ã€ŠState of the Artã€‹


 Chapter 1: The Weight of Silence

    Wednesday, August 27th, 2042, Coal Harbour, Vancouver, Canada.

    Sophie Kim woke to the soft chime of her phone¡¯s alarm, its digital melody breaking the stillness of her one-bedroom studio apartment in Vancouver. The ULED display of her phone shone brightly, acting as a luminotherapy lamp¡ªan all-too-common sight in a city that gets so little sunlight. Outside her window, the sky was grey and overcast. If you squinted hard enough, you might glimpse a light drizzle, typical for the season. The weather mirrored her mood, though she barely noticed the dim light filtering through the curtains of her twelfth-floor apartment. Living in this city for all twenty-nine years of her life has desensitised her to gloomy weather.

    As she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, memories of the last conversation with Daniel that led to their breakup played on a loop.

    <hr>

    It had started like any normal conversation.

    ¡°Come on, Sophie. This is the perfect setup. I¡¯ve got a steady job, and you¡¯re freelancing. You don¡¯t even need to work all the time if you don¡¯t want to. We move in together, start saving up, maybe kids down the line. I¡¯d support us. No babysitters, no daycare¡ªwhat¡¯s there to think about?¡± Daniel had said, his words as familiar as a broken record.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to think about? Everything, Daniel. We talked about this before¡ªover and over¡ªI¡¯m not ready for all that. I like my space, having control over my life.¡± She had gestured at their shared apartment vaguely. ¡°And this, it¡¯s all too much. Too fast.¡±

    Her chest had tightened as the words had left her sharper than she had intended. But had he not been listening? Had he not realised how trapped she had felt?

    ¡°Too fast? We¡¯ve been together for years, Soph. What¡¯s there to hesitate about? We¡¯ve proven this works. What else is it going to take for you to see that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not hesitating!¡± she had said, cutting him off, her fists clenched in her lap. Her nails had dug into her palms as she had tried to rein in her temper.

    ¡°You are. You always hesitate. Just... stop waffling and decide for once. We could be so much more than... this.¡±

    He had looked around the small apartment like it had been barely tolerable, exasperated.

    ¡°You want me to decide? Fine. Here you go¡­¡±

    She had clenched her hands, gathering her courage.

    ¡°Well, look at that. Finally decisive,¡± he had said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

    ¡°... We¡¯re DONE!¡±

    She had nearly spat out the last word.

    ¡°What?¡± he had asked, caught totally off-guard.

    ¡°You want a commitment? Then here¡¯s mine. You can go chase your perfect life somewhere else, with someone else. I¡¯m not signing up for it,¡± she had said before storming out of the apartment.

    <hr>

    At first, they had been a perfect match. Both worked in graphic design and shared a love for movies, novels, and games. They were both active, enjoyed hiking, and even had similar culinary tastes and dietary restrictions¡ªthey were both lactose intolerant. But Daniel had kept pushing for his ideal future to settle down, while Sophie needed the freedom to follow wherever the wind would take her. Neither of them had been willing to compromise on that matter, and that had marked the beginning of the end.

    Sophie recalled his ability to command attention had been intoxicating at first. But over time, it became exhausting watching people hang on his every word. They would go to dinner with friends, and somehow, she would end up on the sidelines, listening to Daniel recount stories as if she were not even part of them.

    Not that he meant to leave her out¡ªit was just... she would never get the chance to shine like that. Not next to him: he was tall and beautiful and certainly knew it. He had an undeniable charisma that commanded attention in any situation, and Sophie had found herself completely enthralled from the moment she first saw him.

    As she stared at the grey sky through her twelfth-floor window, she felt a tightness in her chest, the familiar pressure of expectations pressing in. Her parents¡¯ voices echoed in her mind, their well-meaning but persistent questions about when she and Daniel would settle down, get married, start a family. Everyone always seemed to know what she should want¡ªexcept her.

    She found little reminders of him in her apartment almost every day. Sophie¡¯s eyes glimpsed at the leather-bound notebook Daniel had gifted her, the one where he had suggested she could jot down plans for their life together. She ran her fingers over the cover, remembering how easily he had taken charge of decisions, even the smallest ones.

    ¡°Trust me, I know what¡¯s best for us,¡± he had said with that annoying, confident smile, as if she had been the unreasonable one for hesitating. And back then, she had wanted to believe him.

    But that confidence¡ªthe charm that had once made him so irresistible¡ªhad suffocated her over time, pushing her toward choices that were never truly her own.

    Shaking those thoughts away with a groan, Sophie swung her legs over the edge of the bed and grabbed an elastic band from the nightstand, sweeping her long black hair into a quick ponytail. She had worn an oversized t-shirt to bed, something that doubled as a nightgown. For a moment, she considered changing into something else but decided against it¡ªit would do just fine. Sophie chuckled; Daniel would not have let that one slide, no way. But as with most other days, she had no plans to go anywhere today. Not physically, at least.

    The pandemic of 2020 had introduced the world to the wonders of working from home. Back then, it was a pivotal moment for changing work-life balance. But it had not been perfect. Even then, people had to dress up and clean up for the webcam. But now, in 2042? Nearly everything happened in FullDive VR, and your real-life attire or bed hair did not matter one bit to your virtual avatar.

    Sophie stood and walked over to the kitchenette. Eating a proper meal was a luxury for some¡ªeither the rich or those who grew up with them and clung to the past. It was much simpler¡ªand cheaper¡ªto let the FullDive machines handle their dietary needs while they indulged in exotic virtual feasts. Not having to count calories was a pretty great perk, she smirked.

    She pulled a clean coffee mug from the dish rack. She made a face. In beautiful script, it read ¡°thinking of you.¡± Daniel had gifted it to her when he started his corporate career. This had been his way for her to remember him during the day. Allegedly because he could not be near her as much anymore, as if that was the end of the world. In fact, in the weeks prior to the breakup, those hours of separation had felt like the best part of every day.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    With a sigh, she dropped the coffee mug into the trash. The notebook swiftly followed¡ªshe did not need those reminders today or ever again, she hoped. Daniel¡¯s world had always felt too small for her. Here, in her apartment, she could breathe again, but even now, the emptiness gnawed at her. Escape had never sounded so good.

    Taking a second clean cup, she poured herself a cup of coffee and turned to her phone, looking for anything that could take her mind off things.

    As soon as the screen lit up, the news feed assaulted her senses. She skimmed at all the click bait articles and wondered who ever followed one of those links. But just before she closed the tab, the very top headline caught her attention: A Realm Reforged Again was launching today. There was something familiar about the title, stirring a distant memory. She mentally scolded herself as she clicked on the article and began reading. That¡¯s how, she thought.

    Turns out, the name ringing a bell was entirely intentional: the game was a re-release of a game she used to play. They had intentionally picked a name that would spark nostalgia. The new release was now owned and operated by an entirely different company. Apparently, the original one had gone bankrupt at some point. The banks had auctioned off the intellectual properties and code to pay back their debts. Return on investment, she mused. This game¡¯s code, apparently, had sold for peanuts. There had been very little interest in such an old game that ran on decades old hardware¡ªit ran on consoles from the early two thousands.

    The servers would go live at 10 a.m. Pacific¡ªjust two hours from now.

    I wonder how the algorithms knew that I¡¯d care about this release? She mused to herself. Sophie remembered being around sixteen the first time she had logged into the original version. Already, its popularity had already faded by then. It was not surprising¡ªthe game had been older than she was, almost two decades old already. The account she had used the first time had not been hers, either. It had belonged to her dad, Kevin Kim.

    As an IT specialist, he had dabbled in games, but had never been a hardcore player. But he had let both of his daughters tinker with this game when they had seen him play on his account. Melanie was the one controlling, and she made a cute human character. The two of them then spent most of the evening playing dress-up with the various outfits available in the game. Their father, amused by their interest, eventually registered free trial accounts, one for each. Her older sister had stuck with the game for the character customisation and glamorous screenshots, but for Sophie, it became much more. She sank countless hours into the world, escaping high school drama and the pressure of figuring out her future. But as life got busy, she had to let go of it. Graduating, moving out, juggling work and college simply took too much of her time. As the years flew by, she simply forgot about the game and her account, everything lost to time.

    But now? The game was back. Not as a legacy server or fan-run emulator, but as a full revamp. New races, new classes, and a new world¡ªyet with familiar systems. The developers claimed they had made these changes, so even veteran players would feel like they were starting fresh. However, the re-release was not just the updated content: they remade the game to work in FullDive VR. That nostalgic memory of sitting in front of a monitor to play the original version felt distant now.

    FullDive conversion of classics was a fairly common practice these days, so that really did not warrant making it to the headlines. No. Something else did, however¡ªAccording to the article, the developers claimed to have solved one of the most significant issues with VR games: avatar customisation! Historically, the more an avatar¡¯s body differed from a player¡¯s real-life physique, the more likely the player was to experience health problems: dysphoria, dysmorphia, nausea, dizzy spells were the big ones. But there was a veritable host of other awful minor or major possible symptoms. The worst cases recorded had been severe enough to require hospitalisation. As a result, modern FullDive VR games had imposed very strict limits on character customisation. But this company, HexakAI Inc., claimed to have cracked the code, allowing for the customisation that was common during the golden age of MMOs. Sophie missed those days¡ªit had been boring to always be your plain old self in every VR world. Sophie smiled, imagining how Melanie might jump for joy, given that fashion design has become her professional career.

    All of that sounded great. But the article cautioned it might be too good to be true. There were more than a few mysteries surrounding the game that made people uneasy. The game was releasing and had no public closed beta or open beta. In this age where most developers launched with early-access, this was a total surprise. Another oddity was that the developers did not send any pre-release review copies to gaming sites or influencers. They simply had access to screenshots, pre-recorded footage, and a thorough press-release FAQ. No one had actually played the game yet to verify any of the company¡¯s bold claims.

    And the company? HexakAI, itself? They were a total unknown. Investigations showed the company reportedly had fewer than a hundred employees scattered around the globe. Many suspected much of the game¡¯s content had been AI-generated. Artificial Intelligence had come a long way in the last decade, much to the dismay of people in creative fields like Sophie¡¯s.

    Sophie wrapped her hands around her coffee mug, letting its warmth seep through her fingers as she absently scrolled through the screenshots and comments at the bottom of the article. The familiar thrill of anticipation buzzed faintly in the back of her mind. It was still early¡ª9:12 a.m.¡ªplenty of time before the game went live. She did not have to jump in as soon as the servers opened. But why not? Her schedule was clear today: no meetings with clients, no impending deadlines, just her and her coffee, and the faint weight of Daniel¡¯s absence lingering in the apartment.

    Her lips twitched in a faint smile. Maybe today was the perfect day to escape for a while.

    Without a second thought, Sophie opened the game¡¯s online store, purchased the game, and registered a new account. The entire process felt like slipping into a familiar rhythm. The game¡¯s old-school business model¡ªbuy-to-play with a subscription¡ªwas anachronistic. Had that also been a conscious decision, to appeal to nostalgia, or were the developers just that out of touch with newer trends? As she went through the process, Sophie read they had to wipe all the data off the original servers. That made sense to her. Data privacy laws were pretty important. Any carry-over would¡¯ve been impossible after the IP auction and shutdown. This time, it would not be like the earlier version, where they had thrown veteran players a small token of appreciation for sticking around. No such courtesy. This would be a clean slate for all. A level playing field.

    She finished setting up her new account up within minutes, and with a tap on her phone, her FullDive rig started downloading the game files. A flicker of excitement bubbled up in her chest as she glanced across the room. The sleek, minimalist setup rested in its usual corner¡ªa contrast to the cosy clutter of her apartment. The reclining chair, the neural headset, the neatly coiled cables¡ªit was a workstation, but one that doubled as her escape. Sophie spent hours in that chair¡ªworking, chatting with friends, unwinding with a VR movie or two. It was a window into other worlds, but none of those worlds had hooked her quite like the promise of visiting the world of A Realm Reforged Again. It was akin to a homecoming, but not quite. Visiting old friends, for the very first time, if such a paradox was possible.

    She stood up, traced a finger along the rig¡¯s smooth armrest. It was top-of-the-line¡ªan investment she had justified for work, but just as much for herself. She had tried a few VRMMOs over the years, but none of them held her interest. They were fun, sure, but they lacked the depth and connection of the games she used to play. This one, though¡ªthis would be different. It was not just another VR title. It was a portal back to her past. To days before work, obligations and relationships.

    Sophie smirked to herself. There was something appealing, too, about the aesthetic choices in this game. Unlike other VR titles, where realism often clashed with player fantasies, this world leaned into beauty. Even the scarier, monstrous races exhibited a kind of idealised elegance. It was a fantasy world where everyone¡ªno matter how fearsome or exotic¡ªlooked like they¡¯d stepped out of a high-end fashion spread.

    It was escapism at its finest, Sophie knew, and while part of her found the concept a little ridiculous, she could not deny its charm. After all, sometimes some self-indulgent fantasy was exactly what the doctor ordered.

 Chapter 2: The Other Side of the Screen

    Wednesday, August 27th, 2042, Sumner, Portland, Oregon.

    Ryan Porter paced the length of his dimly lit basement apartment, the glow of his smartphone casting shifting shadows on the cluttered walls. At twenty-two, wearing a faded graphic tee and boxer shorts, he felt the weight of inertia pressing down on him. The hum of the refrigerator and the occasional drip from a leaky faucet were the only sounds accompanying his restless movements. Thinking about the future gave him a headache, so he redirected his focus back to his phone.

    He flicked through apps and notifications, his eyes darting to the game download progress bar every few seconds¡ª82%. The first half had zipped by, but now each additional per cent felt like an eternity. The anticipation gnawed at him.

    ¡°Come on already,¡± he said aloud, complaining to no one in particular, running a hand through his unkempt hair. ¡°That game¡¯s an antique. Why is it taking so long? Figures. Even when I want to escape, everything drags.¡±

    His gaze swept over the room. Empty energy drink cans formed precarious towers on the coffee table, dirty plastic containers strewn across the kitchen counter¡ªa silent testament to his solitary existence. The basement apartment belonged to his father, Eduardo, a car mechanic whose silent judgment hung heavy in the air even when he was not around. His father occasionally dropped by to fix things, his eyes lingering on the mess but his mouth seldom forming words. Ryan left out a long sigh. He had had nothing resembling a conversation with his father in what felt like ages. When puberty started showing some signs, and the teenage rebellious phase followed, their relationship became strained. And then they grew more and more distant over the years.

    His mother, Sarah, tried to bridge the gap with home-cooked meals delivered whenever his father visited. ¡°You can¡¯t live off that goo alone, mijo.¡± He was sure she would repeat those words again if she were here. The thought of his parents¡¯ concerned faces made Ryan¡¯s stomach twist¡ªnot with guilt, but with a vague irritation he could not quite place. Ryan knew he should feel something when his father left the boxes in the fridge¡ªa thankfulness, perhaps? But all he felt was a hollow neutrality. The ¡°goo¡±, as his mother called it, is what the FullDive system fed your body when you were hooked in. It was unpalatable, to put it kindly, if you tried to eat it by yourself in real life. That was an undeniable fact¡ªhe had tried it once, on a dare. But FullDive VR restaurants tasted great. And they were much cheaper than takeout, especially when factoring in the ridiculous delivery fees they tacked on these days.

    He shook his head, refocusing on his phone. A Realm Reforged Again was launching today. Ryan had not played the original; by the time he had heard of it, everyone already considered the game a relic of the past. But thanks to his endless free time and a nearly constant virtual net presence, he had recently stumbled upon trailers and articles about the reboot. It was not as if he lacked games¡ªhis library overflowed with titles he doubted he would ever have time to play. But this reboot offered something different: the rare opportunity to create a character wildly unlike oneself. The idea was intoxicating¡ªa chance to be someone else, even if only in a virtual world.

    Ryan glanced around his cluttered apartment. He was unemployed, disconnected, and drifting. His only semblance of a relationship was with Megan, a gorgeous bartender he saw occasionally. She was stunning, adept at navigating people¡¯s desires. He truly did not know what she saw in him. She could do so much better. But he knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Just last week, after one of her shifts, they had sat together on the rooftop of her apartment building. The city lights had stretched out below them as Megan had leaned back, gazing at the stars.

    ¡°Sometimes, I wish people would see me for more than a pretty face behind a bar,¡± she had confessed, her voice tinged with vulnerability.

    When Megan had leaned in closer, a warmth had spread through him, but he could not name the emotion. Had it been comfort or anxiety? He had not been sure.

    Ryan had looked at her, surprised. ¡°You? But you¡¯re amazing at what you do. Everyone loves you.¡±

    She had given him a small, wistful smile. ¡°They love the version of me that pours their drinks and laughs at their jokes. It¡¯s different.¡± Their eyes had met. ¡°With you, I don¡¯t have to pretend.¡±

    His heart tightened in his chest at her words. He wanted to avoid ruining the mood, but he had been pretty sure she kept giving him more credit than he deserved. He often wondered what it would be like to be seen the way everyone saw her, to hold the power allowing you to play with people¡¯s feelings however you liked. She could bed pretty much any of the patrons hitting on her, he was sure. She could lead them on and make them spend fortunes on drinks, but she was always the one in control. Yet, with him, there were times she let her guard down, revealing glimpses of the person beneath the confident exterior. Moments like this made him wonder if there were more between them than casual encounters.

    His thoughts turned back to the game. ¡°I wonder if Megan played this game¡­ Would she create a character just like herself?¡± he said aloud, musing. ¡°I¡¯m sure she could topple kingdoms.¡± He wistfully imagined how effortless it would be for her to do so.

    Back in college, Ryan and his friends had joked about what they would do if they ever suddenly woke up in a woman¡¯s body. Most of them made lewd comments involving mirrors, beds, and self-exploration. But Ryan¡¯s thoughts went deeper. He pondered about the social dynamics¡ªthe ability to influence others, to be desired, to navigate the world with a fresh set of expectations and challenges. The idea of experiencing life from that perspective fascinated him.

    His phone buzzed, jolting him from his thoughts. A string of messages from his sixteen-year-old sister, Lucia, filled the screen¡ªa barrage of memes, random videos, and sarcastic comments.

    ¡°Still hiding in your cave, big bro?¡± one message read. ¡°Maybe if you stepped outside once in a while, you¡¯d see there¡¯s more to life than pixels and progress bars.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just here. It¡¯s quiet,¡± he texted back. He frowned. This was so typical of Lucia. She was always poking at him, trying to draw him out. She was sixteen, effortlessly social, the centre of attention in her school circles. Sometimes he wondered if she realized how lucky she was¡ªor how much he wished he could navigate the world as smoothly.

    Another message popped up: ¡°By the way, stop stalking my Insta pics like a creep. If you want fashion tips, just ask.¡±

    He rolled his eyes, a mix of annoyance and defensiveness flaring up. ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself,¡± he typed back. ¡°Just making sure you¡¯re not getting into trouble.¡±

    ¡°Sure, ¡®trouble.¡¯ Keep telling yourself that. Maybe one day you¡¯ll figure things out.¡±

    He stared at her reply, an uneasy feeling settling in his gut. What did she mean by that? Shaking off the thought, he set his phone down. Lucia always had a way of getting under his skin.

    He tried to recall a time when he felt genuinely happy, but the memories were like faded photographs¡ªvisible but devoid of feeling.

    Dismissing the thought, he sighed, pushing aside a stack of empty energy drink cans. ¡°Maybe in the game, things can be different.¡±

 Chapter 3: Born of Wind and Stars

    Wednesday, August 27th, 2042, Coal Harbour, Vancouver, Canada.

    Sophie¡¯s coffee mug, empty, sat next to the sink, rinsed and ready for tomorrow.

    She settled into her chair, feeling the familiar click of the neural headset as it connected to the small port at the base of her neck. A brief shiver ran down her spine as the system calibrated, and the chair¡¯s internal mechanisms hummed to life, scanning her biometric data to ensure everything was in order before initiating the dive.

    She opened her virtual eyes to the sterile white room that served as the operating system interface for her FullDive device. Some people spent hours customising these virtual spaces to make them cosy or extravagant, but Sophie preferred the untextured default setting. It was simple, functional¡ªa gateway to other places that did not need to be adorned with anything unnecessary. Around her, floating windows of various shapes and sizes hovered in the air. Some led to other areas, like her virtual workshop, while others displayed mundane information: her calendar, emails, instant messages, friend lists, and music playlists.

    There were no mirrors or reflective surfaces here, but Sophie did not need them to know what her current avatar looked like. It was a perfect likeness of herself, if slightly more polished¡ªher long black hair neatly in place, her brown eyes calm. The avatar stood at five foot six, slender and composed. Her body, like her real one, was not athletic, but also carried no extra weight. The FullDive rig would not turn her into an athlete without effort, but it would not let them turn fat either. That was not a limitation of the hardware¡ªit could actually force a workout on your physical body while you were blissfully unaware, online. But the rule-makers had made the rules. Devices like this would make sure people who lived mostly in VR would get a body that is healthy, but nothing more. Those who wanted fit or athletic bodies had to work for them at the gym; anything else would feel like cheating.

    A new window appeared, notifying her that the game files had finished downloading and the game was ready to launch. She gestured toward the window, and it slid smoothly into place in her virtual hub. Following its path, Sophie opened the window and launched the game.

    The hub vanished, replaced by the login screen. The familiar interface hovered in her vision, greeting her like an old friend. Welcome back, it seemed to whisper. The logo looked similar to the one from years ago, but with subtle changes¡ªreimagined, expanded, transformed into something old yet new. A smile tugged at her lips. Sophie felt a flicker of something she had not in weeks¡ªexcitement. In this world, she made the choices. No one else had a say. No Daniel, no expectations. Just freedom.

    There was a single option on the screen: Create Character.

    Sophie reached out to select it, but as her hand approached the option, she noticed something unusual. Her virtual arm was faint, translucent. It was her arm, no doubt, but ghostly. Still, it did not feel strange. There was no sense of disconnect, just a slight surprise at the effect. She shrugged it off and clicked the button.

    ¡°Choose your creator¡±, the interface prompted, both through a gentle voice and floating text.

    Sixteen glyphs appeared in front of her¡ªeight pairs, each sharing a colour but bearing unique designs. Pearl-white, charcoal-black, ruby-red, ochre-brown, sapphire-blue, jade-green, amethyst-purple, and light zircon-blue. At random, Sophie selected one of the two green glyphs, and a new window opened, revealing more details.

    ¡°Aer, the lord of wonders, god of freedom. Alignment: Wind.¡±

    A detailed description of the deity¡¯s lore scrolled across the screen. Aer, apparently, was the fourth child of the elder gods, Gaius and Terra, and the father of several other gods, including Zephyra, Aquarius, Hydra, Thorin, and Volta. According to the text, the Half-blood felinae revered him, and he was the patron deity of acrobats and blade singers. Most of his followers and clergy members acted as messengers, carrying news across vast lands.

    Beyond the text, a physical representation of Aer appeared¡ªhe looked like a typical Japanese cat-boy, complete with ears and a tail, wearing travelling clothes in muted colours and carrying a mail carrier¡¯s satchel slung over his shoulder. A walking stick rested in his hand, and his appearance gave off an easygoing, wanderer vibe, as if he was always on the move.

    Sophie tapped the second green glyph.

    ¡°Zephyra, the lady of whims, goddess of change. Alignment: Wind.¡±

    Another description followed. Zephyra, Aer¡¯s daughter, was willed into existence by her father out of loneliness. She embodied his love for freedom but added her own twist¡ªan endless desire for transformation. Her role was to ensure the world never stagnated, constantly shifting and evolving. Her priests guided people through moments of change and helped anyone in need of a fresh start. The Wind sylvani worshipped Zephyra. She was the patron deity of rangers, beast masters, and alchemists.

    The image of Zephyra showed an ethereal, petite elven figure with long blonde hair, pointy ears, and green eyes. She wore a green tunic, brown boots, and gloves, and carried a bow and quiver. Sophie noticed something almost imperceptible about Zephyra¡¯s appearance¡ªit seemed to shift slightly, her form always on the verge of suddenly changing to something else.

    Curiosity got the better of her, and Sophie continued to explore the other deities. There were fourteen more, each with their own lore and visual representation. She skimmed through them, but her attention kept drifting back to Zephyra. The idea of a goddess of change appealed to her, though Cryonix, the lord of time and ice god of stasis, also caught her eye. It was not so much his values that intrigued her, but his appearance¡ªa tall, lean figure standing at six foot six, with fluffy bunny ears and the looks that reminded Sophie of K-pop stars.

    It did not take long for Sophie to decide. Zephyra¡¯s ethos of freedom and change aligned with what she was looking for. With a confident tap, Sophie selected the goddess of wind as her character¡¯s creator. A soft chime echoed around her, and the glyphs dissolved into a swirling mist of green and silver. As the game¡¯s interface faded, an odd sensation washed over her, something unfamiliar but not unpleasant.

    Glancing down, she noticed Zephyra¡¯s brown leather gloves now covering her hands. They were smaller than her own, more delicate. Her tunic was green, and strands of blonde hair fell into her vision, a stark contrast to the black she was used to. Curious, she reached up, feeling the pointed tips of elvish ears and the soft cascade of long, flowing hair.

    It seemed she would be literally creating her character while embodying the goddess she had chosen as her creator. The sensations of this new form surprised her at first, but they did not feel wrong¡ªonce again, more of a surprise at the sudden shift. For a moment, she was hyper-aware of the changes, but soon, the strangeness faded, leaving her with a sense of ease. Different, yes, but not unpleasant at all.

    After a few moments of acclimating to the feel of Zephyra¡¯s body¡ªits proportions, muscles, and delicate intricacies¡ªa new prompt appeared, accompanied once again by the familiar voice: ¡°Choose your species.¡±

    Now, the real fun would begin.

    A line of six large icons appeared before her, side by side, each with two smaller icons underneath them. The icons did not resemble any letters or symbols she recognised. No, they looked like the deity symbols from earlier¡ªunique marks or logos, reminiscent of brand emblems. Using Zephyra¡¯s hands, she selected the leftmost of the six large icons. The word ¡°homini¡± appeared above it, and the icon shrank, moving to the top-right of her field of vision¡ªneatly tucked away, just out of sight. The two smaller icons expanded and slid away from each other, obviously expecting a further decision.

    She selected the leftmost one once again. ¡°City dwellers¡±, it informed her, as both the icon and text slipped away, tucking itself underneath the previous pair in the same corner. Two figures appeared on screen, a man and a woman, dressed in clothes that felt comfortable and hinted at prosperity: nice embroidered sleeves, gold bracelets, buttons, chains, necklaces. The shoes appeared comfortable, and none of it gave the impression of rugged adventuring gear. Both the men and the women wore loose pants held up by thick sashes, slightly tanned skin and dark brown hair.

    Lore about the species appeared, summarising their origin and specialties. ¡°City dwellers are the latest arrivals in the Realms, having sailed across vast seas in massive vessels before founding the magnificent port-metropolis of Luminara. Its cliff-side castles and towering spires reach high into the sky, grander than anything else on the continent¡ªa true testament to their ingenuity, resourcefulness, mastery of magic, and indomitable spirit.¡±

    ¡°Too much like the current me¡±, Sophie said. But it was in an unfamiliar voice. Zephyra¡¯s. She should have expected that detail. It amused her how the game almost bragged about its ability to shift your avatar¡¯s form and voice while you were still creating your own character. If you have the technology, might as well flaunt it? Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Looking back at the interface before her, she swiped left¡ªnow the universally recognised gesture for ¡°reject¡± or ¡°back¡±¡ªand selected the second of the smaller icons. As she expected, the game presented her with a slightly different take on the homini: the Northerners. Two taller and broader humans appeared, wearing animal skins and leathers, their long red hair braided and faces freckled. The lore described how Frostine¡¯s children were born in these lands and survived as nomadic tribes in the harsh northern regions of the continent. Sophie noticed the two figures had less of a height gap between the men and women than the city dweller cousins. ¡°Looking better, but still a little too close to home,¡± she said out loud.

    Having seen the two variants of humans, Sophie established a theory about the different available species: each species would have two different variations, likely a small or thin version contrasted with a tall, muscular one.

