Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sam had heard of the many mystical and truly unbelievable stories that revolve around Stardew Valley while he was growing up. Stories of forest spirits residing near the secret woods, a broken witch on a rampage, a secret war between dwarves and shadow people; Sam always found the stories to be far-fetched. There's nothing magical in the valley -much less Pelican Town- and the rare strange occurrences were immediately debunked by the stepfather of one of his closest friends.

Which is why Sam panicked at the sound of another voice in his head.

"Hello?"

Sam jolted awake as a voice resounded in his head. He winced as he clutched his head, dizzy and slightly nauseous from sitting up suddenly. He narrowed his eyes and glanced around his room in suspicion trying to find the source of the voice. Even in the darkness of the night, he could tell no one was in his room.

"What in the name of Yoba..." He muttered as he glanced at the digital clock on his nightstand. It read 8:35 in the morning. Sam groaned and he fell back down and buried himself into the comfort of his blanket. He dozes off for several moments before he was startled awake once more.

"I thought this room looked familiar!"

When the voice appeared again, Sam was too tangled with the blankets that he misplaced his hand and slipped off the side of his bed, landing in a pile of cloth and limbs on the floor. He quickly untangled himself and looked for the person the voice belonged to only to find no one around.

"This is it. I'm finally going insane. After 18 long years of this small town, I've finally lost my mind." Sam told himself as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Nah, I wouldn't say your crazy. That would be calling me crazy, since you know I'm part of your mind now?"

"Who the hell are you?!"

In a moment of near hysterics, Sam had forgotten that it was an early hour of the day and he had just screamed at a voice that was supposedly in his mind. He had also forgotten that he was in a house with both his mother and little brother in their respective rooms. He'd be lucky if they weren't woken up by his yell.

"Well, I suppose I'm you, right?"

"Huh??"

"Yeah, I don't know pal. I'm just like you in this situation. Waking up and finding myself in someone else's mind isn't my ideal morning routine."

"B-but... Wait! What did you mean when you said this room was familiar?!"

"Oh, that's because this room is Sam's -or uh your- room from Stardew Valley."

"Stardew- What does the region name have anything to do with you knowing my room?"

"Oh uh, how do I explain this without it being conveyed wrong..."

"Why don't you start by explaining who you are?"

"Who I am? I'm... Uhh... I don't remember? Like I remember snippets of my life, but I don't know my name. Or much of my personal life."

"Then what do you remember?"

"I remember music. Lots and lots of it, all different types. I think I loved music. I know I didn't pursue a life of music, but I kept it with me for my entire life. Uhh, I remember school and the drama that was high school and college. God, those were wild years. The last few memories I remember are just video games."

"So then how do you know of Stardew Valley? From what I'm hearing, you're not from around here."

"Oh, that's the thing. I think I'm from a whole other universe. No, I KNOW I'm from a different world. And in that world, Stardew Valley was-"

"Sam! Breakfast is ready!" Jodi, Sam's mother called from outside his room. She pushed open the door immediately after and paused upon the sight of her eldest son tangled in a blanket on the floor. She raised an eyebrow I'm amusement and gave a small smirk.

"Did you have a nightmare or did you revert to your tumbling age?"

"Mom! We don't speak of the tumbling age! I was just startled by a spider near my face and didn't realize how close I was to the edge of the bed!" Jodi chuckled as she smiled warmly with her usual tired eyes.

"Hurry up and get ready for the day, you have to take your brother to the library and go to work soon."

Silence filled the room as she closed the door. Sam sighed and got up to change and get ready for the day. The voice hadn't said anything since his mom entered the room and Sam was beginning to believe he truly was going insane. Just as he stepped out his bedroom ready to get on with his life, the voice began to talk again.

"You know... Your mom looked worn out. She must be taking your father's deployment harder than what the developers showed us."

That made Sam stop in the middle of the hallway. How did it know about his father? He hadn't mentioned anything about Kent and yet the voice sympathetically took notice of his mother's physical and mental state. He also thought back to what it had said before his mother came into his room. If it was truly from another world, how would it have known about the war?

"Stop thinking so hard, you're making ME get a headache. I'll explain everything throughout the day. Or maybe it'll take a week? Who knows. All I know is that it's better to tell you the information in parts to avoid overloading you with seemingly insane facts. Bad insane, not cool insane."

