Summary : The reader had travelled again to the game but as a different person, Luca still recognises them. The reader only had one wish before they died, and that is being in their favourite game one last time.
As [Name] was walking out of the forest to go back, Bugbear tackled them to the ground causing both of them to fall on the grass.
"Bugbear- Come on I need to go back!" Bugbear held them closer afraid of losing them again.
Of course, he was a bad guy, but he still had a kind heart. "Bugbear, PLEASE. I don't have time for this outside."
[Name] pushed Bugbear off their back.
[Name] rushed getting back to their dorm leaving Bugbear all alone himself.
He brushed it off taking the hint that [Name] didn't have the time for him.
The next day, at 3:42AM, [Name] went into a coughing fit.
This had been going on for the past 3 weeks, it had gotten worse.
[Name] didn't want anyone to get worried, so [Name] did everything they could to hide it.
No matter what they did, it wouldn't go away.
Now, [Name] could've gone to the Infirmary but they knew everyone who goes to the Infirmary.
They didn't want to worry about the person that would see them frequently in the Infirmary. [Name] had never felt this way before.
Every time they coughed it hurt.
The next day, 4:01 AM and [Name] found themselves running down the hall trying to get to the infirmary as fast as possible.
Even though they knew nobody was there at that time. It was like they were drowning, the room felt hot and [Name] could barely breathe.
"I'm coming for you!" [Name] heard someone yell, and a shadow fell over [Name].
They couldn't see the face of whoever was speaking. A hand grabbed [Name]'s arm tightly, "[Name], hold on. You're gonna be okay."
And with those words, [Name] could feel themselves being pulled up. They coughed again and tried to open their eyes but they were blinded by the light.
They felt someone wrap an arm around their back holding them closely. They leaned back into their chest, feeling safe for once.
[Name] felt a hand on their head, patting it gently. The next thing they knew was they passed out.
When [Name] awoke, they were laying on something soft. They blinked a few times before opening their eyes again.
They looked around and saw they were lying in a bed. There wasn't much else in sight besides a clock and a bookcase filled with books.
That's when they realized they were in the Infirmary. As soon as they got out of bed, they noticed their legs had been bandaged.
They took notice of their arms too. When [Name] moved their hands, they realized they had some sort of bracelets on them.
They wondered why they had them on, until they remembered where they had fallen asleep. After thinking about it for a moment, [Name] realized that they must've been injured during the night.
A door opened behind them. Someone was standing in the doorway. Someone familiar. It was.. Aspen. His gaze lingered on [Name] for a while.
As if he was searching for something, then his expression softened. "Hey," Aspen said softly, stepping towards [Name].
"You're finally awake." Aspen sat on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"
[Name] stared at him. As much as they wanted to say how they felt, they couldn't.
All they could do was shake their head. They weren't sure why they couldn't talk. They tried to speak but instead a cough came out.
"That's okay, we can take it slow." Aspen took [Name]'s right hand in his. As he rubbed circles with his thumb, [Name] relaxed a bit. It made them feel better.
"Thank you, Aspen." They spoke quietly, watching as Aspen ran his fingers through [Name]'s hair, almost like he was petting a cat or a dog.
As he did this, he seemed to relax as well, a small smile forming on his face. He always seemed more call whenever he talked to [Name].
They stayed quiet for a moment, neither one knowing what to say next.
It was weird for the both of them since normally they were always talking to each other, but today it was different. Aspen had a look of concern, his gaze looking down on the floor.
"Are you hungry? Do you want anything?" Aspen asked suddenly.
[Name] shook their head, clearing their throat. "I'm alright thanks."
Aspen nodded, seeming relieved. He stood up and started to walk away. "Okay. Come to the Infirmary if you need anything."
He glanced at [Name] for a second before closing the door behind him. After that, [Name] followed behind. Not that their injuries were fatal, but the professor would surely ask them why they have bandages.
Surprisingly everyone minded their own business. Except for one, and who was that? Bugbear.