    She bounced through the different options to inventory them all. Hominis, sylvanis, minnerets, dracans, burrovians, and felinaes¡ªor, more simply, humans, elves, small folk, dragons, bunnies, and cats. Her guess of small and tall variants turned out to be on the money, but not quite. For most species, there was another nuance: dragons, bunnies and cats came in two distinct flavours. One was basically a human (or rather, ¡°homini¡±) with some visible traits from the species they were based on, such as cat ears and tail or scales and dragon fins. The other subspecies were always a more distinct humanoid variation of their ancestral species: dragon-men, cat-folk, and small, furry bunny people. Minnerets served as a portmanteau name for the dwarves and halflings, and the Sylvani offered a choice between Tolkienesque tall, angular elves with pointy ears and anime-inspired small elves with long, impish-looking ears. Sophie concluded that the designers¡¯ goal with the two different sub-species was to appeal globally, having choices for both western and eastern sensibilities.

    She quickly rejected most options¡ªthe minnerets did not hold her attention at all. Felinaes were too cutesy or too furry for her taste. Sovereign dracans looked too mean, while the smaller Kindred dracans had leaned too heavily into the fragile, moe aesthetic for her liking. The Shadow sylvani definitely held her attention, but why settle for ¡°handsome human with pointy ears¡±? It was just a little too safe. She could do better. Sophie ultimately chose a Noble burrovian¡ªtall, elegant, and a far cry from the knee-high, furry Pint burrovians straight out of Alice in Wonderland. Ever since she saw how Cryonix appeared, the Noble burrovians had attracted her attention, but she could not be sure it was a playable race.

    She thought back on the ice god. Tall and lean, proud and irresistible, eternally young, unchanging. He was the very image of a model, acutely aware of how beautiful he was and the effect he had on his adoring fans. That idea, the feeling of having everyone¡¯s eyes on her, as she safely and confidently walked around the world as that character, was incredibly appealing. It would be a far cry from navigating the world as her current self, and she longed for that.

    After confirming her choice of Noble burrovian, the game showed both the male and female avatars, side by side, the latter a mere two inches shorter than the former, and both regally tall. Out of habit, Zephyra¡¯s gloved hand was about to select the female avatar, but Sophie stopped herself. Even a tall warrior princess like Xena, with big fluffy rabbit ears, would not draw the same attention Cryonix¡ªor Daniel, she reluctantly admitted¡ªdid. There was that whole Playboy pin-up image that was almost universally recognised.

    ¡°No,¡± she said in a whisper, softer than the wind. The voice was higher, more delicate than her own¡ªa soft, almost ethereal tone that did not quite sit right with her. She paused, turning the word over in her head, wondering if she would ever fully get used to it.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the image I want to project.¡±

    With a smile, she selected the male avatar, watching as it smoothly centred itself in her field of vision while the female form faded away. Oh, yes¡­ I¡¯m going to make you into the hottest Burrovian out there, she thought playfully. A smile filled with mischief appeared on Zephyra¡¯s face.

    A sudden, playful realisation came to Sophie¡¯s mind. This body¡­ This isn¡¯t me right now¡ªZephyra¡¯s the creator of this character, right? This is all her doing and I¡¯m just here witnessing it?

    Right on cue, many character sliders and options showed up on screen. Emboldened by the earlier thought, she started with the first. Well, if I¡¯m going to do this, might as well go all in. Who am I to argue with the wishes of a goddess?

    Methodically, Sophie experimented with the full range of customisation available to her in each option. For height, she saw that the character started at exactly six feet tall. After trying the entire range, she kept the slider at max, having him end up six foot four¡ªthat was before the ears. A whole ten inches taller than she was in real life¡ªbut was that not the point? Go for bold, impossible choices? Why stop now? The height difference was even more pronounced right now as she looked at her creation, as Zephyra stood only four feet eight tall¡ªa whole twenty inches shorter!

    Happy with her last choice, Sophie continued and played with the muscle definition until the character¡¯s abs were impossible to miss, especially thanks to the belly-shirt the character¡¯s starter-gear was wearing. She whistled appreciatively at the sight. ¡°Bold choice of clothes too, bunny boy,¡± she said between giggles. ¡°Seriously, who thought bunnies would fight in belly-shirts? It¡¯s like they want you to show off, boy.¡±

    With the body mostly settled, Sophie moved on to the finer details. Skin tone was next. She picked a nice, honey-bronze skin tone, fitting for someone spending many hours under the sun, as an adventurer or wanderer would. She then started tweaking his facial structure. The sliders moved almost instinctively, settling on features that felt both familiar and foreign. Softer, sharper, otherworldly¡ªwas that her choice, or Zephyra¡¯s subtle touch? It did not matter where they came from; she loved the result. The character floating in front of her ended up with delicate facial structure options, making his face edge very close to feminine. Beautiful, dark brown, mysterious almond-shaped eyes with large iris and narrow eyebrows sealed the deal. ¡°His eyes remind me of my own,¡± she said with sudden realisation, ¡°and so does his face. Just an idealised version of it with all the confidence and none of the weakness.¡±

    For the ears, she settled on an option where the base of both ears were closer to each other and spread apart in a V-shape. She made the ears about as long as his face. What¡¯s the point in fluffy bunny ears if you keep them short or folded away? She justified her choice as she pushed the slider almost to the maximum value.

    Sophie then started looking at the plethora of hairstyles available to her. This was clearly the option where the developers put the most effort. Most of the styles available were appealing to her, riding heavily on the bish¨­nen aesthetics. Beautiful youth, it meant. An appearance style sported by many young men of androgynous beauty, often found in Asian products. But once she saw it, she just knew which one was right for her. It was a middle-part, curtain bangs with slightly curly hair. She chose a dark brown colour with some blonde highlights balayage towards the ends.

    It took her a minute after picking the style and colour, but it finally hit her: this was exactly Jae-Min Lee¡¯s haircut. He was the lead singer of one of Sophie¡¯s favourite K-pop bands, Neo Pulse, and now she had modelled her future character partly over one of her favourite singers. ¡°Well, I am making a gorgeous bunny, it¡¯s not unusual to see me drawing inspiration from people I find beautiful¡­¡± That realisation made choosing a voice easier for Sophie. She simply went through the different sliders until she landed on something that felt like a perfect match for Jae-Min¡¯s.

    When she clicked to confirm, the avatar¡¯s lips parted and a smooth voice, eerily close to Jae-Min¡¯s, greeted her. She smirked. ¡°Perfect. Zephyra? You¡¯ve really outdone yourself here.¡±

    Next came the name, and it came unbidden, like a whisper from some distant place. ¡°Leoric Stargaze,¡± she said aloud, testing the way it sounded. Where had that come from? She thought for a moment. The connection to the name ¡°Lee¡± almost felt obvious¡ªbut Stargaze? Had that been her, or Zephyra¡¯s doing? She smiled, dismissing the inquiry. Maybe it had been from a little of both, but it did not matter. It sounded perfect for the lone wolf character she had in mind, someone who answered to no one but the stars, wandering by day and star-gazing in the wilderness by night. No expectations, no one waiting for her to settle down. Just freedom.

    As she went back over all the options, tweaking the sliders to make sure everything was just right, Sophie realized she was not just creating the perfect avatar¡ªshe was shaping something aspirational. Leoric projected confidence. He was tall and strong, everything she had always wanted to be, but somehow felt just out of reach. Maybe Zephyra had seen that from the start.

    When it came time to pick the starting class, which would determine her starting location, Sophie did not hesitate. She did not want to heal¡ªthat felt way too much like the life that Daniel wanted for her. No tanking, either. The expectations to lead and watch out for everyone were too much. No, she was going for a damage dealer, and she would take the least party-focused one she could find. This limited her to three choices: mage, elementalist or ranger. Given his looks, there was simply no need to think it over: Leoric would be a ranger.

    Rangers wandered alone and relied on stealth, perception and traps. It was the perfect class for someone who wanted no attachments. She could roam freely, fight¡ªor avoid conflict altogether¡ªat her own pace, and never have to carry the weight of others¡¯ expectations on her shoulders. Rangers thrived on their own terms¡ªjust like she wanted to.

    Given her choice of class, it meant Leoric would start in Zephyrdale, the homeland of the Wind sylvani, Zephyra¡¯s children¡ªwhere the winds of change never stopped blowing. It felt fitting. A place where people, like the wind, drifted from one corner of the world to the next. Maybe Leoric was not just a messenger or wanderer¡ªhe was a symbol of that same boundless freedom.

    Though most Noble burrovians came from the city of Altansuun, hidden deep in the mountains, they frequently wandered far and wide, often as ambassadors and messengers. Leoric would be no different. His starting point may be Zephyrdale, but it would not be long before he would pick up his pack and drift across the lands, letting fate decide where the winds would carry him next.

    As she completed her choices, Sophie smiled. Zephyra would have approved¡ªfreedom, beauty, and a touch of chaos. Leoric was ready to set out into the world and forge his own path, just as Sophie was trying to find hers. The interface displayed: ¡°On Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, Leoric Stargaze was born. May the sixteen watch over him as he wanders the world.¡±

    Then, her vision faded to black. The avatar, interface, and text all dissolved into fine dust. When everything went dark, a new text appeared in glowing white: ¡°Welcome back, Sophie. Now it¡¯s time for Leoric to wake up.¡±

 Chapter 4: Between Shadows

    Wednesday, August 27th, 2042, Sumner, Portland, Oregon.

    Ryan had his character all planned out. He would create a priest¡ªone of the two starting healers, a role always in demand. Next he had narrowed it down to a Half-blood felinae; there was something appealing about a character who was both familiar and exotic. The expressive cat ears and tail would be an undeniable advantage when trying to charm his way through problems. Nobody could resist an adorable catgirl.

    For the rest of her appearance, he knew exactly who he would model her after¡ªMegan. Not just her looks, but her confidence. Strong, captivating, in control.

    There was no need for him to waste hours in character creation. He knew exactly what he wanted. He scrolled through the options, picked the features that fit, and soon enough, Kaelyn Moonshadow would come to life¡ªa sleek feline priestess ready to take on the world.

    His phone alerted him when the download completed. Ryan let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Finally.¡± This was just a game, but it was a chance to break free from the monotony of his everyday life. Here, he could try something new, something different.

    He sat down, snapping the neural link into place at the base of his neck. His personal hub loaded¡ªthe familiar cyberpunk setting bathed in neon purple and turquoise lights. If A Realm Reforged Again impressed him, maybe he would buy and install the official theme later. Sure, that was another way companies successfully nickel-and-dimed him. But when Ryan liked a game, he did not mind throwing more money at the creators. He saw it like giving out a tip. Except in this case, he got a little something out of it.

    Quickly navigating to the game¡¯s icon, Ryan launched the application. As soon as the game logo appeared with the create character option, he immediately pressed the button with a flourish, failing to notice his unusually translucent limbs.

    ¡°Choose your creator¡±, the interface prompted, both through a gentle voice and floating text.

    Ryan raised an eyebrow. Choose your creator? ¡°Sounds like something lore nerds will obsess over,¡± he muttered. He was about to pick at random when he paused.

    ¡°If I¡¯m going to roleplay as a catgirl, maybe I should pick something that fits her character,¡± he said, pausing. ¡°If I was here just to grind like other games, I wouldn¡¯t care, but¡­¡±

    He scrolled through the list. Astralius, god of illumination? That sounded way too righteous. Luxoria, goddess of radiance? A decent fit for a healer, but not quite what he had in mind. Umber, god of secrecy? Closer. Nocturne, goddess of mysteries? ¡°Perfect!¡± he smiled. The goddess herself was a tall, mysterious figure shrouded in black, her face hidden beneath a heavy hood. Everything about her radiated mystery and intrigue.

    ¡°Now we¡¯re talking, Goddess of Mysteries, it is,¡± Ryan said, confirming his choice.

    The image of Nocturne and the interface filled with lore that was filling his screen soon faded away, leaving him alone in darkness. Suddenly, he felt light-headed, his vision swimming as dizziness washed over him. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, surprised when his hand¡ªslimmer and more delicate than usual¡ªcame into view. The hand mere inches away from his face was nothing like his normal one. He could see the black sleeve reaching all the way to his wrist, and he knew that his current avatar looked nothing like his normal VR self.

    Looking down, he saw that his body had changed. His clothes felt different, tighter. There was a slight weight on his chest that was foreign, but oddly, it did not feel wrong. Rationally, he knew what had happened¡ªthe game had placed him in the body of Nocturne.

    ¡°Huh,¡± he said, but he cut himself. The voice he spoke with? It was not his¡ªhe knew it was Nocturne¡¯s, even though he had never heard her speak before. But it sounded just like he imagined she would speak.

    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s going to feel that weird once it¡¯s my character¡¯s body,¡± he said, musing. He said the words aloud, studying how using her voice felt.

    A small window appeared in front of him. A percentage going up at a steady pace ¡°Body calibration in progress, please wait.¡±

    Gradually, the disorienting sensations faded, and Ryan felt more grounded. The game¡¯s calibration system had successfully adjusted, making it feel like this body was his own, even if it was a temporary one. ¡°So this is their way of fixing the body mismatch issues?¡± he realised.

    With a final flex of his fingers, he turned his attention back to the screen. ¡°Choose your species,¡± it read. Once he found it, he quickly selected the Half-blood felinae option, followed by the female avatar.

    The customisation interface unfolded, but he breezed through it, adjusting sliders with practiced ease.

    He set the height to five foot four¡ªMegan¡¯s height. Skin tone matched hers, with a warm, sun-kissed hue. Facial features carefully adjusted to mirror her captivating gaze and confident smile. He added a touch of his own preference: slitted, cat-like green eyes that seemed to glow.

    When he reached the body customisation, he hesitated for a moment before maxing out the bust slider. A fleeting disappointment crossed his mind when he realized the limits were far from as exaggerated as he had expected. ¡°What kind of hot-blooded male wouldn¡¯t immediately push that slider to the max?¡± he said aloud, defending his choice to no one in particular.

    The avatar rotated before him¡ªa striking catgirl priestess with long, flowing honey-blonde hair, dark at the roots and lighter toward the ends. Her ears and tail matched, twitching subtly, as if alive. The starter gear was undeniably bold: a cropped top that revealed toned abs, a micro-skirt, thigh-high leggings, and fingerless gloves. The ensemble exuded confidence and allure, and ear swaying tail and twitching ears were icing on the cake. Kaelyn Moonshadow was almost ready to enter the Realm.

    But before that, Ryan, in Nocturne¡¯s body, smiled mischievously. He had Kaelyn strike a few runway poses, using the screenshot function in rapid succession. He singled out a striking shot and attached it to a message he sent to Megan. ¡°Hey Meg, check this out!¡± he typed.

    A Heart emoji appeared at the bottom of his screenshot.

    ¡°Oh, hey! Who¡¯s the cutie?¡± she asked. Well, that wasn¡¯t the expected response, but it wasn¡¯t a bad one either.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think she looks kinda like you?¡± he asked without answering her question, focusing on the more important one.

    Laughing emoji. ¡°Heh, my boss sure would love that¡­!¡±

    Wait, she didn¡¯t see the resemblance? Ryan wondered where he went wrong. He was sure he had captured everything right.

    ¡°Anyway, huh¡­ So that¡¯s my character I made for this new VR game.¡± He sent another message explaining who Kaelyn was.

    A pause.

    ¡°Oh, my¡­! Really? Guys won¡¯t leave you alone for a minute looking like that.¡±

    Ryan did not feel it was necessary to point that out. It was all part of the plan, after all. He typed his reply, feeling he at least managed to one part right. He would turn heads looking like that, for sure.

    ¡°Yep! That¡¯s the idea!¡±

    Another pause.

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s your idea of fun¡­¡±

    He could just feel the uneasiness and hesitation in her reply. How could he salvage things? Ah, got it!

    He quickly explained the next part of his plan. ¡°-- I am going to play a healer!¡±

    Shocked emoji. ¡°Dressed like that?¡±

    Well, that was just her starter gear. Ryan had no plan to stop there. Was it not a rule of online games that higher-level armour for female characters covered less and less skin?

    He sent his reply, but pivoted the subject a little away from clothes. ¡°Yeah, of course. Going to be the most spoiled princess in the entire game. Might as well look the part.¡±

    Thinking emoji. ¡°Princess isn¡¯t what comes to mind with that getup.¡±

    Ryan knew healers were not literally princess, but the community often referred to the more difficult and picky ones that way. He did not really want to explain all this, so instead he opted to joke.

    ¡°Queen, then?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Yeah. Sure. But hey, have fun in there. You still free in two days? Evening after my shift?¡± she asked, dropping the subject.

    ¡°Yep, my schedule¡¯s all clear, babe!¡±

    He did not need to check. He had nothing important going on.

    Thumbs up emoji.

    But Megan did not reply any further.

    The conversation had not gone the way he had planned. He thought his choices would flatter Megan. Maybe surprise her or make her laugh. But she sounded dismissive, perhaps even annoyed. Maybe she was just in the middle of something?

    Ryan¡¯s attention finally returned to the game. He clicked the button to confirm his selection.

    ¡°On Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, Kaelyn Moonshadow was born. May the sixteen watch over her as she navigates the shifting shadows of secrets untold.¡±

    ¡°Edgy,¡± he said, snickering, just before everything faded to black, leaving only behind in glowing white font the following text: ¡°We welcome you, Ryan. Now it¡¯s time for Kaelyn to wake up.¡±

    In the darkness, an odd sensation hit him in the stomach. Dizziness, similar to the one he had felt earlier, visited him once more. A window popped up, a progress bar about calibration inched haltingly forward. Calibrating to Kaelyn this time, Ryan thought.

    She opened her eyes. She was in the middle of a bustling city with towering spires. People were walking all around her in a big open plaza. Kaelyn tentatively moved her limbs, still getting used to the way it felt to occupy a body that was not quite her own. The calibration was doing its thing, and her body felt like a second skin. Familiar, but with a tiny touch of fresh and unknown. Colours seemed brighter, sounds clearer. Emotions washed over her¡ªjoy, awe, even fear¡ªin waves that left her breathless.

    But before she could even take a first step, the familiar ringing of a direct virtualChat request interrupted her. Someone had dropped unannounced and was waiting behind the virtual front door of Ryan¡¯s Hub. Who could it be?

    With regret, Ryan willed himself out of the game. Everything around him quickly faded, letting his virtual hub fade back into view. But the moment he took a step forward, a strange tug rippled through Kaelyn¡¯s body¡ªher ears twitching, tail flicking. For a second, he felt¡­ off, like he was still growing into her skin. A wave of dizziness washed over him, just like earlier, but then it passed. Must still be calibrating. But something was not right¡­

    Ryan walked to the front door and glimpsed at her long, blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. He could feel the way her tail curled and uncurled behind her, as if it had a life of its own. Ryan looked down and saw he was not only wearing Kaelyn¡¯s body, but her clothes too¡ªstill the cropped top and mini-skirt that his girlfriend had critiqued earlier. It clung perfectly, a little too perfectly, even.

    ¡°Wait, this¡­ this isn¡¯t supposed to happen, is it?¡± Kaelyn¡¯s voice resonated in the empty entry hub. It sounded surprisingly different from the voice he had chosen for her. This one felt younger and softer, and certainly more uneasy.

    She let out a long sigh and shrugged. Was the game glitched? ¡°Well, not like I can do anything about it. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s there.¡±

    Kaelyn¡¯s gloved hand went and turned the doorknob, opening the door to let whoever was there inside. Lucia¡¯s avatar, a casual, street-smart figure with short, colourful hair and a no-nonsense vibe, entered the hub without hesitation. ¡°Hey, pap¨¢ just called and¡ª¡±.

    His little sister stopped abruptly, looking Kaelyn over as she stood next to the open door.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± she asked.

    Ryan grinned. He figured this was a perfect opportunity to experiment in the safety of his own space. He struck a pose¡ªhip slightly jutted out, one hand on her waist, the other flipping her hair back with a flick of her wrist. ¡°Hey, hermanita. Your offer of fashion tips still stands?¡± he asked, hoping she would recognise him if he called back to their earlier chat.

    ¡°Ryan?¡± she said incredulously as the realisation of who she was talking to dawned upon her. ¡°What¡¯s going on with your avatar?¡±

    ¡°Not sure, I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯m still in the game, just AFK?¡± Ryan scratched the top of his head, surprised when his hand felt his cat ears react. ¡°I just bought this new game this morning, and there¡¯s some kind of system to help you feel comfortable in the skin of any character you create,¡± he said, explaining what he could puzzle out of his situation.

    Lucia looked at him, mouth agape. She recovered after a few seconds.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s wild! And the game basically allows you to change your VR avatar outside of it? That is awesome. Oh, can¡¯t wait to tell all my friends! What¡¯s the game name? Everyone¡¯s gonna want in on that,¡± she said, blurting out excitedly.

    Ryan wordlessly responded, swiping from the game¡¯s floating window the share icon over Lucia¡¯s avatar. She quickly scanned the product information and did a series of gestures, most likely forwarding it to her many circles of friends.

    While she did that, Ryan took out a full-length mirror of his virtual inventory, almost willing it into existence. He adjusted the angle just right and tried a few different poses, trying to imitate the ones Kaelyn¡¯s body had done earlier for the photo shoot.

    ¡°Oh my God, Ry. You¡¯re really owning it, huh?¡±

    Ryan grinned, though a flicker of uncertainty flashed in her green, cat-like eyes. He leaned into the playful tone, hoping it would hide the weird feeling creeping up the back of her mind.

    ¡°Well, you said I needed help. Just figured I¡¯d make it interesting.¡± Kaelyn twirled on her heel, her tail swishing behind her with every movement, and finished with a little wink. ¡°So, what do you think? Is Kaelyn passable or what?¡±

    Lucia tilted her head, eyeing her brother¡¯s avatar up and down, her expression shifting between amusement and something more thoughtful.

    ¡°Passable? Try dangerous. But for real, this is nuts. You look like¡­ well, let¡¯s just say you¡¯ve got screenshot material written all over you.¡±

    ¡°I know, right? Been there, done that already.¡± Kaelyn¡¯s expression turned into a grin as she flicked some hair with the wave of a hand. ¡°And that¡¯s the whole point. You know how this works¡ªhealers get all the invites. Might as well look the part. It¡¯s like gaming 101.¡±

    ¡°Okay, fine. I get it. You want to be the spoiled princess of the game,¡± Lucia smirked, folding her arms across her chest. ¡°But you realise what kind of attention you¡¯re gonna get, right? I mean, looking like that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, please. I¡¯m not worried about a little attention,¡± Kaelyn rolled her eyes, but could not help a small chuckle. She waved her hand dismissively, her feline ears twitching in what felt like a natural response. ¡°If anything, it¡¯ll be fun. I get to choose who I hang with. Healer¡¯s privilege.¡± She struck another pose¡ªthis time more exaggeratedly, with her tail curling dramatically as she swayed her hips.

    ¡°Look, bro¡­ Or Kaelyn, is it? I get the whole experimenting thing.¡± Lucia did not laugh this time. Instead, she leaned forward, her avatar¡¯s face turning serious for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s fun in games. But FullDive¡¯s different. They stopped offering customisation for a reason. We just went over this in IT history at school. You don¡¯t just watch a character¡ªyou feel it. Trust me, it¡¯s gonna get to you, and people visited the hospital over far less drastic changes than what you¡¯ve got here.¡±

    She gestured at Kaelyn, miming her hourglass figure. ¡°You look like this in here. Normally, your brain should experience extreme gender dysphoria and body dysmorphia right now. This? It¡¯s not at all who you are. The fact you¡¯re able to strut around like this? It means they did something to your head, to make it think that this is who you are. That¡¯s messing around with your prefrontal cortex. That¡¯s where your identity is.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. It¡¯s just a game.¡± Ryan shifted uncomfortably, but tried to shrug it off. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m just playing the part. What¡¯s the worst that can happen? People hit on me? Big deal.¡±

    Lucia sighed, shaking her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just about people hitting on you. FullDive messes with your head in ways you don¡¯t expect. You know that in the early 2020s they were already sending game developers to the emergency room in stretchers from those VR headsets? Those were just optical headsets. Right now, we¡¯re both wired with a connector straight in our central nervous system, the two of us. You don¡¯t think that this could be a bigger deal that fancy 3D glasses? And let¡¯s be honest¡ªyou look like someone who¡¯s asking for all kinds of attention. Not just the ¡®can you join my party?¡¯ type either.¡±

    She paused, giving him a long look. ¡°And if you think the way you¡¯re moving and thinking feels natural right now¡­ maybe it¡¯s not.¡±

    Kaelyn hesitated, trying to keep the confident mask on. Lucia¡¯s words were hitting a little too close to home. She glanced down at her avatar, the way her chest rose and fell, the way her hips curved just a little too perfectly.

    It was a bit much now that she thought about it.

    ¡°Okay, okay. So maybe it¡¯s a little¡­ extra. But you¡¯re just being paranoid. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±

    Lucia raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

    ¡°What do you know about the developers behind this game?¡± she asked, opening a small search window in front of her face and quickly typing things on the floating keys.

    ¡°Nothing? I don¡¯t really care about who made it,¡± Ryan answered truthfully. Where was Lucia going with this?

    Lucia looked up from her window after a few seconds of skimming through some search results.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing. Apparently, you¡¯re not alone. Nobody knows them. And it looks like the game didn¡¯t even have a beta test or anything. Some random company released super experimental technology in a world-wide re-launch of a game, and the first thing you do is create the character that¡¯s about as diametrically opposed to your real self as you can, and then pose and take sexy pictures of yourself?¡±

    The conversation paused for an uncomfortable moment, but then Lucia got serious and almost scolded her brother. ¡°Don¡¯t come crying to me when it all gets too real. You wanted fashion tips? Here¡¯s one: Don¡¯t go overboard with the ¡®hot catgirl¡¯ look. You¡¯ll regret it.¡±

    Kaelyn crossed her arms, her tail flicking back and forth in irritation. Lucia was sounding like Megan did earlier¡ªlike she did not get it. This was supposed to be fun, a chance to do something different, to be someone better. But instead of getting praise, she was getting warnings.

    ¡°Alright, alright. Maybe I¡¯ll tone it down a little. But come on, it¡¯s a game! Can¡¯t I have some fun?¡±

    Lucia¡¯s expression softened, and she let out a small laugh. ¡°Yeah, Ry. Have fun. But seriously¡ªdon¡¯t let it mess with you. I¡¯ve seen what it does to people. FullDive¡¯s no joke. You are Kaelyn when you¡¯re in there. And when you start thinking like her¡­ well, just be careful, okay?¡±

    Kaelyn rolled her eyes again but gave a half-smile.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ll be fine. Just wait till you see me in action.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait to see that, sis.¡± Lucia shook her head, a grin tugging at her lips. ¡°Just don¡¯t forget who you really are when you log out, okay?¡±

    Kaelyn blinked at the word. Sis. A strange, fluttering warmth in her chest that she quickly dismissed. It was just Lucia being cheeky. That was all. But for a second, the word felt more like a fact than a joke. Kaelyn. Sister. He blinked again, shaking the feeling off.

    ¡°I won¡¯t. I know exactly who I am.¡±

    Did she? Did she really know who she was? She sure seemed confused about what name or pronoun to use when talking about herself¡­ Ryan frowned to himself at the weird intrusive thought, but focused on his sister.

    ¡°If you feel like your sense of self is slipping¡­ well, just be careful¡­ Anyway. Pap¨¢ called and wanted me to let you know he¡¯s coming over. So don¡¯t go silent mode on him again.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll log out and clean up a bit until he gets here, then jump right back at it once he¡¯s gone,¡± he said. ¡°Promise.¡±

    ¡°Sounds great, and have fun with all the catfishing.¡± she half-joked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± Ryan wanted to object, but she promptly cut him off..

    ¡°Tut!¡± Lucia smiled, putting a finger on Kaelyn¡¯s lips. Ryan froze at the feeling, staring at his sister¡¯s finger, right past his nose.

    ¡°You know what you¡¯re doing, right, gatita?¡± She turned around and walked away, her avatar vanishing as soon as she crossed the threshold.

 Chapter 5: The Weight of Unspoken Truth

    Wednesday, August 27th, 2042, Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington.

    The hum of the air conditioner in the corner of the cramped, worn-down apartment was barely enough to drown out the rain tapping relentlessly against the window. Martin-Ethan Archer¡ªM-E to most, but Emmy to herself¡ªsat at her desk, her eyes closed, trying to let the familiar sound of rain calm her mind. It had been a long day at work, and she had just disconnected from the FullDive rig only a few minutes ago.