"You can't blame me for being curious and afraid simultaneously. I don't even know how one would explain this other than 'possession' or magic."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was both honestly. This is a rather peculiar town. The junimos are incredible and adorable; they're just fabulous honestly. If you put a prismatic shard into their hut, they'll start to constantly change colors. It was one of my favorite easter eggs."

"...junimos? Easter eggs? I have no clue what you're talking about right now."

"Eh, we'll get to that conversation sooner or later. I have to tell you about the functions and storyline before I get to the specifics and all the fun aspects of Stardew Valley."

Sam sighed as he continued into the kitchen where Vincent and his mom were eating breakfast. He ate his pancakes in a haste, almost choking as he swallowed a mouthful and washing it down with some milk. Vincent grinned gleefully as waited for his older brother to finish washing the dishes.

"Have a good day you two!" Jodi called out to them as they left the kitchen. As soon as the front door closed behind them, Vincent grabbed onto the cuff of Sam's jacket causing Sam to stop in his tracks and look down.

"Sam!! I heard you yelling at something this morning! Like, like early morning! A time where you'd be dead asleep early!" The strawberry haired boy rambled, gesturing with his hands wildly. Sam blinked as he processed what the younger said before chuckling.

"I got scared by a spider crawling too close to my face is all! You know how they like to do that."

"Yeah... Gross. Snails are way cooler than creepy crawlies."

"Right you are little bud. Now, let's get you to the museum. We don't want you to be late to Penny's class!"

Vincent gasped as he nodded frantically. He kept his hold on Sam's jacket as he rushed along the dirt road and over the stone bridge. He only let go of Sam once he was at the entrance to the museum. Waving goodbye to his big brother, Vincent entered the museum.

Sam looked at the time on his phone before he sighed. Wednesdays always felt longer than the other days.

"Sucks to suck, huh? Wednesdays for me were always so short. I loved it really."

"Well, when you work at a Joja run shop, time just seems to get slower. I try to pass time by listening to music." Sam replied aloud, not realizing how ridiculous he looked. The voice coughed out a laugh in response.

"I'm pretty sure you can just talk through your thoughts, Sammy boi. Don't want people to suspect you're going crazy now, do we?"

"I blame you in advance if I do get caught or sent to an asylum."

"Like anyone else would suspect me ahaha. Anyway, stop talking to me aloud. I'm in your head, so use your head bro."

"Right right."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get to work sunny."

Sam let out another sigh in exasperation. Today would definitely be a long day.

Chapter Text

Listening to music as he worked was routine for Sam.

Listening to a disembodied voice, however, was not.

"Oh? Do you dislike my presence then? Well, there's no use lying to me since I can hear ALL of YOUR thoughts. You looove me already."

There it blabbers on again. It's only his third hour of working and he's already adapting to having a voice in his head. If he were honest, it was quite nice and comforting to have someone other than the townsfolk to talk to.

Even if it was just in his head.

"Awww! I knew you liked me! Don't worry, Sam! The feelings are mutual."

Sam and the voice had a discussion about the differences between Joja mart and a train of shops the voice knew as convenience stores while he worked. Sam was fascinated to learn about the new information from the voice, but he was still confused about the topic of a whole new universe.

"So, you're telling me that Joja Corp doesn't exist at all in your universe? That seems like a dream come true. A utopia!" Sam whispered, having not learned his lesson of speaking to the voice aloud. Shane, the town's male alcoholic, coughed from where he was shelving self products. Sam nearly jumped from the unexpected interruption.

"I don't know why you're suddenly talking to yourself and I really don't give a damn either, but keep it up and you'll find yourself unemployed in the near future," Shane muttered under his breath before continuing with his job, ignoring Sam's presence as if he didn't just save him from getting fired.

"Well, would you look at that! The town's depressed jerk cares about you!"

"I wouldn't go as far as to say that he cares about me..."

"He cares about you aggressively!" Sam mentally sighed before processing what the voice had said.

'Depressed?' Sam thought. The voice didn't reply immediately. He thought that maybe it can't hear his thoughts after all, and was about to repeat his question aloud when it spoke up.

"I don't really know his full story since I never got to play his route... From the heart events I did experience, he was a lost man trying to find the meaning of life. Of course, he drowned out the thoughts with booze and alcohol just so he didn't have to feel the emotions that came with said thoughts. So many players thirsted after him for his story, kind of hilarious honestly."

