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MEDUSA WAS UNLIKE ANY foe we’d faced before in our time playing Eden’s Gate Online, the developers really upped the difficulty for this patch. I stood at the forefront of the party, with my greatsword driven into the ground. It was my job as the tank to protect my friends, and although I was struggling to decipher the mechanics of the fight, it was my duty to hold the party together.
The first half of the fight had been a walk in the park, a simple case of lowering her health as quick as we could while avoiding her attacks and mitigating the debuffs. Not even the minions she threw at us made any difference, but I suppose it helped with us all grinding to max level and having the best gear you could obtain.
But this second half, I couldn’t even fathom what the boss had in store for us. Niolivin might have some idea from all the theory crafting he was doing, mumbling to himself in the voice chat. I don’t think the rest of the group had paid much attention, but I found it comical to listen to him.
Once the transition came, I saw an opportunity to take a little heat of our healer and cast my own shield on the party. Thankfully, my intuition paid off when the boss released area wide damage. Nahla’li backed me up with a quick regeneration spell, topping up our health as a debuff hit us.
Medusa had shed her trident and oval shield and replaced them with a gilded staff, seeming to have shifted from a melee to magic-based move set. I glanced behind her, noting the marble steps leading further up into the clouds. My bets were on that was where the finale of this story might lie, along with the promise of a big reward should we finish this quest.
Terunao: Same strategy as before, I will continue to draw her attention. It seems she’s stationary north, I will take her left to the side, try and avoid this direction.
The party followed my lead and sure enough I’d been correct in assuming the boss would be rooted to her position north. This meant the party could focus on their damage output rather than optimising positions to maximise their move combinations. Players could focus more on their playstyle than worrying about the rotations of their move set, giving our party the upper hand in battle.
Niolivin: Has anyone noticed the difference in her abilities since the phase transition?
Neya: What are you suggesting?
Niolivin: Appears she’s more on the defensive and using more magic-based attacks than physical.
Diana: Which likely means we’ll be dealing with an increase of debuffs. Let us know if you need a hand with mitigation, Nahla’li!
Nahla’li: You just leave it to me.
I smiled. I loved it when the team pulled together on the game. This is why I’d played with the group for so many years, for the sheer enjoyment I shared playing with each of them. I noticed Bonnie seemed to have cheered up since our conversation earlier. In the back of my mind I wondered if she’d spoken to her boyfriend about the situation we’d discussed, but while we were in the middle of a trial it didn't feel like an appropriate time to press her on the details.
Medusa’s health bar was dwindling slower than it’d done in the first phase of the fight, but when we got to the halfway point, the boss disappeared, leaving three winged minions in her place.
A’sher: More adds? Give me a break.
Neya: There might be a midpoint raid wide afterwards, stay on your guard.
Terunao: Neya has a point. I’ll draw their focus, just be sure to burn them down quickly.
Diana: Anyone notice the gauge filling up at the side?
A’sher: Let’s make quick work of these beasts.
We divided ourselves up to take our respected minions. Nahla’li and A’sher to the east, Neya and Niolivin to the west, which left only Bonnie and myself to tackle the one in the north. It was funny how the group always put the two of us together, not that I minded all that much, she was my oldest and closest friend.
Our tactic reduced the minions' health quicker than we’d anticipated, and successfully prevented the gauge from increasing to the halfway mark. In previous battles this meant the impending raid wide damage wouldn’t be too difficult to mitigate. If the gauge had filled completely, we might’ve had to restart the entire first from the beginning, losing our valuable progression time.
Terunao: Same strategy as before. We stack together in the centre. I’ll use my bubble once more, Nahla’li can you-
Nahla’li: Already on it.
She really was the best healer we could ask for, before I could ask she’d began concentrating her power and readying her regeneration spells. The rest of the party used whatever mitigation they’d available just as Medusa appeared back on screen, in her original position. She threw her arms open wide, then dragged them into her chest, gathering a swirling orb of energy.
Niolivin: Brace yourselves, this might hurt.
Medusa launched the orb into the sky then snapped her fingers with a wicked smile on her lips. Shards rained from the heavens like meteors and it was at this point I initiated my shadow barrier. It came with a short timer attached, making it difficult to determine the correct time to use it, but thankfully I used it just in time. The attack hit the party with force, Medusa was taking no prisoners. When the meteor shower subsided, our health was a little worse for wear, but Nahla’li handled the situation without any fuss.
Terunao: It’s time to finish this.
Niolivin: It should be a smooth run now she’s out of moves.
But there’s always the enrage phase if we didn’t manage to complete the trial in time, which would be a repeat of this meteor shower, only it wouldn’t matter how much mitigation we used, it would be an instant kill.