    On a small, auxiliary monitor, the text ¡°A Realm Reforged Again installation complete¡± blinked, its soft glow filling the room. But her thoughts were not on the game. Not yet.

    Instead, they drifted back to a different time, a different life¡ªa life she used to have with Claire. Claire, the mother of her children, and her ex-wife.

    Her thoughts settled on the argument that had finally broken them.

    ¡°How can you be so selfish?¡± Claire¡¯s voice had cracked like a whip, sharp and unforgiving, filling every inch of the kitchen. Her hands had trembled, her expression an all-too-familiar mask of righteous anger.

    Emmy had barely managed to look at her in the face. ¡°Selfish?¡± she had said, her throat tight and her body locked up. ¡°How am I¡­?¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even try to turn this around on me,¡± Claire had cut her off, slamming her hand down on the counter. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s been trying to hold this marriage together, while you just... check out.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t checked out,¡± Emmy had replied weakly, but even she had not believed her words. She had known how distant she had been. She had seen how much of herself had slowly slipped away. The truth had been stuck, like a stone lodged in her throat.

    But there was nothing she could have done better. Claire had made her choice a long time ago¡ªradicalised by the extreme-right rhetoric that Emmy had watched take root over the years, creeping into their conversations, into the way Claire spoke about the world. ¡°That wasn¡¯t in God¡¯s plan.¡± ¡°God didn¡¯t make them this way.¡± ¡°As Christians, we have to fight back against this perversion.¡± It had terrified Emmy. If Claire ever learned the truth¡­

    Claire¡¯s eyes had scanned her, cold and piercing. ¡°I¡¯m here, fighting for us, for our family, while you...¡± Claire¡¯s gaze had hardened, the weight of her next words pressing into the silence. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re fighting for anymore.¡±

    That question, asked so quietly yet with so much weight, had hung between them, suffocating. Emmy had wanted to say something¡ªanything¡ªbut the truth she had held inside felt too dangerous to release. She had wanted to scream, wanted to explain why she felt so absent, so lost in her own skin, but how could she? How could she ever tell Claire the real reason she had felt like a ghost in her own life?

    ¡°I can¡¯t be the only one trying,¡± Claire had continued, her voice breaking just slightly, though the anger had simmered still. ¡°I¡¯m holding everything together for us, for the kids... and you just stand there. Emotionally absent.¡±

    Emmy had swallowed hard, her fists clenched tight at her sides. I don¡¯t know how to tell you...

    The silence had stretched, a chasm between them, and it was Claire who spoke again, softer now, almost broken. ¡°I need a partner. Not a stranger.¡±

    That had been when Emmy realized she had to say something¡ªAnything¡ªeven if she could not say everything. She had to say something. ¡°I... I don¡¯t think I can do this anymore.¡±

    Claire¡¯s face had twisted in disbelief. ¡°What?¡±

    Emmy¡¯s voice had been shaking as the truth tried to fight its way out. ¡°I tried... I¡¯m not the one for you. I¡¯ve been¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Claire¡¯s voice had risen again, sharp with anger. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to make this about something else. You¡¯re just... leaving?¡±

    Emmy had looked away, unable to meet Claire¡¯s eyes. She had not been able to tell her even a small part of the truth. The truth about the lie she had been living with every day. The version of herself that she had been too afraid to let out. She had heard the way Claire felt about transgender folks. Emmy had heard it countless times. How could she ever tell her who she truly was? ¡°It¡¯s not working anymore, Claire. I just need to go.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Claire had scoffed, stepping closer, arms crossed in disbelief. ¡°After everything, you¡¯re just going to walk away? Just like that? No explanation, no fight?¡±

    Emmy¡¯s heart had pounded in her chest. She had felt Claire¡¯s eyes on her and felt the truth burning on the tip of her tongue, but she had not been able to do it. She had never told Claire the true reason why. ¡°We¡¯ve been fighting for months. What¡¯s left to say?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s left to say?!¡± Claire had shaken her head, her voice dripping with anger. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Martin? I don¡¯t even recognise you anymore.¡±

    Emmy had winced at the name. Every time, it had cut just as deep, but she had swallowed the pain. How could Claire understand when Emmy had always held everything inside? Emmy had never told a soul. Not even her best friend knew. That was a secret she had carried on her own.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Go then,¡± Claire had spat, her voice like ice. ¡°But don¡¯t come crying to me when you realise you¡¯ve thrown everything away for nothing.¡±

    The memory still stung, even now. Sitting in her cramped apartment, alone, Emmy could still hear Claire¡¯s voice in her head, still feel the weight of her icy stare.

    Thrown everything away for nothing. The words echoed in her mind. Emmy had often wondered if Claire was right. If she had made the wrong choice. The tiny apartment¡ªbarely large enough for her rig, a bed, and a kitchenette¡ªfelt like a far cry from the life she had built with Claire and their kids. Thirty-eight years old. A brilliant career in IT. And this tiny place? It was all she could afford now. It felt like the first apartment of a young adult fleeing their parent¡¯s home at the first chance of independence. Like she had erased two decades of her life.

    But even if the choice had been painful, even if it had cost her more than she could have imagined, she knew she could not have stayed with Claire. Not like that. Not while living a lie.

    Emmy opened her eyes, the rain still tapping softly at the window. The blinking message on the monitor pulled her back to the present. The game¡¯s installation was complete. It would be a distraction. A much-needed escape.

    She had played the original. This was a remake of something she first played when she was nine years old. Emily and Dan Archer, her parents, ran themselves ragged trying to keep a CrossFit gym afloat. They paid the monthly subscription of the MMORPG to keep their eldest children busy. Because their parents were so busy, Emmy often had to take care of her four-year-old brother, Sam. Whenever he needed anything, she would drop what she was doing in-game without complaining. The subscription doubled as payment for babysitting. And she milked that subscription for all it was worth.

    The small monitor reporting the completed installation was the only source of illumination in the cramped space in which she now lived. It was just enough to reveal the peeling wallpaper and mismatched furniture. It made her miss their house in Broadmoor, only a few miles away. Claire still lived there with Maya and Ewan, their children. Together, they continued the life she had helped build together. It felt profoundly unfair to Emmy, but there was never any doubt in her mind that Claire, a family practice lawyer, would end up with the better deal after the divorce.

    Emmy leaned back in her chair, slowly opening her eyes, one hand covering half her face. She stared at the cracked ceiling above her. The divorce had hit harder than she had expected. She had told herself she had seen it coming, but the reality¡ªthe loneliness, the loss¡ªlingered like a dull ache in her chest, something she could not quite shake. Despite everything, the sound of the rain outside acted as a free white noise generator, which she had needed to fall asleep ever since the breakup. Without something soothing like that, her brain simply would not let her rest. Insomnia was a lifelong acquaintance at this point. One she wished she could part with, but that simply clung to you, no matter what.

    Her phone buzzed, pulling her from the memories swirling in her mind. She hesitated before reaching for it, trying to guess who was messaging her as she fumbled with the controls. On the lock screen, she could see it was a message from Jason, her best friend since high school. Likely an update about tonight¡¯s plans. And knowing Jason, possibly bad news.

    Her phone buzzed again. This time, she picked it up.

    ¡°Hey M-E, sorry I¡¯ll be late¡ªjust finished the parent-teacher meeting, and I¡¯m not even home yet. I¡¯ll be late, but you want to stick to our plan tonight, anyway?¡±

    Called it.

    Jason was a middle-school teacher¡ªintroverted, reserved, and content to stay in the background most of the time. He had been Emmy¡¯s best friend since high school, and although he was not much of a gamer, she had convinced him to try this one with her. When they gamed together, Jason followed her lead and Emmy did not mind. She actually liked that about him¡ªhis quiet presence. He demanded nothing from her, never questioned her choices. It made things easier, especially now when her own life felt so out of control.

    Jason let her take the lead, and she needed that¡ªsomeone she did not have to explain herself to. Maybe that was why they worked so well together. There was something comfortable about how they both kept certain things unspoken, like neither of them needed to dig too deep into things that did not feel quite right. Jason always deferred to her in games, never making his wishes heard. Emmy could not explain it, but sometimes she wondered if there was more to it than just his laid-back nature. He was always so willing to go along with whatever anyone suggested, and he never seemed to mind when he was the one who sacrificed the most for the sake of the group.

    But back to the game they were about to play. Emmy was both a former raid-leader and genre-savvy gamer. She had devoured every bit of information and speculation that was out there on the new release. She could probably talk anyone¡¯s head off just about class balance, given the chance, and she did not limit her knowledge to mechanical elements¡ªlore, crafting, gathering¡ªif there was a wiki article or video guide about it, she had seen, read, or heard it. Multiple times, likely.

    She let out a soft sigh, grateful for the distraction. At least in the game, she did not have to be Martin. She did not have to be the person everyone expected her to be. Not anymore. The developer promised they had solved the biggest problem of VR spaces for people like her. Being forced to be reminded of what your body looks like when you dive meant even games were no longer effective means of escape. As usual, technology had changed on everyone, and for the lucky ninety per cent, it was great. For the remaining ten? People like her? Well, too bad.

    ¡°Yeah, no worries. I¡¯ll go through character creation first and guide you through it when you get home?¡± she typed back, her fingers flashing over the screen.

    Part of her wanted to share that deeply personal moment with her best friend. But creating her ideal self, a female avatar, while her best friend watched over her shoulder? Perhaps it was for the best this way. Once he logged, it would simply be done. Fait accompli.

    As she set her phone down, her gaze lingered on the flickering monitor. For the first time in years, she would not have to be Martin in a game. She could finally be Emmy, the version of herself that she hid from everyone. A small smile crept onto her face. The world outside might still see Martin-Ethan Archer, but in this world, at least for a little while, she could live as her true self.

    Her FullDive VR was a stark contrast to the rest of the furniture in her cramped apartment. It was worth about the same as a luxury car. She had needed one for work, but the company could have provided one. Their standard rig would be serviceable, yes. But this one? Her baby? She had poured so much money and care into every minor component. And after the divorce? This device had been important to her before, but it was her entire life now.

    With a deep breath, Emmy slipped the neural headset over her head and leaned back in her chair, feeling the cool plastic against her skin. Her heart pounded with a mix of anticipation and fear. This was it¡ªthe moment she had been waiting for. She pressed the power button, and the world around her dissolved into darkness.

 Chapter 6: Unspoken Bond

    Wednesday, August 27th, 2042, Ryan Porter¡¯s Hub, VR Space.

    Ryan stood still, staring at the space where Lucia¡¯s avatar had disappeared. The lingering echo of her words¡ª¡°Don¡¯t forget who you are when you log out¡±¡ªclung to him, unsettling in a way he did not fully understand. What was it she said about slipping?

    Shaking off the unease, he willed himself back inside the game, eager to re-enter and explore the bustling city as Kaelyn.

    The world around him shimmered, the familiar neon glow of his hub fading away. But something was wrong. The plaza did not reappear like it should have. Instead, there was a moment of floating, weightless blackness. His stomach lurched, and a strange pressure tugged at the back of his mind, like something was pushing him into a place he had not chosen.

    Before Ryan could even process where he was, a dull, throbbing ache pulsed low in Kaelyn¡¯s abdomen. His body jerked forward, pulled into the memory. A cold, calculating voice, filled with satisfied cruelty, whispered in his ear. ¡°No escape now.¡±

    Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, but the pain radiating across his pelvis brought him back.

    It hit him so hard he doubled over, his breath catching in his throat. What the hell was this? This was not where he left Kaelyn off. He was supposed to be in Luminara. The city. Not¡­ here. Not like this.

    Memory of what lead to this moment came back in waves¡ªKaelyn¡¯s body betraying her, confusing her with its sudden shifts. She remembered the warmth, the stickiness, the rush of panic. For a moment, Ryan felt it too, like a phantom sensation, and the fear Kaelyn had experienced rippled through her as if it were happening all over again.

    A sudden pressure seized him, fingernails digging deep into his shoulders, sharp and unrelenting. He flinched, trying to shrug it off, but the grip only tightened, pinning him in place. He looked over his shoulder¡ªnothing. But the invisible nails pressed deeper, as if they wanted to pierce through to his bones. An icy voice, barely more than a whisper, brushed against his ear. ¡°You can¡¯t cherry pick,¡± it said in a murmur. ¡°If you want to wield her power, you must understand the pain that made her this way, too.¡± The nails held him still, forcing him to feel every ounce of Kaelyn¡¯s anguish. There was no escape. Not now.

    The tide of her emotions swept him along for the ride.

    Her breath hitched. A knot tightened in her gut, sharp and insistent, as if her body itself was mocking her, reminding her of that helpless, terrifying moment. She had thought something was terribly wrong, had she not? That she had been dying. Kaelyn¡¯s heart had pounded so hard she had thought it might burst from her chest. The fear had been suffocating, until her mother had arrived, gently, like a balm over a burn.

    Ryan convinced her to open her eyes. As she did, he could feel how raw they felt, that burning sensation of having cried yourself dry. The memory of moments like this was universal. He may not intimately appreciate the full extent of the event that lead to her current state. But the way she felt right now? That feeling? He had felt that way before, although it was a long time ago.

    Around her, soft beams of sunlight streamed through the window of a modest bedroom. Floral curtains fluttered in a gentle breeze, and the scent of wildflowers and warm earth filled the air. Shelves dotted the faded green walls, lined with keepsakes and small trinkets.

    Kaelyn felt a lump in her throat, a tightness that made swallowing difficult. Her eyes prickled, her vision blurring slightly. There were more tears, right there, just beneath the surface. But they would not come. There was a dam inside her, trembling under the weight it tried to hold back. But it refused to break, leaving her stranded somewhere between release and restraint. It left her¡­ exhausted. Was she holding back from crying, because it meant acknowledging just how scared and small she had just felt?

    Her hands twitched, fingers digging into the bedspread. A tremor ran through her. She tried to steady herself, but the feeling was overwhelming. She was feeling such an alien mixture of emotions, and she did not know what to do with them all. A heaviness in her chest, like a stone pressing down, made it hard to breathe. She had not let herself fully unravel yet, even though every part of her ached to do so. A sense of shame fluttered around the edges. Was this weakness? Was it wrong to feel the way she felt?

    And then, her mother¡¯s hand tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. At the contact, the ear on top of her head twitched repeatedly, involuntarily. Kaelyn nearly burst out in tears, the gesture that should have brought her comfort, only bringing back the earlier betrayal of her body. Her mother quietly but promptly shushed her, embracing Kaelyn with her two arms with a gentleness foreign to Ryan. The touch was so gentle, so warm that it made Kaelyn collapse into her arms.

    The scent of her mother¡¯s perfume ¡ª lavender and honey ¡ª drifted in the air, grounding her in a strange, nostalgic comfort. It was the feeling of being wrapped in a soft blanket after being out in the cold for too long.

    Her skin tingled where her mother¡¯s thumb traced circles on her cheek. Each stroke was soft, deliberate, and loving. It was as if she was smoothing over all the hurt Kaelyn¡¯s body had caused her with this simple motion.

    Her body¡¯s tension eased, but not entirely. The ache in her abdomen lingered, a dull reminder of the earlier fear. But it faded into the background, softened by her mother¡¯s presence.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right, little one,¡± she whispered, her thumb brushing lightly against Kaelyn¡¯s cheek. ¡°The world is vast and sometimes frightening, but you¡¯ll find your way through it. Everyone does. Never forget that.¡±

    Kaelyn¡¯s chest tightened again, but not from fear this time. It was from the overwhelming tenderness. Her throated burned, like she had swallowed something too large to digest, a lump of emotions too thick to pass. She had wanted to cry. Desperately. But the tears had not come. Instead, she remained on the edge of a breakdown, the sensation heavy and oppressive.

    For Ryan, the entire ordeal felt surreal. Her hands were still shaking. She was clenching her fists to hide it. Part of him was screaming to pull back, to rip out the neural link, to stop feeling. This pain did not belong to him. This was not his memory. But Kaelyn¡¯s vulnerability felt so raw, so potent. It was terrifying. And for now, he shared it with her. It was his, now. But together with the fear, pain and vulnerability, Kaelyn¡¯s mother¡¯s love was there as well. And he had never felt a warmth like that before. Nobody had ever been this gentle with him. He had never received such love before. Never.

    In contrast to his own experience growing up, this maternal love was softer than the brisk efficiency of Ryan¡¯s mother¡¯s care. Sarah¡¯s concern had always been practical¡ªsharp, like the cold antiseptic smell of her hands after washing dishes or the brief, tight hugs she had offered, on the rare occasion she saw her son. She had reserved all of her warmth for Lucia. His little sister had been Sarah¡¯s daughter.

    As for his father? Eduardo never showed love. He never spoke much. And if he did? It was mostly out of duty.

    No affection. No tenderness.

    His silent gaze said all that needed to be said about what it meant to be a man: tough it out, be strong, do not expect softness.

    Ryan had learned early that the softness his sister received was not for him. But why was he feeling this now? Why was this moment being shown to him so vividly, so intimately, like it was his own? It felt¡­ deliberate. Like a lesson. But from whom? A shadow of something dark, just out of sight, pressed against the edges of his mind. Watching. Guiding.

    Something stirred deep inside of Ryan. Something dangerous and unfamiliar. Part of him, a part he did not fully understand, wanted to recoil. To push the maternal love away, before it seeped too deeply into him. Otherwise, it would allow him to realise just how starved for affection he truly was.

    Affection that Kaelyn had basked in, growing up.

    For the first time in a long time, Ryan felt small. Not in a belittling way, but in the way you do when you realise how much you had been missing. Like he had been wandering in the cold for years and had forgotten what warmth even felt like.

    Nobody held him like this. Or looked after him with such care. It was foreign¡ªunnerving.

    And it hurt.

    Why am I feeling this? Ryan wanted to pull away, to escape back into the real world.

    A good part of Ryan wanted to scoff, to shrug it off as some sentimental crap. He was fine and did not need this. Not really.

    But another part, deep down, was not so sure.

    And fear held that part of his heart in a vise-grip.

    But then, as suddenly as it had all started, the memory flickered like a dying flame. The room dissolved, and the loss felt physical. It was like someone pulled the rug from under her, leaving her stomach twisting, her pulse pounding in her ears. The warmth vanished, replaced by the cool, distant noise of the city plaza.

    Kaelyn stood frozen, her chest tight, her mind spinning.

    But the memory would not let go. The scent of wildflowers, the feeling of her mother¡¯s arms around her¡ªthese were not just Kaelyn¡¯s anymore. They clung to Ryan, too. And no matter how much he tried to shake it off, the lines between them blurred.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    The noises of the city felt far away. All she heard were distant echoes as she tried to ground herself, as if she was underwater.

    What the hell was that? She thought, trying to shake off the weight in her chest. It was not real. It was just a game. Just part of the calibration. Memories implanted to help adjust to the new body.

    But deep down, Ryan knew that was not it.

    Kaelyn had felt something in that moment¡ªsomething raw and painful that she could not quite name. And it terrified her, because she was not sure what it meant.

    What would it be like¡ªthe thought came unbidden¡ªto be loved like that in real life? To be held, to be seen?

    Sarah¡¯s face flashed in her mind, but it was not her voice that lingered. It was Kaelyn¡¯s mother, her gentle words playing repeatedly in her head.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find your way through.¡±

    A bitter laugh escaped her. Find her way? That was not how Ryan felt. Not in this life. Not in pap¨¢¡¯s basement, surrounded by the mess of the past weeks. She felt lost. She did not feel she knew how to navigate the world. But Kaelyn¡¯s mother had looked at her with so much certainty, so much love.

    And now, that memory¡ªher memory¡ªlodged itself in her mind, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not shake it loose.

    Her heart was still racing, her thoughts tangled. What¡¯s happening to me?

    She glanced around the bustling city, but no one seemed to notice her. Still, her mind was back in that room, replaying the memory. For the first time since starting the game, she was not sure if she wanted to keep going¡ªor if she even knew how to stop.

    Then she remembered the reason Lucia had visited in the chatroom. Kaelyn let out a long sigh, giving the city a longing glance. She forced herself to joke, pretending everything was fine. ¡°Hold on to your horses, Luminara. I¡¯ll be back before you know it,¡± she said, without the levity she had hoped.

    She virtually unplugged herself from the Dive.

    Ryan opened his eyes in the real world, reaching to remove the neural link from the back of his neck. He glanced down at himself, still in his usual lounging attire.

    Poor Kaelyn, he thought. That was¡­ intense. He desperately rationalised that everything he just felt had nothing to do with him.

    It was easier this way. That had been all about her. Her past, her fears, and her caring mother.

    But even now, the ache lingered. The knot in her chest, the desperate need for comfort¡ªit was still there, like a shadow in the back of his mind.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time to put on some pants,¡± he said, muttering, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Once again, he tried using humour to break the spell that held him down.

    His gaze drifted across the apartment, lingering on the scattered trash and half-empty cans.

    The air in the apartment felt stale compared to the wildflowers and warm earth Kaelyn had smelled moments before. The cloying scent of old dirty contains hung in the air, mingling with the faint metallic tang of discarded cans. His body felt heavier, slower. The inhospitable, harsh reality of pap¨¢¡¯s basement replacing the warmth he had felt from Kaelyn¡¯s mother.

    Had this place always been this messy? He frowned, feeling a strange urge to tidy up ¡ª to make the space more livable. Maybe he should thank his father properly for letting him stay here, even take better care of it, the way¡­ Kaelyn had taken care of her room.

    That thought, it was not his. Or was it? He frowned. No. Just cleaning. Just¡­ cleaning.

    The lingering sense of disorientation settled into his chest, but he shook it off.

    He had little time. Pap¨¢ would be here soon.

    <hr>

    The sun hung low in the late afternoon sky, casting a warm golden hue over the city streets. Eduardo gripped the worn leather steering wheel of his vintage 1990 Eagle Talon TSi AWD Turbo, the engine¡¯s steady purr a familiar comfort. The car predated him, but its unique appearance had charmed him during his youth. It was a relic, a tangible link to simpler times, though keeping it running had become a bit of a nightmare. Eduardo always insisted it was worth the effort to keep it running when people pointed out how much time he spent maintaining it. Most had given up on even trying to convince him, a car mechanic, to give up on gas powered engines. The prohibitive cost of both the gas and special licenses needed to drive them around were huge deterrents to the vast majority. But he would not give up on his Talon, despite the costs in money and time. He could be bullheaded when he wanted, and this was something he would simply not budge on.

    As he navigated the urban maze toward the apartment where his son lived, memories flickered through his mind like scenes from an old film.

    He recalled the days when Ryan was a child, sitting wide-eyed in the passenger seat, peppering him with questions about the car¡¯s horsepower and turbochargers. Back then, conversations had flowed more easily¡ªor perhaps they had been less burdened by the complexities that now hung between them.

    Eduardo sighed, adjusting his grip on the wheel. When did things become so strained? It felt as if they built an invisible wall between each other, each brick laid by unspoken words and missed opportunities. He knew he was not the most expressive person; emotions knotted within him like tangled threads he could not unravel. The doctors had called it Alexithymia¡ªa term that felt as cumbersome as the condition itself. Not that he felt no emotions; it was that he trouble identified them and could not find the words to express them.

    He worried Ryan mistook his silence for indifference. The thought gnawed at him, a dull ache settling in his chest. He wanted to tell his son he loved him, that he cared deeply, but the words always seemed to catch in his throat.

    A honk from a passing car jolted him back to the present. Eduardo realized he had been idling at a green light. He shook his head and pressed the accelerator and the Eagle Talon leapt forward. Focus, he told himself. He was on his way to help Ryan with some repairs and to drop off some of Sarah¡¯s homemade meals¡ªa now well-established routine.

    Pulling up to the apartment complex, Eduardo parked the car in its designated spot and let the engine run for a moment, staring at the building¡¯s facade. It was modest but well-kept, in a neighbourhood that had once been desirable. After shutting off the engine and making sure the turbo would not stick, he gathered his toolbox and a few food containers filled with steaming arroz con pollo from the back seat.

    He climbed the steps to the basement apartment¡¯s patio landing. Reaching Ryan¡¯s door, he hesitated before knocking, his knuckles hovering just above the wood. Taking a deep breath, he knocked lightly.

    The door swung open sooner than expected.

    ¡°Pap¨¢...¡± Ryan said, greeting him with an awkward tone.

    Eduardo blinked in surprise. It had been years since Ryan had called him that. Usually, it was just ¡°Dad¡± or nothing at all. Before he could respond, Ryan stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug.

    As Ryan pulled him into the hug, Eduardo felt the usual stiffness in his son¡¯s shoulders, but there was something else¡ªsomething softer in the way Ryan¡¯s arms wrapped around him, like he had let go of something. For the first time in years, the embrace did not feel like an obligation, but something Ryan genuinely wanted. Eduardo blinked, momentarily stunned by the change. Was this what he had been waiting for?

    Eduardo stood stiffly, his mind scrambling to process the unexpected affection. He cursed inwardly at the food containers in his hands. Then, as if a dam had broken, he returned the embrace, his arms awkwardly encircling his son. He felt a sting in his eyes and blinked rapidly, unwilling to let tears betray him. Usually, Ryan muttered a few words and then retreated into the darkness, leaving Eduardo alone to fix whatever was broken. But tonight, it was different. The tension was still there, like a ghost at the edges of the room, but¡­ softer.

    ¡°Come on in?¡± Ryan asked as he pulled back, his cheeks flushed and his eyes avoiding contact.

    Eduardo cleared his throat, struggling to find his voice. ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you,¡± he said, struggling to find the right words. They had come out rougher than he had intended.

    He stepped inside and immediately noticed by how tidy the apartment looked. The usually cluttered coffee table was mostly clear, except for a cleaning rag and a bottle of multipurpose cleaner sitting atop it. A half-filled garbage bag lay nearby, and the scent of fresh citrus cleaner hung in the air.

    ¡°I, uh... was just tidying up a little,¡± Ryan said, almost bashfully. He rubbed the back of his neck¡ªa gesture Eduardo recognised from his son¡¯s childhood, when he caught him sneaking cookies before dinner.

    Eduardo set the toolbox down by the kitchen counter and placed the containers of food beside it. ¡°Your mother made some of your favourite,¡± he said, nodding toward the dishes.

    Ryan rushed to the kitchen and immediately began transferring them into the fridge. ¡°Tell Mom I always appreciate it.¡±

    An awkward silence settled between them, but it was different this time¡ªsofter, less heavy. Eduardo searched for something to say, his mind filled with half-formed sentences.

    ¡°How have you been?¡± he finally asked.

    ¡°Good, I think?¡± Ryan said, leaning against the counter. ¡°I found something today that should keep me busy for a bit.¡±

    Eduardo could not help but feel a flicker of hope. After so many years of silence and distance, was this the shift he had been waiting for? Yet, as the thought lingered, a sliver of unease crept in. Why now? What had changed? He wanted to ask, to dig deeper, but something held him back¡ªa fear, maybe, that asking might shatter whatever fragile thing had settled between them tonight.

    Eduardo did not really know how to keep the conversation going, and, angry at himself, let out only a simple ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a hobby, but I guess it¡¯s better than pacing around all day,¡± Ryan said, running a hand through his hair with a small, almost self-conscious smile.

    Eduardo nodded slowly, unsure what to say. ¡°Is it another of those virtual things?¡±

    Eduardo had never understood the pull of those virtual worlds Ryan was so fascinated with. It was like trying to grasp smoke¡ªevery time he thought he had a handle on it, the meaning slipped away. And yet, tonight, it seemed to matter less. They were talking, and that was enough, even if the words were just fragments of a larger conversation they had never quite finished.

    Ryan winced. ¡°Yeah. But this one¡¯s different. I feel...¡±

    He did not finish his sentence. Ryan trailed off and gestured toward the living room, smiling awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m just going to keep cleaning up.¡±

    There was a gentleness in Ryan¡¯s voice tonight that Eduardo could not quite place. Usually, his son¡¯s responses were brief, almost distant, but tonight there was something warmer¡ªsomething unfamiliar. Eduardo felt a flicker of hope, but he pushed it down, nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. ¡°Sure.¡±

    They worked side by side, not speaking much more. Ryan taking garbage bags outside to the dumpster as he filled them, Eduardo moving from room to room, inspecting the appliances for signs of wear.

