That moment, when his soul was pierced, he despaired.
He didn't knew what was happening, nor why things turned this way.
Since he began playing this game that he believed it was all just… well, a game.
He was having the time of his life though. Meeting new friends, having adventures, talking about real life… he was several times enlightened by the people he meet, even the NPC surprised him with their artificial intelligence.
Whenever he went to sleep every night, he always thought… "I wish this world was real". Even when he was back in the job, he often thought about it.
When he saw her face every day, he wondered if she would notice him more, or if she would be more attracted with him if he acted as heroically as he did inside the game.
Many times, he wished to be that character… to be the big guy that was the wall of the party, strong and brave, Titan.
But deep down, he was weak, and frail. A man hurt by his past, by the people he most trusted. A man that had a hard time trusting anybody.
He enclosed himself on his own things, and barely interacted, even with his coworkers. It was only when she showed up that things changed.
Her charisma and her fluffy smile, it showed him a whole new world. At first he was really timid, but over time he ended opening up to her. It was too hard not to.
As time went by, he thought many things, and realized that, without much effort, he ended falling in love with her… But could such a thing as a relationship with her even be realistic?
Many times he thought about it, but he always concluded that… he didn't deserve her. He wasn't even enough of a man for someone like her, he was… nothing.
He always thought of himself as nothing much than nothing. His own self-loathing always got the better of him. If it wasn't for her cheering attitude, he would probably be in an even darker place inside of his formerly deteriorating mind.
She was like the sunlight that illuminated his life, or the moonlight that guided him through the darkest of the night… yet he knew he couldn't get with her no matter how hard he were to try.
She loved someone, even if that man was long gone. He felt bad for even thinking on flirting with her or anything. He really didn't wanted to try it. He let it be, and thought that he could be happy by being her friend.
Yet… this year too many things happened. Out of the blue she began asking him out, she began acting even gentler than other times, more caring, more… lovely. Frank had a hard time trying to keep himself calm before such shows of affection.
He even was invited to her house to have lunch, and later on the two went to eat out once, which quickly became a thing of every day… they grew c loser and closer, even when he didn't really wanted to, she pushed him into that direction.
Was she really interested in him?
Or… was he only having d elusions?
He lacked the courage that his persona inside the game had, so he never truly found out. He was very different.
Until the day she got sick. She called for him from all people. He went for her help and attended with everything he could. For the first time, Mark was very scared of losing someone so precious to him.
That day, he saw her in her weakest point, and filled him with sadness. He wanted to embrace her and protect her, but what he could do was always so little inside of his mind… yet, that day he learned a few things, and even talked with her daughter, learning a bit more of their relationship.
And when he least expected it, she suddenly asked him out again.
Seriously, again?
He didn't know what to say… she even invited him to go see her parents. How come this wouldn't have some signs? Yet… he always thought Elayne was simply too nice of a person, but never really intended anything romantic.
He agreed with her and was rather excited about such a day to come. The days went by, and he had adventures inside the game with his friends. Amongst them, Planta was someone very nice and… strangely similar to Elayne.
Her gentle nature, her personality, her beautiful heart. She was just the living image of Elayne… but he never really thought such a small theory could ever become a reality.
When the game became reality, and the Demon King pierced his soul, he learned so many things at the same time…
The revelation of this world being real came with an agonizing pain like he had never felt before. His soul was mercilessly pierced by the Demon King's powers, and Mark… was about to die. But she… she moved. Amidst the fear, amidst the impossible odds, she moved.
She ran to his help, screaming his name. She attacked a foe that was way past their level and surged with a new power he had never seen before. She caught his dying body and healed his soul with her own.
In such glimpses of consciousness, he learned her identity. He heard her name… Elayne. The dots simply connected inside of his head… She already knew it was him from the beginning, he was the only fool enough to not have realized it earlier.
"Elayne…"
He called for her, as his consciousness was fading away. With everything she had, she sacrificed a piece of her soul, an ultimate sacrifice, and stuck it with his own dying soul. A beautiful act of kindness that wasn't simply for friendship, it was clear to the Great Spirit that such an act was of pure love.
"Don't die… please… Mark!"
He heard her voice, her tears… her sincerity.
"Elay… ne…"
