Umber’s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, alleyways, city of Luminara.


    Kaelyn watched as Elyssia’s glare lingered on her, sharp as a blade still in its sheath. That was fine.


    She had expected Elyssia to be the toughest nut to crack. Some women—especially the smart ones, the confident ones—could smell the game a mile away.


    Elyssia would not be easy to control, but she was not the target, anyway.


    At least, not yet.


    Every stream needed a villain, after all.


    Kaelyn let a small smile slip, just enough to keep the tension tight without snapping.


    Let her stew. Elyssia’s problem was that she thought she was protecting her friends from me.


    She was already playing her role perfectly. The fierce protector, the one who would do anything to keep her little party safe.


    The audience would eat that up.


    Every good story needs a hero.


    But the smart ones know a hero is only as good as the obstacles they face.


    And who better to throw in Elyssia’s path than Kaelyn herself?


    A little “friendly” competition. A dance of wits and subtle domination. Elyssia would resist, but that was part of the charm.


    The tension between them would make every interaction electric, every stream a must-watch.


    No, Elyssia was more useful in resisting her charms than falling for them.


    But that hunk of a burrovian? Now there was a delicious challenge.


    Kaelyn’s gaze shifted toward the tall ranger, casually leaning against a pillar, his arms crossed. His quiet confidence intrigued her.


    Handsome, of course—no surprise there. Twitch chat would love him. He had that brooding, untouchable vibe, the charisma that made women lean in just a little closer, trying to catch his eye.


    Men would hate him, envy him. Or they would want to be him.


    Either way, he was a goldmine waiting to be exploited.


    He would be the key part of the show—without him even realising it. He would struggle, but that would only make it more fun.


    We’ll get to him, eventually. For now, let him think of himself as a noble protector.


    Kaelyn smiled, picturing the group’s narrative in her mind.


    A handsome, aloof man surrounded by two goddesses, the blonde and the silver-haired one, and an indestructible tank? It was too perfect.


    She could practically hear the chat now: “Who’s the bunny boy with the goddesses?”


    And that was just for starters.


    If she played it right, she could tease a little romantic tension into the streams—flirtations and close calls, all without ever crossing the line. Nothing killed a good fantasy like going too far.


    She would dangle the possibility just out of reach. That would keep the viewers hooked.


    But the real prize, the real clickbait gold, was standing beside Elyssia, shy and unsure.


    Vaelith.


    Kaelyn’s eyes flicked toward her, a spark of excitement shooting through her veins.


    God, I could just eat her up.


    It did not even matter Vaelith was not aware of the effect she had—the audience would see it instantly. The viewers would be obsessed, not just with her look, but with her narrative.


    They would see her insecurity, the awkward shyness, and they would fall for her.


    Hook, line, and sinker.


    And Kaelyn?


    I’d be there to make sure they kept watching.


    The possibilities were endless.


    Kaelyn could already imagine the clickbait titles: “Baby Luxoria Fights to Prove Herself!”


    Or maybe something a bit more controversial, just enough to stir the pot: “Is This Shy Mage Too Weak to Handle the Pressure?”


    Hell, she could lean into the whole redemption arc. Turn Vaelith into the underdog—the quiet, unsure character who was too meek to believe in herself until Kaelyn and the others pushed her into greatness.


    Audiences love a good redemption arc.


    Especially when they’re framed as a team effort. People would tune in just to watch Vaelith grow, to root for her.


    Kaelyn had already run the numbers in her head.


    A slow build-up.


    First, introduce her audience to Vaelith—meek, nervous, unsure.


    People would sympathise with her, maybe even project their own insecurities on to her.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Then, push her. Kaelyn would create the perfect opportunities to throw Vaelith into the spotlight, just enough to watch her squirm.


    It would captivate the audience—the struggle, the tension.


    And then, the final act: Vaelith finding her power.


    She would gain confidence, finally step into her role as a goddess-like mage.


    The audience would cheer her on, feel like they had been part of the journey.


    All the while, Kaelyn would be right there, guiding the narrative, pulling the strings.


    “Baby Luxoria Finds Her Inner Power!“


    It was pure gold.


    Kaelyn’s grin widened, careful to keep it hidden from the others. Vaelith did not even know it, but she was a walking goldmine.


    But she had to make sure that Kaelyn was the one who turned the key.


    After all, why let Vaelith have all the glory, when Kaelyn was the one crafting the narrative?


    Vaelith might look like Luxoria, but Kaelyn would be the reason people stayed tuned in.


    Her audience would see the strings she pulled, even if the others did not.


    But it was not just about Vaelith. Kaelyn needed the entire party to make it work.


    Elyssia for her resistance, the bunny for his mystery, and Vaelith for her vulnerability.


    Together, they were the perfect storm of personalities, the group dynamic that could blow the viewership numbers through the roof.


    The drama, the tension, the flirtations—it all added up to one thing.


    Fame.


    Kaelyn leaned back, her tail flicking lazily behind her, eyes half-lidded as she gazed over at her new companions.


    They don’t even see it. They have utterly no idea what’s coming.


    And that made it even more thrilling.


    Vaelith would be her star.


    Bunny-boy, the enigmatic heartthrob.


    Elyssia, the foil, the fire.


    And Kaelyn? Kaelyn would be the enabler.


    She would guide them, push them, manipulate them—all the while her audience watched in rapt attention.


    This wasn’t just a game anymore.


    It was a business.


    Time to turn this ragtag crew into the greatest story the world had ever seen.


    <hr>


    The evening wound down soon afterwards. The four of them agreed to form a permanent party.


    Kaelyn agreed to pay for the fee to register it. She was by far the wealthiest of the group, thanks to multiple generous donations earlier that day.


