The Dragon's Wrath: A Virtual Dream

Chapter 31: Ocean Air in the Moonlight

(Friday, April 30th Game Day / Tuesday, February 9th Real Day)

Staring out at the endless ocean before me I couldn't help but appreciate the rendition. It was just as beautiful as the Pacific Ocean I had grown accustomed to as a child. Looking out along the sand & pebble beach where the seals lay and the birds squawked, I decided to simply sit down and enjoy the view.

Katherine and Selene had decided to sit down on either side of me as well, and silently watched as the sun had started to set in the distance.

That reddish-orange sun was now nearly a pure vibrant red as the sky before it had turned a gorgeous pinkish-purple. The thin and low-lying clouds had stretched out just enough to scatter the sun's rays along the ocean before us, creating stripes of light and dark water as far as the eye could see.

It was an interesting perspective, but a momentary one in the end.

The sound of the crashing waves eventually drowned out the alternate noises and had nearly lulled me to sleep. It seemed to have affected the women in nearly the same way, as Selene soon leaned over and placed her head onto my right shoulder while Katherine wrapped my left arm with hers.

Without any thought to the action, I wrapped both of them in my arms and brought them closer. As the three of us enjoyed the calming sunset, I had started to reflect on the moment that was just unfolding.

In the past, I used to go to the beach and watch the sunset with all manner of friends of various ages and with no regard to gender. The beach was simply where we would all unwind and forget our troubles.

Yet here I was, enjoying the same natural wonders that my life used to provide but now in a virtual state, indiscernible from the reality.

Well, the only truly discernible difference would be the companions to my side. To be accompanied by two women of such a standard that I would never in my wildest dreams expect to come true in real life.

That was my reality now.

My online life was my reality and I certainly preferred it to the sub-standard life I had come to known in the real world.

Lost to my thoughts, Katherine had decided to bring me back to the world of the living with a bit of a tug as she squeezed my arm beside her chest. Looking over to my left I couldn't help but smile and laugh, she was simply too cute.

With her trademark smile that you simply could not resist, she spoke softly, "Thank you for bringing us here Master, this scene… I will remember it for the rest of my life."

Yeah, a part of me wanted to pull her in to plant a kiss and roll around with her in the sand like some silly romantic couple in a movie would. Well, I probably would have done it if it wasn't for the fact that there was another woman to my right, who was now breathing down my neck.

Turning to my right, I met Selene's gaze as she followed up on Kate's previous comment, "To think it wasn't long ago that we had only known of the orphanage and the Holy Order. You've opened the world to us and I'm grateful."

I was bad with these kinds of things… even though I always wanted to hear praise, compliments, thanks or reassurance that I had done right, the truth was that deep down I lacked the belief in myself that such things were genuine. I hesitated to believe, I couldn't believe. I didn't deserve what was being said to or of me.

I was a failure after all.

As the scene grew quiet and I continued to stare at the now far-gone sun, emotions of sadness and regret had flooded me while the moon had risen in the sun's place. The cold night sky shined brightly with streams of vibrant colors as the primarily red and green aurora distracted me from my conflicted emotions.

No longer wanting to deal with such things, I turned around and pulled both women closer.

The sound of the waves crashing continued on and on, helping to lull me into a state of rest. Closing my eyes, I hoped the night would not be a restless one.

Falling asleep with both women at my side and the fire burning strongly just behind, the moon seemed to have taken pity on me as it kept the spotlight fixed above.

At the very least, I wouldn't be in the dark tonight.