing we ask in return is that you help us, and once we’re strong enough to fend for ourselves, you can just walk away, and you never have to see us ever again.” He then lowered himself to his knees, holding out his clasped hands. “Please, we're begging you. You're the only chance we have of survival,” He said, like a peasant begging for mercy from Royalty.

Sunset ran her hands through her hair. “Jeez, you’re really putting me in a tough position here.” She then looked back down at him. “Look, just let me sleep on it, OK?”

The leader reluctantly agreed and left, allowing Sunset to ready herself for a night's rest. While she was in her small bed, she thought over the offer the guild leader had made, weighing up the pros and cons. But in the end, she was too tired to think, so she decided to think about it more in the morning, and dropped off to sleep. 

Once she woke up next morning, she got up to get herself ready for another long day. While she was getting ready, she thought of the offer again. Finally, she decided that she would join their guild. The pros easily outweighed the cons. 





Later in the day, Sunset returned to the tavern, meeting up with the leader, and agreed to his terms. Needless to say, the leader and the rest of his guild were thrilled, and they showed it loudly, much to Sunset’s annoyance. After that, all the guild members take Sunset to where they live. As soon as Sunset saw it, she cringed. Her place may have been small, but it was at least liveable. This place was a dump! Not only was it somehow even smaller that her own, but it had obviously not been cleaned for ages. It was messy, smelly, and way too cramped for four people.

“OK, um,” She said, trying not to gag. “How about we do a run down on what each of you can do.” She looked at the only girl of the group. “So, where do you think your strengths lie?” 

“Hi, my name’s Spartacus-XXX, but most people just call me Spartacus,” Said the Guild Leader. “Like true Spartans, I always rely on the trusty spear and shield,” He stated proudly.

“Yeah, no, your no Spartan, pal,” Sunset thought. 

“Yo, the handle’s PicklesLover-777, but my buddies just call me Pickles,” Said the dorky teenager. “My weapon of choice is always a mace, so don’t mess with me or I’ll mace ya,” He laughed heartily at what he thought was a good pun.

“Cringe! Pure Cringe!” Sunset thought with distaste. 

“Um, hello, Miss Shimmer,” Said the small girl with glasses. “My name is Lilith-Chan, my weapon is twin daggers, and also, I'm very good at stealth, which makes me a good thief.”

“OK, seeing at least some potential with this one,” Sunset thought with mild interest.

“And together, we are,” Said Spartacus, as they all took poses like Charlie's Angels. “The Three Amigos!”

“These guys are seriously going to make me earn my paycheck.” Sunset felt like slapping herself. 

“Alright,” Spartacus said with a wide grin. “Now that the introductions are done with, guess what guys. I’ve already got a quest lined up for us all!”

“What?” Groaned Pickles. “You can’t be serious, boss.”

“Yeah, we talked about you doing this before. You need to stop taking up quests without consulting us first,” Complained Lilith. “Just because you're our leader doesn’t mean we’re going to automatically do everything you say.”

“You're just going to throw your Guild into a quest without even saying what the quest is?” Sunset said flatly.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Spartacus said with a wave of his hands. “This quest will be a piece of cake, especially now that we’ve got Miss Shimmer in our corner.”

“I’m not lifting a finger to help you until you tell us exactly what this quest is,” Sunset stated firmly.

“It’s just a simple extermination quest, like I said, piece of cake,” Spartacus said, trying to brush the whole thing off, but Sunset was not satisfied.

“Exterminate what, exactly?” she asked, quickly becoming suspicious of the guild leaders dismissive attitude. “Tell me exactly what the job is, right now,” She demanded. The leader finally relents, and hands over the job ad in question. Sunset read it through thoroughly, before looking up at the leader with a disapproving scowl. “A piece of cake? This is an extermination request for five Minotaur! You call this a piece a cake?” 

“Well, yeah, a piece of cake for you, that is,” The Leader said.

“Minotaur are level 25, and you guys are just over 10. How did you possibly expect to… wait a minute,” Sunset argued, before she grabbed the leader by the scruff of his neck, and dragged him out of the out of the tiny apartment, out into the street and into an alley. “Are you telling me, that your great plan is to take your team out on suicide missions, and let me do all the work of taking out whatever monsters need beating, while you and you lackeys reap the rewards, without actually doing anything for yourselves?”

“Look, Sunset, think of it this way,” The leader tried to reason with her. “The sooner we reach level 30, the sooner you leave the guild. Besides, you prefer to go solo, don’t you?”