That was also another topic they hadn't touched upon yet. How did the voice know everyone in town? And their personalities? Or they're pasts? What were these 'heart events' it mentioned just now and what did that have to do with how it knew Shane was depressed and lost?

"How many times do I have to tell you to not think about it too hard, Sammy? I'll get to explaining everything you're curious about sooner or later. We've got plenty of time! I don't want to unleash a whole bunch of information on you all at once. If anything, that'll probably make you more confused than you already are. And every headache you have, I get. To think I'd have to still deal with headaches of all the bodily functions." It mumbled in irritation while Sam rolled his eyes in amusement. By that time, his shift had ended and he was making his way back home.

"Funny fact! I tried to memorize your schedule for each season, but I never did end up relying on your schedule to track you down. I was usually able to find you some way or another, which I'm grateful for!"

That made Sam stop in the middle of his path. Memorize a schedule? For each season? So did the voice know every aspect of his daily life? Wait, it just said that it didn't need to memorize the schedule... But that still means that his life has a schedule?

That got complicated real quick.

"Hmm, well you are going back to your room to hang out for the rest of the day. I might as well explain the most significant information today." Sam had never run home as fast as he did then in his entire life.

"I'm home!" He greeted to an empty house before dashing into his room. Closing the door, he took deep breaths to calm down his rapidly beating heart and burning nerves. Just as he was about to ask the voice to explain, it chuckled.

"I didn't think that the townspeople were able to run! Let alone that fast! I'm not gonna let you settle down until you've taken a shower. You've had a long day and you're covered in sweat at this point. Go take a shower, ya stinky."

Sam was going to complain, but he didn't like how his clothes stuck to his skin due to the sweat. He sighed as he opened his closet and grabbed some new clothes before entering the adjacent bathroom.

Once he was finished with his shower, he sat on the ground next to his bed and grabbed his guitar. He settled on leaning back on the bed and gently strumming the strings.

'So tell me what I need to know.' He asked the voice.

"Hey, you're learning to talk through your thoughts! Don't roll your eyes at me, mister! I may not know how old you are, but I do know your life story!"

"I'm only fresh out of high school. Graduated a few weeks ago and currently planning on doing a gap year to help out at home." Sam said, immediately realizing he said it out loud. Why was he sharing that information with the voice?

"Oh, that's interesting to know! It kinda relates to the topic for today."

'What is the topic? How you know everyone and their pasts?'

"Not exactly, but those are connected to it."

'Then what is it?'

"Let's start off with the fact that I'm from a completely different universe. You already know that Joja Corp doesn't exist at all in my world. That isn't entirely true, technically. Ahaha, double entendre. Anyway, while it may not have been an actual company, it existed in a game. A farming simulator, RPG type of game. And the name of this game was Stardew Valley. It was a farming game where you'd play as a farmer who inherited their grandfather's farm."

'So that's how you knew about Stardew Valley... It was a game, huh? What was the goal?'

"Well, as I said, you play as the new farmer who moved into the farmhouse west of the town. There wasn't any specific goal in the game, but there was a storyline that you could follow. It was all optional though. You can just play as an independent farmer going about your farm life. Most people do that as a stress reliever or to relax. However, if you choose to follow the story, the player would have to interact with the NPCs in town and complete tasks sent to them through the mail. For example, you were an NPC character in the game." 

'What did you do?'

"Honestly, I usually played it on co-op and preferred to fish and mine while my sister took the job of farming. I did follow the story if that's what you're asking."

'You said something about schedules earlier. If I'm understanding what you're saying so far, I- no, everyone in town- had set schedules of our lives that we were coded to follow.'

"Yep! You were all mindless characters in a game that repeated their lives every. Single. Year. You even said the same lines over and over again. Kinda weirdly morbid, right? To think that you are considered as just a video game character with no life outside of the game?"

'That... It's making me curious now.'

"Ohhh, curiosity killed the cat, ya know?"

'But satisfaction brought it back.'

"Ahahaha! Alright, I have an idea of where your thoughts are going."

'Right... So, you've told me that the schedule is set. Infinitely, I assume?'

"Correct."

'So if I were to have lived my life regularly as if nothing new has happened, would it go according to the game's story?'

"I'm not sure. You'd have to tell me about what has happened so far. I don't even know if there's a farmer here yet."

'Oh! That totally slipped my mind. Yes, if I remember correctly, the farmer will be moving in this coming spring. Lewis was telling my mom all about how the farmer was related to old man Vidon.'

