The bunker iron door began to close back, its electronic sound filling the awkward silence between them.
It was opened into a garden, a lovely plantation of roses and hibiscus.
There was a colourful display at the sides, rows of exotic plants tended to by the Maids.
Across from it was a glass door leading to the interior of the building and standing in her presence was the owner of such and her Father's younger brother.
"Uncle Fin." She called.
"Hah, Lady Dollina. I see your memories are still intact. Wonderful, this is truly wonderful news."
The man smirked from ear to ear, his wrinkles hiding beneath his youthful demeanour.
His grey hair cascaded down his back, and a pair of shades hung neatly on his forehead.
He wore a well-tailored suit, one of the best out there in the world, and luxurious accessories adorned his skin.
"What is it? Has my father called me?"
She asked, her gaze shifting away, the trauma of staying with him for five years replaying in her head.
'No, now is not the time.'
Though she had not recalled many things from the Tests, the few that remained were of a particular boy and the emotions she felt after meeting him.
'....Do I? Do I still try to justify the means…' She wondered, her breath ceasing for a moment.
Her position had built her to be strong, yet just. A system that required her to justify her actions, to make it publicly acceptable to all.
Growing up was never an easy thing for her, something she had come to make peace with considering her Family's position in the world.
Everything has a reason, and every reason must be logical. This was a Motto her father went by, something she had inherited all on her own. But, something seemed to sprout, something alien, something she had never experienced until the Test Of Humanity.
A test meant to help humans grow yet twisted to make them kill and deceive each other.
'The true nature of man.'
A sigh escaped her lips, a panging headache at the back of her head as she attempted to recall more.
Sadly, nothing else showed up. The feeling seemed to remain though, like a constant throb, a guilt without a cause.
"Is there something wrong, My Lady?"
The man's voice pierced through her thoughts, pulling her back to reality.
She looked away, and walked down the garden, her thoughts muddled with mixed emotions.
The man, Uncle Fin remained silent, fixed to his spot. He seemed hesitant to move, perhaps he didn't feel the need to.
"What? Not going to stop me?"
Dollina's voice pierced through his ears, his head slowly turning to face her.
"Wh–Whatever do you mean? Why would I try and stop the main family?"
His smile did nothing to hide his true intentions or the dark emotions that dwelled deep in his heart.
For some reason, she could see it, notice it and perhaps understand it.
They were locked on one another, a palpable tension between them until a piercing scream reached both their ears.
"Dollina!!!"
A voice she had not heard for a long time. Her gaze flickered as she turned around, landing on an incoming girl and three maids who rushed after her.
"Molly." She muttered, a small smile on her face as she was wrapped in the embrace of the woman, her bosom smooching her face.
"You're back! I heard you were summoned by the Test but you made it back!"
"Lady Molly, she did not just make it back but she is the second set to make it back."
Uncle Fin interjected from the side, walking towards the girls while the Maids bowed at him.
"We apologize. We tried to keep her from the gardens but she insisted and ran here."
One said, her voice laced with panic.
"Not to worry, Liana. Take the other Maids and prepare the Car. We must take Lady Dollina to the Guild for an assessment."
Meanwhile, Dollina had just pulled herself away from her cousin, shifting her gaze towards Uncle Fin.
"Assessment? But I haven't even checked what players I got."
"There is no doubt that you have received something valuable, My Lady. This is merely a procedure to include you into the Guild right away."
'Right….guilds…'
The seven developer families are in charge of three leading guilds from a total of ten guilds.
The ten, which include the Regal Hall, Trojan Hall, Radiant Hall, Violet Hemlock, Dahlia Alliance, Hollow Whisperer Clan, Moonglow Haven, Guardians of the Black Basilisk, Sunny Peak and Mistfit Guild, were the top ten in order.
The Regal Hall was led by three of the Developer families, including Olton, Bolyx and Valenzin.
It was expected that a Beginner Player assesses their abilities before venturing into a guild and beginning one task.
'But in my case, I can skip all the procedures and get right done with it.'
She sighed as Molly grabbed her once again.
"Don't be so mean, Dad. She just returned from the Test. We should let her rest up before going out!"
The man's smile twitched, ever so slightly at the corner of his lips.
He had found her behaviour quite a nuisance on many occasions, but she was the only daughter and last child his beloved wife left for him.
Tolerance was all he had to offer her.
"My dear child, this is a matter of great importance."
"Great or not, She has to rest, Dad. She must be mentally exhausted."
Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed onto Dollina's arm and pulled her away, heading towards the exit on the glass hallways a distance away.
The Maids shivered at the scene, dread taking root in their hearts at what lay ahead of them in the face of Fin's wrath.
The man simply watched, Dollina turning behind once to get a glimpse, and looking away with as much displeasure as she could.
'It's only a matter of time, but I will have his head.'
*****
While one worked her way through patience, another did so through immediate action.
A snowy field, with large barks of trees rooted to the ground and canopies of evergreen leaves hovering over its head, stood in place.
It was a dark contrast to the nature of its environment, dropping in degrees that would be difficult to adapt to.
The sky was dark, and an ominous crimson moon stood in place, anchoring as the only source of light to the dark tint of the night.
Its nature was an eternal beautiful canvas, captivating for all to see yet it held horrors known to man.
Hollow screams, roars and howls pierced the silent night, sounds of beasts running down the snowy fields in haste as they barked with ferocity.
The source of which was a pack of wolves or what one would hope was a pack of wolves.
These creatures were different, twice as large as a regular wolf, perhaps even larger than dire wolves.
Their furs were onyx black, serving as a camouflage in the night, and on its head were three pairs of crimson, burning eyes.
Two tails swung behind its back while a row of exoskeleton spikes arranged neatly on their backs.
They charged through the forest, smashing and biting each other as they attempted to catch a prey that seemed desperately quick on his feet.
Far, yet not so far away into the distance, Paxton ran, his dagger held firmly in his grasp, his breath quickening ever so slightly and his eyes darting around the sides.
'What the fuck is this scenario? How the hell am I supposed to win this?'
And yet he had proven himself wrong.
Games are created so they can be defeated and there is no such thing as an undefeatable.
If there is a way to start then surely there is a way to end it, unless the creator is a sadistic shut-in who likes to see people suffer.
'And hopefully, the Server Lord isn't one of those.'
Just then, at the corner of his peripheral vision, one of them had caught up with him, charging in from the sides.
Its maw opened, revealing a crimson tongue dripping with unrestrained hunger.
He cursed under his breath, his gaze landing on an incoming tree.
'Well, it shouldn't hurt to try!'
He would rather die trying than die giving up on his circumstances, no matter the difficulty.
With a purpose now, he changed directions of his movement, startling a few Glitches which slammed against one another and the trees.
But a lot more continued their chase.
He charged towards the tree, increasing his speed, adrenaline pumping through his body and blood flowing down his veins.
He pulled out every energy and every ounce of power within him on nearing the tree and lunged into the air.
One foot, three feet, six feet, and even more.
His body flew like a missile towards the tree and just as he was about to slam into it, he stabbed his dagger into it, piercing through it like butter.
His body collided against the tree with a solid thud, a shockwave of pain exploding through his body as his hand nearly slipped from the handle.
He groaned and grabbed onto it firmly, stretching his other hand towards it and grabbing onto it before he could slip any further.
With a groan and heavy breaths, he looked down, the sight of large Glitches in a futile attempt to claw their way upward.
A smirk formed on his lips.
'Serves you right!'