“Regardless,” Sunset said in a hard voice. “That doesn’t excuse the fact that your whole plan is fucking stupid!”  

There was a pause, before the leader said, “OK, that kind of language is a little uncalled for.”

“Well, I think this whole, stupid situation does call for it,” Sunset said with a dangerous glare. “Do you idiots have a death wish?” 

“No! We just want to get stronger, faster,” The leader said defensively.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “OK, fine, I’ll let it slide, just this once. But from now on, as long as I’m part of this guild, you have to run any and all missions by me, as well as the rest of the guild first, and if you try to pull something like this again, I’m out, along with all the items and pay we agreed to in the original deal. Got it?” 

“Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever you say!” The leader quickly agreed.

“Good. Now, get your team ready for the quest. I want to leave in five,” Sunset said with finality in her voice. The leader nodded and dashed off without another word. Once he was gone, Sunset ran her hands down her face and groaned. “I know I’m going to regret this.”

(45 Minutes Later)

Sunset laid low to the ground alongside Lilith, her eyes fixed on the tall, hulking, horned beast that was the Minotaur. This was the last one that needed to be slain in order to complete the quest. The Minotaur was very muscular, and carried a large, heavy looking club as it’s weapon. It was also the biggest of the lot. Sunset knew that this was not going to be easy. Given its size, it was easy to assume that this Minotaur was at a higher level than the others. But, they still had a job to do. Without hesitation, she gave the order to attack. She and the rest of the team charged forward, coming at the Minotaur from all sides. As was the plan with the other Minotaur, both boys attacked the legs, Sunset went for the hand, and Lilith went for its neck. They hacked and sliced as hard they could, doing as much damage as possible, before they jumped back, as, with a furious roar, the Minotaur began to swing its huge club wildly in all directions, trying to hit any target. The wilder it’s swings, the more it swayed back and forth, until, with one last, mighty swing, it lost its balance, and toppled over backwards, hitting the ground with a humongous thud. This was the chance Sunset and the other guild members needed. They dashed in and began hacking away at the mighty beast as quickly as they could, before it could regain its footing, until at last, the Minotaur gave one last pain filled roar as it shattered into digital mist. The quest was completed.

“Woo hoo, we did it!” Cheered Spartacus. “I must have levelled up so much from this quest. I gotta see!” He quickly checked his current status, only for his face to fall in disappointment and annoyance. “What?! Only Level 15?! You gotta be kidding me! All that work, and I only go up 3 levels?! This sucks!”    

“Before you go into a full blown tantrum, allow me to explain it to you,” Sunset said, rolling her eyes at his childishness. “When you're in a party, all the money, and more importantly, all the experience is shared equally between all members. That means that all of you have gained enough experience to go up 3 levels, except for yours truly. Since my level was already so much higher than any of yours, I only gained enough to level up by 1.” 

“Wait, what?!” Spartacus spluttered. “You serious?! I didn’t know that!”

“How long has it been since you guys got together?” Sunset asked, before raising her hand to silence him. “On second thought, don’t answer that. I don’t think I want to know.”

Spartacus scowled at her. “Like I said, I didn’t know this stupid game was rigged so only solo players get all the good shit!” He spat at her.

“Regardless of whether you knew or not, that’s simply how the game works, and it’s not rigged against parties, it’s done that way to make the game fair,” Sunset replied calmly.

“Fair, my ass!” Spartacus yelled as his rage increased. He ran toward Sunset, stopping with their faces inches apart, seething with indignant fury. “If what you’re saying is true, then you're just a drain on the experience we desperately need! I don’t know why I made that stupid deal with you in the first place!”

“Get out of my face,” Sunset said in a cold voice.

“Or what?” Spartacus asked mockingly, before Sunset threw back her head, and bashed him in the face, hard. He stumbled back, before collapsing in a heap,grabbing his nose with both hands. “ARGH, WHAT THE FUCK YOU CRAZY BITCH!!” He screamed in pain and anger.

“Don’t you EVER do that again!” Sunset shouted dangerously. “I knew you guys were amateurs, but to be stupid enough to not know the rules of the game, and to be childish enough to actually think the game was rigged against you when it’s obvious your just too lazy to put in the needed amount of work, and then throw a tantrum when things don’t go your way?!” She then turned her back to him. “I don’t know why I bothered making that stupid contract with you. Well, consider it null and void. I’m done with all of you.” She then began walking away, before looking back, shooting them all a disgusted look. “And if any of you morons even try to follow me, I’ll break your god damned legs!” She threatened, before marching away without another word. 