"That means that if everything in the game were to happen, then it would all start right when he moves in. What day is it and what season is it currently?"

'It's 25 Summer. Fall will officially begin in 3 days.'

"That's gives us 2 full seasons before the farmer arrives. I won't be able to determine if the game and your world are connected until at least 2 weeks after the farmer begins their life here."

'What can we do until then?'

"... Well~ I'm not sure if you'd be so willing to go along my idea."

'That makes me worried about what you have in mind... I'm not a wimp so hit me with your best shot.'

"Have you ever been to the mines?"

Chapter Text

"THIS WAS THE WORST IDEA EVER!"

"I think you meant to say that this was the BEST idea ever!"

"Sam! Stop running around like a headless chicken and fight back!"

"Easy for you to say, Abby! I'm not the one staying out late at night training with a sword!"

"Ohhh. He exposed you, Abs. Are you going to take that from him?"

"Shut up, Seb!"

Several hours earlier

"The mines?" Sam accidentally repeated aloud just as Jodi opened his bedroom door. Jodi blinked and glanced questioningly around the room before her eyes landed on her frozen son.

"Who were you talking to? And what's this about the mines?" His mother inquired as she leaned against the door frame.

"Ah- Umm-"

"Tell her you were thinking of what your next Solarion Chronicles game should be set in!"

"I was just thinking of where our next Solarion Chronicles should take place! We're going to play tomorrow." Sam exclaimed in a hurry.

"Oh! I didn't know you were going to play with your friends tomorrow... You usually go hang out at the saloon on Fridays."

"We decided to make up for today! You know, since it rained on Wednesday and I had to work a shift today?"

"Oh! That makes sense. Well, dinner will be done soon. We're having fish casserole tonight!"

Sam let out a sigh as his mom closed the door. It was as if Yoba was testing him with the number of times he's been caught talking to himself.

"Hey, you didn't mention that tomorrow was a Friday. I thought you worked on Wednesdays?"

'I had to pick up a shift for today since it was closed on Wednesday due to the rain.'

"Oh, does that mean Penny doesn't teach on rainy days?"

'It depends on how heavy the rain is. If it's too heavy, she doesn't want Jas and Vince to get sick or hurt.'

"Oh. Well, now you have to contact Sebastian and Abby. Hey! I know Abby trains with a sword at night, so we can ask her to tag along to the mines!"

'OK, hold up! We got interrupted by my mom before you could clarify what your idea was. I haven't even agreed to go to the mines!'

"Well, you said you're not a wuss! Unless you're admitting you are one now that you know that my plan was to go into the mines?"

'O-of course not! I'm just confused as to why you want to in there.'

"Sam dinner's ready!"

Sam continued to argue with the voice as he makes his way into the dining room. He sat down and ignored the curious and weird looks coming from his mother and his younger brother.

'I'm just saying! I am in no way shape or form capable of fending for myself from whatever monsters there may be down there!' He thought in exasperation as he stabbed his food with much more force than necessary.

"And I'm saying that you'd be fine! I know the mines and I could help you out! Think of how fun and exciting it would be compared to staying inside all day or working yourself to the brink of exhaustion in a corporate market. Plus! You can earn so much money from all the minerals and gems down there! Then you can finally quit your job at Joja while still helping pay the bills!"

Vincent and Jodi watched as Sam furrowed his eyebrows and glared at his plate absent-mindedly. He stabbed the fish casserole a few times before scooping some onto his fork and practically shoved it into his mouth. Vincent glanced at his mother in confusion and worry, but she shrugged in response.

'How would I be able to explain how I suddenly wanted to explore the mines and become an adventurer? I have never been near the entrance of the mine, much less the inside!'

Jodi decided to clear her throat and grab the blond's attention. Sam blinked and turned his gaze to his mother. She almost sighed in exasperation when she saw the confusion her son was expressing.

"Are you okay, Sam? You're glaring at your food as if it personally offended you." She asked as Vincent turned to his brother discreetly.

"Oh. Um... I'm just- you know! Having an internal debate is all!" Sam chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his head.

"Was- Did you just make a pun?!"

"Oh! I see... If you don't finish your food soon, it's gonna go cold!" The family continued dining in silence, two of them unaware of a fourth presence having a conversation with the blond son inside his mind.

"Why are you so indiscreet when you're talking to me? You've been caught so many times by now."