    While working, Eduardo noticed something unusual in his son¡¯s demeanour tonight ¡ª not just the tidiness of the apartment, but a certain... gentleness in his movements. Eduardo noticed how he handled the rag with an almost delicate touch, as if the act of cleaning was something foreign to him. It was subtle, but there¡ªlike a shift too slight to put into words. Eduardo frowned for a second, the thought tugging at the edges of his mind, but then Ryan straightened and continued, and the moment passed. He pushed the thought aside, chalking it up to just one of those strange little things he never understood about his son.

    They talked little beyond that, and before long, Eduardo closed his toolbox and announced it was time for him to head home.

    Ryan seemed hesitant for a moment, as if he wanted to say something but held back. Finally, he waved goodbye. ¡°G¡¯night, Pap¨¢.¡±

    As Eduardo guided the Eagle Talon through the city streets, he could not stop the small smile tugging at his lips. It had been years since Ryan had called him Pap¨¢¡ªyears since their conversations had felt anything more than mechanical. Tonight was different. Softer. Easier. But as the smile settled on his face, an unexpected thought flickered through his mind. Had something changed in Ryan? Or had something changed in him? Maybe we both changed, he thought, and the thought should have brought comfort, but it left a strange, hollow feeling in its wake. Like he was getting something he wanted, but in a way he did not fully understand. The answer slipped away from him, like the sunset in his rearview mirror. He decided it did not matter. For now, this was enough.

 Chapter 7: The Name She Chose

    Wednesday, August 27th, 2042, Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington.

    Emmy¡¯s virtual hub came into view¡ªa faithful recreation of her old home office from the house she had shared with her ex-wife. It stung every time she dived in and saw it, but she could not bring herself to change it. Maybe it was too soon, or maybe part of her was not ready to let go of everything she had lost¡ªnot yet.

    With a quick click on the game¡¯s icon, the hub faded, replaced by the deep greens and browns of the loading screen. The familiar hum of the VR interface greeted her like an old friend, and for the first time in a long while, she felt a spark of anticipation. This was not just another game¡ªit was her escape, her chance to be the person she had always been underneath it all.

    Emmy reached out, her fingers brushing against the screen where the words ¡°Create Character¡± glowed softly. She tapped the option, and the world shifted again. Sixteen glyphs appeared before her¡ªeach one representing a deity, a force that would shape her character¡¯s life in the game. They spun lazily in the air, glowing with power, each calling to her in its own way.

    But there was only one choice that felt right.

    Emmy tapped an ochre-brown glyph, the symbol of Terra, the lady of spring, earth goddess of endurance. A detailed description floated before her, but she had already read it offline. Terra embodied resilience, standing steady through storms and standing tall when everything threatened to crumble. She was also the goddess of new life, of rebirth. In this way, she reminded Emmy of the Greek goddess Demeter, in her aspect as Khlo?. It was a fitting choice¡ªEmmy¡¯s life had been all about enduring and surviving, but now it was time for her rebirth.

    The lore about Terra¡¯s clergy, the Guardians of the Earth scrolled across her vision: ¡°Nature watchers, Terra¡¯s priests oversee harvest festivals, the planting of crops and tests of endurance. Her followers embody the earth itself, unyielding and resilient, able to withstand pressure and emerge stronger. Terra blesses those who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders without faltering.¡±

    A soft image of Terra appeared as a homini¡ªtall, robed in green and brown, with a crown of laurels on her head of long brown hair, and a crooked staff in her hand. Barefoot, but the grass seemed to cushion her every step.

    Emmy smiled faintly. Yeah, that¡¯s the only right choice for me.

    With a flick of her hand, the glyph dissolved into soft brown light, and the image of the goddess faded. A warm, comforting sensation enveloped Emmy, like the gentle embrace of a mother. It was not just comforting; it felt like an invitation, a reassurance that she could step forward into this new self without fear. She leaned into the embrace, feeling a kind of tenderness she had not known in years¡ªa tenderness that felt like coming home. It was a softness Claire had stopped giving her long before the divorce, if she had ever truly given it at all.

    A soft voice whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, daughter of mine. Spread your wings and fly.¡±

    For a moment, Emmy¡¯s breath caught in her throat. Daughter. That was not a word anyone had ever used for her before. Did it have to stay that way? The word wrapped around her like Terra¡¯s embrace, filling some hollow space inside her she had not known was still empty. But as quickly as it had come, the warmth left her, carried away by the wind, leaving a quiet ache in its place.

    Emmy opened her eyes and noticed the staff in her hand¡ªher hand. For the first time, the hand she referred to was actually a feminine hand. She looked down and confirmed what she had heard about the game¡¯s new tech. She was embodying her chosen deity¡¯s avatar. Emmy could feel something had shifted during that embrace¡ªsomething she had not noticed in the moment but could sense now. There was no discomfort, no lingering oddness at being in the goddess¡¯s skin. In fact, it felt disarmingly right. Like it was okay to feel this way. Theories she had read online had mentioned the system warming the brain to the change, likening it to a pressurised airlock. Maybe that was the case, but right now, she ignored the why. She was feeling whole for the first time.

    A window prompt brought Emmy back to the present. ¡°Choose your species,¡± it prompted.

    Emmy already knew what she wanted: sylvani. In the previous version, that species only offered one of the two alternatives¡ªwhat they call the Shadow sylvani in this re-release. The tall haughty elves that reminded her The Lord of the Rings or Star Trek. No. She did not want to be tall, cold or to intimidate others. She had had enough of that in real life, with Martin¡¯s five foot ten athletic frame making people step back or reflexively pull their children closer. Every time that happened, it broke her heart.

    She selected the Wind sylvani. Small, agile elves with colourful hair and pointed ears. Known for their freedom, adaptability, and light-footed nature, they thrived in environments where others struggled, moving swiftly and gracefully through the world. They did not rely on brute strength. And they were small, cute. They looked harmless, child-like, fun-loving. Mischievous, perhaps, if you looked at them in a specific light. Qualities Emmy longed for people to associate with her.

    Emmy paused for a moment, her gaze lingering over the two figures in front of her¡ªone male and one female, both androgynous in appearance. The first could easily pass as a woman. Emmy recalled the heated debates arguing about Link¡¯s gender in the Zelda games, how Eji Aonuma had stepped forward and claimed ¡°I wanted the player to think ¡®Maybe Link is a boy or a girl.¡¯¡±. It did not stop the debates. But years before Eji made his statement, Emmy had already chosen the way she saw it. She had named her save game ¡°Emmy¡±. She even had the perfect excuse. You could not spell ¡°Martin¡± with only four characters, a restriction imposed by the limited hardware and screen space. She smiled at the memory.

    Does it really matter which one I pick? She thought. Would anyone notice or care? She could play it safe and pick the male option, avoiding questions.

    But no. She wanted to pick the female one. Maybe she could lie and say she did not realise which one she had chosen? Would anyone believe me if I said that to their face? Her hand lingered in the air, stuck between the two options, a finger pointing towards the safer, male option. It would make things so much simpler if she could just pick that option. Could it satisfy her? But she knew how living a lie would be worse. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Back when she was younger, people could joke dismissively about picking the girl character because you would rather stare at a pretty character. That worked back when games were mostly in third person. But now that the game would make you feel what it¡¯s like to be a woman? To have to deal with that shape at all times?

    So the question on her mind was: who mattered more? Lying to yourself, picking the easy option to please others? Or walking the path that made you happy and having to lie to anyone who asked why you did that?

    Claire would make a stink about it. Even before her now radicalised views on identity, she would assault Emmy with a barrage of questions about why she ¡®always played women in games¡¯. Even the silent, judging stares would drain all the joy of the experience. Years ago, back when people still played games on computer screens, it had already been so much simpler to just pick the male options.

    But the day their son was born, was the day when playing a female character online ultimately got relegated to be done behind closed doors. Forced in the closet, even in her escapes.

    She stopped hesitating, and with a furious roar, selected the female avatar. As the screen shifted, a slow, warm realisation crept in¡ªshe had done it. She had made the choice. And it felt good. Fantastic, even. For once, this choice was not about how others would see her¡ªit was about how she saw herself.

    She felt the tension in her shoulders fade away. A tension she had not noticed until it was gone. It had been there, in the periphery of her senses, for decades, so she was not really feeling it anymore. Sure, sometimes, when she got a massage after a tough week, the therapist would comment on the stiffness there, but she brushed it off to work-related stress.

    She honestly did not know why she had hesitated. Screw what others may think. Everyone online would be strangers, everyone but Jason. And Jason would be the first to champion her if others had issues with her choices. Jason had seen Emmy play female characters in games before VR, and never had a problem with it. Perhaps he would mention something playfully about it. And sometimes, she felt he might envy her wistfully. Emmy would promptly invite him to join her¡ªto match in-game, show everyone at a single glance they shared a bond outside of the game by displaying one inside the game. Not blood sisters, but game sisters. He had occasionally done so.

    Emmy smiled. She was creating her new character now. Someone told her not to hold back, so she returned to the screen, the default female sylvani waiting patiently for her to continue with the character creation. She had permission.

    Emmy knew that would not be necessary until a much later step, but she had her character¡¯s name already figured out. Elyssia Windwhisper¡ªthat was the name that had come to her during the day as she daydreamed of this moment. It sounded delicate, almost whimsical, but there was strength behind it, a quiet confidence that reflected what she wanted to project in this world.

    She paused. Windwhisper? That had to be a coincidence, right? She had picked the name a long time before Terra whispered anything to her ear. She smiled. Maybe it was just fated to happen.

    With this positive idea in her head, she began adjusting the sliders for her character¡¯s height, posture, and features. Elyssia was small¡ªa mere four foot eight, the default height for members of her species¡ªbut she would be unstoppable. Emmy made her lean and agile, not bulky like a warrior, but finely honed like an acrobat.

    Riding the Wind sylvani¡¯s cultural tendency of sporting brightly coloured hair, Emmy chose a bright green for her own, reminiscent of grass kissed by sunlight. She picked a styled, short, and almost boyish cut¡ªpractical, yet feminine. It made her smile. A haircut she wished she could have in real life but never dared to try, afraid of what people would say. But here, she could finally give herself the freedom she had always craved. Her skin was pale but with a warm undertone, like sunlight filtering through the trees. Elyssia¡¯s eyes were bright, piercing blue, with an intensity and mischievous glint that Emmy had always wished for herself¡ªa gaze that could command attention, even without saying a word.

    Emmy added freckles on the young Sylvani¡¯s face, remembering the quote ¡°A woman without freckles is like a night without stars.¡±

    Finally, she adjusted the elongated pixie-like ears until they brought a smile to her face.

    Perfect.

    From Terra¡¯s height, Emmy looked down at the petite sylvani avatar. A sense of motherly pride washed over her. Was that her own feeling, or Terra¡¯s? Either way, it felt right. Elyssia was hers, and she was ready. As she looked at her creation, no older than twenty, Emmy felt a swell of hope¡ªa chance to turn back time, to live the life the world denied her. But this time, she would not hold back.

    Now, it was time to pick a class.

    The game allowed players to level up all available classes, but you had to start somewhere. The first class would determine your starting experience and your spawning location. Emmy did not want to make the choice lightly.

    There were eight starting classes, and Emmy¡¯s hand hovered over the options. Three were DPS classes. Fun, sure, but everyone picked those. Two were healers¡ªvital, but Emmy did not want to be the one quietly supporting from the back. She wanted to be at the forefront, leading the charge. That left the tanks.

    Her hand hovered over the three options for a moment, her thoughts wandering back to the days when she used to raid in the original game. She had played tanks often in games¡ªbig, brutish characters with heavy armour, massive shields¡ªbut this time was different. But she was done with walls. This time, she would rely on skills, her own ability to dodge, weave, and avoid damage entirely.

    She selected the martial artist class.

    The description popped up, detailing the class¡¯s strengths in agility and avoidance tanking. Martial artists wore cloth armour. Their body was their weapon. They needed speed, reflexes, and perfect timing to outmanoeuvre and counter-attack their enemies. It was the hard mode of tanking¡ªfar more challenging than just standing there and absorbing hits. But Emmy had never backed down from a challenge, and she was not about to start now.

    Emmy grinned. This is it.

    With a click, Elyssia Windwhisper, the small and agile Wind sylvani martial artist, was complete. She wore a simple white cotton tunic and fitted hemp-brown breeches, sturdy leather gloves and boots¡ªfunctional, if plain. But she looked ready for adventure.

    Emmy took a few screenshots, cropping one to show just Elyssia¡¯s eyes and sending it to Jason with a message: ¡°I¡¯m all done with creation. Here¡¯s a teaser!¡±

    The final confirmation screen appeared:

    ¡°On Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, Elyssia Windwhisper was born. May the sixteen watch over her as she treads paths no others dare to follow.¡±

    The darkness crept back in, and a new message glowed softly: ¡°Welcome back, Emmy. Now it¡¯s time for Elyssia to wake up.¡±

    A small wave of disorientation struck Elyssia as the game world loaded, but it quickly dissipated. The darkness faded, and she stood in a bazaar at the heart of a palisaded trade village. Wooden stalls lined the area, most of them covered in animal furs, while a few permanent stone-and-wood structures dotted the scene. The scent of fresh herbs and roasting meat reached her keen nose, and the quiet buzz of busy traders surrounded her.

    The vibrancy of the scene hit Emmy all at once. It felt real¡ªalmost too real. She looked down at her new body and marvelled at how natural it felt, how right.

    She took a few steps, testing the movement of her avatar. The lightness in her limbs was exhilarating, so different from the heavy, uncooperative feeling she had in her own body.

    This is me, she thought, her heart swelling with quiet joy.

 Chapter 8: Masks at the Table

    Wednesday, August 27th, 2042, Newport High School, Bellevue, Washington.

    Jason Davis watched as the last remaining rich parents of his privileged students slowly trickled out of the classroom, chatting with each other as if he did not have to close-up behind them or somewhere else he would rather be.

    He impatiently took his phone, checked the time, and typed a message of apology to his best friend. Once he was done, he pocketed the phone, grabbed his keys and his briefcase and started heading towards the door, slowly hoping they would catch the silent request to vacate the room.

    Most schools for low-class or middle-class children now existed solely in VR spaces. But the government still ran a few physical ones here and there for the children of the elite. Jason was the teacher of a middle-school group of such young elite.

    For how much his job asked of him, the salary was not great, especially given the outrageous cost associated with working and living in meatspace. There was one benefit to working for the government; Jason could eat actual meals every work day, courtesy of the school¡¯s cafeteria. Most middle-class citizens would not even dream of such luxury.

    The last parents finally left. It took longer than he hoped, but he locked the door and made his way to his car, an old Subaru Solterra. When he and his wife purchased it, it had been an expensive decision, but both partners agreed to get an electric car. Lisa was a nurse, and he was a middle-school teacher. They both agreed they should leave the world in a better state than they found it, and this was one step towards such a goal. Jason was thankful for their past decision. When the price of gasoline soared up as scarcity became a problem, the price of electric cars and electricity quickly followed, together with the price of kerosene, plane tickets and shipping costs. Any form of long-distance travel in real life soon became prohibitive, which pushed more and more people to live their lives fully digitally, unless they were within a walkable distance of everything. Public transit had not improved to the additional needs and demands.

    The sun had already set by the time he got behind the wheel. Despite all this, he smiled slightly, excitement bubbling beneath the surface. He had been looking forward to his evening plans with M-E all day¡ªdiving into the game, getting lost in a world that was not... this one. Not that his life was terrible, just... quiet. Dull. Full of obligations he never signed up for but somehow could not escape.

    His smile faded and turned upside-down when he saw the luxurious car parked in front of his house as he pulled into the driveway.

    Claire Richardson¡¯s self-driving, state-of-the-art electric car.

    It was not so much that the car was out of place in this middle-class neighbourhood, even though it was. Last Jason checked, that car was worth more than their house.

    Claire was one of the few people he knew who still took their car to meet friends in real life. The cost of doing so, both in time and money, was just not something most people could afford, or even really want to do. They simply used VR Chat for synchronous communications.

    His stomach twisted. For a moment, he considered driving off¡ªjust putting the car back in gear and leaving. But that was never him. He could not just leave Lisa to handle Claire on her own, even though Claire was her childhood friend, not his. He turned into the driveway and parked inside the garage.

    He sighed, sinking back into the seat for a moment before reluctantly grabbing his bag and heading inside. The door to the interior of the house swung open, and the aroma of roasted chicken and herbs wafted out.

    Actual food tonight? Of course, because Claire was here. With her career, she never had to rely on virtual meals. She could afford to live only in physical space. And, without realising it, she pushed others to follow her rhythm.

    He could hear voices in the kitchen, and even before stepping inside, he knew exactly how the evening was going to go.

    Inside the house, Claire sat at the island, a glass of red wine cradled in her hands, her expression a mix of frustration and sadness. She could afford wine, but Jason saw the bottle sitting on the counter next to her, and recognised it. Of course, she would expect their host to cater to her capricious tastes. Did she even realise how rarely Lisa and Jason actually drank the wine they purchased, or had she never paid enough attention to see she was always the only one with a glass of red whenever she visited?

    Her voice carried through the house, loud and authoritative¡ªlike she always had something to prove. Something to complain about. Every word, every demand, felt like a tether tightening around him. There was no escape, no space for his own thoughts. Just the weight of her expectations. Tonight, it seemed to be about M-E. Again. It was all she talked about, ever since they divorced.

    ¡°Thanks for having me over tonight,¡± Claire said, taking a sip of her wine. ¡°It¡¯s been... challenging lately.¡±

    Lisa offered a sympathetic smile. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s been too long since we¡¯ve had a proper catch-up. Besides, you know you¡¯re always welcome here.¡±

    Claire sighed, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand what happened with Martin. One day everything was fine, the next he¡¯s gone¡ªlike we were nothing.¡±

    Jason flinched. One. He stood in the doorway for a moment, hesitating. Part of him wanted to slip upstairs unnoticed. He could log into the game right now, leaving all of this behind. He had spent all day imagining it¡ªthe feeling of freedom, of getting to make choices that did not involve anyone else¡¯s mess.

    But, of course, Claire saw him first.

    ¡°Jason!¡± she forced herself, as if just saying his name was an obligatory nicety. ¡°Good to see you,¡± she smiled. That smile. Calculated. A lawyer¡¯s smile. Polite, but barely.

    He responded weakly. ¡°Hey, Claire.¡±

    Lisa turned around from the stove, stirring something in a pan. ¡°Dinner¡¯s almost ready! I thought you¡¯d like to join us tonight¡ªClaire¡¯s been going through a rough time.¡±

    Lisa glanced at Jason with a small, apologetic smile¡ªone they had shared too many times before¡ªher eyes quietly saying, Sorry for this, but you know how she is.

    Jason nodded, forcing himself to say something supportive. ¡°Yeah, of course. Got to make it through the tough weeks somehow, right?¡±

    Not that he really wanted to know. Claire had been venting about M-E for the past few months, and frankly, he was tired of being caught in the crossfire. He tried not to pick sides¡ªtried to just nod and agree¡ªbut Claire had a way of making everything feel like a confrontation. Like if you were not fully agreeing with her, you were part of the problem.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Jason placed his bag on the floor and made his way toward the kitchen, the familiar tension knotting in his shoulders. His thoughts raced. Claire¡¯s voice¡ªsharp, clipped¡ªechoed through the house like the ticking of a clock winding down.

    ¡°You know, Jason, I just don¡¯t get how Martin thinks this is okay,¡± Claire continued, her voice tinged with frustration as she took another sip of wine.

    Jason flinched again. Two. It was not just her tone¡ªit was hearing M-E¡¯s first name. Every time Claire used it, something inside him twisted. It felt... wrong. But this was not the moment to correct her. He shot a glance at Lisa, who caught his eye briefly, her expression quietly sympathetic.

    ¡°I mean,¡± Claire went on, ¡°who just leaves like that? Who upends everything and expects everyone else to just go along with it?¡± She let out an exasperated laugh. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe how many of these guys I see in my office. Forty-something, bored, restless, and suddenly, they¡¯re chasing after something ¡®new.¡¯ A new job, a new relationship, a new identity¡ªlike Martin.¡± Jason flinched again. Three. Obviously, Claire did not notice. ¡°He just left. It¡¯s the same old story, honestly. You¡¯d think them satisfied with what they have: career, stability, family.¡±

    Jason tried to stay composed. Claire was clearly venting, and maybe some of her frustration was valid, but she was missing the point¡ªespecially with M-E.

    Lisa, finishing up at the stove, stepped in first. ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s what this is? A midlife crisis?¡±

    Claire set her glass down with a sharp clink. ¡°What else could it be? I see it all the time, Lisa. Men trying to relive their twenties, abandoning their families. It¡¯s selfish. And Martin¡ª¡± another flinch from Jason. Four. ¡°¡ªis just like all of them. Walking out on the kids, chasing some fantasy.¡±

    Jason¡¯s breath caught in his throat. He could not let that slide. ¡°It¡¯s not the same, Claire. M-E¡¯s still seeing the kids regularly over VRChat. They¡¯re struggling but adapting. Maybe M-E just needed some room to breathe. Find himself again.¡±

    Claire blinked at him, clearly not expecting the analogy. ¡°Breathe? What are you even talking about?¡±

    Jason could feel his frustration rising. He struggled to find the words. ¡°I¡¯ve known M-E for a long time. Crowds drain him; space helps him breathe. It¡¯s not about leaving¡ªit¡¯s about getting the room he needs to actually live. So he can be there for the kids when it counts.¡±

    Claire rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Of course, the unaliving argument again. You think I wasn¡¯t giving Martin enough space?¡± Five. ¡°No, it¡¯s something else. It always starts with something simple like that¡ªI¡¯ve seen enough court cases about midlife-crisis or people transitioning. It always ends up tearing their marriage apart.¡±

    She turned to Lisa, scoffing, ¡°Just that they can live? Do you really buy into all that? I mean, come on. It¡¯s so bloody dramatic.¡±

    Lisa calmly set down the last of the dishes and gave Claire a steady look. ¡°It¡¯s not dramatic. I see it at work all the time. People transitioning aren¡¯t doing it on a whim¡ªit¡¯s a long, often painful process. And for many people, it is about survival. Hormone therapy, surgeries... these things can make the difference between barely getting by and truly living.¡±

    Claire scoffed. ¡°Sure, but it¡¯s still selfish. They don¡¯t think about the family, the mess they leave behind. Martin¡ª¡± Six. Jason gritted his teeth but stayed quiet, ¡°¡ªjust left, Jason. How is that fair to the children? To me?¡±

    Jason felt the familiar knot tighten in his chest. He could not entirely explain why this felt personal, why defending M-E felt so urgent, but the words came before he could stop them. ¡°Listen. It¡¯s not about fair or unfair. It¡¯s like when you¡¯re in a plane emergency¡ªyou put your own mask on first. M-E knows the kids need their dad to be alive first. Your kids are strong and smart, Claire. They¡¯ll manage.¡±

    Claire crossed her arms, her tone hardening. ¡°So what, Jason? You think it¡¯s okay for him to just walk out? You think that¡¯s what¡¯s best for the kids?¡±

    Jason hesitated, the tension building in his throat. He glanced at Lisa, hoping she could step in, and she did.

    ¡°I think,¡± Lisa said calmly, ¡°that it¡¯s not about walking out. It¡¯s about trying to find a solution. M-E¡¯s not abandoning anyone¡ªhe¡¯s just figuring out a way to deal with all this, his own way.¡±

    Claire shook her head, clearly unconvinced, but at least she did not press further. ¡°The court already decided. Martin¡¯s the one who broke the marriage and he lost custody. I¡¯d love to hear what kind of solution he thinks he¡¯s found.¡±

    Seven. Jason¡¯s stomach twisted again at the cold finality in Claire¡¯s voice. He wanted to say more, to fight harder, but the weight of the conversation¡ªand everything it implied¡ªwas exhausting. He could feel his own discomfort simmering just below the surface. But not now. Not tonight.

    Lisa, sensing the rising tension, gave Jason a soft smile and turned back to Claire. ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready,¡± she said, her voice lightening, as if trying to lift the mood. ¡°Let¡¯s eat before it gets cold.¡±

    Jason exhaled, grateful for the out. He moved to the table, trying to shake the heavy feeling in his chest. As they sat down, he could not help but glance at Lisa again. Her lips curled into a small, careful smile, tight at the edges, as if holding back words. It was warm but distant, like she was reassuring him while keeping her questions locked away.

    There was something there¡ªtoo careful, too controlled, like she was trying to contain something. There was warmth in it and quiet support, but also something else, something heavy and uncertain, almost like pity. It flickered for just a second, a glimpse of understanding she did not want to acknowledge out loud.

    Jason turned his attention to the meal that was being served. Lisa and Jason¡¯s portions cleverly disguised to appear as generous as Claire¡¯s.

    Their bank account had already paid the price for it, but now they had delicious looking plates of Lisa¡¯s home-cooked roast chicken and mashed potatoes. Jason knew he would enjoy it. Lisa¡¯s cooking far outclassed the soulless government-issued staff meals they both had at work. The students at his school, though? Oh, those had proper chefs on staff, and only the best ingredients and care. Jason had been lucky enough to have a taste here and there. He truly lived a world apart from those children.

    Claire muttered something under her breath, but the food and topped off glass of red quieted her. If she noticed the two tall glasses of water that Lisa served for herself and her husband, she did not show any signs of it.

    The conversation shifted to lighter topics¡ªwork, his students, the parents-teachers meeting, plans for the weekend¡ªbut the undercurrent of tension remained, a subtle hum beneath the surface.

    Dinner dragged on longer than Jason had hoped. He stared at the clock, imagining how it would feel to be somewhere¡ªanywhere¡ªelse. A place where he had control, where he did not have to smile and nod at conversations he no longer cared about. Every time he thought about getting up, Claire would throw him a pointed look, clearly expecting more of his input on some family drama or another. He felt like a trapped animal, stuck in this never-ending conversation about other people¡¯s problems, when all he wanted to do was slip away.

    Finally, after what felt like hours, Claire stood up, gathering her things. ¡°Thanks for dinner, Lisa,¡± she said with that same lawyer¡¯s smile. ¡°I should head out.¡±

    Jason nodded, trying not to look too relieved. ¡°Yeah, of course. Drive safe.¡±

    As soon as Claire walked out the door, Jason felt the tension leave his body, like a heavy weight being lifted from his shoulders. Lisa came over to him, placing a hand on his arm. ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jason said, though the exhaustion in his voice said otherwise. ¡°Just... tired.¡±

    Lisa gave him a sympathetic look. ¡°You don¡¯t have to deal with her, you know.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Jason replied. ¡°But... I can¡¯t just ignore her, either. I mean, she¡¯s your friend, and she¡¯s going through a lot.¡±

    Lisa sighed. ¡°She used to be my friend. Before she got poisoned by all that TERF nonsense. You heard her earlier. I only tolerate her, barely, because I care about their kids and M-E.¡±

    Jason felt a swell of gratitude. Lisa always had a way of cutting through the noise, seeing the core. It was what he loved most about her. He gave her a tired smile. ¡°Yeah. Thank you, Lisa¡­ I know.¡±

    Lisa squeezed his arm before turning back to the kitchen. ¡°He¡¯s been waiting for you, no? You two had this evening all planned. I¡¯m sorry Claire dropped in like that. You can go. I¡¯ll finish cleaning up and head upstairs.¡±

    He did not need to be told twice.

    Jason kissed his wife, gave her one of his best smiles. ¡°Love you.¡±

    He climbed the stairs to his second-story home office. The weight of the evening¡¯s conversation slowly lifted with each step. It was already late, but he promised M-E he would play tonight. The thought of getting lost in their world, away from this one, gave him a flicker of relief. Surely he could at least get through character creation.

    [author] We''re 8 chapters in, and we finally have our first chapter inside the head of the fourth protagonist, Jason Davis! Clearly, he''s not very fond of Claire, and since we are using his point of view, she''s not exactly showed in a good light at all. But frankly, I don''t even know if it would even be possible to do that. She doesn''t have much redeeming qualities...[/author]

 Chapter 9: Winds of Zephyrdale

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, somewhere in the Whispering Wilds.

    A gentle breeze brushed against Leoric¡¯s face as he opened his eyes to the soft glow of the midday sun. The sky above was a clear blue as the sun stood at its zenith.

    A charcoal-black moon hung in the sky, visible despite the hour and presence of the sun. It unsettled Sophie, though Leoric knew better. This world followed a lunar calendar, and by the shape and colour of the moon, he could tell the day. Today¡¯s waning gibbous meant it was early in the month¡ª¡°Umber¡¯s First Darksday,¡± as the status window displayed. Waning Umberan, in the vernacular. Translated to Sophie, though, it was just meant the fifth of the month.