A short while later, Sunset opened the door of her little apartment, heading straight for her little bed, flopping down, and burying her head in her pillow, moaning loudly in anger and frustration. “I can’t believe I even thought about helping those pathetic idiots!” She thought indignantly. “What a complete waste of my time!” She continued to seethe, until she snapped her head up, as she heard the sound of someone knocking at her door. “Not even 10 seconds,” She muttered darkly, as she got up and stomped to her door, fully intending to give her unwelcome visitor a piece of her mind. When she opened the door, her anger only flared up to new heights as she saw who it was. Lilith. “You!” she growled, grabbing the girl by her collar, pulling her into the apartment and slamming her against the wall. “I’m giving you 10 seconds to tell me why you're here, or I’m sending you crawling back to that joke of a leader of yours with busted kneecaps!” she snapped.

“Wait wait wait please!” Lilith said frantically. “Before you do anything, I’m just here to give you your reward!”

“Oh,” Sunset said, dropping the girl back on her feet and stepping back. “Well, then, just give it to me and go.”

“Wait, hold on, let me just explain something to you,” Lilith tried to reason.

“Puh, save it,” Sunset scoffed. “Just give me what you owe me and get the hell out of here.”

“I’ll give it to you if you’ll just hear me out,” Lilith pleaded.

“OK, fine,” Sunset said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll listen to whatever you want to say. Then you give me my reward, and then leave.”

“Look, there’s something you need to know about Spartacus,” Lilith began. “He’s not responsible for his actions today.”

“What?” Sunset said in confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Lilith seemed to hesitate, as if fighting an internal battle in her mind, but then a look of resolution crossed her face. “He's autistic!” she blurted out.

Sunset stopped and stared at her. “Uh, excuse me?” She asked, dumbfounded.

“Well, to be precise, he has a type of autism known as Aspergers Syndrome,” Lilith explained.

“Aspergers Syndrome,” Sunset said thoughtfully. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard of it. But, why are you telling me this now?”

“I just thought you deserved to know why he reacted to the situation the way he did,” Lilith said. “Also, he doesn’t like people knowing about it in case he gets treated differently by them.” 

Sunset sighed heavily. “Alright, I understand now,” she said. 

“Look, Miss Shimmer,” Lilith continued, a pleading look in her eyes. “I really think you should reconsider about terminating your contract with us. We still need you. We’re all too weak by ourselves, and without you, we won’t be able to survive. Please, give us another chance.”

Sunset was torn. On one hand, part of her was still angry with them, but on the other hand, she couldn’t help feeling sympathetic to their plight. She sighed and said, “I’ll think about it, alright?”

“Thank you, Miss Shimmer,” Lilith said with a respectful nod, then she gave Sunset what she owed her, before she headed for the door and left.

Sunset felt drained, both physically and emotionally. She decided she was just too tired to make up her mind right now, so she simply got ready for bed. She would make her decision in the morning.





By morning, Sunset was back at the tiny apartment of The Three Amigos, staring down the nervous looking Spartacus. “Alright, I’ve decided to give you guys one last chance, but not for the money, or anything else, but because Lilith begged me to come back,” She said, glancing over at the young thief. “And when I say last chance, I mean final. If you give me even the slightest reason to regret this, I will be gone faster than you can blink, and you will never see me again. Understand?” She finished with a stern glare to get her point across.

“Yeah, yeah, sure, I understand perfectly,” Said Spartacus placating. “We’ll do whatever you say. Just, please, help us get stronger?”

“You’ll do whatever I say, huh?” Sunset said, with a raised eyebrow. “Alright, then, we’re going to go out there and do some jobs. But this time, I’ll decide whatever jobs we do.”

And so, for the whole day, Sunset and the Amigos spent the day doing all the odd jobs and quests that Sunset carefully chose for them to do. (If you wish to insert some montage music at this point, feel free to do so.) 

By the end of the day, after doing hour after hour of safer quests and minor tasks, the Amigos had all advanced by two levels each. Unfortunately, this did not go down well with Spartacus. 

“Why do we have to advance at such a snail's pace?” He complained bitterly to Sunset. “At this rate, we’ll reach Level 30 by the time our bodies in the real world simply die of old age!” 

Sunset rolled her eyes, having had enough of his childish impatience. “OK, I think it’s about time you came clean,” she said, giving him a hard look, “Why are you so desperate to reach Level 30?” 

“Why? Simple, it’s the minimum requirement to gain entry into the Holy Dragon Alliance,” He replied with a shrug, as if it was obvious.