'I'm not exactly the best actor if you didn't know. What's that one phrase... I wear my heart on my sleeves or something? I just can't control it. I'm expressive.'

"Anyway, talk to Sebastian and Abby about your impromptu gaming session tomorrow. Hey, maybe you can even tell them about me!"

'No way! They'd never believe me.'

"I mean, Abby has plenty of headcanons where she's actually the wizard's daughter. The fact that Pierre is worried he's not her biological dad supports that theory. And if you can prove it to Sebastian with some hard evidence, he'll probably give it a thought!"

'Headcanons? Wait, she's the wizard's daughter?!'

"Oops. Uh, headcanons are like theories? It's like ideas of a story that isn't mentioned or proven but it's accepted by yourself hence the 'head' part. It could also be widely accepted by the fandom of whatever fictional work it's about."

'So basically, many people believe that Abby is the daughter of the wizard and it hasn't been proven to be true or not.'

"Right! And if it were to be proven true, then it would become 'canon'."

'Where did they even come up with that idea?'

"Well... How else would you explain her purple hair?"

'...oh my Yoba. I never thought about that! Holy cow! I need to ask her.'

Sam finished his dinner quickly and helped washed the dishes when the voice urged him to. Jodi watched with a sense of amazement and disbelief while Vincent watched his brother in admiration. Sam rushed to his room and grabbed his phone.

Samsun ☀

Emergency meeting @ Seb's tomorrow!!

Meet in his room @ noon! Also no saloon tomorrow night

No questions!

Abs

???

We're not going to the saloon tomorrow?

SebEdge

why my place

Samsun ☀

I said no questions!

Buuut if you really wanna know

I need to tell you both something I just found out today

Abs

aight then

SebEdge

fine

"Ah yes. Such great friends. The best of friends. Though I gotta ask. Are you only friends with those two? What about Alex, Penny, and Haley? They're around your age right?"

'Ah, I guess you can say we're friends. We don't hang out as much as I do with Abby and Seb though. We all basically grew up together in this town!'

"This is a really small town... What about the others? Like Leah or Elliot? Or even Emily?"

'Hmm... I don't talk much with them. I usually don't see them much aside from Fridays at the saloon. Shouldn't you know this?'

"Well yes, but unlike the game, this is your reality. People actually have thoughts and control over their lives. Like how I could make you help with the dishes earlier. In the game, I don't think anyone but your mom and a few others did any chores. There weren't even any bathrooms aside from the bathhouse in the game!"

'I see. Having a thought process does make a difference.'

"Another example could also be curfews and sleeping schedules! The you in the game always fell asleep at 10 p.m. sharp."

'Ha! Imagine having a set sleeping schedule. I could barely sleep comfortably with the knowledge of my dad being away.'

"I just realized that I could spoil the future for you. I'm not sure if it'll affect anything much."

'You... You know if he comes back or not, don't you?'

"Yes. Would you like to know?"

'...couldn't hurt to know, right? At least I could be honest with Vince the next time he asks about Dad.'

"Well Sam, your dad comes back at the beginning of year two of the game. Which means-"

'He's coming home in a year and a half... He's coming home! He's alive and coming home!' Sam grinned widely at the news and rolled around the bed in giddiness.

"Yes, but war changes people, Sam. He won't be the same person he was when he left. I hope you acknowledge this and help him settle down in this peaceful town."

Sam's excitement faded away when he heard those words. He was so happy his father was finally coming back that he forgot that his dad was sent to a battlefield. Sam turned onto his back and stared at the blank ceiling.

"I'm just happy he's coming back..." He whispered ever so softly to his empty room.

"I know, Sam. Has your mom gotten the letter yet?"

'Letter?'

"Your father sent a letter telling your mom that he was coming back soon. I don't know exactly when he sent it, but it was in your mom's room on her nightstand when I found it in the game."

'Guess I'll have to check with her then.'

"Good idea. Now, I sincerely hope that you're not going to bed without brushing your teeth first, right?"

"Rise and shine!! Get up and at it! Today is going to be a fun day!"

"Ughhh... W-what time is it?" Sam asked as he squinted at the clock in his nightstand. His vision was too blurry to read it meaning it was much earlier than when he usually wakes up.

"It's already 8:30! C'mon, you gotta grab some supplies from Clint and meet with your friends! Then it's mining time!"

'Oh, I forgot we were going to explore the mines... Are you sure we have to do that?'

