[ WP ] You walk towards your car and try to open the door handle late at night - `` You can not fast travel when enemies are nearby '' .

`` We ’ ll be off now!'' 
 
 `` Get home safely, ya?'' Matt called from his porch. 
 
 We wave back and head for my car. We were visiting Matt to play a new multiplayer RPG his company was developing. And no, I don ’ t mean an MMORPG. The bunch of us grew up together playing split screen games like Halo, and being such a sentimental guy, Matt wanted to relive those memories by creating a first-person RPG with split screen, although I think we ’ re just helping him test it for free at this point. 
 
 `` Man, that was so fun! I never thought I ’ d like RPGs so much,'' Ren said, stretching his back after spending hours hunched in front of the TV. `` See, what did I tell you? They ’ re so much better than Call of Duty!'' Ellie replied. Ren stops in his tracks, tilts his head up and waves a finger. `` Uh-uh, it ’ s definitely better than Final Fantasy XIII.'' 
 
 Though I want to defend my favourite Final Fantasy game, there are more important things to do. While they argue some more, I take out the car keys from my pocket and turn on the engine, but for some reason I can ’ t unlock the doors. `` Hmm, curious…'' I spam the button and reach for the handle, but sadly it won ’ t budge. 
 
 `` Hey Justin, what ’ s wrong?'' Ellie's finally taken a break from arguing. 
 
 `` I ’ m not sure, it ’ s not -'' 
 
 A blinding light shines before us. Once my eyes get used to the sudden shocker I see a translucent grey rectangle hovering just above the roof of the car. Ellie steps forward, adjusting her glasses. `` Is that…'' 
 
 `` Guess I ’ m not seeing things, huh?'' Ren scratches his head. I can not believe my eyes. `` You can not fast travel when enemies are nearby,'' I read aloud. `` What does that even mean?'' 
 
 I hear a rumble that ’ s increasing rapidly in volume, and suddenly the warm night air ’ s punctuated with silence. 
 
 `` Over there!'' Ellie sees something and points it out. An ominous green light, behind some trees. It ’ s walking slowly, but soon enough it reveals itself. A humanoid figure clad in armour, almost similar to the ronin-like ghost we had just encountered in Matt ’ s game. 
 
 *Oh no. * 
 
 `` What ho - what is that demonry!?'' Ren starts backing away. For a beefcake like him you wouldn ’ t really expect him to see him scared. But then again, this *ghastly* sight must be seen to be believed. The one-armed figure hasn ’ t moved, but now we see more of his buddies surrounding us. The three of us have our backs against one another now, and these guys don ’ t look like they ’ re letting us off so easily. 
 
 *Are we gon na die? What ’ s going on? * 
 
 `` I-I ’ ve got an idea,'' Ellie stammers. `` If we ’ re really in a game now, we should have weapons of some sort, right?'' 
 
 `` Makes sense,'' I reply, though in my head I ’ m screaming how any of this makes sense. `` But what happens if we don ’ t?'' 
 
 `` We just have to try then!'' Ren answers, eyes closed as he raises his hands, gripping the air as though he ’ s about to summon the mace his character uses. 
 
 *And lo and behold, it happens. * 
 
 A light shines, forming the outline of a mace. Ren grabs it, the light fading as it solidifies. `` Whoops!'' Ren struggles to wield the mace. Apparently it ’ s heavier than he thought. 
 
 `` Woah damn!'' I ’ m actually amazed at this turn of events. I turn to see Ellie summoning her character ’ s weapons as well - a pair of rapiers. When they solidify, they glisten under the pure white light of the LED-embedded lamppost above us. She looks at me and frowns. `` Waiting to get killed? Do it already!'' 
 
 I take one last look around. The ronin are closing in, so I cross my forearms across my chest, hands in front of my shoulder joints, and voila - my pair of pistol/kukris hybrid gunblades are in my hands, the textured rubber grip reaffirming that this isn ’ t just the real life, it ’ s also fantasy. 
 
 But this awesome feeling fades away when a grey rectangle appears again. 
 
 **Mattellica has joined the party. ** 
 
 And sure enough, some of the ronin demons fall. Matt ’ s brandishing the huge ass katana he uses in the game to `` accidentally'' insta-kill at least one of us whenever we ’ re in a cramped space. Why the game had that I ’ ll have to ask later. 
 
 `` Sorry, a bug appeared in the game, and I couldn ’ t control it in time,'' a flustered Matt apologises as he rushes over to us. `` Wait, you made such a dangerous game?'' Ren yells, and some of the ronin flinch in shock. `` I ’ m sorry, okay,'' Matt continues. `` But we can talk about this later. For now, kill or die!'' 
 
 Despite not having any fighting experience, we go about taking the ronin down. One by one, they fall, until we're the only ones standing. Miraculously, we're unscathed, but worn out from such an intense fight. Once I catch my breath, I turn to Matt, who's lying flat on the concrete driveway to his garage. 
 
 `` We need to talk.''