He had been concerned every day for [Name]. When [Name] was first brought here, he had taken the lead in caring for them.
However, he didn't know how much they needed help. As soon as [Name] woke up, he immediately started asking questions.
What happened? Did something happen to you? Were you sick? Was there danger lurking around?
Was there something wrong with your leg? Why do you have bandages?
One question after another until [Name] snapped. "Bugbear! Stop! If you don't stop asking questions, I'll go back to the Infirmary and leave you here."
Bugbear shut his mouth, but he kept looking at them with worry.
"I'll check on you tomorrow morning, ok?"
Professor Sprout called everyone together.
Everyone gathered around her and listened as she began telling them why they needed to get some rest for a few days.
Some groaned, others sighed, and some students rolled their eyes.
Bugbear was surprisingly there, yet he didn't find the one he was looking for.
He was getting more and more concerned. So he went looking for them.
He was getting more and more concerned. So he went looking for them. But, he wasn't able to locate them.
He searched everywhere but he still couldn't find [Name]. Wherever they were, they had to be somewhere near a river.
Maybe they just walked by it? No, he'd never let them go without saying something. Besides, he could already see that they looked terrible.
If they were sick, he should've seen it coming. He knew [Name] was weak enough that they didn't last long out in the wilderness even if they weren't attacked. He had to find them before it was too late.
Bugbear headed out of the school grounds and into the woods. It was getting dark now, which meant that he had to hurry. He had to find [Name] before it was too late.
It was dark out now. [Name] was sitting on a log, staring at the water.
They were cold, but they didn't care.
They were tired, but they didn't care.
They were hungry, but they didn't care.
They were cold, but they didn't care.
They were sad, but they didn't care.
Everything was numb. It all felt so... empty.
Like nothing mattered anymore.
After spending a while just staring at the water, [Name] jumped when they felt something grab onto them.
They turned their head and saw Bugbear's concerned face. "Are you alright? Where are you from? How did you get to the forest?"
"What do you care? Leave me alone. Go back." [Name] shoved Bugbear off of them and stood up, walking away.
"Wait, please. Just tell me where you're from." Bugbear stopped [Name].
[Name] ignored him. They couldn't believe they had let someone as good as him touch them. They hated this.
"Why won't you tell me? What's so bad about telling me?" Bugbear pleaded with [Name].
He grabbed their wrist. This caused [Name] to stop walking. They didn't understand why he was pushing them. This was all their fault after all. Their fault, it was all their fault.
"Because..." [Name] paused. "...I just can't..."
Bugbear furrowed his brows in confusion. "Can't what?"
"I can't...." [Name] continued shaking their head as tears formed in their eyes.
They were gone. They had vanished, leaving behind only a single piece of paper.
Aspen looked through everything he had, but he found nothing except for the paper. He knew there had to be more.
It has to be. He threw the letter across the desk and slammed his fist on it. He wanted to scream at someone, anyone, but there wasn't anybody here.
He couldn't go back home; he couldn't risk running into the others. He didn't know what to think. His mind was filled with worry and frustration.
But he knew they both weren't meant to be.
Bugbear couldn't believe it, they were gone.
Gone and no trace. He looked through everything he could find, hoping to find something, anything, that would give him any idea about where they could be.
The first place he went was the library. The shelves had to hold something, anything.
Anything that might hold information about the situation. He started going through the shelves. Nothing.
He thought of nothing when he heard a book fall of from the shelf, but something inside wanted to look into it.
There they were, standing in front of the sunlight. Bugbear tried to reach for them, but he couldn't. Then that's when he realized, he's a complete different person.
The time Bugbear and [Name] met, his personality completely changed.
Every route he would try and be there.
He didn't have someone to bother with his shenanigans anymore.
Luca stood behind Bugbear, "Are you feeling lost?"
Bugbear looked behind him revealing Luca. "Well if it isn't our self aware character."
Luca turned his back but his gaze still with Bugbear, and that's when Bugbear heard the hurtful truth.
"[Name] is gone. They aren't coming back."