"Of course, I'm sure! I wouldn't go back on my word! Anyway, how much money do you have right now? Personal money, not your mom's."

'I've been saving up whatever I earn at JojaMart... Let's see...' Sam stood up from his bed and shuffled over to his closet where he pulled out a blue box. He opened the lid which revealed piles of gold coins inside.

'I have about 15,320 gold in total.'

"Hmm... If only there was a way for me to give you access to my in-game money..."

A sudden ringing sound knocked Sam onto his knees. He winced as he covered his ears in pain and agony. The voice called out to him in concern as the white noise continued to attack his eardrums. It nearly reached an unbearable level when it stopped as suddenly as it started. He took heavy breaths as he uncovered his ears and looked around the room. Nothing out of the ordinary.

He looked back down at the box to see all of his hard-earned money gone. In its place was a small pouch tied with a yellow string. He blinked in confusion.

"SAM!" Sam jumped at the volume of the voice.

'What? What just happened? Where's all my money?!'

"I don't know, Sam. You tell me. One minute I was talking about how I wanted to give you access to the money I had in the game and the next you were having some sort of attack or seizure!"

'I... I don't know what to tell you. I heard this painfully loud ringing noise out of nowhere and when it stopped, all that was different was this pouch.'

"...hold on. What's inside?"

Sam hesitantly grabbed the pouch and pulled the mouth open to peek inside. Before he could take a look, a holographic screen appeared. On the screen, it displayed two different lines.

Total: 21,649,840

Take out:  ___

"What in the name of Yoba...?" Sam muttered as he read the screen multiple times.

"Sam, oh my- Sam! I think that pouch holds your money! And it got combined with my own money from the game! You're rich now!"

"W-what? No way. There's absolutely no way."

"Why don't you try pulling out some money then?" Sam nodded as he tapped on the blank space on the screen only for his finger to go through it. Sam frowned in confusion.

"Try putting your hand in and thinking of how much you want to take out." Sam stuck his hand into the pouch and thought of a number. He glanced at the screen and his eyes widened as the number he thought of had appeared on the second line. When he felt something solid in the pouch, he pulled out his hand and stared in fascination at the golden coins he pulled out.

"Woah."

"That's amazing! But that's not what we're focussing on today. Hurry up and eat something so that you can go buy your equipment!"

Sam slid the coins back into the pouch and tied the pouch to his belt. Nodding in satisfaction, he went to the kitchen to heat some frozen pancakes to eat before he ran out of the house heading in the direction of the town's blacksmith. Once he reached his destination he leaned against the wall to catch his breath.

'So what's the excuse?'

"The excuse is that you wanted to have some fun in life. JojaMart literally sucked the life out of you and now you want to make up for the time it took."

'That won't work for everyone, especially with my mom.'

"It'll work for Clint and Marlon for sure! Plus, you're only asking for a pickaxe from Clint. That's not too suspicious!"

'I guess, but you better think of better excuses for anyone else that asks.'

Clint was surprised to see the older Harris son coming into his workshop. He never expected to see the blond anywhere aside from the saloon. When he asked for any available pickaxes, Clint nodded in understanding. Recently, there have been many rocks and boulders that appeared in the forest that require a pickaxe to remove. Clint gave Sam his finest stone pickaxe he had in stock and told the boy that it was on the house. However, the young man insisted that he would pay for it and asked for a price. Clint gave in and told him to pay a small value of 300 gold. Sam nodded and placed 500 gold into the elder's hands before bolting out the door, leaving behind a confused blacksmith.

"That went well! The adventurers guild doesn't open until later, so it's time to head to Sebastian's house!"

Sam arrived at the mountain path just as Robin was leaving the house. He assumed that she was heading to Pierre's for Caroline's aerobics session. He waved at her when she noticed him walking towards her.

"Good afternoon, Sam! Are you here to hang out with Sebastian?" She asked as full of energy as usual.

"Yes! We're going to be hanging in his room for most of the day to make up for yesterday." He answered while trying to keep his newly purchased pickaxe hidden from view. Robin smiled happily before she continued down the path. Sam let out a breath of relief and entered the house. He didn't see Demetrius nor Maru in the lab, so he had assumed that they were off doing their own things. He descended the stairs into the basement where his friend's room is located. Before entering, he gave the door a few knocks to alert the man inside.