Sunset just stared at him, before slapping the side of her head with her hand, and dragging it down the side of her face with a drawn out, frustrated groan. “You seriously want to join those guys?” She said in annoyance and disbelief.

“Well, yeah, duh,” Spartacus said, again, like it was obvious. “How else are we gonna get people to take us seriously?”

Sunset shook her head, before giving him a hard look. “Look, if I were you, I’d stay as far away from those guys as possible. They are not the kind of people you want to get involved with. Trust me, I know.”

Spartacus scowled at her. “Well, that’s not your decision to make, is it?”

“At present, per our deal, yes, it very much is my decision what this guild does,” Sunset said back. “Listen, if you really want to level up faster, there is one thing that…” She paused, hesitating, before saying, “Actually, no, forget it.”

“What? What is it? Tell us!” Spartacus asked with a bit of desperation in his voice.

“Well, there is a faster way you level up,” Sunset explained. “It involves finding and beating an optional boss or a secret boss. You can gain a lot of XP that way.” She then gave a serious look. “But I would seriously not recommend doing either.”

“Why the hell not?” Pickles suddenly spoke up. “If there’s always been a shortcut, why don’t we just take it? Besides, I’m tired of all of the dumb, boring crap that you’ve been making us do. All that hard work is so lame, and it’s not getting us anywhere.” 

Sunset slowly turned to look at him, her right eye twitching. “I’ll tell you why,” She said in a cold voice. “It’s because Optional Bosses are tricky, and Secret Bosses are overpowered. In other words, if you seriously want me to lead you into a fight against one or the other, it’ll be an execution waiting to happen.” 

“Miss Sunset is right,” Lilith suddenly said. “We’re nowhere near strong enough to even think about doing something so suicidal.” 

At these words, Sunset looked toward Lilith as if she were a messenger from Heaven. “One of them actually has common sense! It’s a miracle!” She thought ecstatically. She reigned in her happiness as she looked around at all three Amigos with a serious look, and said in a commanding voice, “Alright, if you guys really went to level up fast, here’s how we're going to do it. We’re going to go out into the field and do some hardcore grinding!” 

Once this was said, the Amigos gave a cheer, and they headed out at once. 

And so, the heavy grinding began. Under Sunset’s command, and executing her well thought out tactics, they took on high level monster after high level monster, taking them down one by one, as their XP, as well as their levels, steadily climbed higher and higher. Days went by as the fighting continued, until one evening, two weeks later.





Sunset and the Amigos were at their tiny apartment, with the three guild members checking their levels. They were now all at Level 26, while Sunset herself had reached Level 35.

“Whoa, check it out, guys!” Cheered Spartacus. “We’re so close, I can feel it. I say this calls for a celebration!”

“Yeah!” shouted Pickles excitedly. “Let's get totally wasted!”

“Wait a sec, guys,” Said Lilith, before looking over at Sunset. “Is that OK with you, Miss Sunset?”

Sunset rolled her eyes and sighed. Why not? This meant her contract with them was almost up, anyway. “OK, fine. After the last two weeks, I guess you do deserve it.”

“YES!” The Amigos cheered.

The party went on late into the night, as all four players, even Sunset, binged on food and booze. After many rounds of heavy drinking, the boys were passed out on the floor, still clutching their empty beer cups. Sunset, who was sitting off to the side with Lilith, just rolled her eyes. 

“Typical guy behaviour,” She said to her. “They drink so much, just so they can regret it the next day.” She shook her head, before giving out a tiny hiccup and blushing. Even though she hadn’t drunk nearly as much as the boys, she was still a bit tipsy.

“I know what you mean,” agreed Lilith, her speech a little bit slurred, as she was only a tiny bit more drunk than Sunset. “You know, I have a really stupid question.” She continued with a drunken giggle, “How can I be tipsy when we’re inside a game? Everything here is virtual, all programmed, just a series of zeroes and ones. So you tell me, how can we get drunk when the alcohol’s not even real?”

“You’ve got to remember,” Sunset replied, “This game is full immersion. It’s all thanks to the VRH. It’s making our brains think that everything going on around us in the game is real. So if the game is telling our brains that were drunk, our brains are telling our bodies we’re drunk. Which means that if we left the game and returned to the real world right now, we'd wake up stone cold sober.”

“Wow,” Said Lilith with wide eyes, “That’s amazing.”

“But, unfortunately,” Sunset continued dully, “We’re still trapped in this stupid game, which means we’re all gonna wake up tomorrow, feeling like shit, because we all have hangovers.”