    Leoric took a deep breath, the crisp air filling his lungs with the fresh scents of wildflowers and dew-kissed grass. The wind whispered through the leaves of ancient trees, their canopies shimmering with iridescent hues that danced in the light.

    He stood on a grassy hill overlooking a valley dotted with multiple farmlands. The crops shifted softly in the wind in a mesmerising dance.

    Leoric felt the comforting weight of his traveller¡¯s clothes. His long, tufted ears swayed gently with the breeze, heightening his awareness of the surrounding sounds¡ªthe distant murmur of a flowing river, the rustle of small creatures in the underbrush, the melodic calls of birds greeting the morning.

    He glanced down at his boots, sturdy yet supple, feeling the firmness of the earth beneath them. The connection to this land was immediate and profound, as if he had always belonged here.

    Leoric raised his hands before him, turning them over slowly. The tanned skin was smooth, the muscles lean but defined. Intricate patterns adorned his leather gloves¡ªswirling designs that seemed to mimic the flow of wind itself. He flexed his fingers, marvelling at the responsiveness and the absence of any disconnect between thought and action.

    A nearby sound drew his attention¡ªa gentle tinkling, like chimes stirred by the breeze. Following it, he found a clear pond nestled among a ring of stones. Kneeling beside it, he gazed into the still water.

    Staring back at him was a face both familiar and new. Almond-shaped eyes of deep brown reflected a quiet strength, framed by softly curving eyebrows. His hair, dark brown with subtle blonde highlights, fell in gentle waves around his face, the middle parting allowing strands to curtain just above his eyes. The long, graceful lines of his features exuded an androgynous beauty, enhanced by the elegant sweep of his ears rising above his head.

    A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. The visage was everything he had hoped for¡ªconfident, striking, free from the doubts that often shadowed his real-life reflections. Leoric felt a surge of unexpected comfort and confidence. In this form, the insecurities that had plagued Sophie seemed distant, almost trivial.

    ¡°This is me,¡± he said in a whisper that emerged richer and more melodious than he had expected. It resonated with a depth that sent a pleasant thrill through his body. The alignment felt with this body was seamless, natural.

    Standing up, Leoric took a moment to adjust the quiver at his back and the bow resting against his shoulder. The weight was reassuring, a promise of adventures to come.

    As he made his way back to the main path, and scanned the horizon, trying to find his first destination, Leoric started wondering about the odd starting location. He had not appeared inside a class guildhall, or at the entrance of a city. There was not even anyone near him. No other players, no guides, no NPCs. Just him, the vast expanse before him, and the wind.

    It felt as if the game knew exactly what would be the perfect way for him to start his journey.

    Yes, this was perfect.

    His tufted ears twitching slightly as they caught the myriad sounds of the morning. The wind carried with it the rustling of leaves, the scampering of small creatures through the underbrush, and the distant melody of birds. His keen senses stretched outward, tracking the faint noises around him. For a moment, his focus narrowed on something¡ªtiny feet, maybe a rabbit or a squirrel, moving through the bushes just beyond the clearing.

    His eyes could not see the source of the noise. But he was tracking it all the same. The precision of his hearing astounded him¡ªevery rustle, every footstep, clear as though it were right before his eyes. The clarity was almost unnatural, and for a moment, he marvelled at what this body could do.

    Lost in the sounds of nature, he did not notice the slow creak of wooden wheels until a cheerful, slightly wheezy voice called out, ¡°Ho there, stranger! Mind stepping aside? These old bones and this stubborn mule have a schedule to keep.¡±

    Leoric turned around. A Pint burrovian, barely past his knee in height, stood there, guiding a small donkey. The animal was pulling a cart laden with an assortment of goods¡ªbundles of herbs, small crates, and mysterious burlap sacks.. The anthropomorphic bunny had soft grey fur, large expressive eyes, and wore a simple vest with many pockets bulging with trinkets.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Leoric realized he was standing squarely on top of a cobblestone road. ¡°Apologies,¡± he said, stepping to the side. ¡°I was... admiring the view.¡±

    The bunny man¡¯s nose twitched. ¡°Can¡¯t blame you for that. Zephyrdale is a sight to behold, especially this season.¡± His bright eyes scanned Leoric up and down, noting the bow and ranger¡¯s garb. ¡°You from around these parts?¡±

    Leoric nodded, thoughtfully. ¡°Yes. The name¡¯s Leoric. Not native from here, but I moved here to join the ranks of rangers and learn to wield the bow.¡±

    ¡°A ranger, then? Fancy meeting you, Leoric. I¡¯m Pipkin,¡± the burrovian said, offering a tiny paw. Leoric crouched slightly to shake it, careful not to overwhelm the small creature. Despite the size difference, the handshake felt earnest.

    Pipkin gestured to his cart. ¡°I¡¯m headed to Windfall Meadow, just beyond those hills. Bandits sometimes skulk along the way, and while I¡¯m not one to scare easily, an extra set of eyes wouldn¡¯t hurt. Fancy joining me? I could offer some coin, or perhaps share a meal once we arrive.¡±

    Leoric considered the offer. There was no glowing exclamation mark hovering above Pipkin¡¯s head, no quest log prompting him to accept or decline. It felt organic, a natural progression of events rather than a scripted tutorial.

    He felt a pull¡ªa desire to wander and explore, unburdened by obligations. But accompanying Pipkin would not tether him; it might even lead to unexpected opportunities.

    ¡°Travelling in good company beats going alone,¡± Leoric replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to walk with you.¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Pipkin said with joy, his ears perking up. ¡°Stick close and keep those sharp eyes peeled.¡±

    As they set off together, the donkey snorted softly, and the cart wheels creaked along the well-worn path. Pipkin could surprisingly keep up with Leoric¡¯s stride, and did so with no complaints. Leoric assumed that the game made sure there was no clear disadvantage for playing a different species for movement speed. Otherwise, the ability to kite enemies ¡ª running in one direction with enemies chasing behind, all the while peppering them with arrows or spells ¡ª would be the exclusive realm of taller species.

    The landscape unfolded before them¡ªfields of swaying grasses that whispered secrets, clusters of wildflowers that burst with colour, and gentle slopes that invited further exploration.

    ¡°So, what brings you to these parts?¡± Pipkin asked, glancing up at Leoric.

    ¡°A new beginning,¡± Leoric said thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m seeking... something different. Freedom, perhaps.¡±

    Pipkin chuckled. ¡°Aren¡¯t we all? Zephyrdale has a way of giving folks just what they need, even if they don¡¯t know they¡¯re looking for it.¡±

    They walked in companionable silence for a while, the sounds of nature filling the gaps. Birds flitted from branch to branch, their songs weaving a melodic tapestry. Small creatures scurried in the underbrush, and occasionally, ethereal sprites darted above the flowers, leaving trails of light.

    Leoric felt a profound sense of peace. The immersion was unlike anything he had experienced before. There were no intrusive interfaces, no reminders of the game¡¯s mechanics¡ªjust the world and his place within it.

    ¡°Tell me, Pipkin,¡± Leoric said, ¡°what can you tell me about Windfall Meadow?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a quaint little place. Home to folks who prefer the simple life. Good food, better company. And this time of year, the Harvest Festival is about to begin. Music, dancing, stories¡ªthe whole shebang. It¡¯ll be on Stillday.¡±

    ¡°Sounds delightful,¡± Leoric said, genuinely intrigued.

    ¡°Indeed, it is. Perhaps you¡¯ll stick around for it. A wanderer like you might find it... enlightening.¡±

    Leoric caught a twinkle in Pipkin¡¯s eye, but chose not to press further. The path ahead seemed to glow softly, as if inviting him onward.

    As they crested a small hill, the meadow came into view¡ªa patchwork of farmlands, cottages with thatched roofs, and a central square where a large, ancient tree stood sentinel. Colourful banners were being hung between lampposts, and the distant sound of a fiddle carried on the wind.

    Leoric took it all in, a gentle smile forming on his lips. This world was vibrant, alive, and full of possibilities. The weight of his real-life concerns felt lighter, the tightness in his chest easing with each step.

    ¡°Welcome to Windfall Meadow,¡± Pipkin said, announcing the city proudly, as if he had grown up here. ¡°Safe and sound, thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°I hardly did anything,¡± Leoric said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Sometimes presence is protection enough. Now, about that meal I promised...¡±

    As they made their way into the village, Leoric felt a sense of belonging he had not expected. Children waved as they passed, artisans nodded in greeting, and the aroma of fresh bread and spices filled the air.

    Leoric marvelled at how natural it all felt. The lines between player and character blurred, leaving only the experience. In this place, he could be whoever he wanted¡ªunbound by expectations, free to explore and discover.

    Perhaps this is exactly what I needed, he thought. A new world, a new role, and the freedom to choose his path without hesitation.

    The sun climbed higher, casting a warm glow over the eatery in front of him. Leoric looked ahead, the sounds of laughter and music drawing him in.

    ¡°Make your way inside. I¡¯ll be right behind you,¡± Pipkin suggested, as he freed the donkey from its saddle and bridle.

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Leoric replied, leaning down as he stepped forward inside the building. None of the people living in Zephyrdale and surrounding cities were as tall as he was, and the architect behind this construction clearly did not think to make some necessary adjustments.

    Leoric raised an eyebrow as notifications suddenly popped into his field of view. He must have just officially completed Pipkin¡¯s escort quest?

    ¡°You have reached level two for the ranger class.¡±

    ¡°You have unlocked the rolling shot action.¡±

    As he stepped inside, he noted that most of the patrons were Pint burrovians, halflings or Wind sylvani. In the meadow, he was towering over everyone. It did not seem to dissuade them from acting friendly with him. As soon as he entered, strangers welcomed him to join their table, imploring him to regale them with tales from beyond the village.

    The Harvest Festival would fall on Halcyon ¡ª or Stillday, as Pipkin had called it. The seventeenth of the month. This was twelve days from today. Leoric already knew that he would be gone from this place long before then. But perhaps he would try to make it back in time for the festival.

 Chapter 10: Beneath the Surface

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, trade centre, city of Altansuun.

    The soft chime of an incoming call interrupted Elyssia¡¯s moment of peace. Emmy let out a sigh and pulled herself outside of the game, back to her virtual hub. A glance at the time confirmed it¡ªit was time for her routine virtual chat with her kids. ¡°That time already.¡± A smile spread across her face, this time genuine and reaching her eyes.

    Emmy walked to the virtual front door and noticed Elyssia¡¯s hands, suddenly aware of what was coming. Her kids would see her like this¡ªlike Elyssia. It was not what she had planned for tonight, and she was not sure how they would react. She had heard the rumours, of course. Other players noticing that their avatars outside the game, their virtual selves, now matched their created, in-game avatar. Apparently, many new users had flocked to the game, lured by the promise of the diversion. The rumour had originated from a university in Oregon, and the news had spread like wildfire.

    She had known this would happen, so it was not what stopped Emmy in her tracks. No. It was the sudden realisation that she was about to have a chat with her son and daughter. Wearing Elyssia¡¯s body. Would they even recognise her? Would they understand? Despite wearing her character¡¯s starting clothes, she felt extremely vulnerable, her true core exposed to other¡¯s scrutiny perhaps for the first time in her life.

    But her children were young, and most likely aware of the avatar glitch. Young people knew about all the latest memes and trends. So, while they would probably understand if Dad did not show up his usual self, they might react upon seeing her like this.

    It was an oversight. Emmy had only planned for Jason to see her. For everyone in the game, she would be Elyssia, and that was all there was to it. A standard etiquette, even back when customisation was still possible, before VR, was for people to refer to you by your character¡¯s name. Most did not care who was behind the keyboard.

    So while it had not been part of her plans tonight to introduce herself as Elyssia, it was not like she could do anything about it. Not until people figured out how to reverse the VR avatar change. As far as she knew, nobody had really attempted to find a solution; people had way too much fun with this. And if Emmy was honest, she was rather pleased that she did not have to wear Martin¡¯s costume for tonight¡¯s call. She was not sure how hard it would have been to step back into that lie.

    Expect the best, prepare for the worst. Taking a deep breath, Emmy opened the door to let her children in.

    ¡°Hey, Dad!¡± Maya¡¯s voice rang out as she materialised into the room. At fifteen, she was confident, sharp-witted. Every time she saw her daughter, Maya would dress her avatar in a brand new mix of casual and vintage styles. She was a VR thrift shopping expert.

    ¡°Hi, sweetie,¡± Emmy said warmly, but hearing her voice made her wince. It was softer now, more fluid, as if someone else¡¯s words were coming out of her mouth. She half-expected Maya to notice, to comment, but nothing came.

    Ewan, her fourteen-year-old son, appeared beside his sister, his avatar wearing a futuristic jacket and a pair of sleek headphones around his neck. ¡°Hey, Dad!¡±

    Emmy felt her heart race, her throat dry as she greeted them. She felt Elyssia¡¯s hands stiffly resting in her lap; the fingers curling and uncurling, as if she could dispel the rising panic that way.

    ¡°There¡¯s my guy!¡± Emmy exclaimed, her heart swelling at the sight of them. She tried as much as possible to act as if nothing was wrong, to sound casual. ¡°How are my favorite people doing?¡±

    ¡°Pretty good,¡± Ewan replied, flopping onto his favourite sofa. ¡°School¡¯s been a drag, but what else is new?¡±

    Maya rolled her eyes playfully. ¡°You¡¯re just mad because Mrs Thompson caught you gaming during class.¡±

    Internally, Emmy let out a long sigh of relief. They did not seem to care. It was impossible for them not to notice how different she looked. Maybe kids today were just that much better at adapting to this kind of thing.

    Ewan shrugged with a smile. ¡°Worth it.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like some things never change,¡± Emmy chuckled.

    ¡°Speaking of¡­¡± Maya gave her a long, thoughtful look, clearly taking stock of her father¡¯s new appearance. ¡°That¡¯s quite the new look.¡±

    Ah, here it comes, Emmy thought, bracing herself. This is when the other shoe dropped. The elephant has entered the room. I repeat, the elephant has entered the room. Emmy was afraid of how much of their mother¡¯s radicalisation had already sunk into the kids. Maybe she was about to find out.

    ¡°Ah ¡ª I can explain¡­¡± Emmy started, but Ewan interrupted with a grin.

    ¡°Can¡¯t believe you haven¡¯t heard, sis. The #CustomVRAvatars hashtag¡¯s blowing up! There are hundreds of videos of people showing off their new looks.¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯ve heard,¡± Maya shot back. ¡°What, do you think I live under a rock like Mom? I mean¡­ it¡¯s just a big change from how Dad looks, no?¡±

    A big change was an understatement, Emmy thought. Elyssia was fourteen inches shorter than her real-life self, and now Maya was actually taller than she was.

    Ewan shrugged. ¡°I think he looks kinda like Fierce Deity Link. It¡¯s kinda cool.¡±

    Maya smiled as she studied Emmy, then said, ¡°Yeah, definitely some flavour of Link. But she doesn¡¯t have the funny hat.¡±

    Emmy¡¯s heart swelled at their banter. How many teenagers would reference one of Link¡¯s alter egos from Majora¡¯s Mask? Her geeky kids had picked some year-two-thousand semi-obscure game to lighten the situation. They were clever. She chuckled. ¡°You caught me just as I finished creating her. This is just the starter gear. Maybe I¡¯ll find a garden gnome hat later and send a screenshot.¡±

    ¡°I want to see that!¡± Maya said with a snort of laughter. ¡°So, what¡¯s her name?¡±

    Emmy hesitated, her face flushing. She had been trying to keep things light, but now they were peeling back the layers. Still, there was no harm in answering. ¡°Elyssia,¡± she said.

    Ewan perked up. ¡°And what class are you playing?¡±

    Emmy smiled at her son¡¯s enthusiasm. The two of them loved talking about game mechanics. ¡°Same old ¡ª A tank. Just the punch-and-dodge type, not the block-and-soak kind.¡±

    ¡°Oh cool, you¡¯re just like Jet Li!¡± Ewan mimed some Kung Fu punches with a grin.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty name,¡± Maya said thoughtfully. She paused, then asked, ¡°You know¡­ Dad doesn¡¯t feel quite right like that. Should we call you Ely? Or Mom?¡±

    Emmy¡¯s breath caught in her throat. Claire would lose her mind if she heard this. Her mind raced with the possibilities, the risks. Could she ask her kids to keep this from their mother? What if it slipped out? Claire could use it against her. Emmy was not sure she could survive another court battle. Not now.

    ¡°Ah, let¡¯s not anger your mother more than we need to, okay?¡± she said cautiously. ¡°Just stick with Dad for now. I¡¯m sure someone will fix the glitch with our avatars soon, anyway.¡±

    Secretly, she hoped she was wrong about that. They can take their time solving that bug. For all she cared.

    The kids nodded, but neither of them seemed overjoyed about the decision. Press X to Doubt?

    ¡°Sure,¡± they said in unison.

    They spent the next moments catching up¡ªsharing stories about school projects, friends, and the latest shows they had been binge-watching. Emmy soaked it all in, grateful for the connection, even virtual. Despite the physical distance, these meetups made her feel closer to them.

    As they chatted, Emmy lost herself, listening to the sound of their conversation. How strange it was to see her children speaking to her in this form, the voice of this body feeling both familiar and foreign all at once. It was not just an avatar anymore. This body? It was hers.

    A notification flashed in the corner of her vision¡ªJason had logged on. Emmy hated to end the call, but Jason might log out if she did not respond soon. He rarely played by himself.

    ¡°Oh, it looks like I have to wrap this up,¡± she said regretfully. ¡°Prior engagement.¡±

    ¡°Aww, already?¡± Ewan pouted. Emmy ruffled his hair.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. But we¡¯ll chat again soon, okay?¡± She tried to hide the pang of sadness she felt at cutting their time short.

    ¡°Promise?¡± Maya asked, her gaze searching.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Emmy assured them. ¡°Maybe we can even plan a virtual game night.¡±

    ¡°That would be awesome!¡± Ewan said, his eyes lighting up.

    ¡°Count me in,¡± Maya said in agreement.

    ¡°Great. I love you both so much,¡± Emmy said, her voice softening. Losing custody had been one of the hardest things she¡¯d ever gone through, and moments like this reminded her of what she had lost. But for now, she held onto the moments she could share with them.

    ¡°Love you too, Dad,¡± they replied in unison.

    With a departing smile and wave, Emmy disconnected from the call. The familiar silence of her virtual living room settled in around her, and she was alone again. The talk had gone smoother than she had hoped, but even as relief washed over her, the anxiety still lingered in the background, a dull throb in her mind. Today had been one hurdle, but tomorrow would bring another. For now, though, she held onto this feeling. A minor victory.

    She told herself she did not deserve kids as great as Maya and Ewan. But she was so thankful to have them¡ªa small beacon of light on a cloudy night.

    <hr>

    In an alternate virtual space, Maya leaned back on the sofa, her expression thoughtful. ¡°He looked happy,¡± she said, as she recalled in her mind an image of her father in Elyssia¡¯s body. More than happy, she thought. He looked alive.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ewan said. ¡°I noticed that too. That spark in his eyes when we were just chatting?¡±

    Maya sighed. ¡°Mom would¡¯ve freaked out tonight.¡±

    Ewan nodded solemnly. He had heard her rant against trans people a million times now. Claire did not need to be here as they both knew all the arguments she would throw, no matter how often people proved her wrong and debunked her.

    Maya continued. ¡°Mom hasn¡¯t exactly been easy to deal with lately.¡± That was an understatement. Claire had lost almost every friend she had. All except Lisa, and even she was not letting Claire¡¯s nonsense slide uncontested.

    Ewan frowned. ¡°She¡¯s been pretty intense.¡± Ewan had to put his foot down only a few days ago about not joining her in a stupid rally about some inane rumour at a nearby school. At least people had moved past the lies about litter boxes in school.

    Maya agreed with her brother. Intense was one way of putting it.

    ¡°Tell me about it. All that stuff she¡¯s been posting online¡ªit makes me uncomfortable.¡± It was difficult being the daughter of a radicalised mother at school. Especially when she tried to get people to band together and fix problems that they themselves created.

    Maya looked at her brother. ¡°Did you notice how Dad reacted when I asked about the name?¡±

    Ewan nodded. He had recognised the way Dad had hesitated. How she had swallowed hard before responding. He had seen it in so many arguments with mom, and it usually meant that he was placating her.

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think he believed what he said about the glitch. How it would get fixed soon?¡±

    Maya stayed quiet for a moment. ¡°I think you¡¯re right. But I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll tell us when he¡¯s ready.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I just hope he knows we¡¯ll support him, no matter what,¡± Ewan said quietly.

    Maya smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m sure he does.¡±

    She had wanted to hug Elyssia, but Dad had never been too comfortable with physical contact. She could guess why.

    They sat in silence for a while, both feeling the weight of what had just happened, the subtle shift in their father¡¯s demeanour, the quiet joy they had not seen inside him in a long time.

    ¡°Do you think Mom will ever... you know, go back to how she was?¡± Ewan finally asked, breaking the silence. His voice was softer now, tinged with uncertainty.

    Maya stayed silent for a long moment, thinking about all the changes they¡¯d seen in their mother over the years¡ªthe increasing distance, the angry rants about people who were different, the coldness that had replaced the warmth she used to have.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said, quietly hoping she would. ¡°I hope so.¡±

    Ewan nodded, but said nothing more. They both knew things had changed too much, that the divide between who their mom used to be and who she was now seemed impossibly wide.

    Still, there was comfort in knowing that they were not alone in navigating this new reality. They had each other. And maybe, just maybe, they would get to know their dad in a whole new way too¡ªon his terms, as the person he was finally allowing himself to be.

    As they sat there, sharing the silence, both Maya and Ewan felt a sense of privilege. Tonight, they had met someone special. They had met Elyssia. And though they did not know exactly where the journey would take them, they both had a feeling they would see her a lot more in the future.

    <hr>

    Meanwhile, in her copy of the virtual hub, Emmy exhaled deeply, closing her eyes for a moment as she let herself process the conversation with her kids. It had gone better than she could have imagined, but the fear still lingered¡ªthe fear of what the future might hold, the fear of what Claire might do if she ever found out.

    She shook off the heavy thoughts and stood up, preparing herself to log back into the game. Elyssia was waiting. Her new life, her new adventure¡ªit was all waiting for her, and for the first time in a long while, she felt a surge of excitement.

    With a determined smile, she returned to the game, still in the bazaar where Elyssia stood.

    A message pinged from Jason: ¡°I¡¯m finally in the game, starting with character creation now. Any idea what I should go for?¡±

    Elyssia mentally sent her response. She knew what Jason enjoyed, so she was pretty convinced he would agree with her suggestion. ¡°I¡¯m an evasion tank. I think you¡¯ll enjoy the Mage class. It¡¯s a caster, ranged DPS. They¡¯re a bit like scholars, using spell books filled with utility ritual spells, like teleports, portals, summoning. At level one, it¡¯s as close as a support class you can find, other than playing healer.¡±

    Jason¡¯s response appeared quickly. ¡°Okay, so a studious type. That sounds right up my alley.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll just start making my way to you, then. You¡¯ll start in the city of Luminara. That¡¯s where the Priest guildhall is. Once you¡¯re done with character creation, try to see if you can find one to join us?¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡±

    The lively scene unfolded around her once more, and this time, she did not hesitate. Elyssia stepped forward, weaving through the bustling market, her heart lighter than it had been in years.

    As Elyssia, she was free. As Elyssia, she could be who she truly was.

    She started walking to the palisades. Assuredly, there would be newbie quests all over the city of Altansuun, where she had spawned. Easy source of XP, teaching the players the basics of the interface, peppered with some lore about the world. It was the modern way of games like this.

    But Elyssia did not enjoy questing. It felt like she was dancing to someone else¡¯s tune, and following was not in her nature. There was a plan somewhere, with all the quests in the city mapped out. Every so often, a quest would exist to teach you about a specific game mechanic, a feature, or a class ability. Most quest would reward you with a piece of equipment, some money, perhaps some food.

    Elyssia had another plan. But as she made her way to the walls, she noticed someone walking into an interception course. He was about a foot taller than she was, a toned Half-blood felinae with black and silver braided hair. A burgundy woollen vest he wore partially covered his loose dark trousers. Beneath the vest, multiple pieces of protective, reinforced leather covered a simple cloth tunic. He locked his amber eyes on her.

    When they got within speaking distance, he stopped.

    ¡°Shavi.¡± Disciple. Her mind translated the word for her, as if she had known it all her life. ¡°Where are you off to, determined as you are? You have not completed your training.¡±

    Elyssia studied the man. He certainly had the look of a teacher or guild master. She frowned. It looked to her like the game had a heavy-handed approach about forcing the players to do the early tutorial quests.

    ¡°Away. Off to Luminara, to meet a friend,¡± she said in a curt response. She could not help how annoyed her voice sounded.

    The man raised an eyebrow and studied her intently. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then let me write a letter of introduction for you. Perhaps it will be of help.¡± He explained. ¡°Follow me.¡± It sounded like an order, not a suggestion, but the man did not wait for her to move, and turned, headed towards one of the few largest constructions in the city.

    Elyssia let out a sigh and follow him, almost sprinting simply to match his walking speed.

    Before long, they reached the Tulaan Ger, the House of Combat. She somehow knew the meaning of the word. This, too, had to be Elyssia¡¯s knowledge. Those were all foreign words to Emmy. Inside, she quickly learned the man was called Bagsh Rhyzar by the students. Master Rhyzar. He wasted no time on pleasantries and penned a letter that he rolled and offered her.

    ¡°Should you find yourself in trouble or need of advice, find Mergen Raelan in the city of lights.¡±

    Mergen meant wise men. For her master to give this title to someone, it must be someone he highly respects.

    Elyssia accepted the letter. As she took it, Rhyzar bent down, levelling his eyes with hers. His face was inches away from hers and his eyes were intense.

    He closed his eyes and leaned forward, gently leaning his forehead against hers. He nearly whispered his words, and there was a trace of sadness behind them. ¡°Your stay amongst us was brief, Ohin. I pray our teachings help you on your journey.¡±

    Ohin. Daughter. Elyssia felt tears run down her cheeks as she stood there frozen, caught in the moment¡¯s emotion. That word, once more. But it was more than just the choice of word. That gesture. Her bagsh was symbolically transferring as much knowledge or guidance as he could to her through physical contact. He could not be there to guide her, but he seemed to hope to impart her with the wisdom that would. Elyssia was regretting how she treated him earlier. He seemed to truly care about her. She felt something at the back of her head. A vague recollection of the relationship they had shared. They were only vague memories, but they felt important to her, like she was about to leave a piece of herself behind. Just who was she, before Emmy had incarnated her character?

    Rhyzar slowly stepped away from Elyssia and gently wiped the tears running down her left cheek with his right hand. He was not showing any sign of it, but it felt to Elyssia that he was just as emotional as she was.

    ¡°May Terra watch over you.¡± His voice had remained steady, but barely, as he whispered the words.

    He gave her a small nod before turning his attention back to the rest of the students under his care, clearly glad for anything to distract himself from the well of emotions her departure was stirring.

    Elyssia wiped the rest of the tears off her face, then turned towards the exit and walked away, leaving the Ger behind.

    Elyssia marvelled at how real the whole moment had felt. The tutorial quest, if that was even what it was, adjusted itself to suit her plans perfectly. It was not like she had seen the ¡°Accept¡± and ¡°Reject¡± buttons, and she doubted any other player would have the exact experience. This was not the quest system from the game that she knew. Just how advanced were the NPC AIs in this game?

    Still, she had a long way to walk to Luminara. And she knew there would be plenty of enemies on the way to aggro her as she did.

    And she was ready to use them as training fodder.

    ¡°XP Chain, here I come¡±, she said confidently. She looked forward to challenging herself with the local fauna. Where the enemies were weak, she would simply pull enough to overwhelm her. Where the enemies were outclassing her, she would take them head-on anyway¡ªshe had cooldowns for a reason! In her mind, every combat encounter was raid practice. If it was not challenging, that meant you were simply not trying hard enough. And if all you did was fight things you could beat with rote tactics, then you would never learn how to handle challenges went things went south.