"Hey, man." Sam greeted as the other grunted in response. Sebastian was sitting at his computer, probably programming something for a new client. Sam never understood the logic behind the computer screens and the various coding that every app and website undergo. The two sat in a comfortable silence as they waited for the third member of their group.

Sebastian finished processing the files for his client before shutting down his PC. He groaned as he stretched his arms out and above his head. He yawned as he glanced in the general direction of his best friend. Sam's eyes were closed and his eyebrows were pinched in deep thought. Then he caught sight of the pickaxe set next to the boy. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion and just as he was going to voice his thoughts, his other friend burst into the room.

"What's up, losers!" Abigail greeted in all her flare. Sam blinked and grinned as he saw that the last of the trio had arrived.

"Come, sit down! You too, Seb!" The blond called out from his spot on the floor. The three gathered around the table that was cleared of any scrap and materials. Abigail was blatantly staring at the pickaxe and glanced at the raven head for an explanation. Sebastian simply shrugged and the two looked to Sam expectantly.

"Okay, so what I'm about to share with you is a bit... How show I say this? Unbelievable? It's going to sound so unreal that you'll think I've gone insane! And I probably have, honestly, but that's not the point. Well, maybe it is related to what I was going to tell you about because it's just THAT mind-boggling and I still can't believe that it's happening but-!"

"Sam, you're rambling. Just get to the point." Seb deadpanned. Sam nodded and took a deep breath.

"I have a voice inside my head that came from another world where our lives were a video game."

"..."

"..."

The three sat in silence for a solid minute before Abigail cleared her throat. She opened her mouth only to close it. Closing her eyes, she brought her hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Sebastian was staring at the blond, trying to process what he just said. The blond in question squirmed under his friends' undivided attention.

"You... Have a voice inside your head?" Abigail started.

"From another world." Sam meekly added.

"And in this other world, our lives were a video game." Sebastian finished. Sam nodded as his two friends tried to understand what he told them.

"I hope you have some stone hard evidence of this because, yes, this is really unfathomable. But! If it is real, it'll be the most incredible discovery of my entire life!" Abigail cheered as she leaned closer to the blond.

"Evidence. How would Sam even provide evidence that this voice is real?" Sebastian, the ever skeptic, grunted.

"It said that it knows stuff that happens in the game that we never shared with anyone." Sam provided as he fiddled with his jacket. Abigail and Sebastian eyed the boy in suspicion before giving it a shot.

"Alright, sunny boy. Let's see what this voice knows that we don't." Abigail said settling back down. Sam nodded before turning his attention back to the voice.

'So? What do you have?'

"Abby's is easy! She likes to sneak out at night to the graveyard and practice sword fighting!"

"It says that Abby likes to sneak out and practice sword fighting at night at the graveyard."

Abigail stared in shock. No one should know about her nightly excursions. It was done late at night for a reason!

"Sebastian is a bit harder... Let's see... Oh! Did you know that he's saving up money to move to the city? Or! The reason he likes frogs is that he gained a natural affinity for them from being out in the rain ahahaha!"

"That's why he likes frogs?" Sam muttered under his breath as he glanced up at his friend. Sebastian definitely heard him and had his eyes narrowed.

"What was that?" Abigail asked with sparkling eyes. Sam cleared his throat before speaking.

"It said that the reason why Seb likes frogs is that he gained a natural affinity with them from being out in the rain."

"...holy fuck. You have a voice inside your head that knows about us," Sebastian said as he gaped at his blond friend with incredulity. Abigail on the other hand looked as if she was holding back from jumping in excitement.

"Sam! Do you know what this could mean?! This means that just about anything is possible now! Including magic! And more importantly, ghosts!"

"I forgot she was into the occult life. And she's not wrong about ghosts being real! Anyway, now is probably a good time to tell them about our plan."

"Uh, right. So there was another reason why I wanted to meet here today rather than the saloon." Sam said as his friends nodded and glanced toward the tool beside him. Sam swallowed his nerves as he picked up the pickaxe.

"How would you two like to go adventuring in the mines with me?" Abigail and Sebastian blinked. A few seconds passed before Abigail stood up, slamming her hands onto the small table. She had the biggest grin on her face as her wide eyes glimmered with excitement.

"Of course I'll go! I would never let down an opportunity to go adventuring!" She continued rambling as she paced back and forth. Sam looked at Sebastian, waiting for his answer in trepidation. The other boy sighed in what seemed to be irritation, but Sam could see the edges of his mouth twitch up into a smirk.