“Noooo!” Lilith whined morosely.  

“So, you know what?” Sunset said. “I’m gonna go home right now before I pass out.” She dragged herself to her feet, took a step forwards, before losing her balance, and slumping right back into her seat. 

“Nuh uh, you're not going anyway,” Said Lilith. “You're staying here tonight, cause you're not gonna make it back.” Before Sunset could protest, Lilith got to her feet, grabbed hold of Sunset’s arm, and dragged her off toward her room. Once inside, she pulled her over to her bed. “Sorry, only one bed. Hope you don’t mind sharing.”

Sunset just shrugged. “Eh, whatever,” She muttered, before slumping down on the bed. “Let's just try and get some sleep.” Lilith climbed on the bed and crawled up next to Sunset, before laying down and snuggling up to her. Sunset looked over at her with a questioning look. “Little close don’t you think?”

“Like I said, only one bed,” Lilith said. “And not the biggest either.” She then started to look sheepish. “Do you want me to move over?”

“Eh, nah,” Sunset said nonchalantly. “Whatever helps you sleep better.”

“Uh, OK,” Lilith said as she blushed a little. “Thanks.” She then snuggled up even closer to Sunset, even gently wrapping her arms around her. “Umm, this is nice. You're so warm,” She whispered. Now, Sunset was also blushing, as she shifted to look at Lilith. She wouldn’t say out loud, but in this moment, she did look kind of cute. She then looked up at Sunset and quietly asked, “So, what are you going to do once we all reach Level 30? I guess you’ll have no reason to stay with us anymore.”

“Well,” Sunset said slowly, “I guess I’ll just find my next job. A mercenary’s work is never done, after all.” She finished with a heavy sigh. 

Unexpectedly, Lilith then crawled on top of Sunset, holding herself above her with her arms, looking deep into her eyes. “I know this may sound selfish, but I wish you would stay with us,” She said softly and in an almost begging tone.

“I-I can’t,” Sunset stuttered, her blush only growing heavier. 

Lilith then gently lowered herself down on top of Sunset completely, and she ran her hands down her sides, gently caressing her body, causing her to blush even more, and make her moan softly. “I don’t just want you to stay for us,” Lilith said in a passionate tone, “I want you to stay for me.” Before Sunset could protest anymore, she leaned in and planted her lips on hers in a deep, passionate kiss. In her drunken state, Sunset couldn’t bring herself to resist, and she wrapped her arms tightly around Lilith, deepening the kiss even more. 

What followed was a long night of tossed clothes, pleasure filled cries, and moans of unbridled passion.





Next morning, Sunset slowly awoke, her head pounding from her hangover. She felt dreadful, and all she wanted was to go back to sleep. She shut her eyes, trying to drift off again, until she heard soft breathing next to her. She sat up and looked down beside her, and her eyes widened in shock as she saw Lilith laying next to her. She was even more shocked to see both she and herself were naked. “Oh my god!” She said in shock. “D-did... we have sex?” She asked herself shakily.

Just then, Lilith slowly woke up and her head was also pounding. She then looked up and saw Sunset. “Good morning,” She said with a happy, sweet smile.

“Umm, Lilith,” Sunset said nervously. “Did we have sex last night?”

Lilith sat up, her smile becoming warm and content. “Yes, we did, and it was wonderful,” She said lovingly, as she moved closer to Sunset. “I know we were drunk, but Ms Shimmer…” she looked deep into Sunset’s eyes. “Please, stay with us. Not for the gild, but for me. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but after last night, I know for sure, without a shadow of a doubt.  I love you, with all my heart, body and soul.” 

Sunset shook her head and leaped out of the bed, turning to face Lilith again. “Look, Lilith, this is moving way too fast for me and…” She stopped talking when Lilith also stood up from the bed, standing in front of her. 

“You don’t have to explain,” She said calmly. “It’s okay. I mean, I’m probably only able to say all this to you because I’m going through a high right now. But, just think about it,” She stepped closer to her and took hold of her hands. “Please?” She leaned forward and gave Sunset one last, light, gentle kiss on her lips. Sunset held the kiss for a moment, before pulling back, looking for and gathering up her clothes, and then leaving the room as she’s redressing herself.

Once she was outside, Sunset ran, to nowhere in particular, her mind a confused, whirling mess. She just kept running. She finally came to a stop, finding herself in a marketplace. She caught her breath, before burying her head in her hands. “Oh, Sunset, what have you gotten yourself into?” She thought to herself in despair.

