Read Online Otherlife Nightmares: The Selfless Hero Trilogy by William D. Arand - Free Book Online
Authors: William D. Arand
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hall, he followed the same route she had taken. Passing through a doorway, he found himself in a garden. A quick glance upwards confirmed he was outside. Quirking a brow, he caught sight of the blue circle further inside the garden. Still and unmoving, it had stopped.
Walking towards her, he inspected the scenery, his eyes adjusting to the light of the full moon washing over everything. It was certainly pretty enough, though Runner had to admit he didn’t have an eye for botany. Most especially since Earth didn’t really have much in the way of greenery anymore.
My Earth at least. Who knows what’s there now…
He found Thana sitting on a bench at the edge of the garden furthest from the castle. It overlooked the city sprawling out below. When he’d arrived he hadn’t realized that the castle sat at a higher elevation. Below them, moonlight bathed the city in its calm soothing colors, yet nothing stirred at all. There wasn’t a single player on the streets, and all the Naturals had sought their beds.
Thana didn’t look up from the city line, her staff resting across her knees. Taking a seat beside her, Runner said nothing. They’d played games like this before; she’d speak when she found the words.
Leaning into the bench, he took a deep breath of the cool air and watched the city of Shade’s Rest. It was an enchanting view, if a little chilly, and drew the eye up and down the streets.
“I never realized how different it is to be Awakened,” she breathed, almost as if to herself.
Runner brought his brows down, resting his palms on his knees as he contemplated an answer.
“Yeah, your base code is irreversibly changed. Everyone else will adhere to their original programming. Have their lives scripted by the amount of AI they were given. Guards and the like have very little. You had quite a bit of AI assigned to you since you were a quest goal.”
“They don’t even seem to realize it. My parents flit between uncontrollable fear over my brother to talking about commerce for our small bit of land.”
She shook her head, tears trailing down from the corners of her eyes.
“It’s frightening. I knew this is what my world is—seeing my parents that way though? I… I never imagined. I cannot begin to imagine this from Nadine or Hannah’s point of view. I’m not even sure their parents exist.”
Blowing out a breath, Runner could only nod. It was a dilemma to be sure.
“And then there’s this,” she hissed, holding up the staff. “Do you even realize what this is?”
“A staff? I mean, I made it, so I can vouch that’s the class of weapon.”
Laughing darkly, she pointed it out over the side of the castle walls towards a small standing of trees. Her fingers tightened around the grip. A rod of ice boomed out from the tip and sailed out into the night at extraordinary speed. It glinted in the moonlight, and Runner followed the missile with his eyes.
Slamming into a tree, ice exploded in every direction. View of the tree vanished in the spray. As the icy mist cleared, he could see the tree was no more, even at this distance.
“Good distance, solid impact, great hit. Nice aim, my lady,” Runner said. He was surprised at the amount of power it put out, though quite happy with said result. It would come in handy later. That staff would put him at Thana’s current amount of power. The staff in her hands, though, put her in a whole new playing field.
“You don’t get it. This is not something I should have. I’m a lesser noble at best. I’m a lady-in-waiting to Princess Katarina. It may be just a backstory written for me, yet it’s the truth. Katarina is my closest friend. She’s far smarter than she lets on, you know.”
“I do know. She doesn’t concern herself with things she isn’t interested in though. People underestimate her. Constantly.”
“Yes. Yes, they do. She saw in moments I was ostracized in my own court. Asking for a lady-in-waiting from the king’s court, she asked
Walking towards her, he inspected the scenery, his eyes adjusting to the light of the full moon washing over everything. It was certainly pretty enough, though Runner had to admit he didn’t have an eye for botany. Most especially since Earth didn’t really have much in the way of greenery anymore.
My Earth at least. Who knows what’s there now…
He found Thana sitting on a bench at the edge of the garden furthest from the castle. It overlooked the city sprawling out below. When he’d arrived he hadn’t realized that the castle sat at a higher elevation. Below them, moonlight bathed the city in its calm soothing colors, yet nothing stirred at all. There wasn’t a single player on the streets, and all the Naturals had sought their beds.
Thana didn’t look up from the city line, her staff resting across her knees. Taking a seat beside her, Runner said nothing. They’d played games like this before; she’d speak when she found the words.
Leaning into the bench, he took a deep breath of the cool air and watched the city of Shade’s Rest. It was an enchanting view, if a little chilly, and drew the eye up and down the streets.
“I never realized how different it is to be Awakened,” she breathed, almost as if to herself.
Runner brought his brows down, resting his palms on his knees as he contemplated an answer.
“Yeah, your base code is irreversibly changed. Everyone else will adhere to their original programming. Have their lives scripted by the amount of AI they were given. Guards and the like have very little. You had quite a bit of AI assigned to you since you were a quest goal.”
“They don’t even seem to realize it. My parents flit between uncontrollable fear over my brother to talking about commerce for our small bit of land.”
She shook her head, tears trailing down from the corners of her eyes.
“It’s frightening. I knew this is what my world is—seeing my parents that way though? I… I never imagined. I cannot begin to imagine this from Nadine or Hannah’s point of view. I’m not even sure their parents exist.”
Blowing out a breath, Runner could only nod. It was a dilemma to be sure.
“And then there’s this,” she hissed, holding up the staff. “Do you even realize what this is?”
“A staff? I mean, I made it, so I can vouch that’s the class of weapon.”
Laughing darkly, she pointed it out over the side of the castle walls towards a small standing of trees. Her fingers tightened around the grip. A rod of ice boomed out from the tip and sailed out into the night at extraordinary speed. It glinted in the moonlight, and Runner followed the missile with his eyes.
Slamming into a tree, ice exploded in every direction. View of the tree vanished in the spray. As the icy mist cleared, he could see the tree was no more, even at this distance.
“Good distance, solid impact, great hit. Nice aim, my lady,” Runner said. He was surprised at the amount of power it put out, though quite happy with said result. It would come in handy later. That staff would put him at Thana’s current amount of power. The staff in her hands, though, put her in a whole new playing field.
“You don’t get it. This is not something I should have. I’m a lesser noble at best. I’m a lady-in-waiting to Princess Katarina. It may be just a backstory written for me, yet it’s the truth. Katarina is my closest friend. She’s far smarter than she lets on, you know.”
“I do know. She doesn’t concern herself with things she isn’t interested in though. People underestimate her. Constantly.”
“Yes. Yes, they do. She saw in moments I was ostracized in my own court. Asking for a lady-in-waiting from the king’s court, she asked
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