He hated endings. All the melancholy. All the hard work and all the enjoyment taking its place in the past, never to continue. He associated it with leaving behind a well-read story or a deserved vacation. For Hajime the end was the worst part of the story.

He scrolled through the menus in the DMMORPG he had come to love because it had no endings. The interface of YGGRDASIL slowly showing him his guild's characters. Hajime's hard work for the last ten years of his gaming life scrolled past him. He let out a contented sigh as he remembered the good times he had with each of them. A warrior, clad in heavy full-plate, brandishing their sword high in triumph. A mage held an ornate staff in his left hand with electricity arcing over his head and into his opposite hand. A ranger, crouching in the trees with a nocked arrow, ready for release. Characters of all levels and classes cycled through.

I got to know the game, in and out. Hajime thought. I've experimented with every class and tried every build. With the guildies I had ran through most all the raids. He chuckled, It was quite the ride.

The menu slowed as it reached near the end.

What should I do for the last bit of the game?

The cursor fell on one last character. A low-mid level female elf magus. It was his sister's character. She had stopped playing earlier and had given him her login info when she left. Hajime paused over this one.

We never got to get you to the late game, did we? Hajime sat back and glanced at the time.

11:45

Well, may as well have you be my last character. He confirmed his selection.

Light blazed in his vision and he was flying down a tunnel which a large door appeared as the only entrance. The darkwood door opened on its own and allowed Hajime passage. After his eyes adjusted from flying through it, he was standing in the lobby of his old guild hall.

It wasn't an ornate room. The walls were plain and had few decorations. The insignia of the guild that once occupied here was on a few scant banners. It was barely discernable as a guild hall.

The silence was disquieting.

Hajime's avatar scowled. Even more indicators this was an ending.

He sauntered over to a signboard with labels and placed his hand down on it. Personal rooms, auction house, training grounds, the overworld, and finally the guild bank. The spartan locales kept Hajime's guild in obscurity. Kaz Aida Firius was his guild's name, the name displayed luxuriously at the top of the signboard. Hajime was often amused with YGGDRASIL's guild naming conventions. Three words from the game's library of it's own invented language. It would sometimes make for humorous combinations, usually worn as a mark of pride.

11:50

A weak smile formed on Hajime's face as he took his hands from the board before meandering down the hallway. He walked towards the personal quarters assigned to the guild. Each room inside had a name board overhead which signified ownership. Inside, their contents remained as if expecting their owners to return. All the names were friends he recognized. Some he knew in real life, but most were only here in the game.

Hajime turned a corner and walked down the hall leading toward the guild bank. Soon after, the racial abilities of elves kicked in. Wit his heightened hearing he picked up the faint noise of chatter from down the hall.

His head perked up and he picked up his pace. His steps echoed sharply to announce his presence.

Who could be on at this time? I should've checked the guild rosters when I logged back in.

The guild's bank came into view. The voices heard inside as the guild voice chat feature turned on when a guild member was near. Two men were conversing fondly.

"And after that, Jasper still insisted he didn't have a chicken on his head!" the first voice said.

Laughter came from the second man, "That was one of the best April Fool's pranks. Who came up with that idea? Scuzzy?"

"Nah, it was Dellyn! Of all people!" the first man said.

The second man guffawed, "No way!"

"It's true, I helped," Hajime said walking inside.

The two men sat across from another on sofas in a lounge to the side of the main floor of the bank. A coffee table was set between them and a man in dark armor had rested his feet on it. An aura of darkness wafted from the where his gloves met his sleeves and from his boots. His face obscured by shadow, except for a pair of glowing eyes. Opposite him a man wearing an impressive set of full-plated armor who had to turn around to see Hajime. A sword, crackling with energy rested against the sofa he was sitting on. Around his head floated runes like a crown as well as more around his arms and legs.

The dark one recognized his voice and greeted Hajime. "Tenshu!" You're enjoying the end of the best thing to ever happen to us, with that? Whatever happened to your account?" He motioned to Hajime's avatar.

"This character is my sister's, actually." Hajime's avatar gave a weak smirk. He walked over to the other seat near the two and unceremoniously dropped his pack. He then fell down into the seat. "The character's name is Elora."

The elf Hajime was playing was wearing a set of plain armor. Her blonde hair was tied up in a simple ponytail behind her head and she wore a small silver trinket on her neck. She had blue gambeson that was barely showing through a chain shirt with a light breastplate on top. Her legs had the same padding on the thighs with plate greaves attached to sabatons over her feet. On her back she wore her adventuring gear. A green cloak covered her back and fell to mid calf. A backpack strapped overtop. Various potions and tools were hanging from the edges and open pockets. A longsword strapped to her right hip.

"It's just how I'm trying to trick myself into thinking there's more to this." He stretched both arms into the air, "Ya know, before it all ends."

The dark one pointed a thumb at the other, "Kadesh and I were just reminiscing. We felt better about seeing this place off in our first avatars we played in YGGDRASIL."

Hajime relaxed into the seat, "Not a bad way to end it I guess, Traizen"

Kadesh sighed, "We were about to log off, actually."

Traizen leaned over to Kadesh and smacked his knees.

"Way to end the conversation man!"

Kadesh became defensive, "What? We were!"

Traizen took a deep breath and looked up, dejected. "I know, we've both got work tomorrow. And I've got school before that."

Hajime's avatar smiled. "I forgot you were roommates."

"Brothers too, actually," Kadesh said.

"Huh, no kidding?"

"Yep," Kadesh drawled.

11:55

A few moments passed in silence before Traizen stood up.

"It's going to be pretty empty here without you guys, ya know?" Hajime said.

Traizen put his hands on his hips, "I know. I'm almost regretting the fact the guild never created any guildhall NPCs."

Hajime shrugged. "Well, we were never a PVP guild, so we didn't need to defend our stuff."

"You're coming to that new DMMO, aren't you?"

Hajime let his head fall backward onto the chair. "I don't know. After all this, I don't know if I can start over. Not really. I may not play any more MMO's."

"That's a shame. Well, it's been fun." Traizen clapped hands with Hajime.

"When you want to game again, you know where to find us," Traizen said before logging off.

Kadesh stood up after him. "You take care."

Hajime nodded back with a friendly smile.

Kadesh then started to do the logout procedure before his head shot up. "Oh, before I forget. We've banked all our items, if you want to play around with them in the last few minutes of the game then go ahead."

"Thanks, I'll be sure to." It may be fun, to see everyone's collection.

With that, Kadesh finally logged off. The inevitable silence came to confirm the end.

11:58

Hajime let out a breath and kicked himself up. He walked over to the desk where guild members could access the bank. Hajime yawned as he pulled up the interface to give him access. A few buttons pushed and he was in a large armory. Racks of high level armor and weapons lay in storage, magical energies flowed in the air around them. Hajime could feel the radiating powers. A walkway went forward into the center where it crossed a second path. If he continued forward, he would be able to access the guild funds. To his left and to his right were paths that lead to where they stored the premium items.

11:59

Picking a spot near the crossing, Hajime sat down and hugged his knees by a rack of armor.

11:59:30

Even more than all the guild's characters, this room represents the life I've lived for the past ten years. It's a shame to see it all go to waste.

11:59:57

:58

:59

Hajime took one final look at the guildhall when he felt a sudden force pull him backwards. Then finally, the compulsion to sleep.

12:00:00

I hate endings…