Axel kept pacing back and forth in his room, while the five wraiths with him just kept apologizing, totally ignoring him while he was completely stressed out trying to figure out what the hell he should do next. Finally, he looked out the window. The moon was high up. He looked at the yard and the street, which was empty and super foggy, making the whole place look spooky. While he was checking out the area,
"Sorry… sorry… sorry,"
"Arrgh! Would you all just shut up for a second? I'm losing it!" Axel snapped, turning back to look at the five annoyed wraiths behind him.
Seeing Axel's angry face, all five immediately went silent. They simply followed Axel as he resumed pacing around the room. Finally, Axel sat down on the edge of the bed while the five wraiths floated up onto the bed and knelt there, watching Axel from behind. Ignoring the five wraiths, Axel continued to think. He started mentally sorting through the game's plot, which he had played countless times and occasionally fiddled with the code for, hoping to make it perfect enough for a future re-release. Then he tried something: "status."
=========================================
Name : Axelirius Von Aldrich (Axel).
Age : 15.
Race : Half vampire / Dhampir.
Level : 1 / 9999 (0 / 1000).
Health : 200 / 200.
Spirit : 100 / 100.
STR : 20.
AGI : 20.
STA : 20.
LUC : 20.
=========================================
Magic Relic : None.
=========================================
"Hmm… the status is the same as in the game, but that's right, this game uses a relic system—weapons or armor that give skills, magic, and abilities. But that's for the protagonist and his crew... what about a character like me?" Axel thought to himself.
Axel looked back at Desmond's corpse on the floor, thinking, and then he seemed to have an epiphany.
"Oh… right… I don't have to follow the storyline, do I? I'm not a character in the game. I can do whatever I want in this world… Okay, I get it now. First: get out of here," Axel muttered, standing up.
He walked to the cabinet to grab his clothes, but when he opened it, it was empty. He suddenly realized there was nothing in his room.
"Not even a change of clothes… just like a character who's not supposed to exist," Axel said.
"Tuk… tuk," his shoulder was suddenly tapped again. Axel, at his breaking point, whipped around, ready to yell at the five wraiths behind him. But what he saw wasn't the five female wraiths, but a unique pistol, a beautiful, unique long sword, a protective outfit made of tough leather like armor, complete with a belt and pants, a pair of strong black iron boots, and a pair of metallic gauntlets.
"Um… I'll be the gauntlets because I'm protecting your hands so you can attack and defend at the same time. I hope I can help," said Sharon, who became a pair of gauntlets and instantly slid onto Axel's hands before he could even speak.
"I'll be the protective suit for you. I hope I can protect you and your feelings this time. I'm sorry I hurt you," said Valerie, who immediately transformed Axel into the black leather armor complete with pants and belt.
"Please wear me. This is my regret, and I'm ready to follow your steps forever. I won't ever turn away from you again," said Bella, who became a pair of black iron boots up to the calves and instantly went onto Axel's feet.
"This time, let me defend you. I'll be the sword for you, ready to deflect and attack anything that tries to hurt you," said Hailey, who floated into Axel's hand, which instinctively gripped her.
"In the last life, I was your enemy, I hurt you. Now I'll be your pistol that will wipe out all your enemies. I apologize for hurting you," said Avery, who became the pistol and floated into Axel's other hand, which gripped her.
Suddenly, Axel's status screen popped up. He immediately looked at the screen and was completely shocked.
=========================================
Name : Axelirius Von Aldrich (Axel).
Age : 15.
Race : Half vampire / Dhampir.
Level : 1 / 9999 (0 / 1000).
Health : 200 / 200.
Spirit : 100 / 100.
STR : 20. (Blood moon relic set + 1.000)
AGI : 20. (Blood moon relic set + 1.000)
STA : 20. (Blood moon relic set + 1.000)
LUC : 20.
=========================================
Magic Relic :
1. Blood moon gun of darkness.
2. Blood moon long sword of darkness.
3. Blood moon chain leather armor of darkness.
4. Blood moon iron gauntlets of darkness.
5. Blood moon iron greaves of darkness.
==============================
Abilities Blood Moon relic set (5/5)
1. Use on vampire or Dhampir : STR, AGI, STA + 1.000.
2. Use on vampire or Dhampir : Blood moon magic skills.
3. Use on vampire or Dhampir : Blood moon barrier.
4. Immune to abnormal status.
5. Quick Regeneration.
==============================
Blood moon magic skill :
1. Blood rain arrow (50).
2. Blood bind (20).
3. Blood scythe slash (20).
4. Drain (10).
=========================================
Axel looked at himself. He raised both hands and looked down, then turned to the mirror by the cabinet and saw his reflection.
"Wow… but 'Blood Moon Set Relic'? That's not in the game… Oh, right, it shouldn't exist," Axel said. "The look is modern… even with a touch of medieval… but I know for a fact there were no pistols in this game… oh wait, there were… but only a few characters had them," Axel muttered to himself while examining his gear.
"Forgive me," all five said in Axel's head.
"Haaah… I told you, I forgave you a long time ago, but it was for me, not for you… thanks for the help," Axel said.
"Thank you, Ray," Sharon replied.
"Yeah, thank you, Ray," Valerie added.
"Hic… hic… I feel so much better now. Thanks, Ray," Bella added.
"I won't repeat the same mistake. I beg you to trust me, and thank you," Hailey added.
"I'm still your wife. Even though we got divorced, my heart hasn't changed. I followed you here because I want to be with you. Thank you for forgiving me," Avery added.
Axel thought hard. He looked at himself in the mirror again, but then the five wraiths materialized behind him, making him jump back and lean against the mirror.
"Wait… you guys aren't supposed to turn into my clothes?" Axel asked.
"Yeah, but we can come out," Sharon answered.
"Sharon's right. We are objects, but special objects just for you, so we can be with you and come out to accompany you," Avery added.
"Hold on… you all know each other?" Axel asked, stunned.
"Of course,"
Then the five of them started talking over each other. It turned out that when they died, their regret made them ghosts tied to Axel, or Raymond. They met each other while following Raymond in the form of teenage ghosts, all around 15 years old. Of course, they fought at first, blaming and hating each other, especially Hailey and Avery, but eventually, they realized fighting was pointless and agreed to look after Raymond together.
Then, when Raymond died and woke up as Axel in the real-life Eclipse Twilight game world, they manifested as the wraiths and the relic set custom-made for Axel.
"So that's what happened," Axel mumbled.
"That's right," they all replied.
"Haah… well, I get it. The six of us have been given another chance at life in a game world that's now our reality… the past is the past, so let's just forget it… but this doesn't mean I have a special relationship with any of you, okay? You are my past, but things are different now. That's all… besides, my name here isn't Raymond, it's Axel. Got it?" Axel asked. "All of this is very bizarre, and I guess I just have to swallow it since I'm stuck with them in this world and don't have a choice," Axel thought to himself.
Sharon, Valerie, Bella, Hailey, and Avery smiled wide, frightening grins. They nodded in agreement, and Axel instantly felt tired, but because he had finally been forced to let go of all the lingering feelings from his past, it felt like he had closure on that chapter of his life, and he unknowingly felt relieved and peaceful. Then he looked at Desmond's corpse one last time.
"Ok, now we get out of here," Axel said.
"Where to?" Hailey asked.
"The Crypt, where Desmond disappears and becomes the hidden boss when he returns. I need to get strong so I can live comfortably in this world," Axel answered.
After that, Axel walked to the window and jumped out. He ran to the fence, climbed over it, and ran away from his father's mansion toward the city gate.