We continued using our earlier strategy of me keeping the boss facing the one side while the rest of the party worked on her health. After what felt like several hours, we finally reduced her hit box to nothing.
Medusa: How could I have been bested by mere mortals? You were no ordinary adversary. May we meet again.
The boss shattered into a thousand particles of starlight and ascended to the heavens, leaving our party of adventurers standing in the centre of the area with the victory fanfare music blasting through our headsets.
A’sher: We did it!
Diana: That was really fun.
Neya: Well done everybody.
Niolivin: Does anyone see the loot box around?
Terunao: I think it’s through the gate, come on.
Now there was no boss standing between us, we were granted access to the gilded staircase behind the area. We ascended the steps with haste, eager to find out what awaited us at the top. When we reached the top we were greeted by the fated Hall of the Gods on Mount Olympus, but what surprised me more was the absence of said Gods.
Niolivin: This trial had to be the beginning of an entire series, perhaps we’ll be fighting the rest of the Gods?
Terunao: If they’re as much of a challenge as Medusa was, I think that could be interesting.
A’sher was the one to locate the loot boxes while the rest of us were theory crafting about the upcoming trial series and called us over before opening them. The usual loot was there; enhanced gear available only from this fight, that would boost our levels for the next one in the series and a tear of Medusa, which none of us could work out what it would be useful for.
Neya: Looks like there’s some gear specific to healers, Nahla’li you totally deserved this!
Nahla’li: Oh wow, that’s lucky. Healer gear rarely drops.
A’sher: Well don’t be shy, take it.
Diana: What about this other item, Medusa’s tear?
Niolivin: A boss drop, maybe there’s a new craftable item coming soon that might use this?
Terunao: We all should roll. May the odds be in your favour.
All of us had a chance at the boss drop, whatever it was for. The game allowed players to roll for items, allowing everyone to have a fair chance at the drop. It was based on a roll out of one hundred, and mine wasn’t too good. There was no chance for me at getting the drop.
Diana: I got it?
Bonnie's voice sounded more confused than happy about the situation.
Diana: Thanks guys, this was really fun. I’ll look into this drop and see what I can find, but for now I really have to go. I’m sorry to grab and ditch but something’s come up.
Terunao: It’s okay, we’ll catch up again.
Bonnie’s character was the first one to leave the instance, but as soon as she did, a message flashed in the chat box in game that she’d logged out almost instantly.
A’sher: What was that about?
Nahla’li: Nothing we should concern ourselves with, probably something in real life.
Neya: I’m sure she’ll check in tomorrow.
Niolivin: It is getting late, maybe we should call it?
The rest of us left the instance shortly afterwards and disbanded the party when we got back to the original quest NPC. I said goodnight to my friends over voice chat and came off the game myself. It was fairly late and I had work the next day, but yet I couldn’t help thinking of Bonnie and how quickly she’d disappeared after the trial. Something just didn’t sit right in my gut. I glanced at my watch, far too late to be messaging her right now, I made a mental note to try her tomorrow.
Mochi was snoozing soundly on his cat tower, I didn't bother to disturb him and usher him into the bedroom. He would join me at his leisure during the night no doubt.
I headed off to bed trying not to think too much about the concerns I harboured for my best friend. Tomorrow was a new day.
[♡]
The next day started the same as any other. Early morning alarm waking me from my slumber and the tubby calico that tried murdering me in my sleep via suffocation. I swear it was his motive since I switched his food. No wonder he was always begging Mrs Bloom for her leftovers.
I hurried to work, and straight to my desk where my assistant greeted me with a piping hot cappuccino.
Tristan was there too, spying on me as the assistant gave me the coffee. 'Why haven't you asked her out yet?' He asked, once we were finally alone.
I shot him a look, 'And why would I do that?' I replied, taking my first sip of coffee and wincing at the sting on my tongue.
'You're kidding, right?' He said, shuffling closer to me. 'She totally has a thing for you, why else would she bring you coffee every morning?'
'Maybe because that is part of her job or maybe it's just a kind gesture.'
'But why don't you get the off-branded instant rubbish the rest of us drink?'
I shrugged, 'Definitely a gesture of good will, nothing more.'
Tristan soon gave up on his prying and switched the topic of conversation, 'Did you end up asking that other friend of yours?'
I was glancing at my emails and only half listening to him. 'Not yet but I will.'
'You know it's only a couple of months till we go and you need time to transfer the tickets. Stop putting it off.'
'I said I'll sort it, don't worry.'
Tristan finally left me alone after the big boss called him out for a meeting and I was thankfully for the peace. But him pestering me about the trip had reminded me to check in on Bonnie. I pulled out my phone, seeing no new messages which only increased the worry deep in my gut.