Just at that moment, a tall, dark skinned woman walked past her, before stopping and turning round to look at her. “Shimmercode, is that you?” she asked.

Sunset looked up, and turned to look at the woman. “Sorry, who are you?” She asked, not recognising her in her current state of mind.

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your old drinking buddy,” The woman said with a chuckle. “It’s me, Storm Shadow.”

“Storm?” Sunset said as the memories resurfaced. “I haven’t seen you since the first boss.” She looked at her from head to toe. “Is that new armour? You're wearing white? Don’t you usually wear black?”

“Yeah, I do,” Storm said. “It’s actually the colour of the uniform of the guild I’m now part of.”

“You joined a guild?” Sunset asked. “Which one?”

“The Knights Of The Blood Oath,” Storm answered.

“Wow,” Said Sunset, impressed. 

“Hey,” Storm said, looking at Sunset’s gamer tag. “Looks like you’ve joined a guild, too.”

“Uh, yeah, I guess I did,” Sunset said hesitantly. 

Storm couldn’t  help noticing that Sunset seemed really uneasy. “Are you alright?” Storm asked. “You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind. Need someone to talk to? Is it about the guild you joined?” 

“Uh, well…” Sunset said skittishly, before sighing heavily. “OK, yeah, soft of. I wouldn't mind someone to talk to about it.” 

“Come on, then,” Storm said, and the two of them walked to a nearby tavern and sat down at a small table. “Alright, tell me what’s happened,” Shadow said.

“Alright,” Sunset said. “Well, for a short time, I’ve been working as a mercenary. I took a job with a small guild with only three members. They were called The Three Amigos.” At this, Storm burst out laughing. “Yeah, I know, it was ridiculous,” Sunset continued, rolling her eyes. “At first, I really didn’t want to. These guys weren't just amateurs, they were absolute jokes. It had already been four months since we got trapped, and they were still at Level 11 for crying out loud, not to mention how immature and stupid they were. The only reason I joined up with them at all was because they’re leader made an offer I couldn't pass up. Things only got worse after our first mission…” She continued to explain all the events that lead up to the night before, and her budding friendship with Lilith. “Much to my surprise, I actually started to like Lilith. She was the only one of them who was actually competent. Plus, she was nice to talk to. But then, last night, I discovered how much she liked me when…” She trailed off, a blush beginning to form.

“When?” Encouraged Storm.

“When we…” Sunset blushed heavily as she whispered, “When we slept together.”

Storm gasped. “When you say ‘slept’, You mean you and this Lilith…?”

“Um hmm,” Sunset nodded.

“Ohhh,” Storm said with wide eyes, before they narrowed, and she gave a teasing smirk. “Was she any good?” She asked in an amused tone.

“Seriously?!” Sunset almost shouted in disbelief. “That’s the first thing you ask me at a time like this?!” 

“Well, yeah,” Said Storm with a shrug. “What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is that I've never slept with a girl before!” Sunset said, exasperated, before she seemed to visibly deflate, signing heavily. “Or anyone for that matter.”

“So you're telling me that was your first time?” Storm asked.

“Yeah,” Sunset said. “And the fact is, I was kinda drunk at the time, so when she just came on to me, I couldn't resist her. I don’t even know for sure if I actually like girls. Am I gay, am I bi, am I something else? I don’t know.”

“Do you like Lilith?” Storm asked.    

“Yeah I do,” Sunset said uncertainly. “I’m just not sure how much.”

“Does she like you?” Storm asked.

“Oh, she definitely does,” Sunset said. “In fact, before I ran off, she actually confessed her love to me and then kissed me.” She laid her head on the table. “I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s so confusing. What do I do?”

“Look Shimmer,” Said Storm. “I don’t see what the big deal is. I think it’s pretty obvious you like each other.” 

Sunset blushed heavily.

“When does your contract end with them?” Storm asked.

“When they all reach level 30, which will be soon,” Sunset replied.

“Well, in that case, I think you should at least talk to her about it before it’s too late,” Storm said. “Who knows, it might just turn out for the best for the both of you. You may prefer being solo, but in this death game, we all need someone who will be there for us. We are trapped in this digital world, and we can die here. If you have found someone to help you deal with this place, then I say be gay.”

Sunset sighed. “Yeah, maybe you're right. I still need to figure out how I really feel, and it’s not something I can just ignore,” She said. She stood up with a resolute look on her face. “I have to go back and face her.”

“I wish you the best of luck, Shimmer,” Storm said with an encouraging smile. “And I hope you get the answers you're looking for, and happiness too.”

