V.I.R.A.L

"None of this is real. Can you hear me?! Sam! You need to wake up!"

Destiny sat outside a small café, the menu hiding her face from inside where Marco and Alice had their date. Gripping her teacup tightly, she began cursing under her breath. "This is all going to shit! There's not one sign. Not one that this Maya is in any way toying with Marco. This cannot be!"

Sam held her head, looking around, slightly confused. The streets of Rhinefield's capital was empty. More so than that, with only a handful of people even walking by. "Why are there no cars?"

"Marco's life is on the line here, and that's what you're worried about?!"

Sam looked back, frowning slightly twirling her tea with a plastic spoon, unsure of anything. "I just thought it was a bit strange, that's all. You would think Rhinefield's capital would be busy."

"Keep your head in the game, Sam! This is far more important!"

"I mean, I don't really see what's the problem here. You're just jealous of Marco, right?" Sam tossed it aside, not paying much attention to the situation.

"Me?! Jealous! No, no. Jealous of that idiot! Tch, get a load of yourself, Sam! I'm going home…." Destiny whimpered, storming off. The menu fell down as Sam found herself sitting alone. 

Sighing, she leaned against the table, gulping the last of her tea watching the world go by. Or so she thought. Getting a better look watching each person, in particular, Sam noticed something off-putting. Every person in the area was walking on the spot. Every last person was stuck in the same place, getting nowhere.

"Everyone is in trouble! You need to help them, Sam!"

A sharp pain roared through Sam's head again as her mind went fuzzy. Stumbling to her feet, she tried not to draw attention to herself, walking away in a daze. As she did, Alice turned, watching her leave with a concerned look. "Is everything alright, Maya?"

"Oh, yes! I just need to use the bathroom. Won't be a minute."

****

Alton sat watching his world go on by, waiting for Iris to make her choice. He knew it was essential to stay and that she would come round. Slouching his head down his whispered. "Archie, I require your assistance."

Acceptance appeared, losing more and more of his well-kept appearance as he stood in a park where people were playing with their dogs, among other things. Sitting next to Alton on the bench, he leaned forward, pressing his hands together. "Who is it I'm talking to? I'd much rather see Alton's perspective on the matter."

"You'll talk to who I say you'll talk to!" Alton snapped, losing his cool, leg shaking. "I'm losing all control on this reality."

"That makes sense. I had hundreds of years to practice these hidden arts. A Stage's Long Whisper isn't easy to pull off. You're practically holding this world together with tape and bits of string."

Hanging his head low, Alton began to whisper. "I don't understand Archie, with each passing day, more and more people are rebelling against this world. Fighting to escape, what could they possibly go back to? I saved them, didn't I? That was me!"

Acceptance's interest was peaked as he smirked, standing up. "There he is. The boy clinging onto a piece of thread. Alton Brantley."

Slamming the bench, it began to freeze over as he was trembling. "First, a small resistance is built up in looks of taking me down and then Zinnia and Iris turn up. I was so happy to see my friends after so long but now…. Even they have turned against me. I'm all alone, forced to stand in this battle with no aid this time. I can't give up on them. They need me to save them, all of them! Even if the world thinks you're wrong as a hero, you must fight for the people's needs in the darkest of times. You taught me that Sam and intend to keep to that promise."

"So why did you bring me here for?" Acceptance questioned.

"I need more of your power. The power to conquer worlds and topple armies. I need the power of the Garden at my disposal."

"That power is yours. It always has been. You are Acceptance, not myself."

"How?"

"You'll figure that one out soon enough."

"We'll see about that…. Hang on." Alton stood up as a Safety appeared of Scarlett. "Speak."

"A straggler has entered the dark zone. What should we do, sir?"

"Who?"

"Sam Belling."

Alton flinched, clenching his hand. "What are you doing, Sam? Why must you all make my life so difficult! Do you have Safeties ready to pursue?"

"Negative, there are no Safeties set up at Rhinefield yet."

"Shit," Alton whispered, losing his cool. "I won't make it in time to stop her…."

"If I may, my lord. We do have one person stationed currently at Rhinefield." The Safety informed.