 Chapter 11: Through Anotherâ€™s Eyes

    Wednesday, August 27th, 2042, Newport, Bellevue, Washington.

    Finally in his office, Jason booted up the FullDive rig. The device hummed to life, familiar lights blinking on the neural headset. As he connected the port at the base of his neck, the tension melted away. His rig scanned his biometric data, preparing for tonight¡¯s dive.

    His personal VR hub opened, and real life¡¯s drabness dissolved into something vibrant, alive.

    The icon for A Realm Reforged Again hovered in the corner of his vision. He smiled, selecting it with a flick of his hand.

    The game booted up, the familiar logo materialising before his eyes. The lone character creation option appeared, the game waiting patiently for his selection.

    Jason texted M-E to say he was ready to play, and the reply came back almost instantly. They exchanged a few messages in rapid succession, and Jason smiled. M-E knew that healing always stressed him out, but he also knew he liked support roles. The idea of playing a wizard who could help outside of combat pleased him, and the irony of them being bookish did not escape his notice.

    But he wants me to recruit a healer? Jason thought. I guess I could try, but would it not be simpler to just roll a priest? As long as he picked either mage or priest, it should work out.

    He did not linger on the point, and simply thumbed up the request. He turned back his attention on the opening screen, finally selecting the lone option available to him.

    A voice and new prompt welcomed him to the first step of character creation: ¡°Choose your creator.¡±

    Sixteen icons materialised and floated before him.

    Sid Meier once gave a talk called A game is a series of interesting decisions. Jason was familiar with it. But the legendary designer had cautioned others about what made up interesting decisions. Starting the game with a choice of sixteen gods, without information on the impact, why the choice matters, what was the trade-off between those¡­ It all went against almost every instruction from that talk. Did the developers not pay attention?

    Jason scanned the icons. He was trying to figure out where to start, to determine which one to pick. Then he noticed one of them shone radiantly next to the others. It was the second pearl-white icon, but this one surrounded by a warm golden-yellow light.

    It called to him, like an overly eager student raising his or her arm, standing up, and shouting ¡°Me, me, me!¡±

    He chuckled at the thought of a childish and immature creator-god.

    ¡°Sure, sure. Let¡¯s give you a chance,¡± he played along, selecting the icon.

    A short woman appeared, floating just a foot off the floor. She could not be taller than four and a half feet, though her soft, rhythmic hovering made it hard to gauge her exact height.

    She had silver hair and wore a white, flowing, shoulderless robe.

    From where he stood, he could see golden, reflective scales peppered across her body, clustered mostly around her joints¡ªelbows, cheeks, shoulders and along the neck. A long, shimmering reptilian tail extended behind her, glowing with the same radiant gold.

    Two delicate fins sprouted where her ears would have been, arching back. Their bony spines fanned outward, with translucent membranes catching the light. They gave her an almost regal look, a creature of both sea and sky. She smiled at him; her glowing amethyst eyes locked onto his.

    The game¡¯s interface introduced her. ¡°Luxoria, the lady of compassion, goddess of radiance. Alignment: Light.¡±

    There was lore about the goddess and her clergy on floating windows, but Jason confirmed his selection without even reading them, shrugging. ¡°Since I have no clue why this decision matters, you seem like a good enough choice to me!¡±

    The goddess faded away, but not before her smile stretched wider, almost smug now. She practically glowed with self-satisfaction, as if she¡¯d known all along this moment would come. Her amethyst eyes shimmered, radiating approval¡ªand ownership.

    A wave of sickening vertigo crashed into Jason. His body swayed, the world warping as if gravity had shifted. His balance shattered, and his legs buckled. He dropped to one knee, struggling for breath. Every inhale felt muted, distant, filtered through layers of fabric.

    A strange pressure pulsed at the sides of his head. He tried to focus, but every movement felt alien, like his body no longer belonged to him. His chest tightened with panic, but before he could fully process what was happening, he caught something off the corner of his vision..

    Shapes and lights flickered¡ªgame windows and menus opening and closing in rapid succession. A strange orchestra accompanied the flashing lights: non-diegetic button presses, sliders adjusting and menus closing.

    Suddenly, a pop-up window appeared, front and centre. He had no choice but to focus on it. A percentage crawled up slowly, with the text ¡°Normal delta exceeded. Body calibration in progress, vestibular correction necessary.¡± He caught glimpses through the haze of his own confusion, unable to fully grasp what was happening.

    Slowly, the world steadied, the overwhelming wrongness retreating just enough for him to push himself back onto both feet. ¡°Calibration complete. We apologise for the temporary discomfort.¡± The dizziness ebbed, but his new form still felt strange, too light, too different. He blinked, trying to focus as the menus faded away and control returned to his limbs, but the feeling of being in someone else¡¯s skin lingered, an eerie reminder of the power he had just accepted.

    Jason took a deep breath, and everything felt natural again. Not ¡°normal¡±. He knew everything was different now. But he no longer felt nauseous, he no longer struggled to breathe, and he was standing on his two feet, steady.

    ¡°What¡ª¡± he tried speaking, but froze at the sound of his voice: young, feminine. It sounded just like one of his student.

    ¡°Okay, what just happened¡­?¡± he said out loud, the weird mismatch of his internal voice making it hard to complete a full sentence. That feeling was like the horrible echo you get when your voice got picked up by two microphones at once.

    ¡°Choose your starting class¡±, a window suggested somewhat helpfully, as if in lieu of an actual answer.

    Jason shook his head. Her head? It felt strange. The extra weight of her fins and long silver hair were totally foreign. The calibration system, that revolutionary system created by the game¡¯s developers, had taken away the discomfort of being in a non-human body, but only at the subconscious level. If he took the time to think about it consciously, he was still aware of everything, and how odd each sensation or how foreign each body part was. Jason stopped thinking about it, the feeling of disorientation lessening as he focused his mind elsewhere. It seemed the calibration system had limits. To be fair, it had to deal with more than having changed him into a non-human body. It was also a much smaller body. And a woman¡¯s one at that.

    It was not until she noticed the golden scales covering her arms that the reason for the change hit her. Jason had chosen a creator, and now she was the creator. Luxoria. She twisted her torso and glanced behind her, catching sight of her own tail.

    There it was, the golden dracan tail adjusting itself to counter-balance the sudden movement.

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s her, alright.¡±

    That mystery solved, and satisfied after a few minutes of inspecting her body, stretching her limbs and moving about, Jason decided it was time to tackle the next step of the character creation.

    Eight choices representing the starting classes lined up in front of her. ¡°So, picking a class comes second?¡±

    Jason understood the colour-code immediately. Blue for tanks. Green for healers. Red for damage dealers. A flame, a book and a bow & arrow.

    ¡°The book must be for mage,¡± she said.

    She considered finding which of the two healers was the priest. But she selected the mage class, as instructed by M-E. He knew the way those games worked, the social dynamics and responsibilities of party members. There was probably a good reason to pick mage over priest. Jason would just have to try extra hard to find a healer before the two of them met up. It was likely M-E would head over to the starting city of mages and priests. She recalled the name Luminara vaguely.

    She confirmed her selection, but part of the message that appeared next took her by surprise: ¡°On Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, Vaelith Dawnscale was born. May the sixteen watch over her as she blooms into her true self.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Jason protested, ¡°Wait, wait! You forgot to let me choose my character¡¯s appearance! And I didn¡¯t pick a name!¡±

    Darkness swallowed her, and a new message glowed softly: ¡°It¡¯ll be alright, my precious hatchling. Now it¡¯s time for Vaelith to wake up.¡±

    Vaelith drifted in darkness for a moment. When the darkness cleared, she blinked, disoriented. She was not in the game¡ªshe could somehow tell that immediately. Everything about the world felt familiar, but somehow wrong, like the afterimage of a dream clinging to her mind. The air was heavy and had a foggy quality to it; the light shimmering unnaturally, as though seen through a veil of steam.

    It¡¯s a memory, she thought, but not quite. The courtyard¡ªstone walls draped in ivy, the faint scent of earth¡ªwas unmistakable. One of the mage¡¯s guildhall courtyards from her childhood apprenticeship. From Vaelith¡¯s apprenticeship. But there was something off about the edges of things, a faint flickering at the corners of her vision, as though the scene were struggling to hold itself together, slipping between clarity and dissolution.

    Is this real? She was not sure. The paradox gripped her: she knew these were past events, yet she felt tethered to the present, able to act. Not just a passive observer of memories, but something more¡ªa player on the stage. She could move, change things, alter the past. The confusion gnawed at her. This was not just recollection; it was a place in-between, somewhere she had not been before, a blurred boundary between memory and the now.

    She frowned, her tail twitching reflexively behind her, pulling her spine along with its foreign, yet paradoxically familiar, movements. How could she feel the odd pull of her own muscles in a memory?

    Vaelith¡¯s head twitched involuntarily, the fins on the sides of her head vibrating slightly as they caught the distant voices of students that filled the halls. She frowned. The words sounded clear enough, but they did not travel like they used to. There was something strange in the way sounds carried now, something layered beneath the vibrations. It reminded her of Jason¡¯s anhedonia¡ªthat muted, distant feeling that had once dulled every emotion. Joy, sorrow, fear, even pain¡ªdetectable, but muffled. Life had been there, but never sharp enough, never close enough to touch. But now¡­ now, the world felt sharp. Alive! Every sound, every vibration, seemed to cut through her, clearer than before, almost too clear.

    But no, it was not exactly the same as how she perceived sounds now. There was an extra layer to them¡ªlike she was not simply hearing the sound, but feeling the vibrations ripple through her bones. She rubbed the side of her head, her fingers brushing the ridged fin beneath her hair, trying to dull the constant hum of sound waves catching on her scales.

    A jolt of pain shot through her the moment she touched them. The voices of students warped, growing sharp, piercing, and she winced, jerking her hand away. Her fingers tingled as though the bones themselves had picked up some strange current. That had been intense. Just how sensitive were those things?

    She hesitated, then touched the fins again, softer this time, covering as much of them as she could with her hands. The world around her shifted. Voices twisted, became deeper, and felt more distant. The chirping birds faded into a dull hum. It felt like listening underwater; the sounds muted and vibrating faintly around her. Vaelith¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    This was not human hearing. It was not even close to how Jason processed sounds.

    To her, every sound was much clearer. She could somehow judge their distance and provenance far better. They each had a texture and richness to it that no human ears could ever register. It would take time getting used to all the nuances.

    But somehow, all of it filled her heart with a sense of hope. Was that a dracan thing, or did everyone normally hear this well? She recalled how long Jason had lived with poor eyesight, blissfully unaware of his difficulties. How everything had changed, and how he could finally see so much more clearly when he first started wearing glasses. Was this the same?

    She let go of her fins and took stock of her surroundings again, this time more alert and attentive.

    There was a hum of magical energy that buzzed softly through the air, vibrating like the quiet thrum of a tuning fork. Students hurried to their classes, chatting loudly as they passed, some glancing at her. But most simply ignored her. The courtyard was alive with motion, but Vaelith felt disconnected¡ªlike she was not fully present.

    She looked down at her herself. She was wearing a humble hempen robe, a rope belt tied at the waist. It was too tall, too loose for her. She saw the rolled-up sleeves. She knew¡ªor was it recalled?¡ªit would be fully far too easy for her hands to disappear behind the excess cloth otherwise.

    Next to her, there was a stack of well-worn textbooks. Her precious books. She did not need to open them to know they were full of lessons, notes, diagrams, rituals and incantations, penned by her own hand at first¡­ Until she learned how to use her floating magical quill. She recalled that lesson with a smile.

    She stood up, trying to shake off the overwhelming sense that something was deeply, deeply wrong.

    She took a hesitant step forward, feeling the subtle shift in her centre of gravity. Her body moved differently¡ªfluid, balanced, as though every muscle had already learned to work with her tail. Each step felt instinctual, her tail counterbalancing every motion with a grace Jason¡¯s body had never known. The ease of it unnerved her, the effortless way this body knew itself even as her mind rebelled. Jason¡¯s old body had always felt clumsy, too heavy in all the wrong places. But Vaelith¡¯s? Vaelith¡¯s body was weightless, each step precise, instinctive, as if she were finally moving in sync with herself.

    She took a few steps toward a nearby fountain, her tail flicked behind her again, an automatic movement she did not will. Focusing on it, Vaelith stilled her tail, but as soon as stopped concentrating, it moved again¡ªsubtly, naturally¡ªadjusting her balance as she walked. She froze, fear crawling up her spine. Her body was doing things she had not even asked it to.

    Her reflection shimmered faintly in the water. Violet, luminous eyes stared back, and something inside her recoiled. This was not Jason¡¯s face. It was Vaelith¡¯s. A mirror of a younger Luxoria¡ªthe creator she had chosen earlier.

    The person a part of her yearned to be. She silenced that part of her.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t me,¡± Vaelith said with a trembling whisper in her new soft voice. Her fingers brushed the hollow of her throat, and she froze again. Of course, there was no sign of Adam¡¯s apple, but something else surprised her. It was not just the texture¡ªsmoother, thinner¡ªit was the way the touch felt. Foreign. Her mind scrambled, desperately trying to hold on to the memory of Jason¡¯s old body¡ªbroad, human, familiar. But that memory was slipping like sand through her fingers.

    She shook her head, trying to force the memory back, trying to feel like herself again. But she could not. No matter how hard she tried to summon the weight and solidity of Jason¡¯s form, it was dissolving. Fading.

    She looked down at her hands again¡ªslender, alien. The golden scales on her wrists reminded her how she was not quite human. Her dracan tail swayed naturally with each breath, each heartbeat, as though it had always been there, always been a part of her. This body isn¡¯t mine. I¡¯m just borrowing it. But beneath the fear, beneath the confusion, something darker¡ªsomething she did not want to acknowledge¡ªstirred.

    This felt... right. Horrifyingly, deeply right. And that realisation made her breath catch in her throat.

    That was when a group of homini children passed by, whispering and pointing.

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s the goddess¡¯s shadow,¡± a boy said with a snicker.

    Beside him, a girl frowned.

    ¡°More like an imitation,¡± she said, her tone biting tone.

    ¡°She thinks she¡¯s so much better than all of us,¡± another girl said with a sneer.

    Vaelith felt a flicker of vulnerability. She was almost a full head shorter than them, and their words stung like sharp thorns. She had not chosen this body, and neither had Jason. Why bully someone for something beyond their control?

    The memories of moments like these flooded back, old wounds¡ªteasing, rejection, pain. The echoes of that past life seemed to claw at her insides, as if those same jabs had hurt him long before Vaelith had ever existed. Most of those memories ended in tears, and too frequently in bruises as well.

    Her heart raced. She could feel they sensed her fear, the way their eyes lingered on her with quiet cruelty. Thankfully, that was enough for them today. After a few moments, the group turned away, laughing and muttering as they walked off.

    Even as their backs disappeared into the crowd, their words echoed in her head, cutting deeper than she expected. Whenever people looked at her, they saw the goddess¡¯s reflection, not Jason. Not the man who taught middle school, who drove an electric SUV, who had a life outside this fantasy world. But as their whispers dug into her, she could not shake the quiet, unsettling truth crawling up her spine: this body, this face¡ªit did not feel as wrong as it should.

    A voice, gentle and comforting, resonated within her, as if rising from deep inside: ¡°Embrace who you are, my little hatchling. Be without fear.¡±

    Her breath caught. The words wrapped around her like a warm blanket, but her mind was a chaotic tangle of thoughts. Why did this body feel... right? It had to be wrong, she thought, clinging desperately to that belief. But beneath the denial, that whisper¡ªthat quiet, almost inaudible truth¡ªkept nagging at her, pulling at her insides.

    Once more, she took stock of herself, looking down at the golden scales tracing delicate patterns across her wrists and forearms. Her tail twitched reflexively behind her, coiling in frustration, but instead of revulsion, a strange comfort settled into her muscles.

    She tried to shake the thought, to shove it back down. ¡°It¡¯s the dragon parts,¡± she said in a mutter, folding her arms across her chest and rubbing at the smooth scales on her forearms. ¡°It¡¯s not me. The fins, the tail, the scales. That¡¯s what feels weird.¡± Her tail swayed, curling and coiling as though it had a mind of its own. ¡°No human would feel okay with this.¡± She tried to convince herself. But the question kept haunting her. Am I even still human?

    As she repeated the question, her mind drifted back to the way her body felt while walking through the academy halls, her steps light and precise, her body in perfect alignment. She did not want to admit it, but there was something deeply, unsettlingly right about this. And that terrified her.

    She really wanted to believe it. But the more she sank into the sensation, the more the world around her felt... right. Alive! All her senses felt so much sharper. She was not just hearing sounds. She was feeling them. The vibrations themselves were threading through her bones, giving her a new sense of presence she had never experienced before.

    Her tail curled behind her, the fins on her head fluttered in the breeze, and for a brief, terrifying moment, Vaelith let out a small breath of relief. This body felt more real than Jason¡¯s ever had.

    And she hated how much she liked it.

    ¡°This is wrong,¡± Vaelith said, whispering. But the words held no conviction. There was no fight at all behind them. Her voice was small, trembling with confusion. Jason had spent years perfecting the art of being satisfied with nothing. Or rather, the art of appearing satisfied. He had learned to live in a shell of quiet resignation, where joy was something distant and unreachable, something only others could taste. And now, for the first time, as things felt... truly right, truly alive¡ªhe could feel the creeping urge to shut it down. As if allowing himself this moment of alignment, this rare sense of belonging in his own skin, was selfish. As if he did not deserve to feel good, to feel whole.

    She clenched her fists, feeling the weight of the truth creep in around the edges of her mind.

    It was not the tail, the scales, or even the fins that felt wrong. It was Jason¡¯s body¡ªthe heavy, stiff memory of it, distant and dull¡ªthat no longer belonged.

    Her vision shifted, the memory dissolving. As it faded, Vaelith felt a part of herself¡ªno, a part of Jason¡¯s past¡ªfade along with it.

 Chapter 12: Whispering Winds

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, Zephyrdale.

    Leoric was at the heart of Zephyrdale, where the voice of countless Wind sylvanis, Pint burrovians and halflings harmonised in a lively, almost musical background noise. He thanked the merchant, slinging his brand new maple bow over his shoulder, and pocketing the few cuprum shards the resale of his starter bow had given him. He turned around and started walking to the city limits, leaving the market behind.

    Zephyrdale was the most important city of the Whispering Wilds, but to call it a city was generous. It had a pastoral charm, with small houses nestled in clumps between green rolling hills. Long sinuous stony paths connected each small island together, creating a veritable labyrinth of roads, thankfully all clearly identified on wooden signposts.

    From running simple class-training and generic fetch quests all over the sprawling city, Leoric had upgraded every piece of armour to higher-level leather equipment. Just before, he had reached level six as a ranger, which was the minimum level requirement for his first weapon upgrade.

    Having played the original incarnation of the game, nearly a decade ago, Leoric remembered your weapon was, pound for pound, the most important piece of equipment to upgrade. He felt no shame spending a couple of cuprum pieces on the weapon when he spotted it at a merchant¡¯s stall. He would earn them back quickly, especially with all the quests he had picked up in the city that asked him to kill critters out in the Whispering Wilds, the zone right outside the city. Quest givers, merchants and guards had marked his map with the approximate location of his various quarry.

    He had an assortment of herb-picking quests, animal-slaying quests, delivery runs, escort quests and even a potentially dangerous reconnaissance mission, but he was fairly confident he would complete them all with no trouble. After all, the system marked the highest quest in his journal as level five. That one was sending him to the entrance to Stonereach. Travellers had claimed spotting gnolls sneaking into the peaceful zone. Someone needed to track and hunt them down.

    But that was a problem for later. For now, he had a few level one quests to deal with. They would reward him with a pittance in experience points, and similarly, only a few cuprum shards and chips each. Many people would consider them a waste of time, and drop them. Not Leoric, however. He was a completionist and hated the idea of leaving an area until he had seen and explored every nook and cranny. Since he was going to explore the place and comb through the entire zone regardless, he figured he might as well do all the quests en passant. And enough shards eventually added up to a chip, as they said in this world.

    But more importantly, Leoric hated the idea of walking away after promising to help someone. The non-player characters he had met in the game so far appeared remarkably lifelike, each with their own unique stories to share. He dreaded the idea of encountering them later and explaining that, no, he actually never delivered the food package to the guards stationed at the watchtower, because upon reflexion, it would not have been worth his while. In most games, abandoning a quest rarely left you with a pang of guilt for the characters involved. But this game felt different¡ªmore alive, more real. Perhaps, in time, he would grow blas¨¦ to these small choices, treating the world with the same casual detachment as any other. For now, though, he was not ready to let go of the connection it sparked in him.

    Leoric let out a long sigh. His mind wandered out of the game and contrasted his current thoughts with his real-world situation. Millions lived in the greater Vancouver area, but so few of them would ever talk to Sophie. Perhaps a nod of acknowledgement, and maybe a conversation if she met someone else on the same hiking trail, going the same direction. But the rest of the time? It was a miserable and lonely existence.

    But that life of solitude had actually been a recent development, she reminded herself. Back when she was still with Daniel, she used to see people more often. She often mingled with those who gravitated around him. But all those connections had vanished when she had broken up with him. And now she saw firsthand how the city had earned its reputation. It was notoriously difficult to make friends where she lived, even for those born here. It had not been the case back when she attended school. But as a freelancer and entrepreneur? She had no coworkers, she no longer had teachers, classmates or invitations to events or parties on campus.

    Leoric shook his head as he kept walking, trying to rid himself of such depressing thoughts. In this world, everyone had been warm, friendly, and kind. He genuinely wanted to return the favour and help them out.

    Leoric took a bite out of some meat jerky as he neared the city threshold. The food had been a reward from a quest he completed earlier. Delivering a butcher¡¯s packages around town had been a cleverly disguised way to teach him the lay of the land. The jerky was salty, and chewy, but was impressively tasty, especially for food you could eat in a video-game. It came as a surprise that you could do this for free inside the game. Sophie, like most people of her generation, had grown used to having to swipe her credit card for the privilege of tasting virtual food.

    When his interface popped up, Leoric saw he received a temporary status called ¡°recent fed¡±. Meat jerky granted him strength, vitality and attack power. His class did not really rely on the first two, but the last one would increase the damage of his arrows, so it was better than nothing. But the real reason he had eaten was to get a small experience boost. It was a benefit gained from eating any kind of food, and that bonus lasted thirty minutes. The game did not actually penalise you for going on an empty stomach. No hunger meter, or starvation status effect. But thanks to the benefit gained from eating, it was still a good idea to do so in this world.

    Leoric figured players who tried to optimise their progression would constantly end up eating as they adventured. Depending on their equipment and classes, people would steer toward different food families. Seafood was well-suited for dexterity based classes like ranger. Classes like brutes who relied on their high strength would probably favour red meat. Frozen treats like parfaits granted bonuses to intelligence and spell power. Just like in the real world, brains craved sugary goodness. Leoric chuckled at the image of mages pulling out some frozen yogurt in the middle of dungeons, complaining at sudden brain freezes.

    Amused at the thought, his mind wandered again, thinking back on the meal Pipkin treated him at the eatery earlier in the day. The honey-glazed roasted hare and accompanying leaf salad had been sublime. The memories of the airy freshly baked butter leaf rolls almost made him drool, reminding him how they had melted in his mouth. And the sparkling cider had been both refreshing and relaxing.

    Leoric honestly wondered if he would ever bother returning to busy virtual food courts for lunch. Why bother, when he could log on to this game and sate his hunger here? Not only would it be economical, the food actually tasted better than almost any virtual food he ever had. The in-game bonuses from refreshing his recently fed status were just icing on the cake. He wondered if the designers had actually factored that in their plans. Leoric idly wondered how long it would take for some players to start video channels dedicated to the gastronomical pleasures found in this game. Just how many people would subscribe and play only for the food? They would have to quest or find some way to get enough money to keep buying food, but in merely a few hours, he already had enough money to feed himself for a month. He chuckled at the idea of a community of gourmets playing together.

    As soon as he reached the limits of the city, Leoric readied his bow. Mere meters beyond the gate were herds of fist-sized ladybugs, and they were the first target on his long list.

    They were level one, simple enemies, and he was both out-levelling them and over-gearing them significantly. Despite that, he was the type to take every task meticulously and prudently. He snuck closer to the enemies, until he was just in range of a few of them, and activated his camouflage ability.

    He had to remain stationary, so it was not as good as the stealth ability from other classes. But any attack from that state would get bonus opening-shot damage to enemies caught unaware. Leoric would not take unnecessary risks just because he was confident.

    He nocked an arrow, feeling the familiar pull in his shoulder as the bowstring tightened, the tension of the maple wood bow bending slightly different from his previous bow. It would take some time getting used to it. He aimed for the closest ladybug, holding his breath. His entire focus was now locked on the creature, and he started predicting its movements, waiting for the perfect time¡­ Now! He released the arrow with practiced ease. The arrow flew straight and true, a soft hiss in the air before the tiny thud of impact. The arrow impaled the creature, killing it on the spot.

    ¡°Four to go.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Leoric kept at it, dropping the creatures using the same tactic, flawless victories one after the other. He knew that was hardly a fair way to fight, but he did not feel the need to defeat enemies in an honourable manner. If trickery and preparation got you the win in a risk-free manner, then that was the preferable solution in his mind.

    When the quest update signalled he was done with this task, he stood back up and went to claim the spoils of battle, the bodies of his targets quickly dissipating away. An alchemist in town had asked to bring back the fine, glistening powder that stuck to their wings. So Leoric kneeled down next to each target and harvested as much as he could into a small transparent container provided for this task. Even after five kills, it only amounted to a few millimetres¡¯ worth of the powder. He shrugged. He did not know why the alchemist needed this ladybug dust, nor what it did. But that did not matter to him. He had agreed to help.

    This reminded Leoric of the small, odd jobs Sophie sometimes agreed to take on. Not every project she worked on had taken months to design or had paid a lot, but the joy on her clients¡¯ face when she delivered what they asked for was often reward enough. Leoric hoped he would feel the same way here, when he returned later with an entire journal filled with completed quests.

    He pulled out his map and set out to the closest marker. He was supposed to locate some herbs for the innkeeper, who needed to restock for her cooking. She had promised him one of her specialty dish in exchange. The promise of getting some home-made cooking was all the motivation Leoric needed.

    As he folded his map and returned it to the pocket in his pants, he suddenly tensed, weapon at the ready, one hand slowly bringing an arrow to his bowstring. Seconds ago, he heard a strange laughter and metallic rustle carried by the wind. The laughter had a hint of danger and cruelty to it, something that made it feel distinctly out of place in this area. He squinted in the direction the sound came from, but nothing seemed out of place. No movement. No hiding spot that he could see. Had it been a trick of his mind? He kept his ears perked, ready to locate the source of the sound, but there was nothing but the wind.

    Leoric hesitated. He did not know what exactly made him feel this uneasy, but if there was an actual threat here, he hated the idea of letting it wander and prey on easier targets. Leoric frowned, determined. He should handle it before moving on.

    But despite his resolution, he could detect no further movement or sound. He relaxed his guard and returned his arrow to his quiver after more than a minute of sustained silence. He let out the breath he did not realise he had been holding and shook his head.

    ¡°Must have been the wind,¡± he said, half-jokingly.

    Leoric snickering at the silliness of it all; he had just acted exactly like the dumb guards from video games. The ones who would abandon the chase mere seconds after you murdered someone right in front of them. But no matter how silly he felt, he could not shake the feeling of imminent danger.

    Leoric let out a sigh. He would just have to keep his eyes peeled for trouble.

    He resumed his walked to the area where he would find the herbs, but his bunny ears twitched again, caching sound of the whispering winds that gave the area their name. It was subtle, almost like voices threading through the gusts, as if the wind itself was trying to tell him something. A soft pull tugged at his senses, urging him off the marked path, suggesting that there was something waiting for him. Something to find, if only he agreed to stray. He felt the temptation, a brief flicker of curiosity, but shook it off. It was difficult to resist, his body conditioned to listen, fashioned to heed the call of the wind. No! Don¡¯t get side-tracked. Leoric had charted his course and mapped out his itinerary. He could not afford to wander or let the whispers tempt him off his path.

    ¡°Not now, Zephyra.¡±

    He kept moving towards to his destination, a sparsely forested area sitting by a running stream, feeling the stern disapproval of the winds as he did. Leoric chuckled, imagining the face of the whimsical goddess¡¯ anger as he denied her capricious wishes and dismissed her divine messenger. But goddess or not, he would not let her steer him away from his set path that easily.