"Someone has to make sure you two don't die."

"That's a confirmation if I've ever heard one!"

"That being said... I hope you realize that you'll need more than just a pickaxe if you plan on going down into the mines. We need to be well prepared so that no one knows what we'll be doing." Sebastian said as Abigail nodded in agreement having finally settled down. Sam couldn't help smiling as Sebastian took out a piece of paper and a pen.

"Alright, so we'll need this and that..."

Present

"Sam duck!" Without hesitation, Sam crouched as low as he could as a sharp blade brushed the tip of his golden locks. He glanced up at the giant insect that got impaled and winced. It was still squirming on the blade.

"Gross, Abby. Why'd you have to gut it right in front of me?" Sam complained as he crawled out from his position. Abigail rolled her eyes as she swung the bug off her sword and into the wall with a splat.

"I just remembered how much I HATE bugs and insects. I think I'm gonna mentally hurl..."

'Don't you dare!'

The three friends have been exploring the mines for the past few hours. After brainstorming about what they would potentially need, the three decided on their designated jobs. Abigail would be the brawn of the trio. Being the most skillful with a sword and the strongest of the three, her job was to clear the area of any monsters that appeared. Sebastian was the scavenger and "health care". He carried medical supplies and energy bars in his pack in case one of them got hurt. He also carried a flashlight to help them see better. Finally, Sam was in charge of the actual mining. With a pickaxe and a slingshot on hand, he would pick up any rare ores and minerals they find. The slingshot was in case of emergencies. He brought some simple smoke bombs he learned to make online as ammunition. They'll be handy if the three needed to escape.

They were currently on the 18th floor of the mines and they were starting to get exhausted. To their luck, they've found some nice-looking minerals and even leather boots in their descent. Sam hummed with a sudden bout of giddiness. Sebastian yawned as he glanced at his watch.

"It's 10:25 now. We should wrap up soon." Sebastian said as he stretched his arms into the air.

"We should make it down to floor 20 first so that the next time we come back in, the elevator won't be stuck at floor 15," Abigail muttered as she examined the walls.

"Then let's find the ladder!" Sam said as he marched forth.

"..." Abigail sniffed as she glared at the walls some more. Sebastian nudged the girl as he passed by.

"What's wrong?" He whispered.

"...something doesn't seem right is all. Might just be my imagination."

"I found the ladder!" Sam called from ahead. The two glanced at each other before shrugging and joining their third at the ladder. As usual, Abigail climbed down first, followed by Sam, and finally Sebastian. Abigail narrowed her eyes at the green walls and mossy floors.

"Sam, it's an infested floor!"

"An infested floor?! How do we get out of it?!" Sam yelled from seemingly out of nowhere causing his friends to turn to him in a panic. He shook his head as he took out his slingshot and grabbed a couple of stones from his bag.

"One way is to use staircases but in your case you to kill all of the monsters."

"Sam! What is the voice saying?!" Abigail asked as she slashed at the slime hopping towards them.

"It said that we need to kill all of the monsters here to get to the next floor!"

Abigail nodded as she ran ahead and started to slice through any monster she saw. Sam helped her by shooting bugs out of the air with pebbles and sharp rocks. Sebastian watched it all go down from near the ladder. As Abigail stabbed the last slime, a ladder appeared next to Sebastian.

"A way down has appeared," Sebastian said using his Solarion Chronicles voice. Sam chuckled as Abigail huffed in satisfaction. They all climbed down and found an underground lake and a chest. Abigail called dibs on opening the chest and lucky for her, it was a steel small sword. Sam and Sebastian tried to see if there were fish in the lake.

"Oh! There's a fish right there!" Sam pointed at the brick-looking fish. Sebastian's nose wrinkled at the appearance of the fish, but, before he could say something, a pale fish jumped out of the water and onto land. Sam gasped as the white fish flopped around. He grabbed it by its tail and inspected it.

"It's blind... I think..."

"It is! The white one is a ghost fish. It's not an actual ghost but it's close enough. The other one was a stonefish! Both of them can only be found on this floor of the mines."

"Apparently it's a ghost fish but not an actual ghost. The other was a stonefish by the way." Sam said before tossing it back into the water. Sebastian rolled his eyes and turned back to Abigail who was testing out her new weapon.

"You ready to leave?" She nodded and sheathed the small sword. With that, the trio returned to the surface and back to their homes. They were all out as soon as their heads hit their pillows.