Alton's eyes perked up as he turned, nodding. "This might just turn out alright then. Have them intercept Sam as quickly as possible. Wipe her memory if need be. I cannot have Sam learn of the truth. She would tear this world apart if she knew what I was doing."

"Can't even trust your own friends to side with you anymore? You sure you aren't in the wrong here, Alton?" Acceptance taunted vanishing.

Alton snapped, freezing the bench tossing it across the park, panting. His anger and rage swelled up as he burst. "Damn it!"

****

The further Sam went into town, the more things started to fall apart. People staring at walls, many of them missing faces. The buildings had no doors or windows, just leaving an empty building with no sign of life. The roads and pavement also stopped as Sam found herself in an empty void of nothing. Standing idly, she began looking around, losing her mind. "What…. What is this? Hello! Is anyone out there?! Anyone! Please!"

Breaking down, she began stepping backwards, feeling weak, her head banging with pain alongside feeling sick to the stomach. None of this looked or felt natural to her. That's when it hit her. "This isn't real…."

Stepping back, Sam was pressed against the thin veil, feeling a dozen cobwebs passing through her before Sam fell to the ground, splashing onto a thin puddle. The city was gone what replaced was an endless wasteland on nothing. A layer of water covering the entire area going on forever or so as far as Sam could see. Staring down, her own reflection was blurry, almost frozen looking. Jolting to her feet, the water was up to her ankle as she stared back at a small view of where she just was. Almost like where she was looking was a painting of some kind. Looking around, Sam whispered in pain, tearing up. "I remember…. None of this is real. Sunset Peak is gone."

Breaking down, Sam fell to her knees, wiping her face losing all hope in anything. "Alton! Iris! Somebody, anybody! Please help me!"

Sam's prays were answered as the veil began to bend and tear as Alice walked by, looking onto the empty space with just as much shock. "This is beyond the barrier? It's beautiful…."

"Alice? Alice, is that really you?! This place, all of it is fake…. I forgot that, but none of this is real. We need t-."

Alice looked away, frowning. "I know this isn't real."

"What?"

"This world is a world Alton created, a world recreated from his memories. Alton approached Alice when she first arrived in this world with a proposal. The Alice could live here in peace with whatever she desired. In return, she would save any souls who wandered too far from the haven." Alice explained, looking at Sam, upset. "Just make this easy for me and give yourself up. It'll all be over quickly, and you can return to Destiny and Marco soon enough."

"Alice…. There's no way you'd just accept that so suddenly!"

"It's Maya now," Alice whispered, holding her arm deeply saddened. "Without Eve, the Alice is nobody. She…. No, I cannot be Alice."

"Don't do this, Alice; you're better than this! Alton spoke of how strong you were. You were the leader of the only resistance to fight V.I.R.A.L even when you had no one. You kept fighting! Nothing has changed. Don't do this!"

"The Alice did have someone. She had Eve, but the Alice was foolish to trust Eve. That got her killed. I'm not making that same mistake again. Please, Sam, I don't want to hurt you."

Sam gave it some thought before turning to the endless void ahead of her. She was, of course, conflicted on the tipping point of two sides, both tugging her along. Clenching her fist, Sam whispered. "Where is Alton? What is he doing here?"

"The only two rules we have to follow in this world is simple. Stick to your lives and never get involved with Alton."

Sam nodded, looking away. "I can't accept this world."

Alice stepped back, flinching. "Why not?! You're back with your family. With Destiny and Marco! Out there is only our destruction, please, Sam, think this over."

"That idiot, and here I was actually about to go along with this shitshow!" Sam yelled, throwing her arms aside. "He's crawled right back into that shell I shattered. Never get involved with Alton?! Who is he to decide who I can and cannot get involved with? Alton needs us as much as we need him. This world will never be my own if Alton isn't there. He's family regardless of Hero's Might or Team Rhapsody. I won't abandon or forget my family!"

Alice wiped her tears, whimpering. "I'm sorry…. I did warn you, Sam. Please, I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me." Portals began blaring in from behind, covering the sky as Sam turned in a daze. "This the only way of true happiness. It will all be over soon, nothing but a bad dream."