If I don't hear from her by the time I leave tonight, I'll message her.
Work came in thick and fast, which left me very little time to worry about the situation with Bonnie and part of me was thankful for the distraction.
That night I felt too drained to do anything when I returned home, yet I'd taken on a new client today and wanted to make a start on their web design.
Mochi was inside the flat where I'd left him and seemingly hadn't paid a visit to Mrs Bloom whilst I was at work. It felt a little out of character to him but I paid it no mind. He seemed his usual self, rubbing himself against my ankles when I made myself coffee.
I got comfortable at my home desk, while I waited for the computer to load, I pulled out my phone. Still nothing from Bonnie. Not hearing from her in twenty-four hours was out of character, even for someone as forgetful as her. I chewed my bottom lip, wondering if I should contact her, even if it was to put my mind at rest at rest I'd have an answer. My thumb hovered over her contact information as I hummed the theme tune from a sci-fi film I liked.
There has to be a logical explanation to her disappearance. I bit the bullet and sent her a simple hello then put my phone down to stop worrying about the situation.
It was only when I logged onto my computer and saw a message from Nahla’li on our community server that my fears went from bad to worse. I checked the timestamp attached to the message and saw it was sent a few hours ago. I read it over a few times before hammering back a reply.
Nahla’li: Hey, have you heard anything from Diana? Did her disappearance last night seem odd to you? I only ask as I know the pair of you are the best of friends, I was hoping if anyone had heard from her it would be you.
Terunao: I haven't heard from her myself, but I've not long dropped her a text. If I hear anything, I'll be sure to let you know. Out of curiosity, is there something troubling you? I know you girls spoke last night, did she say something?
I didn't see the green circle in the corner of Nahla'li's profile picture and assumed she wasn't online. For now I pushed the situation out of my head and focused on work while I still maintained some motivation.
The client had asked for a design based on a sample I'd made back in college, it was an old model I wasn't particularly proud of and tried to persuade them to reconsider, ultimately they'd come round to the idea.
I worked tirelessly into the night, laying the foundations ready for a review meeting next week. It was early hours of the morning before I dragged myself to bed, with Mochi trailing along behind me. The pair of us fell into a dreamless sleep.
[♡]
A week passed and I'd still not heard anything from Bonnie. I didn't text her apart from that one night, I didn't want to pester her. I held the belief that she would reach out to me when she was ready.
Nahla'li got back to me about her message, she mentioned a brief chat she and Bonnie had about the failed job interview and how she was concerned about her boyfriend's response. We'd talked that out the day it happened, she seemed fine, or had she been hiding something from me.
But why would she withhold something from me? Was there more to the situation with her boyfriend than she told me?
My thoughts kept swirling around in my mind until they made me sick to my stomach. That morning I called in for an emergency holiday day at work and booked on the first train to Liverpool to pay Bonnie a visit. I knew I shouldn't drop in unannounced but she wasn't returning my text and none of the group had heard from her since that night.
I was terrified something had happened to her. I left Mochi in the capable hands of Mrs Bloom and caught my train midmorning, taking only my laptop with me. The trip was around two hours from Birmingham, granting me enough time to answer some work emails on the way.
Once I was on the train, I could barely focus on work and found myself spending the length of the trip staring out of the window, unable to keep my foot from twitching.
The second the announcer informed the coach we were approaching the station, I gathered up my things and waited impatiently by the doors. As soon as they opened I was marching down the platform in a flash, wasting no time getting caught in the crowds.
I reached the ground floor of Grand Central station, then pulled out my phone to check the address information I had for Bonnie. I'd never visited her studio in person but I'd sent plenty of birthday and Christmas cards over the last few years. I only hoped my orientation skills from cadets in my teenage years would pay off now.
After reviewing the city centre map, I had a basic understanding of where to head, using that and the navigation system on my phone.
How difficult could it be?
I would soon learn after a couple of hours, getting my bearings wrong would prove very difficult to locate a building I'd never been to in my life, even with the AI voice directing me as best they could, which was taking me the longest route possible.
Finally I'd made it to Bonnie's studio building, located in the outskirts of the city, where it would've been easier if I'd taken the train but hindsight was an incredible thing.
I located her door and knocked a couple of times. When she didn't answer, I decided to call her in case she was expecting someone else and avoiding the door.
'Bon, it's me,' I said, keeping my tone gentle, 'Open up.'
I heard shuffling in the studio, I waited patiently until someone finally came to the door. Several bolts unlocked before the door opened, revealing a shell of a woman I once knew. When my eyes fell upon her, I knew my worst fears had been true.
'Bonnie?'
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