“Thanks,” Sunset smiled back. “Hope to see you again soon.” With that, she left the tavern and headed back to the guild. 

When she got back, she looked around for Lilith. “Lilith? Can we talk?” Seeing no sign of the other guild members, she headed for Lilith’s room, where she found her, all alone, sitting on her bed. “Lilith, where are the others?” She asked.

“They went to resupply for the quest,” Lilith answered, not quite meeting Sunset’s eyes.

“Oh, yeah, right,” Sunset replied, before sitting down next to her. “Listen, Lilith, I’ve been thinking about last night.”

“I have too,” Lilith said, her voice quivering ever so slightly. “Miss Shimmer, I can’t stop thinking about you. I know I meant what I said earlier. I really am in love with you.”

“I know,” Sunset said softly. “Lilith, I’m still not certain what my own feelings are yet, but… I think I want to try to make this work between us, even if it’s only until we escape from the game. I really do feel happy being with you.” 

At this, Lilith’s face lit up with joy, and she moved to sit in Sunset’s lap, as they looked deep into each other's eyes. Unable to hold in their feelings anymore, they moved in and kissed each other passionately. They hold the kiss for a few moments before pulling back, Lilith looking at her with a bit of worry.

“What will we tell the others?” She asked. 

“We’ll figure that part out later,” Said Sunset with a smile. “For now, let's just savour the moment.” Then the two girls resumed their kiss.





Throughout the remaining contract with the guild, Lilith and Sunset just keep getting closer to each other, keeping they're relationship a secret.

However, the girls eventually told the rest of the guild about their relationship, and they seemed happy for them.

It seemed like everything was perfect for Sunset and Lilith.

Over time, more changes occurred for the guild, such as deciding on a new name, The Sun Knights, Sunset becoming the new leader, and finding somewhere better to live. Naturally, Sunset and Lilith had the better room.





One day, Spartacus returned to the guild with information about an ultra rare item. Hearing his proposal, the guild decided to get this item.

Spartacus led his friends to the hidden area where the item was hidden. He pushed a rock which revealed a secret passage, which led to a large wooden door, which opened into a vast chamber. “There it is,” He said, pointing to the item sitting on a plinth at the back of the chamber. He ran towards it. 

Sunset looked warily around the chamber. “Wait, this place looks like a…” She stopped, her eyes widening in horror as Spartacus removed the item, activating the boss fight. “Shit, it's a secret boss room!” She screamed. “Everyone, we have to get-” She was cut off as the large doors slammed shut behind them, and multiple clicks were heard as the door was sealed shut.  They were trapped inside. Then, a giant, armoured, humanoid female figure, fell down from the ceiling. She landed gracefully on her hands, before flipping onto her feet, towering above them. She carried a sword made of fire in her left hand. (Here's what she looks like) https://www.artstation.com/artwork/3vodv

“Alright, guys, I got a plan!” Sunset called out. The rest of the guild quickly ran to her side… except Spartacus. “Hey, get over here!” Sunset shouted, only for her blood to run cold as she saw Spartacus look back at her with a cruel, hateful look in his eyes.   

“Actually, no,” He said, his voice dripping with bitterness and contempt. “I think not.” He holds up a crystal, which Sunset immediately recognises as a Warp Crystal. He smirks sadistically at her before he uses the Crystal to escape, leaving his own guild behind to die.

“H-he just left us!” Yelled Pickles in shock and disbelief.

“That…” Sunset said, clenching her fists, and narrowing eyes in anger. “That Bastard!!” She yelled.

“W-what do we do now?” asked Lilith, her voice quaking in fear.

“We take this boss down,” Sunset said, glaring up the boss’ face plate, “Then we’re gonna track down that backstabbing little asshole, and I’m gonna break his fucking legs!”

And so, the battle began. Even under Sunset’s leadership, the battle was long and hard. The boss moved with elegance despite her size, and her strikes were swift and precise. The battle seemed to teeter back and forth, as they dealt damage, and the boss dealt damage. One moment, it seemed like they were on the verge of winning, when the boss raised her other hand, and a second blade of light blue flames appeared. 

“You gotta be kidding me!” Sunset shouted in disbelief. “This thing can Dual Wield!?”

“So she has two swords now, big deal,” Said Pickles. “We can still handle this.”

“Pickles, we might not be able to handle this,” Sunset said. “Our supplies are almost gone, we’ve run out of healing items, and our health is getting too low.”

“We can’t stop now,” Said Pickles. “It’s only the way to get out of here.” 