    She would pay, but that gave her the ability to name the group, and she already had a name in mind


    Golden Dawn.


    It was obviously a reference to Vaelith’s golden scales and her last name.


    But it was also a throw-back to a secret magic society, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.


    Couldn’t find a more fitting name for our little mage’s entourage.


    Leoric had been the first to leave, mentioning having to catch up on work tomorrow. He stretched in a long yawn, the subtle gleam of many lanterns catching the curve of his armour as he vanished.


    Elyssia, ever efficient, logged out after wishing Vaelith a good night, her avatar fading with a quiet flash.


    Vaelith had hesitated, the nervous flicker of her tail betraying her uncertainty. She gave Kaelyn a small smile and a farewell wave before blinking out of existence.


    Kaelyn waited a few seconds longer, letting her presence linger. Instead of shutting down the FullDive system, she pulled out of the game into her virtual Hub and its neon-coloured lights.


    There’s still much to do before we can call it a night. Oh yes. Now comes the real work.


    She accessed her video editing software.


    Instantly, her mind switched gears, moving from playful social manipulation to calculated business mode. She requested the game all of saved recordings and pulled up the one she’d been waiting for: the dance in the market square.


    A smile tugged at her lips as the video played, her eyes fixed on the screen, watching herself glide across the plaza, her tail swishing rhythmically as she took Vaelith’s hand.


    She scrubbed through the footage, fast-forwarding past the wide-angle shots of the crowd and the scenery.


    That was not the content people would come for.


    She knew exactly what moments mattered—the ones where the tension was thick enough to slice through.


    There!


    Kaelyn slowed the playback, zooming in on the delicate exchange between herself and Vaelith.


    She smiled as she operated the software. Footage in VR differed so much from traditional camera and film. With physical media, you had to capture everything perfectly.


    But with advances to video editing software? It would be a piece of cake.


    For starters, rather than taking a video of what she had been looking at, modern captures kept track of everything surrounding her—objects, characters, motions, sounds and so on.


    From the resulting file, Kaelyn could then tweak anything. The simpler adjustments, like lighting, time of day and colour balance, were trivial.


    But she could go far beyond. Changing someone’s pose, facial expressions, the direction of a character’s gaze. Anything you could think of.


    It was the ultimate evolution of what had started as photo modes a few decades back.


    Of course, doing this for an entire video would be a huge undertaking. But with the creation of AI-assisted movie directors and powerful LERPs tools, anyone could take some game footage and turn it into a polished, professional-looking video.


    Focus!


    Kaelyn concentrated herself back on the earlier footage.


    The insecurity in Vaelith’s posture, the way she had quivered ever so slightly when Kaelyn’s fingers brushed her scales, the bashful glance she’d cast downwards.


    Gold. Pure, unrefined gold.


    Kaelyn adjusted the camera angle, tweaking it for emphasis. She zoomed in closer, highlighting Vaelith’s flushed cheeks, the nervous energy radiating off her.


    The crowd would beg for more. Viewers loved the vulnerable ones—the quiet ones who were easy to read.


    They would dissect her every reaction. Magnify and slow the video, and over analyse every inch of her.


    Kaelyn knew exactly how to frame it: the coy smiles, the flirtatious body language, all carefully calibrated to make it look like there was something more happening beneath the surface.


    The shy mage who blushes every time the blonde beauty grazes her hand.


    The narrative was too perfect.


    She chuckled to herself, dragging the clip to the editing timeline and slicing out the unnecessary filler.


    It would only take a few well-placed cuts to turn a simple moment into something suggestive—enough to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, wondering, hoping, for some kind of romantic development.


    Kaelyn’s eyes gleamed as she worked, her fingers dancing across the keyboard. She knew how to pace it—leave just enough unsaid to keep the audience guessing.


    That was the trick. You never gave them everything. You let them fantasise, let them project. And when they did, they’d always come back for more.


    Her mind spun with potential titles: “The Golden Dawn—First Steps Toward Victory” or maybe “Our Goddess-Like Mage Finally Gets the Attention She Deserves.”


    But she knew she needed something spicier for the first upload. Something that would hook people.


    Found it!


    “Is There More to Kaelyn and Vaelith’s Chemistry? Watch This and Decide for Yourself!”


    Her fingers hovered over the title bar as she grinned at the screen. The viewers would eat it up. The comments would buzz with speculation.


    Is Vaelith into Kaelyn?


    Did you see the way she blushed?


    Kaelyn knew how this worked—she didn’t have to say anything outright. She just had to plant the seed. Her audience would water it for her.


    Click!


    She saved the completed video. Time to create the Golden Dawn’s team splash screen. She pulled glamour shots, using footage from their conversation in the darkened alley.


    She captured everyone in their best light, fitting the narrative she had for them.


    The other two members would not show up in the first video, but their presence on that thumbnail and intro would just spark a very torrent of comments from speculation.


    Who are the other two?


    The video began uploading, the loading bar ticking away as Kaelyn leaned back, satisfied.


    This was only the beginning.


    Tomorrow, she would push a little more.


    Let Vaelith step into the spotlight a bit, nudge Leoric toward more of those brooding, mysterious moments her viewers loved, and make sure Elyssia stayed just antagonistic enough to keep the tension high.


    They all played their parts perfectly.


    Her smile turned into a grin.


    And the best part? None of them knew.


    As the video finished exporting, Kaelyn stretched, letting out a contented yawn.


    She closed the movie studio, her mind already spinning with ideas for tomorrow’s stream.


    She had built her Golden Dawn.


    But now, it was time to reward herself with a long-overdue catnap.


    It had been a long day.