Craving Scarecrow

The fresh scent of nature fills Livio's lungs, and the peaceful surroundings ease his nerves.

Livio stands up and looks around. Birds fly in flocks, and their beautiful chirping fills Livio's ears.

"Okay, I am here. Now what? Open menu!" Livio says aloud.

Nothing happens, and Livio feels foolish.

"Where should I go? What am I supposed to do? Where is the manual?" His nerves return.

Livio scratches his head in frustration.

"So, we are going to Solvana!" A woman's voice calls out.

Livio hears the voice and turns to see a group of people gathered together.

"We have to walk?" a boy says, looking frustrated.

"We don't know much, but it's safer to take shelter in Solvana," another boy says while eating fruit.

"Okay, let's go," a girl says, looking at the mountain.

"Hey, is that someone over there?" a young boy asks, looking at Livio.

"I think he is a newbie, just like us," another boy says, glancing at the young one.

"He seems shy. We should call him over before he gets into trouble." Nitin looks at Luka.

Matteo places a hand on Nitin's shoulder.

"You are right."

"Hey, we are heading to Solvana. If you want, you can join us," Sebastian calls out while waving at Livio.

Livio is still shaken by Rebecca's betrayal and questions himself.

"Should I travel with them or not? It's risky either way, but being alone, I won't survive the night."

Nikolas looks at Abdul and says, "I think he is scared. Can't blame him; we are all strangers."

Nitin walks over to Livio.

"You can't stay in the open at night. This place gets dangerous."

"He is right, I don't have a choice. Either I travel with them or risk my life staying alone," Livio thinks nervously.

Nikolas steps closer.

"Don't worry, we are all new to the game. None of us are strong enough to face the dangers here. It's better to leave, but it's your choice."

Nikolas's bright smile makes Livio trust them, even if it's just a little.

"Hey, let's get moving, boys."

Anya waves from afar.

Everyone except Livio is carrying a bag. There are also many fruit trees around.

"Wow, she looks stunning, doesn't she?" Alaric forces Abdul to look at Anya.

"Yeah, she looks polished, like a product ready for the market," Abdul replies, pushing Alaric's hand away.

"We are all new here. Does anyone know each other from before?" Elena asks the group.

Anya looks at Livio's group after hearing the question.

"I guess the answer is no," Eero replies.

"Alright, follow me." Nitin starts walking ahead.

Livio swallows nervously after watching the mountain.

"You mean, we have to climb that?" he asks, his voice shaking.

"Come on, man up."

Abdul begins climbing.

"We don't really have a choice. The mountain is not huge or too steep, but we have to use all our strength in walking," Alaric also starts walking.

The top of the mountain is hidden by clouds.

Livio sighs. "I have been making excuses my whole life," he mutters as he starts climbing.

While walking, Elena stumbles and falls from exhaustion.

Nikolas, Eero, and Luka rush to help her.

Nikolas is the first to offer his hand.

"You need help, miss?"

"Thanks, but I am fine." Elena tries to stand but stumbles again.

"Careful!" Eero grabs Elena by the waist to steady her.

"Guess chivalry isn't dead after all," Nikolas mutters under his breath.

"Yeah, if only he wasn't trying so hard to play the hero," Luka agrees with Nikolas.

Elena blushes and moves away.

"Thanks!"

"You are welcome!" Eero smiles.

Nikolas and Luka clench their fists, clearly annoyed.

"Come on, guys! We will be late if we don't get moving," Matteo says while moving forward.

Nitin notices the tension between them but decides it's best to stay out of it. He still doesn't fully trust them.

Nikolas and Luka walk ahead, throwing angry glares at Elena and Eero.

"If you are tired, let me help you," Eero says, looking into Elena's eyes.

"Thanks, but I can manage."

Elena replies while walking ahead.

Eero doesn't give up; he slows his pace so he can walk right behind her.

"Good job!" Anya says with a smile, looking towards the top of the mountain.

"Hey, ummm....."

Livio tries to talk with Nitin.

"It's Nitin, you can just call me that," Nitin replies, glancing back at Livio.

"So, Nitin, why are you playing this game?" Livio's voice becomes soft.

"I will explain later, after we reach our destination." Nitin keeps walking without looking back.

"I am here to take some items with me," Sebastian smiles and looks at Livio with pure excitement.

"You look much younger than the others. How old are you?"

Livio looks back at Sebastian.

"I am eighteen." Sebastian smiles.

"What? You are just a kid. Why are you risking your life for these items?" Livio asks with a shocked expression.

"I am not a kid. I am an adult. By the way, how old are you, mister? Let me guess, 23 or 24." Sebastian moves ahead.

"I am 22. You can call me Livio." Livio follows Sebastian.

"Only four years older than me. Do you expect me to call you uncle or grandpa? If we were in school, you would have been my senior.

I still can't believe people with such a small age gap call each other kids.

Anyway, I need those items. I have my own responsibilities."

Sebastian's face becomes serious.

"I made a mistake!"

Livio then apologizes to Sebastian.

"It's okay, I'm not angry."

Sebastian smiles again. They move forward.

While everyone is moving forward, Abdul and Alaric talk about something while looking at Sofia. They are dead last while climbing.

"Maybe we should mess with that girl. That would be fun, don't you think, Abdul?" Alaric looks at Abdul with a grin.

"Yeah, messing with girls is fun. They always react the best."

Abdul puts his hand on Alaric's shoulder.

"Let's not stop at just that; we can do a lot more. And since we are all new, no one will stop us," Alaric smiles menacingly.

"I will go first. I will trip her; it will be fun to watch." Abdul closes the gap between Sofia and himself.

What Abdul and Alaric don't realize is that the slope is getting steeper. When Abdul tries to move, he loses his balance and starts rolling down the mountain.

"Ahhh! Help, Alaric!" Abdul screams.

Everyone watches, but no one can do anything since Abdul was last in line.

Nitin shouts, "Someone grab him!"

Sebastian panics, "He is going too fast!"

Livio becomes a statue in fear.

"Is this really happening? This is just a game, isn't it?"

"Abdul!" Alaric stands there sweating; he doesn't move.

After rolling for a while, Abdul's head hits a large rock, and that's where his journey ends.

Everyone is in shock.

"Hey, Abdul! Wake up, man. I know you can handle a hit like that." Alaric slowly moves down the mountain.

Before he gets far, a screen pops up with a message:

(Player: Abdul is dead.)

(Cause: falling.)

Livio suddenly remembers that this is not just a game. Every step is a risk, and no one is truly safe.