NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

I hurriedly deactivate the scroll and shut every monitor away from my face. A loud beeping sound resonated from the screens as the slides moved towards my flank. The scroll gripped in my hand disappeared and went inside my [astral space]. It was the storage that my system provided long before I became a player.

The system did not place it inside with the rest of the packed meals and potions. The coiled sheet snuck inside a distinctive site with the label "story collectable items" written in the middle. A quest popped up at the sides, but I had no time to read any of that.

It could be something important, so I placed it in the corner to view it later.

I faced the stubby stairs behind me and waited for the shapes taking their forms. A bobbing head came out from the space, accompanied by another round scalp, paired with stern spikes at the side.

"It must have been the two ears pointing at the heavens above," I thought, and imagined the only creature that has those features.

Two footsteps running across the stairs apprised me of their location. Match and the ranger emerged from the low ground and met my worried eyes staring back at them. The little girl waved her hand while the warden stood back and let go of Match's free hand.

I turned around for the last time, hoping to see the merchant. However, the dragonewt left without uttering a word, even before I could even say goodbye. The dark crows flew above and made blaring craws as they touched the sky.

I spun my head around and greeted the child once again while returning her wave.

"I cannot believe you missed it, Red! I saw many roses, flowers, and even fishes near the pond! Can't you believe it!? They have a pond!" the girl shrieked, and held my hand.

I returned her squeeze and stared at her eyes. A smile emerged from my face as I continued listening to her story. She had a delighted tone every time she explained what happened down there.

I could only wish that I had fetched her from the maze and experienced the joy with her. However, there were other things that I needed to fix and attend to, which were the merchant I conversed with a while ago.

Match attempted to drag me back from where they came from, but the warden stopped her from returning to the maze.

"I think it is getting late," the ranger announced, and nuzzled her body forward.

Match could only pout her lips and frown as she felt her body getting dragged by someone older than her size. She was still a child, so Match was feeling this way. Her lips grumbled inaudible sounds about how awful she had experienced with her.

Maybe the ranger limited her entry inside the maze down below? I can never know.

The elf brought us back inside the vast castle and escorted us to a series of steps. We had to kiss the garden goodbye and move on to our schedule. It was getting late, so Match and I needed some rest.

But before heading inside, I glanced behind and marked the areas on my map. It was the same hallway that Guinevere and La Finta had gone through. I had to remember these.

I might use their passage soon.

We stumbled upon an extensive corridor filled with nothing but dark-coloured doors at each parallel side. Each of the gates had tags written in the language of elves. I could still read them thanks to my system, translating every word to the knowledge I know.

This passive ability applies to all players as well, despite their various nationalities playing the game. My system told me these. My mind went crazed as I stared at the abyss while the chasm glared back at me. The hall was an endless loop of road that we trod down.

But our efforts did not go astray as the ranger halted our walk and directed her finger at the wooden door, with the crest of an elf-like face carved at the centre. The piece reminded me of La Finta, observing my every movement.

The elf nudged the door open and revealed the interior designs of the room. With a soft creak coming from the door, we entered the room. Our lips left hanging in awe.

"Wow! We are going to live here, Red?" Match asked.

"Yeah, we will. But for the time being," I answered.

Match dashed straight to the bedroom and screamed like the little kid she was. As soon as she arrived at the mattress, her body bounced off, kissing the ceiling. I shook my head and let out a faint chuckle after seeing such a pleasant scene.

"I will call you once the meeting is over," the elf announced. "If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call me or the rangers standing by. Since the two of you are friends with the Grandmother, we also deem you worthy of our attention."

"I will."

After our exchange, the elf gently shut the door, leaving Match and me alone inside the boundless room. The elf's footsteps resounded from the hallway and became softer as she strode away from our room.

The last stomp made me realise the corridor was extensive enough to trap the sound waves from each step on the floor. I could hear anyone from a few feet away, since the wooden ground had a few nails sliding in and out of the joist.

I sauntered towards the bedroom and met with the exhausted Match, staring blankly at the vault. My hands reached out for the little girl and caressed the strands of hair. But Match jerked upwards and twisted her head with widened eyes, as if she had seen a ghost.

"You scared me!" she exclaimed, and flailed his hands.

I giggled and snatched her back, lying flat on the bed. Match returned my chortle and held her in my hands. After her energy died out, she stared at me with her earnest eyes and grasped my hands.

"Thank you for saving me back then," Match expressed. "I would have died if you were not there for me."

The child fought back her tears from dripping at her sides. Match hurriedly averted her gaze, despite her bold statement. My lips curved upwards for a smile as I slid my fingers across her youthful cheeks.

Match was too young to become an orphan at such a young age. She should have been playing outdoors with the sister that she had. However, everything changed when the monster horde attacked.

The same fate struck me. We were two peas at the same pond, struggling to survive.

"I did what a normal person can," I answered.

"But the people I know ran away from me. I thought my neighbours were going to rescue my sister and me. I kept shouting, but nobody heard me. And then I saw weird screens appearing from my face and theirs. It told me I should run with the rest of them and leave my sister behind," Match explained.

She unravelled her mysteries and narrated everything that happened from when I first found her. Match could not stop her tears as they flooded her face, wetting the mattress. But I did not mind. Instead, I kneaded her hands tighter and continued listening to her story.

"What happened next?"

"My sister pulled me away from the monsters, but they caught us near the forest. She pushed me and screamed to run as fast as I could and never look back. She promised to come back for me. I believed in her words, so I ran, and I ran, and I ran. But when I turned around, I saw my sister lying on the ground, devoured by the monster who pursued us," Match continued.

Her tears cascade from her eyes, never-ending her sorrow. Match, the little girl, had enough with her story and paused for a moment.

She needed some air to breathe.

"And then, I saw you."

I raised my head and met her drenched eyes. I offered my hands to wipe her face. Match gingerly lifted my arm and used my palm as a towel.

"I miss my sister."

"I know," I answered.

"I want my life back,"

"We can't. Not anymore," I replied.

"Red,"

"Yes?"

Match hugged me as tight as she could and snuggled around my chest. She kept crying for a complete minute before expressing her trapped thoughts inside of her head.

"Don't leave me, okay?"

"I will never," I answered.

"Really?"

"Even if it kills me, I will be there for you, Match," I responded.

Her eyes glistened after hearing my confirmation. She moved backwards and wiped the remaining liquid obstructing her eyes. Match stood up from the mattress and jumped as high as she could, only to hit her head at the ceiling.

A loud thump reverberated inside the room as the little girl scowled in pain, wanting to curse at the roof above us. Match reached out for her head and felt the pinkish hill coming out from her hair.. Thank goodness she was just a kid, or else I would hear her sailor's mouth.