    Walking between the trees, Leoric kept his gaze to the ground, looking for the herb in question: marjoram. The innkeeper mentioned needing dried marjoram for her recipes. Magical and alchemical means to speed up the process of drying the herbs were common, or so she had told him while stirring some stew in a pot.

    Leoric knelt down, having found what he was looking for, and carefully started harvesting the plant, but his ears twitched once more. That same cruel laughter carried by the wind. It was closer this time. He looked in the direction the sound had come from, but he could see nothing. Slowly, he stood up and took a few steps backwards until his back rested against a tree. He once again nocked an arrow on his bowstring and closed his eyes. He would have to rely on his ears for whatever this was. The thing prowling around seemed to be skilled at hiding itself, but not as skilled at moving silently.

    Leoric steadied his breath and focused.

    Come on, whatever you are. Make some noise again.

    But the only sound he heard was the whispers of the wind, pulling him to take a few steps to his left, gently guiding him.

    This time, he let the winds act as his guide. He took agonisingly slow steps, taking slow, careful steps as he navigated blindly in the darkness with only the faint whispers of the wind as a guide. His footsteps were light as a feather, and he thanked his leather armour for not creaking loudly.

    The winds quieted themselves, and Leoric stopped. He was sure he was still pointing vaguely in the direction that the odd laughter had come from mere moments ago. The hair on the back of his back told him that whatever was the source of the noise, it would act soon. He felt sweat beading on his forehead. He pulled the arrow into position, ready to release it at a moment¡¯s notice, reminded once again of the different feel of his new bow¡¯s tension.

    He kept scanning the forest for movement with his ears. Nothing. He could ear the sound of the trees swaying, the leaves rustling, the water flowing in the nearby creek. He held his breath; the silence pressing down on him, the tension mounting, becoming almost palpable.

    Then it happened. There! Dead ahead! He heard it again, the faintest sound of metal rustling, and that strange laughter, barely audible, but just enough! Leoric opened his eyes and adjusted his aim. He let his arrow fly. It hissed as it flew and impacted in a splatter of blood against the ground.

    And that was when he finally noticed it. A figure so perfectly camouflaged against the forest floor that he would have missed it entirely if not for the sounds and the guidance of the winds. It yelped as the arrow dug into its hidden flesh. The creature stood up in anger. A gnoll! A truly frightful sight; seven feet of snarling muscle and sharp teeth. It held a wicked scimitar in one hand. It gleamed in the fading light as its owner let out a hyena-like laugh, its eyes locked on Leoric. With how close it was to the ranger, merely a few steps, it knew it had the advantage.

    What was that gnoll doing here? They were far too powerful for this zone, and so close to the city! Leoric was practically still at the entrance of Zephyrdale!

    The gnoll snarled and charged in his direction, raising its scimitar high in the air. Leoric did not wait. He fired an arrow, and then a second one while backpedalling. Both found their target, landing good but not decisive hits in the gnoll¡¯s chest. The creature did not slow down and merely howled, laughing as it snapped both arrows with its free hand.

    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re tough!¡±

    Leoric rolled out of the way of the scimitar¡¯s swing, activating his Rolling Shot ability, firing an arrow as he rolled to safety. The fourth arrow found its way into the creature¡¯s chest, but it showed no sign of slowing down.

    Having gained some distance, Leoric drew another arrow and activated his Shadow Bind skill, enchanting this arrow not to deal damage, but to immobilise the creature by pinning its shadow. The creature laughed and looked at Leoric with a perplexed expression when the arrow flew harmlessly to its side. But it soon howled in fury when it realised it could not take a single step closer to the ranger.

    Leoric drew another arrow and nocked it. He took a long breath, and then aimed at the creature¡¯s head, drawing the bowstring as he activated his Vital Shot skill. This was an attack that dealt extra damage if it hit a weak spot. Leoric was fairly sure the head was a vulnerable area, even for gnolls.

    The creature growled loudly and hissed, spitting blood as it used its left hand to pull the latest arrows that were stuck in its chest. It let out this a slow, guttural laugh, a promise of pain to come once it would be free. The creature was clearly confident in its ability to deal with him as soon as the bound status effect wore off¡ªwhich would be in a few seconds, or at the next attack, whichever came first.

    Leoric, however, was pretty sure this was the end. Every arrow he had landed had shaved close to twenty percent of the creature¡¯s health, and he was about to release his deadliest attack yet.

    ¡°Boom, headshot. You lose,¡± Leoric said, letting the arrow fly.

    In a bloody mess, it dug its way through the creature¡¯s jaw and escaped through the back of its skull, forever silencing the abomination.

    ¡°[Elite Quest] Hunt down the gnoll spies 1/3.¡±

    Leoric finally gasped for air, the panic that he had been holding back the entire battle finally catching up to him.

    Too freaking close. Leoric was not sure how many hits of that scimitar he could have endured. Luckily, he avoided any damage by the clever use of his class abilities. It almost felt like someone specifically meant to test the mastery of his abilities as a ranger.

    The quest report stated it was an elite monster, which certainly explained why it took so much effort to kill it. Nothing in his journal had hinted this was a party quest, however. Leoric figured the designers must have intended it for solo players.

    And he had done it. He had killed an elite enemy by himself and detected it while it was skulking about. That was exactly the thrill he had dreamed of when he picked his class.

    He could not wait until his bag of tricks grew even further. This is promising!

    ¡°You have reached level seven for the Ranger class.¡±

    By the time he found the remaining two gnoll spies, Leoric figured he would hit level eight.

    He wondered how many people left this zone without ever encountering any of them. He double-checked his log, curious about the quest reward.

    Ah, of course. A ghillie cloak. Such a perfect reward for a ranger, and fitting so well with the enemies you have to defeat to get it.

    Once again, Leoric wondered how many people would skip or completely miss that quest. He metaphorically patted himself on the back. Being a completionist and perfectionist had its own rewards!

 Chapter 13: Mirror of Truth

    Luxoria¡¯s Second Lightsday of Greengale, 1437, magical academy, city of Luminara.

    Vaelith blinked, suddenly aware she was no longer outside. She sat in a sun-drenched classroom; her scaled hands folded neatly on her lap. This had to be another memory? The shift in her surroundings was so sudden, disorienting, as if someone pulled her into a scene from their lives¡ªno, her life. The details of the room felt both unfamiliar and yet intimately known, like she had been here many times before. Once again, this was not one of Jason¡¯s memory, but Vaelith¡¯s.

    The room was alive with the hum of activity¡ªstudents flipping through grimoires, quietly muttering as they practiced the incantations for simple ritual spells.

    The magister, a homini in his early thirties with salt-and-pepper hair, stood at the front of the room, observing the students with a warm smile and the calm authority Jason recognised as a fellow teacher. Instructor Daren did not raise his voice to command attention; his presence alone was enough.

    ¡°Vaelith, can I have a word?¡± he said, calling her to the front.

    She stiffened slightly at the sound of her new name¡ªVaelith. The strangeness of it had worn off too quickly, slipping into her thoughts like a comfortable old garment. How had it become so natural, so easily hers? The ease with which her body responded to it startled her, as if this identity had always been there, waiting just beneath the surface. Jason would not have reacted this way, would he? But that thought felt distant now, like the edges of Jason were blurring, fading into the background.

    She rose from her seat and walked over. Even standing, she felt small and dreadfully vulnerable next to the students sitting in the room. She was a lone dracan in a sea of tall hominis. On the way, her golden tail twitched repeatedly, betraying how nervous the summon made her feel.

    Daren offered a chair next to his desk. ¡°You seem hesitant today,¡± he said, his tone gentle. ¡°You are not as focused as usual.¡±

    Vaelith shifted, uncomfortable. How did this man, an NPC, know her so well? But no, Jason corrected himself¡ªthis was Vaelith¡¯s teacher, not just ¡°an NPC¡±. She had a history here, not him. Of course, her teacher could tell if something bothered her.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, sir,¡± she said, though her voice came out softer than intended, not the usual clipped tone Jason might have used in the real world.

    Daren raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. He leaned forward, hands clasped on his desk. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve noticed something about you over these last few months. You¡¯re an excellent student. Brilliant, really. But you don¡¯t let yourself shine. You hold back.¡±

    Vaelith felt a twinge of discomfort, like the instructor¡¯s words were hitting closer to home than she wanted to admit. Though it seemed like he was discussing her, his speech increasingly felt directed toward Jason.

    He knew what it felt like to stand on the sidelines, to offer encouragement while shrinking into the background. Jason had done that all his life. He thought it made him selfless¡ªselfless in how it earned praise without seeking it. But standing here, as Vaelith, with Daren¡¯s quiet, piercing gaze on her, it felt different. It felt like weakness. It felt like fear. And Jason had never been ready to admit that. Not even to himself.

    ¡°You¡¯re cautious. You wait for others to act before you take a step. Why is that?¡± Daren¡¯s eyes were calm but probing. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you give advice to the others. You encourage them to be bold, to take risks in their spell craft, to trust themselves.¡±

    Jason had spent years telling others to believe in themselves, to embrace their worth. But every time he had offered advice, there was a quiet guilt lurking beneath his words, a guilt that he was not living by those same rules. How could he ask someone else to be brave, to put themselves first, when he had never had the courage to do so himself?

    ¡°Yet for you, you retreat into your shell, like you¡¯re afraid of your own potential.¡±

    Vaelith¡¯s heart pounded in her chest. Afraid of your own potential. How many times had Jason said that to his students? The ones he saw struggling, the ones who were too shy to speak up, too uncertain to assert themselves? He always knew the right thing to say to guide them, to help them overcome their fears.

    But here she was, in the student¡¯s role, and she was the one who could not listen to her own advice.

    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Vaelith said, mumbling as she looked away. She felt the heat rise to her face, her mind spinning. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ easier to say that to other people.¡±

    Instructor Daren smiled gently. ¡°Of course it is. It¡¯s always easier to give advice than to follow it yourself. But that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not capable of the same growth.¡± He leaned back in his chair, regarding her thoughtfully. He had spoken calmly, but his words had landed like a blow.

    ¡°You tell the others to trust themselves because you see their potential. You encourage them to take risks, to embrace their strengths. But you¡ª¡± Daren¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°You¡¯re always putting yourself last, aren¡¯t you? Why is that?¡±

    Vaelith froze, a knot tightening in her chest. Am I always putting myself last? She remembered saying something similar¡ªjust earlier this evening, in fact¡ªto Claire. The words echoed in her mind: ¡°It¡¯s not about fair or unfair. It¡¯s like when you¡¯re in a plane emergency. You put your own mask first.¡±

    That had been Jason¡¯s voice, Jason¡¯s advice. Advice he had believed in. M-E dropped everything because of it. Claire could not accept it. And Jason? Jason had never placed himself ahead of anyone else.

    So here she was. Putting herself last. Again. Always. She felt a surge of guilt¡ªa biting, shameful thought cutting through her like a blade. It¡¯s fine when I tell someone else to do it. But for me...

    Her hands formed fists in her lap. The fins on her head twitched uncomfortably, her dracan body no longer as foreign to her. But the truth pressing down on her chest¡­ It was not simply foreign. She forbid herself from putting herself first. She could feel her tail coiling in frustration behind her, an automatism. Once again, she could not help but frown as her tail moved of its own volition.

    I¡¯m always the one holding back. I¡¯m always the one afraid to shine.

    She tried to convince herself. It was not selfish to let others take the lead. It was not wrong to stand on the sides. Others needed the encouragement more. They deserved to be given a chance and the space to succeed. That was what she believed in. What she had told herself all her life, anyway. But the words felt hollow now, like the lies she had been telling herself for years were finally unravelling.

    Instructor Daren¡¯s voice broke through her spiralling thoughts. ¡°What about you, Vaelith? Don¡¯t you deserve the same freedom and belief you offer to others?¡±

    The words stung. She did not answer right away, her throat tightening as she tried to swallow the growing lump. How many times had Jason told himself that others deserved more? That it was okay to encourage them to put themselves first, because they deserved it.

    But me? She closed her eyes, biting her lips in frustration. I always go last.

    Vaelith could feel it coming, like the build-up of a storm. The question. She knew it was coming, because she normally was the one asking others. It was the question she had always avoided asking herself. The one she was not sure she wanted to hear. Her breath hitched, and her hands gripped the edge of her chair. She braced herself, but it was not enough to stop Daren¡¯s words from landing like a blow to her chest.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you see that same potential in yourself, Vaelith?¡±

    His words echoed in her mind, each repetition heavier than the last. She wanted to push it away, to focus on anything else¡ªthe sound of the bell, the shuffle of papers, the quiet hum of voices outside the door. But the truth clung to her like a weight, and this time, she could not ignore it. She could not retreat into the safety of being second best.

    She felt something tighten in her chest, an overwhelming pressure, like the two halves of him¡ªJason and Vaelith¡ªwere straining against each other, desperate to reconcile. Why could she not see it? Why was it so hard for Jason to believe in himself the way he believed in his students? The way he saw their potential so clearly, but looked in the mirror and saw only doubt staring back at him?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said in a whisper, her voice small.

    Daren did not push further. Instead, he offered her a kind smile. ¡°Sometimes, we¡¯re our own worst critics. But remember, you¡¯re in this academy for a reason. You belong here, just as much as anyone else. You have more potential than you¡¯re giving yourself credit for. Don¡¯t be afraid to embrace it.¡±

    Jason¡¯s mind whirled as Vaelith nodded quietly. He was sure this lesson was not just about spell craft anymore. This was about everything¡ªhis doubts about who he was, the discomfort that had shadowed him for years, both in the game and outside of it. Vaelith was supposed to be someone else, someone confident. But Jason was anything but. He had never truly allowed himself to see what he could become, had never dared to believe he was capable of more. Maybe that was what terrified him most¡ªthe thought that he could be more, if he only let himself.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    The bell rang, signalling the end of class, but Vaelith stayed rooted to her chair, lost in thought. Why was it so easy to tell others to believe in themselves, but so hard to take that advice to heart?

    Was it because, deep down, Jason did not believe in himself? Did not believe he could be anything other than what he was?

    As she stood up to leave, Instructor Daren gently placed a hand on her small shoulder. ¡°Just think about it, Vaelith. Sometimes the advice we give to others is the advice we need most for ourselves.¡±

    She nodded, a lump forming in her throat. ¡°I will.¡±

    As Vaelith walked out of the classroom and into the bright halls of the academy, the echoes of the conversation stayed with her. Jason¡¯s thoughts were a tangled mess of emotions. For years, he had guided others, pushed them to grow and change. But for his entire life, he had been standing still. Not an actor, but an observer.

    Maybe, just maybe, it was time to take his own advice.

    Once again, the memory faded. But this time, it left her with something more than a vague lesson¡ªit left her with a truth she could not quite ignore. A permission she had not realized she was waiting for. Yet even now, the thought of embracing it scared her. To shine? To finally be more than she had ever allowed herself to be? The idea felt almost impossible. And yet... it was there, undeniable, waiting for her to claim it.

    <hr>

    Jason tore off the FullDive rig¡¯s neural jack and pulled himself out of the game with a gasp, his heart pounding as if he had run a marathon. His body felt... wrong. He blinked, disoriented, his surroundings in the real world settling in like static after too much white noise. The warm sunlight of Luminara¡¯s magic academy faded, replaced by the dim glow of his office¡ªcluttered with books and paperwork, the hum of the computer barely audible.

    He sat on the edge of his chair, trying to steady himself. The shift in sensory input was dizzying, like stepping off a rollercoaster that had not quite stopped moving. His head spun, the room tilting slightly, and a wave of nausea twisted in his gut. Jason sucked in a breath, trying to reorient himself. The world felt off balance.

    Vaelith¡¯s body¡ªethereal, agile and graceful¡ªwas gone, replaced by the familiar clunkiness of his own six foot one body. He felt the way gravity weighed him down. His limbs felt awkward, like they did not belong on this body. He shifted in his chair, trying to adjust, but everything felt like it took twice the effort.

    And the sound¡ªGod, the sound.

    Something muffled the sound. Muted it. Like he had cotton stuffed in his ears. The faint hum of the house felt distant, the familiar noises of life dulled to a low buzz. But after a moment, he realised what it was. This was how he had always heard things. His hearing was normal. But, after spending hours as Vaelith, he felt almost impaired. Back in the game, every sound had vibrated through his bones¡ªsharp, crisp, alive. But here, everything seemed dull, wrapped in layers of wool.

    Jason stood, slowly, and wobbled. His legs did not move the way they were supposed to. He felt a sharp pang of disorientation as he tried to find his balance again¡ªwithout the constant support and instinctive adjustments Vaelith¡¯s dracan tail had given him. He stumbled forward, catching himself on the desk.

    The door to his office creaked open, and Lisa¡¯s soft voice cut through the haze. ¡°Jason?¡±

    He winced. That name. It was like a slap, grounding him back in the real world. Lisa stepped inside, concern etched across her face. ¡°You okay? You look¡­ a little pale.¡±

    He blinked and tried to smile, pushing off from the desk and standing upright, though he felt like he was swaying slightly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be just fine,¡± he said, his voice strained. The simple act of standing straight was proving more difficult than it should have been.

    Lisa stepped closer, eyeing him with the look she usually saved for patients at the hospital. ¡°You sure? You¡¯re wobbling like you¡¯ve been drinking,¡± she teased, though there was worry in her eyes.

    He waved her off, though his stomach still churned, and the dull ache in his head had not subsided. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He hesitated, knowing she could tell he was not actually fine. ¡°Give me a second to adjusting to this¡­¡±

    Lisa folded her arms, watching him. Her tone shifted, softer now, more probing. ¡°Is it that vertigo thing again? You¡¯ve been off balance for a while, Jase. Maybe you need a break from the game?¡±

    Jason bristled a little. It was not vertigo. Or rather, he knew what she was talking about, and this was something else. His body was just¡­ misaligned now. Out of sync with itself. He could still feel the absence of that tail like a phantom limb, the heaviness of his legs, the sluggishness of it all. The human clumsiness.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± he said, rubbing his temples. ¡°This new game, they do something so you feel comfortable with your VR character¡­¡±

    Lisa¡¯s brow furrowed, and she stepped closer, reaching out to touch his arm. ¡°This looks a bit much. Are you sure this is normal?¡±

    Jason cut her off gently, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s because of how different we are.¡±

    She cocked her head, clearly still concerned. ¡°Different? How? Who?¡±

    Jason struggled to find the right words. How could he explain what he was feeling? The contrast between his human body and Vaelith¡¯s dracan form was not something you could just describe with words. It was not just the tail or the scales. It was... everything. Every movement, every breath, felt wrong now. Heavy.

    He shrugged, trying to downplay it. He was finally feeling steady enough to appear normal. ¡°It would take a while to explain.¡± He glanced at her and forced a half-smile. ¡°But I could show you?¡±

    Lisa¡¯s gaze softened, and she nodded, though she didn¡¯t fully understand. ¡°Only if you want to.¡± Her hand gently squeezed his arm.

    Jason exhaled, grateful for her concern and tenderness. He was nervous. No, he was more than nervous. Vaelith and Jason. The two halves of himself that had blended together did not seem to fit together anymore.

    He gave her a soft nod. ¡°Alright.¡±

    He pulled out his smartphone and connected to his rig. He navigated to the game¡¯s app icon and asked for a screenshot showing his character. It produced some sort of photograph from that last scene. Vaelith sitting next to Instructor Daren. Seeing Vaelith in the third person¡ªa small, delicate figure with scales and fins¡ªfelt surreal. Jason had lived inside that body, felt every shift of weight, every breath, but seeing her now from the outside, it hit him: she was not him. Or was she? The disconnect gnawed at him, deeper than he wanted to admit.

    Shaking the discomfort away, he spun the phone around, flipped it sideways in a smooth motion, presenting the render to Lisa.

    She smiled, slightly confused. ¡°A teacher? It doesn¡¯t look like that much of a difference,¡± she said.

    Jason swallowed the knot in his throat and forced a smile. His cheeks burned with embarrassment. ¡°Oh¡­ I am¡­ actually the student?¡±

    Lisa¡¯s attention lingered on the phone. Then on her husband. And on the photograph a moment longer, her eyes darting between the young student and her husband, as if trying to puzzle something out. ¡°She¡¯s not even human,¡± she finally said, her voice almost a whisper. Jason could feel something behind her words. Was it resentment? Betrayal?

    Despite him towering over her, Jason felt small. Smaller than even Vaelith was.

    Lisa then faced him again. ¡°Why?¡±

    Why? He really had no answer to that one. It had not been his choice. He shrugged, glad he could be honest with his answer. ¡°Beats me. I didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter.¡±

    ¡°So this new game made you into a teenager Demon-girl, against your will?¡±

    Jason winced. Lisa had a very Christian upbringing. It usually was not a problem, but maybe this was a line in the sand he had never encountered before.

    He sighed. ¡°She¡¯s not a demon. She¡¯s a dracan...?¡± He realised this was not much of an explanation, and did little to clear things up. He added tentatively, ¡°They¡¯re dragons?¡±

    He honestly was not sure how that made things any better.

    Lisa¡¯s brow furrowed, her discomfort visible in the slight tightening of her lips. ¡°A Dragon-girl... I guess that¡¯s better than a Demon, but still...¡± Jason could almost feel the weight of her religious upbringing pressing down on the conversation. ¡°But what about the rest? The girl part? The age? You¡¯re forty, Jason. She looks around Maya¡¯s age.¡±

    He honestly was not sure about any of that. Why had the game picked that character as his avatar? Vaelith was so far from what he would have gone for. He would have to ask M-E about the character customisation part. Maybe he missed a button and simply ended with the default choice.

    There was nothing he could do about it now. And Lisa had been right: his character was around Maya¡¯s age. If Lisa and Jason had different priorities and made different choices, they might have a teenage girl of their own.

    Jason swallowed hard, forcing a smile. His cheeks burned with embarrassment. ¡°Well, that was a scene from her past. She¡¯s actually older than that. As for the rest, the girl part? Like I said, it wasn¡¯t by choice.¡±

    Jason felt a knot form in his stomach as Lisa studied him. Time seemed to freeze. Was it pity in her eyes? Or something else? He was not sure, but the fear of her judgment tightened around him like a vice.

    Finally, she let out a long sigh. ¡°Well, it looks like you¡¯re doing better already. So I suppose it¡¯s like you said. You just needed time to adjust.¡±

    He nodded, trying to give her his best reassuring smile. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m feeling much better.¡±

    He knew his words offered no real reassurance. Jason hated lying to his wife. He knew he was not good at it. She could always tell when he was not being fully honest. But right now, honesty tonight would only make her worry more, and focus on him, instead of more important matters.

    How was he supposed to tell her that everything about her husband felt wrong, and that this dragon-girl did not?

    As he mulled over this question, Lisa suddenly pulled out her phone and swiped a few times. She lowered the phone and looked him in the eyes.

    ¡°Honey, will you be okay for the rest of the evening? I¡¯ve got a shift coming up. I¡¯ll warn people about possible vertigo after logging out of that game. If it happens to others, I imagine the company might get sued over this.¡±

    Jason slowly nodded. He did not want her to worry over his malaise. She could not afford the distraction, not right before a shift¡ªHer patients needed her undivided attention. He could cope with this, no matter what happened to him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, love. If this is happening to others, they will need your help.¡±

    Lisa stepped closer and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you to stop playing. But please take breaks if you feel sick or uneasy. I don¡¯t want to see you... fade away from reality.¡±

    As Lisa walked out of his office, Jason let out a long breath, sagging back into his chair. His chest tightened. Fading away? Was that what he was doing? He was not sure, but the thought gnawed at him. Did it matter if he was more himself in a world of scales and magic than here, in the quiet mundanity of reality?

    He glanced at the FullDive rig. The neural headset called to him, its silent promise of escape tempting him more than ever. In Vaelith¡¯s world, he did not have to think, did not have to question. Everything felt right there. Real. He could slip back into that skin, into the balance and grace that his current body lacked. Was it wrong to crave that? Maybe. But right now, he did not care.

    But Lisa¡¯s warning echoed in his mind. ¡°Don¡¯t fade away.¡±

    Jason rubbed his hands over his face, feeling the weight of his skin, the unfamiliarity of his own flesh. He had to be careful. He had to find a balance. Between Jason and Vaelith. Between who he was... and who he was becoming.

    He did not have to answer any of those questions¡ªnot now, not yet.

    He glanced at the headset sitting on the chair. Vaelith¡¯s world was right there, waiting for him.

    He sat back down, determined to log back in. Not because he wanted to, but because he had to. After all, M-E was counting on him, and he still had to find a priest for their party.

    There was still work to be done. He could worry about everything else later. So he dived back in.

 Chapter 14: True Mastery

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, Nogoon Steppes, just outside of Altansuun.

    Elyssia tightened the bands of her leather gloves, a grin creeping across her face. This is it.

    The Nogoon Steppes stretched before her, a lush green expanse framed by towering mountain ranges, like a sacred hidden valley tucked away from the world.

    Scattered across the plains, flocks of white sheep grazed peacefully, while nearby shepherds kept a watchful eye on them.

    This was the homeland of Aer¡¯s and Cryonix¡¯s children, the Half-blood felinaes and the Noble burrovians. Almost everyone here had animal ears, like her Bagsh. Of course, there were some exceptions¡ªnotably players who had created characters of different species and started as either martial artists or druids, like herself.

    Elyssia absentmindedly brushed a strand of hair behind her long sylvani ears, still getting used to the feeling of both her hair and ears in this form. The calibration had made it feel like they truly belonged to her, but minor detail like this could still catch her off-guard.

    Her eyes scanned the horizon, looking for threats. Or rather, source of experience points. Predators like wolves or foxes would surely would skulking around the flocks of tasty-looking sheep, making it easy for her to find targets to practise against. This is a video game. Elyssia grinned. There will be patterns to it.

    Different level predators would surely surround different flocks. The farthest she went from town, the higher level they would be. Perfect for mapping out a route.

    In this game, to maintain an XP Chain¡ªa reward gained from stringing together consecutive kills¡ªshe had to fulfil many specific conditions. First, time was of the essence. Each kill needed to be faster than the previous one. Second, no recovery allowed¡ªevery hit point lost would carry over to the next fight. And last, the enemies had to be equal or higher to your current level. No special rewards for chaining enemies that posed no threat.

    As a starter zone, the highest level enemies here would cap at level five. At least, those in high concentration that you could chain, there were always a few dangerous exceptions, designed to teach players to watch their threat indicators. Elyssia would have to leave this zone behind once she reached level six.

    She also knew about the Hunt List¡ªa system that rewarded players for killing a specific amount of enemies found around their starting city. The rewards were substantial, both monetary and in experience points. The designers built the system to encourage the player to seek various enemy types and explore new areas.

    Opening her martial artist Hunt List, she reviewed the five different targets found in the Nogoon Steppes.

    Level 1: Zev Ulaan Foxes.

    Level 2: Carrion Vultures.

    Level 3: Bonepickers.

    Level 4: Ongon Spirits.

    Level 5: Steppe Wolves.

    She grinned. Gotta stick to high-level enemies for XP Chain. So she had to start with the foxes.

    She set her sights on a nearby flock of sheep, figuring the shepherd would know where to find the elusive foxes. With a burst of speed, she took off with a dash.

    Running in this wide-open space felt exhilarating. The wind catching her clothes and hair, making her feel alive than she had ever felt¡ªeven in the real world. Each foot barely touched the ground before she launched herself off again, leaving small clouds of dust in her wake.

    She sped past the shepherd but stopped herself with a backflip, landing gracefully next to the startled six foot tall burrovian.

    He took a step back defensively, blinking at her sudden appearance and grinning face.

    ¡°What brings you here, Salkhin?¡± he asked, using the local word for Wind sylvani.

    Elyssia still marvelled at how the locals referred to her kind. The word, meaning ¡°wind,¡± carried a subtle air of reverence to it.

    ¡°I was wondering if you knew where Zev Ulaan Foxes hole up?¡± she asked, her grin widening.

    The burrovian flinched at the mention of the creatures, his expression darkening. It was clear he had no love for the foxes.

    ¡°Aye, they nest in dense shrubs,¡± he said, his tone serious. ¡°We always have to keep our eyes peeled when we pass by their dens. Sneaky little things. You¡¯ll find them in the thickets, mostly. Look south-west¡ªthat area¡¯s more overgrown.¡±

    He pointed towards a patch of land where the grasses were thicker and denser, the perfect hiding place for small predators.

