The interior of the house matched its shabby exterior. A faint light filtered through the detached shutters outside the window. The cramped space held only a few pieces of modest furniture, appearing seldom used. Faye maintained a polite smile and followed behind Alyx as he led her further into the house.
He came to a stop at the end of the hallway, and before him stood a small table that had a few ornaments on top, and above it on the wall was a portrait - the subject of which was hidden in the almost darkness. Faye assumed it was unimportant and focused her gaze on the objects below.
Alyx saw what she was looking at and he turned to face her and said: “The rooms up here, and everything else, is not worth mentioning. I barely spend time here, and stay somewhere else.”
Faye nodded and watched as he slid the table aside, revealing a door embedded in the wooden floor. Unlike the rest of the room, the door was spotless and well-kept, hinting at frequent use.
Alyx turned back to Faye, his proud smile so broad it seemed his cheeks might split if it grew any wider. The perpetual sparkle in his eyes gleamed as he gestured for her to step back, making room for him to open the door.
With a quick motion, Alyx crouched down and reached out for the handle hidden in the seams of the floor. Pulling upwards, and using considerable strength, the door opened to reveal a narrow staircase that led down into the darkness.
The air that escaped through the opening carried an earth, metallic scent and was somewhat refreshing compared to the parts of the house they stood in now. Alyx seemed more relaxed and his excitement at the thought of sharing his interests with another person. He had never had the urge to share what he enjoyed with another player, but something was intriguing about the NPC-turned-player beside him.
“Follow me and be careful.” He took her hand in his and helped her to descend the steps. They were steep and if you weren’t used to navigating them, you might risk falling down them; that’s why he kept a tight hold on Faye.
Faye’s breath caught for a moment when Alyx took her hand, the sudden contact both unexpected and grounding. His grip was firm, guiding her down the steep steps with care. Despite the surrounding darkness, his touch gave her a sense of security, as if she could trust him to lead her through whatever lay ahead.
The steps were narrow, and Faye had to keep her balance carefully, feeling the rough edges of the stone beneath her fingertips. The scent of earth and metal grew stronger as they descended, and as they reached the bottom, Faye’s eyes adjusted to the dim glow coming from a lantern hanging low on the wall.
Unexpectedly, the place looked completely different to the house upstairs. The clocks, ticking merrily on the walls, filled the place from top to bottom and dispelled Faye’s preconceptions of the basement. Long tables lined the walls, covered with cogs, gears, springs and blueprints that were hard to decipher. The worn edges of the blueprints showed how much their owner had studied them. It renewed the image Faye had of Alyx from the beginning, and a sense of awe washed over her as she took in the surrounding sights.
Alyx moved over to a table in the middle of the room and sat down as he took out the communication device from his pocket - it was the one Faye had given him earlier. “Feel free to look around while I work on this.” A look of focus replaced the smile on his face as he turned his back on her and began to work on the device. He had told her it would take a while, so Faye left him to it and wandered about the workshop.
From the stairs, the space had seemed small and cramped, but as she walked about, it was more obvious how spacious it was, and she also discovered that there were doors that led to several rooms. The rooms appeared completely different from upstairs; they seemed to be frequently cleaned and meticulously maintained.
In the basement, there was a workshop, a bedroom, a living room, and a dining area. While in the game, players didn’t need to perform everyday tasks like they would in the real world. Because people spent more time in Archeline than in reality, they appreciated these spaces.
That’s also why restaurants and inns were so popular. Eating and sleeping in the game restored a player’s energy and gave them a much-needed break from dungeons or quests. When Faye was an NPC, she couldn’t fully relate to this; she didn’t experience fatigue or need rest the way the players did.
Faye quickly ran out of things to explore and found a spot to sit. In her hand was a book she had taken from a bookshelf in the living room. It was similar to the ones she usually read, but to her, a book was a book, and that was more than enough.
Lost in the world of the book, time seemed to slip away for Faye. Before she knew it, Alyx stood before her, having finished altering the communication device. He interrupted her reading and handed her the device.
Without a second thought, Faye discarded the book, her attention fully on the device. She clasped it in her hands, eager to make contact with her friend, her fingers brushing against it as she initiated the connection.
☽
Ashlyn and Nox were still standing outside the bookshop. Whatever was happening inside seemed enough for them to go unnoticed by the Main Computer. This was advantageous for them, but it meant things were possibly dangerous for the others inside the shop. However, they could not get inside with the door still firmly locked.
At that moment, Ashlyn's communication device buzzed. To avoid alerting anyone inside the shop, they quickly pressed the answer button before the tone sounded. A familiar, frantic voice sounded from the device, and Ashlyn blanked for a second. The communication device had stopped working a while ago, so it was surprising that someone had managed to contact them with it.
"Hello, Ash. Are You there? Can you hear me?"
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