Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Getting on the train that would take him to Woodbury, Klaus noticed that some people's eyes were on him as he passed their seats. He checked in the reflection of a window to see if he had anything stuck to his face, even a crumb of toast or a smudge, but there was nothing, until as he sat down he saw a woman with a child approach him and say:

"Hello, you're Klaus Park, right? Please take a picture with my son, he's a big fan of yours."

Klaus finally understood why everyone was staring at him. Then he looked at the boy and saw a mixture of surprise and admiration in the young fan's shining eyes. The boy, with his T-shirt emblazoned with the Rise Online symbol, was trembling slightly with excitement as he shyly held up a poster with fan art of the Kaizen character.

Facing the boy with a warm smile, Klaus readily agreed. "Sure, I'd be happy to take a picture with him!" said Klaus, getting up and positioning himself next to the boy for the long-awaited photo.

The clicks of the camera echoed through the train, and soon the boy and his mother were thanking each other effusively before moving away to sit in their seats.

Sitting down again, Klaus realized for the first time what it was like to have a bit of fame. Although he knew he was well known on RO forums and so on, he didn't know that it would go so far as to be recognized on a small train in Woodbury, and the boy and his mother didn't seem to be the only ones who recognized him there. A few other passengers exchanged glances and whispers, as well as murmuring about his participation in the war that took place last night, while watching from afar, keeping a respectful distance.

The journey to Woodbury went smoothly, and Klaus took the time to reflect on his life since becoming a public figure in the world of online gaming. Until then, he hadn't felt the real-life effects of revealing his true identity and were those eyes glazing over him everywhere all the time? He remembered the days when he played in the small bedroom of Emma's apartment, completely oblivious to the fame that awaited him.

As he gazed out of the window at the landscape, Klaus's phone vibrated. When he answered, a familiar voice echoed on the other end.

"Klaus, this is Charles Richards. Is everything ready for the Special Program campus presentation today?" asked Charles, one of the developers of Rise Online. "Or do you want another day off to rest?"

"I'm already on my way, Charles," replied Klaus. "Wait, could I have asked for an extra day off?"

"Of course, you can use the points you received as a prize from the tournament to open a request. Besides, given the situation you faced this early in the morning, no program coordinator would be crazy enough to turn down a request for time off." Charles replied, which made Kaizen slap himself hard on the forehead feeling like an idiot. "Anyway, it's good news that you're on your way. As you can imagine, we have to talk after your Evolution this morning and, as this is a very serious matter, I'd prefer it to be in person. When you get your things ready in your dorm, please come to the boardroom."

"All right, I'll do that."

"Good, good!" said Charles enthusiastically. "We're all looking forward to your arrival. Don't be late, please. There are a lot of expectations surrounding your presence."

When he hung up the phone, Klaus went back to observing the interior of the train, only this time he was more pensive than ever. He looked around, thinking about what Charles had said and it was at that moment that he noticed a young woman sitting in a seat a little way forward, looking back, but when she saw that he was watching her, she turned completely forward.

Curious, he frowned and recognized her by her black hair, gold earrings and chic outfit. It was Ashley Cox, his girlfriend until almost a week ago. Of course, Klaus' heart raced as he recognized Ashley Cox, the woman with whom he had shared intense moments, and now seeing her on the same train as he had met her seemed too much for him to think about. His gaze met hers briefly before she looked away again.

Deciding to keep his distance because of everything that had happened between them after the end of the Special Program Tournament and also because he had promised to wait for Lily of the Bleed, Klaus turned his attention to the window. The green landscapes and small towns passed quickly by, but his thoughts were fixed on Ashley's unwelcome presence. He wondered if she was aware of the fame he had gained or if it was just a coincidence that he had found her on the same train once again.

A few minutes passed, and Klaus could feel the intensity of Ashley's gaze burning towards him. Resisting the temptation to glance back to curse her for breaking his heart, he kept his eyes on the ever-changing landscape. However, he couldn't help noticing, through the reflection of the window, that Ashley was moving towards him.

With a rigid posture, Klaus continued to ignore her, concentrating on the vibration of the train beneath his feet, except that no matter how much he wanted to, it became almost impossible to ignore him when she stopped beside him and hesitantly, as if unsure how he would react, said:

"Klaus..."

He didn't reply immediately. The atmosphere between them was charged with unspoken tension.

"I heard about what happened last night..." began Ashley, her soft voice sounding a little restrained. "I mean, I'm sorry about everything that happened that day. I... I wish I could have been there to support you."

Klaus remained silent, not bothering to reply. He was determined to keep a clear boundary between them, since their relationship had come to an abrupt and painful end for him.

Despite this, Ashley sat down. "I saw the news this morning about the war in the game," Ashley continued, searching for words that could break through the barrier Klaus had erected. "I was worried. Are you okay?"

The question sounded genuine, but Klaus wasn't willing to open his emotions to her. He took a deep breath before finally answering, keeping his tone cold and distant.

"I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about."

Ashley lowered her eyes for a moment, as if absorbing his words. Klaus continued to stare out of the window, oblivious to her presence beside him. The silence between them stretched on, broken only by the soft murmur of the passengers and the constant sound of the tracks beneath the train. There was a long, uncomfortable pause before she spoke again.

Finally, after a while, Ashley took a deep breath and moved slightly away from him in the seat. However, Ashley didn't return to his seat.

"I understand that things have changed between us," she said sincerely. "But that doesn't mean I don't care about you. I just wanted you to know that."

Klaus didn't reply immediately. He continued to stare out of the window, but now something in his expression began to soften. Perhaps it was the vulnerability in his voice or the memory of the moments they had shared. Klaus couldn't help but sigh before finally speaking.

"Ashley, things have changed. I've changed. There's no going back." He replied respectfully, because the times with Ashley had indeed been good. "Yes, I made a bad mistake by lying to you about what I did, but you showed me how right I was to do so, because the reaction you got was exactly what I feared. However, you don't have to worry about me, you made me realize some things, and maybe other people close to me too, so I stopped wasting time and devoted it all to those who really care about me."

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