“He’s right Sunset,” Lilith said. “We have no choice but to keep fighting.”

Sunset could only nod grimly. “You’re right. We can’t stop!”

They moved in for another strike, but just as they reached it, the boss began spinning like a top, her twin blades out stretched.

The first to be caught by them was Pickles, taking heavy damage. Too much damage. Right before the two girls wide, horrified eyes, he keeled over, as his health hit zero, and he shattered into shimmering shards. 

“PICKLES!!” Lilith screamed.

“No!! This can’t be happening!!” Yelled Sunset.

The Boss swung it’s twin blades into the air, and swung them down hard toward them.

“LOOK OUT!!” Lilith screamed as she leapt at Sunset, tackling her to the ground just as the blades struck. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, thanks to you,” Sunset smiled up at her, before she looked over at the boss' swords, which seemed to stick fast, and then at the face plate of her armour. This gave her an idea. A reckless idea, but at this point, maybe that’s what they needed. She got back to her feet and readied herself. “Lilith, I’m about to do something really stupid.”

“Uh, what?” Lilith asked.

“This!” Sunset shouted, as she raised her weapon and charged, jumping on to the boss’ arm and running all the way up to her covered face. The boss then pulls it’s swords free, raising its arms. Sunset quickly reached into her pocket and pulled out a throwing knife. Time seemed to slow as she jumped, and threw the knife as hard as she could at the monster's face plate. Miraculously, it hit the mark. The boss threw back her head and let out a pained, furious scream, before slamming both hands to it’s face to get the knife out. Sunset fell back to ground, tucking in her body to reduce the impact, before scrambling back to her feet and dashing back toward Lilith.

“I can’t believe you just did that!” Lilith exclaimed.

“I can't believe that actually worked,” Sunset said.

At this point, they’re attention was drawn back to the boss, as she raised her swords and began swinging them in wild, furious swipes. The two girls dashed and dodged as best they could.

“I think you made her mad!” Lilith shouted.

“It shouldn’t be much more!” Sunset called back. “We’re almost there! We can do this!”

The girls fought harder than they ever had before. At last, Sunset charged in as the boss thrust it’s sword at her. She threw herself to the ground, sliding underneath the sword, before getting to her feet and plunging her own sword deep into the boss’ chest. The boss let out a final, wailing scream, before collapsing to the ground, and shattering into shards. 

Sunset breathed a huge sigh of relief. It was over. “We did it, Lilith,” She said, before turning to look back at her… and her heart skipped a beat as she starred in utter horror. 

Lilith stood, completely frozen… and the boss’ sword impaled through her chest!

A moment passed.

Before Lilith fell to the ground. 

“LILITH!!” Sunset screamed as she ran to her side, knelt down, and took her lover into her arms. “Lilith! Hold on, please! I’ll get help for you!” 

“Shimmer,” Lilith said weakly. “It’s too late.”

“N-no!” Sunset’s voice quivered. “No! It’s not too late. Please don’t leave me!”

“Let me just say, it was fun being with you till the end. Please, escape this place and be happy, for your own sake.” Tears trickled down her face as she whispered, “I love you.” With those final words, she closed her eyes, and evaporated. 

Sunset was now alone.

She didn’t react.

She just got to her feet, left the dungeon and made her way back to town. 

She felt completely hollow.

As she walked aimlessly through the town, she was spotted by and recognised by Storm. She headed over to her. “Hey, Shimmer…” she paused when she saw her face, or rather the look in her eyes. Despair. Emptiness. She simply looked dead inside. “What happened?” she asked, her voice tense.

Sunset looked up at her, eyes filled with utter despair. “She’s gone,” She whispered, as her eyes began to fill with tears. “She died in my arms.” 

Storm gasped in complete shock. She didn’t need to ask who ‘she’ was. She gently took hold of Sunset’s arm. “Come on,” She said, guiding the emotionally fragile girl down the street. 

Storm took Sunset to her own place. She led her into a spare bedroom, helping her lay down on the bed. She had not said anything, and now she was just laying there, not moving. Storm just looked sadly at her, before heading for the door. “If you need anything, just ask, OK?” She said. Sunset didn’t respond. Storm just sighed as she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Sunset reached out, grabbing a pillow, and held it tight to her chest, as she pulled herself around it, curling tightly into a ball. The grief in her aching heart finally overtook her, as she began to weep, before her body was rapt with loud, heart rending sobs.  

For the rest of the night, the room was filled with screams and sobs as she grieved for the loss of her first love.

To Be Continued...