    Her grin broadened. ¡°Sweet, thanks! I¡¯ll teach a few of them a lesson or two. Hopefully, that¡¯ll keep your flock safe for a while.¡±

    The shepherd gave her a slow nod, his large, fur-covered ears twitching in surprise. ¡°Thank you. That¡¯s¡­ very nice of you, Salkhin.¡±

    She gave him a playful thumbs-up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it!¡±

    Without waiting for his response, she kicked off the ground and sprinted in the direction he had showed. The world blurred around her as she scanned the terrain for signs of movement. Zev Ulaan Foxes should not be too hard to spot¡ªtheir rusty-brown fur contrasted against the green grasses. But in the underbrush, the ground and branches would make it far harder to see them.

    Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw movement. Got you!

    As a fresh level one martial artist, Elyssia did not have many abilities yet. She could throw punches and kicks, of course¡ªthose were her baseline ¡°white¡± damage or auto-attacks, in MMO terms. That was the damage your character would deal to enemies as long as you were engaged in combat and in range.

    Her first special attack, a short-range Elbow Strike, was explosive. It broke the enemy¡¯s guard and staggered them backwards, setting up her next attacks. Risky, sure, but getting close and personal did not bother Elyssia at all.

    Baji Quan clearly inspired the martial artist class, with its short-range, explosive techniques, rather than the more popular striking styles like karate or kickboxing.

    As she approached the fox hideout at breakneck speed, Elyssia timed her leap perfectly, flipping mid-air and crashing her heel into the thicket. Dirt exploded around her as landed, right where she had seen the fox earlier.

    She imagined battle music playing in her mind. As the dust settled, a rusty-brown fox stood, facing her, its tail puffed up to make itself look more threatening.

    ¡°Sorry, my guy,¡± Elyssia said, cracking her knuckles. ¡°Nothing personal, but you¡¯re barely the size of my foot, and I¡¯ve got an appointment with a friend in Luminara.¡±

    The fox leapt at her, but instead of flinching or dodging, Elyssia twisted her entire body, intercepting the fox mid-air with her left elbow. The satisfying sound of a critical hit echoed in her ears, as the fox flew backward, dead before it hit the ground¡ªright in front of two more of its kind, hiding deeper in the brush.

    Elyssia grinned, seeing a third of her experience bar filling up with her first kill. Nice! With those two chaining, that should be level two right there.

    ¡°Come on, you two, I¡¯ve got places to be!¡±

    She beckoned the foxes forward, her knees bent slightly, feet light. She was ready to counter their every move.

    One of the two foxes, braver than the other, dashed toward her, leaping at the last second. Its target: her left knee.

    With a smooth step back, Elyssia intercepted the attack with the back of her right hand, deflecting it. And just as the timing lined up perfectly, she executed the martial artist¡¯s Counter-attack class feature.

    The poor fox practically evaporated from the strike, its body disintegrating as if it were a meteorite burning up on reentry.

    Counter-attacks were around the same strength as her Elbow Strike. The rule of counter-attacks is that you could only use them after you successfully guarded against an attack. Evading them was far easier, requiring less precise timing. Of course, the trade-off was that you could not counter-attack after evading. Guarding was riskier than evading¡ªrequiring perfect timing. If you misjudge the timing? You would take full damage.

    But what if you had mastered the art of guarding? That meant turning every attack from your enemies back at them, while avoiding damage.

    But there was one other reason counter-attacks were so good. That was the part most people did not consider when looking at the class and its abilities. Neither guarding nor counter-attacks had any cooldown. You could retaliate as often as your enemy¡¯s attack speed allowed. The more enemies you fought at once, the higher your damage potential followed.

    Elyssia sneered at her enemies. Honestly, these level one foxes, designed for new players? They would never land a hit on her. A decade of being the world¡¯s best tank in the previous incarnation of the game meant that she could handle far higher-level challenges before she would even break a sweat.

    ¡°Sorry, foxes, this is going to be quick,¡± she said, cracking her knuckles again. ¡°You¡¯re not even a warm up. You¡¯re the just the first stepping stones on my way out of here.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Mere seconds later, a notification popped up in Elyssia¡¯s field of view.

    ¡°You have reached level two for the martial artist class.¡±

    ¡°You have unlocked the Palm Strike action.¡±

    Palm Strike by itself did minor damage¡ªfar less than Elbow Strike. But when used right after the latter, it gained a significant potency bonus and could knock back enemies, or lift them into the air, setting them up for future combos. Elyssia could already picture the flow of combat in her mind¡ªthe rush of moving from one strike to the next, chaining them together. She could not wait for more special attacks to unlock, especially as her combo potential expanded.

    She looked at her experience bar and saw how little experience the last two kills had given her. Thankfully, the reward for defeating the five targets somewhat made up for it.

    She pocketed the handful of cuprum shards and chips that magically manifested in her gloved hands after she defeated the fifth fox.

    ¡°Tsk. Had to kill two of those at level two. What a waste. The first levels are just too quick to chain anything seriously.¡±

    As Elyssia walked away from the area, dozens of foxes stayed frozen in terror, having witnessed a natural disaster shaped like a Wind sylvani. Five of their neighbours perished without landing a single hit, and none of the remaining ones felt the need to prove their superiority by seeking vengeance. No. It was best to act as if that this massacre had never happened. Maybe if they stayed really still, she would not notice them and leave.

    The next target on Elyssia¡¯s Hunt List, the Carrion Vultures, had been easy to track down. Wherever there were corpses¡ªfallen sheep, monsters or adventurers¡ªthe sky was full of slow, circling shadows, waiting for their turn to feast.

    Like most flying enemies, their attacks were predictable. Once they began their descent, Elyssia knew exactly how they would try to attack her with their talons and beak.

    ¡°Come on, make it challenging a little. They all use the same attack patterns,¡± she said, easily dodging the opening dive of the next vulture.

    A single Elbow Strike sent the bird to the ground, and a lightning quick dash followed by her Palm Strike sent it flying into the air. Moments later, a sharp crack echoed behind her when the poor creature impacted on the ground.

    Every successful combo felt so rewarding. The precision, speed and rhythm of it all brought joy to Elyssia. This was a class that was all about mastery of battle, and her enemies had no chances against her.

    The rest of the vultures did not prove more of a challenge than the foxes, and soon she found her level three target, the Bonepickers.

    They were nearby, also hanging around the carcass of dead animals. Swarms of tiny insects with mosquito-like bodies. At first glance, they did not seem dangerous, but their erratic movement pattern made them hard to predict. How do you guard against a swarm of bugs attacking you, anyway?

    The Bonepickers moved like a single organism, a buzzing mass of wings and stingers. Elyssia swatted at them, but they came from all directions, circling her like a living storm. Some bugs sank their stingers into her exposed flesh. It did almost no damage. Her health bar barely moved. But her pride? That stung a lot more. Those were the first hit points of damage she had taken today.

    ¡°Oh, you little pricks¡­!¡±

    She assumed her combat stance and focused on the swarm. Their nature made them hard to predict and read, which made it hard for her to counter-attack. So she forced herself to train against them until she could reliably counter them. She knew she would be thankful in the future if she ever fight in a raid with swarm-like enemies. So she took the time to figure out their timing and how to read their tells.

    Every battle against the Bonepickers became faster and easier. At first, her guard timing and counter-attacks were pretty messy, but by the time she killed her seventh swarm, she was landing them like clockwork.

    She felt pretty proud at having picked up the rhythm that fast.

    ¡°Thanks for the crash course, boyos.¡±

    She had earned her reward of experience and cuprums for defeating the required amount of enemies a few kills ago, but she did not want to move on until she had perfected the art of bug swatting.

    That got her to level four, which unlocked two new abilities.

    The first was called the Earth Kick. It was another knock-back attack, but its primary use was to deal area-of-effect damage. The impact of the knocked target would cause a shockwave that dealt earth damage, which came with extra threat generation¡ªa critical aspect of playing a tank class. Earth Kick could propel non-living objects and use them as weapons, and gained bonuses when using stone-based objects in this way.

    Elyssia grinned at the possibility of turning the environment against her enemies. Or, if it came to it, of turning an enemy in a weapon against its allies.

    She realised she could also close-in on an enemy with her Elbow Strike, knock the enemy up with her Palm Strike, and time her Earth Kick and send the enemy flying into its friends as it fell back in front of her. Oh, this was going to be so fun, juggling enemies like that!

    The second ability was a self-heal, Mountain Breath. This was a short cooldown self-heal that the martial artist class could use. It gained extra potency when the user stood on natural terrain and it gained even more when fighting using the Fists of Stone stance. That was the name of the martial artist tanking stance she would soon unlock.

    Looking over at her new abilities, she chuckled.

    ¡°AoE, self-heal, counters, knock-backs, juggling and attack combos. This class has everything. It¡¯s almost stupid how broken it is.¡±

    Her real first challenge came with the Ongon spirits.

    Elyssia had asked around for directions and eventually made her way to the burial grounds, haunted by the ghost-like enemies. The atmosphere here differed from the rest of the Nogoon Steppes here. It was sombre, the air colder and heavier, the weight of forgotten spirits hanging in the misty air. A shiver crawler up her spine as she surveyed the area.

    The Ongon spirits drifted aimlessly through the burial ground, floating between ancient stone mounds, their bodies translucent and eyes glowing.

    The whispers of wind blowing through the broken stones sounded almost like voices crying in pain and anguish, and all but begged her to leave this cursed place behind.

    Fancy environmental art would not intimidate Elyssia. Like every enemy in this starter zone, the spirits would not attack her until she started combat, so she stepped forward confidently, closer to the nearest spirit, and took her battle stance.

    She used her Elbow Strike to start her attack combo, but found that her attack did not land with the impact she had expected. Her elbow simply went through the spirit¡¯s shimmering, non-corporeal form.

    The spirit turned to face her and retaliated with a slow-moving wave of spirit energy. Eerie whispers that raised the hair of the back of her neck accompanied the wave.

    Caught by surprise, Elyssia dodged the attack in time and took a few steps back, looking at the enemy in confusion.

    ¡°Okay, huh? How do you punch a ghost dead, then?¡±

    The spirit sent a second wave of energy towards her. The attack pattern was as simple as it gets¡ªa straight line towards her¡ªmaking it trivial to side-step, if that was her plan.

    She waited until the wave was close to her, and guarded at the precise moment where the attack would hit her, successfully harmlessly dissipating the attack. But she could not launch a counter-attack, as she was out of range.

    ¡°At least I can knock their spells out of the way.¡±

    She felt a flicker of annoyance. The enemy was harmless, but she could not really harm it either, it seemed. Any other player would probably run away and recruit a druid character to help deal with magic damage. Or come back with special items to allow them to deal with the threat. Ghost-slaying weapons or potions? Perhaps something to shift into the ethereal plane, where attacks would work against ghostly enemies? Any quest that would send you here would probably provide you with the knowledge or tools to deal with those enemies.

    This was a starter area, though, so she did not think they would leave enemies that are literally impossible to defeat, that new players could accidentally stumble on. There were probably ways to deal with them.

    She tried kicking rocks with Earth Kick to damage them with the earth-elemental magic effect of the shockwave, and it seemed to work. But the damage from each projectile was unimpressive. It was mostly there for the threat multiplier.

    She defeated two spirits solely from batting rocks at them. It was a slow but steady grind.

    To increase the kill speed, she then engaged multiple spirits simultaneously, staying at range, kicking rocks at them. Since the shockwave dealt damage in an area of effect, it would be just as fast as killing them one at a time.

    The spirit¡¯s attacks were no threat, even when three or four of them were wailing past her.

    Because Elyssia loved to push her limits, she kept approaching, reducing the distance between herself and the spirits a few steps at a time. Eventually she was close enough that she could attack counter-attacks, although she knew it would harmlessly pass through their bodies.

    So instead, she kicked one of the spirit, hoping to knock it back into its friends, curious to see what would happen.

    And that was how Elyssia learned that the kick part of the ability was also dealing earth-based magical damage. Instead of going through the spirit, her kick sent it flying! It wailed as it crashed into its allies. As it impacted, the shockwave detonated, spreading damage to all of them.

    She grinned at the accidental discovery. She could kick them!

    ¡°Oh, you guys are so dead now.¡±

    The notification for reaching level five came together with the notification for unlocking the Fists of Stone stance.

    Elyssia¡¯s grin spread wide. ¡°But it¡¯s not even my birthday!¡±

    On paper, this ability was there to solidify her role as a tank, as it mainly increased her aggro¡ªthe mechanic that made enemies focus on her instead of other targets. It even lowered her damage slightly to do so.

    But it also turned all her attacks to earth-elemental damage, which meant non-corporeal enemies would now be susceptible to all of her regular attacks, including her counters. That¡¯s gonna speed things up!

    Elyssia immediately activated the stance, feeling the rush of power course through her veins. Ochre-brown energy flowed through her entire body, entering from her feet and coming alive in her hands, the power radiating from her body like a visible aura. The power filled her with a familiar warmth, the same as when she received Terra¡¯s embrace during character creation.

    This was the power of the goddess of Earth. She just could not wait to test it out, and there were plenty of volunteers aimlessly roaming around the burial site. The grin on her face would freeze the blood of the Ongon spirits, had they any.

    Passers-by said that the wails of anguish that come from the haunted burial grounds that day made them feel sorry for the spirits.

    Once she was done with them, Elyssia pointed herself toward the mountain pass leading outside of the Nogoon steppes. As she travelled, she scanned the horizon, looking for flocks of sheep. She guessed this was where she would find the last target on her list.

    When she got closer, she easily spied the pack of wolves. They prowled the surrounding area, waiting for the shepherd and his guard dog to get distracted so they could snatch a sheep.

    Looking at them, Elyssia could tell they would act as a pack. Social mobs¡ªenemies that linked up and swarmed anyone who attacked just one. Such a group would shred new players, but her? This was an opportunity. Eight enemies at once? More enemies, more damage, more XP. Exactly the fun she had been looking for.

    She approached the pack of wolves casually, picking a stone and tossing it in the air, as if she were about to serve in tennis. She hopped in a smooth motion and spun into a kick in mid-air. The rock, propelled by the force of her blow, flew straight towards the largest wolf.

    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s time to dance!¡±

    She had no fear. This was her element, and she was clearly the predator here. Every kick sent shockwaves through the earth, every Elbow Strike knocked her target off-balance. Palm Strikes flowed with practiced ease, sending others flying in the air. One after the other, each strike lead perfectly into the next, a deadly ballet of smooth motions, only occasionally interrupted by her brutal counter-attacks. She decimated the pack of wolves faster than it took to deal with that first Ongon spirit. The wolves never realised what hit them.

    She chuckled.

    ¡°Sorry pups, but your special gimmick, linking? That actually plays in my favour.¡±

    Elyssia dusted her tunic. Not a single wolf drew blood. Her XP bar showed that another pack of wolf like this would get her to level six. Then it would be farewell Nogoon Steppes.

    It only took her a few seconds to spot a second group, only a minute¡¯s run away. Those wolves looked hungrily at another flock of fluffy sheep, surely expecting a delicious meal. They were blissfully unaware of the threat that was already dashing their way.

    It took only a few moments before more notifications showed up in Elyssia¡¯s field of view.

    ¡°You have reached level six for the martial artist class.¡±

    ¡°You have unlocked the Cannon Fist action.¡±

    Well, mission complete. The steppes have nothing they can teach me anymore. As she turned around, walking casually towards the mountain pass that would lead to stronger challenges, she overheard two shepherds¡¯ exchange.

    ¡°I think I heard stories about this Salkhin, before. I sure am glad she¡¯s on our side.¡±

    ¡°By the Sixteen, have you seen how she handled those wolves?¡±

 Chapter 15: Skin Deep

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, market plaza, city of Luminara.

    As soon as Jason secured the neural link at the base of his neck, Vaelith opened her eyes. For the first time since character creation, she felt grounded. Solid. She was not in another memory this time. She was sure of it.

    Vaelith stood at the edge of the grand market plaza at the centre of the magical metropolis of Luminara. Floating magical orbs in a myriad of colours and smaller magical lamps kept the area well lit, almost turning the night into day. This was the city of lights, after all. Market stalls with colourful silk draperies and shining gold ornaments lined the impressive walls and formed a labyrinth in its centre.

    Despite the late hour, people of all shapes and sizes, though mostly homini, bartered, milled about or made their way through. Merchants, adventurers, citizens, and guards weaved through the crowd, their numbers blending into the lively chaos of the plaza.

    Appetising scents of baked bread, sizzling meats and grilled vegetables mingled with the stench of filth and sweat. Vaelith¡¯s extra sensitive nose was all but begging for her to escape. Her fins picked up conversations all around her, each word clear, but the cacophony made her resent her sharp dracan hearing.

    It did little to uplift her mood, but she could not blame herself for the challenges that came with her species. The game, or perhaps Luxoria, had taken that choice away.

    She looked down at her body. She was no longer wearing the humble hempen robes from her childhood memories. Those had been too tall and loose, with a neckline much lower than she liked. She was sure young Vaelith wore that out of necessity rather than choice.

    Today, she wore a sleeveless, light-blue robe, tailored perfectly to her size and form. Embroidery ran down the centre of the cloth. The robe hugged her waist and flared with her hips. The contours of her breasts were visible, but they were neither downplayed nor highlighted. A strong leather belt and bandolier combined their efforts to distribute the weight of a heavy, leather-bound grimoire sitting in a satchel on her left hip. Over the robe, she wore a navy-blue cape that covered her arms and shoulders. She could see her reflection in the glass windows of the stores that circled the plaza. Vaelith thought she gave off the vibe of a proper mage, albeit a short one.

    She scowled, realising her youthful appearance would probably lead people to mistake her for a teenager. How old am I, anyway? The answer surfaced in her mind unbidden: Vaelith had turned twenty just a little over two months ago. Her birthday was on Blazebirth¡ªthe summer solstice. Fittingly, that was also Luxoria¡¯s most sacred day: the Day of Radiance. Vaelith sighed. Of course, it had to land on a day steeped in significance like that. Just my luck.

    She had quickly discovered one downside to sharing her birthday with the city¡¯s grandest religious celebration: people were always too preoccupied to spare much attention for her. Not that it mattered¡ªmost of the attention she typically received came from bullies or envious classmates. Being practically invisible for a day had been, strangely enough, the best gift she could hope for.

    The thought of birthdays and gifts nudged her mind to search for happier memories. Memories of family and celebrations. But all she could summon were depressing images of small and austere events at the academy. Dutiful gatherings with tutors and teachers. Is that all? She wondered. Do I even have a family? Am I an orphan? The questions churned inside her, and a familiar ache stirred in her chest as she held onto that thought.

    Okay, sensitive topic. Let¡¯s drop it and focus on something else.

    Returning her attention to her surroundings, she scanned the crowds. The first thing she noticed was how she could not easily tell apart players from non-player characters. When simply looking at them, she actually thought it was impossible to do so. This game leaned towards high immersion over user experience, it appeared. That meant there was no floating text above people¡¯s heads. No easy way to tell someone¡¯s name, class, level or guild.

    But judging from the way they moved and dressed, she quickly realized most of the crowd were not players. However, she noticed the locals always seemed to know who were. The way they looked at them¡ªon edge, reserved¡ªgave it away. It was not quite hostility¡ªmore like tense wariness. The same reaction you would expect from a father who suddenly saw an armed stranger walking to his family¡¯s home.

    She kept scouring the crowds, reminded of M-E¡¯s request to find a healer. She felt like the task had just multiplied in difficulty. This was not spamming the trade chat channel with a series of three letter acronyms until someone responded. She giggled at the image of her little self climbing on a barrel, shouting over the sound of the crowd until something happened.

    Somehow, she knew she would probably receive a stern talking-to by the surprisingly many armed guards keeping watch. Their gaze locked with unrelenting severity on each adventurer all across the bazaar. She then wondered if players had actually tried that earlier in the day. It would explain the heavy atmosphere that lingered. The first shouting lunatic might have caused the locals to laugh dismissively or in confusion, but if a few dozen people started shouting over one another, it would explain the feeling of the place. Was a divide forming between players and non-player characters?

    Frowning at herself for her wandering mind, Vaelith returned her attention to trying to locate a priest. She picked a direction at random, scanning small pockets of merchants and regular folks, following their gaze to the ones they seemed wary of. This would lead to players. She just had to find a priest now.

    Over on one side, she spotted a tall, hulking Full-blood felinae wearing dark furs and carrying a two-handed hammer on his back, stomping his way through the crowds. That way, a robed homini used his crystal-tipped rod as a walking stick while examining magical foci at a stall. Up here, a cloaked homini perched on a flat roof, scanning the crowds from her vantage point, a bow slung over her shoulder. Nearby, a petite Kindred dracan waded confidently through the crowd. She was unlike Vaelith in almost every way; she had red scalding scales, was wearing gleaming heavy armour, a massive tower shield on her back. The shield bore the brand of the god of earth, Gaius. Vaelith did not know how she recognised it, but she knew she did.

    Vaelith hesitated, her gaze locking onto the guardian. Despite her short stature, the dracan radiated authority. The crowd parted around her, not out of fear, but with a quiet reverence.

    Vaelith saw her, and she really wanted to talk to her. Someone with an avatar of the same species she played. Did she also have trouble adjusting to her character? It might distract her from finding a priest, but this was important, too. She really hoped the armoured dracan was a player¡ªall signs pointed to it. M-E would surely understand the delay. Vaelith had more pressing personal issues to solve. She stepped cautiously towards the girl in shining armour.

    Vaelith headed in her direction. A few moments later, she stood face to face in front of the guardian. She had not noticed the crowd dispersing in front of her until she was all alone in front of the stranger. The other dracan raised an eyebrow inquisitively at Vaelith as she smirked. The young mage had to crane her neck upwards to meet her eyes¡ªthe guardian was several inches taller than she was. Vaelith realised she was blocking the path of the players, even though that notion was laughable. She was trembling from anxiety, and felt as if the tiniest of breeze could sweep her off the ground.

    ¡°Need something?¡±

    The guardian¡¯s voice oozed confidence. She sounded amused and quite relaxed, clearly not feeling threatened by the mage¡¯s presence.

    Vaelith broke eye contact immediately, her heart pounding. Her interlocutor¡¯s intense yellow eyes intimidated her, almost forcing her to look away. She focused her gaze on a random, misshapen cobblestone near her feet.

    ¡°I¡­ couldn¡¯t help but notice you¡¯re like me,¡± she said as an explanation, not really answering the question. Her heart beat as if her very life was in danger.

    The guardian¡¯s face softened, tilting her head slightly.

    ¡°In a few ways, yes. And in others, not at all,¡± she said, smiling.

    At least the guardian appeared friendly, and unlike Vaelith, could apparently form coherent sentences. She let out a sigh of relief as her heart slowed down.

    ¡°Could we¡­ talk?¡±

    As soon as she asked, Vaelith regretted everything. Why? Why am I bothering some stranger like that? She started sweating, noticing the many gazes studying the two of them. Her eyes darted left and right as she tried to assess the intention of the curious onlookers. Am I danger?

    But then Vaelith reminded herself that the danger would be the woman standing in front of her, half-a-head taller than she was. She was wearing heavy armour, a heavy mace at her hips. If anyone here was a threat, it would be her, not the merchants and curious bystanders.

    But the guardian showed no hostility. She considered Vaelith for a moment, then tilted her head, pointing at a stall a few steps away from them. Glancing at it, Vaelith saw the man behind a grill, preparing sizzling, spicy meat kabobs. Next to the stall, there were a couple of empty tables and seats that they could use to chat in a less attraction-grabbing location.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve got a few minutes before I¡¯ve gotta bounce,¡± she said in a friendly tone. ¡°Why don¡¯t you find us a table?¡±

    The way she expressed herself removed any doubt Vaelith still held about whether she had found another player. She nodded and made her way to the seating area. There, she found an empty table with two seats, and took one.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Meanwhile, the guardian had headed to the stall, most likely ordering some food.

    Vaelith frowned. She felt like a kid at a grown-ups¡¯ table. She really could use a cushion to boost her height. And honestly, she would not mind the extra padding. Those seats were pretty uncomfortable. Perhaps I should look to buy one after that... She idly wondered if the mage class would give her access to some kind of astral storage space or bag of holding. That would be convenient.

    Vaelith caught herself salivating over the smell coming from the stall. Her stomach gurgled. Clearly she could feel hungry despite Jason having had supper only moments ago. That made her wonder how important of a game mechanic was eating?

    She glanced back at the stall. The guardian was leaning with both elbows on the counter, chatting up with the skewer master. The man occasionally used tongs to flip the meat. He responded jovially to her questions and nodded energetically as she talked. This surprised Vaelith, as she expected the locals to be more on edge with adventurers. She wondered if it was because the guardian was more respected than others, or if that merchant was just friendlier with players.

    Vaelith felt the stares of strangers still on her. Embarrassed, she fidgeted with the hem of her robe. Her eyes flicked between the guardian¡¯s massive shield to the uneven cobblestones beneath her feet. Why were people still looking at them? Just give us girls some privacy, please?

    The guardian finally returned and plopped down a plate piled with skewers on the table. The brusque force startled Vaelith, brushing away her concerns. A tantalising aroma wafted from the freshly delivered plate and filled her sensitive nose with an overwhelming mix of spices and charred meat. The fat glistened in the market¡¯s many lights, small beads of grease dripping onto the wooden plate in satisfying pops. The vegetables¡ªcharred onions, glistening tomatoes, and deep-green peppers¡ªwere vibrant against the backdrop of the dark meat. Even the skewers themselves, perfectly blackened in places, looked crafted with care.

    The guardian did not hesitate and immediately picked one up, tearing away a mouthful of meat. She chewed deliberately, a blissful smile on her face. Vaelith heard the crunch of the outer skin echoing faintly and it sent a pang of hunger through her mind. The guardian then gestured with her free hand, inviting the mage to help herself.

    Vaelith tentatively took one stick with both hands and brought it slowly towards her. The weight of it was familiar but strange, her new body responding eagerly to the sensory overload. As it drew closer to her mouth, fat dripped from the meat, pitter-pattering on the table. Vaelith quickly moved one hand under the dripping meat, hoping to intercept the droplets and protect her clothes.

    As it neared her face, she closed her eyes and drew a long breath, inhaled the scent. It was almost too much¡ªher nose twitched, overwhelmed by the intensity.

    Vaelith bit into the charred meat, its crisp exterior giving way to a tender, juicy centre. The burst of intense seasoning made her flinch, discovering her heightened senses of taste. The intensity faded slowly as she chewed, acclimating herself one bite at a time. She felt a profound satisfaction. The taste grounded her, yet each bite only raised more questions. Why does this feel so familiar? Who was I before today? She wondered what other memories might resurface, waiting to pull her deeper into this world?

    She caught the guardian¡¯s eye as she finished her first bite. The latter grinned, already halfway through her second skewer. ¡°Good, right?¡±

    Vaelith nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah... It¡¯s... very good,¡± she said, a little breathless, not just from the food but from the realisation that this food held some special meaning for her.

    The guardian polished off two skewers before Vaelith even finished her first. Throughout the meal, her yellow eyes remained fixed on her, as if expecting something. It made Vaelith¡¯s skin prickle. She trembled at how self-conscious she felt under the silent scrutiny. At the oddest times, the guardian would smile warmly at her¡ªalmost like an owner watching their pet eat. That unsettled Vaelith even more, and all that focus on her every move did little to improve the speed at which she went through her meal.

    Finally done with the first, Vaelith set the dirty hook down with a quiet clink. As the last bite settled in her stomach, a faint warmth spread through her body. Vaelith could not say what, but she knew something about these skewers evoked some nostalgia within her. Fond memories. And she knew these memories did not belong to Jason. No, the skewers stirred memories that were deeply tied to Vaelith¡¯s past, of that she was certain.

    Jason had grown up in a well-to-family; his father, a lawyer, and his mother, an accountant. He tried to think of a meal that reminded him of growing up. Grilled salmon with wild rice pilaf, perhaps?

    He wondered if Vaelith¡¯s relationship to this meal was the same. No. It felt different. Skewers was not something she associated with growing up. No, it was a celebration of her independence and autonomy. This is it! This is a meal young Vaelith had saved up for, and purchased for herself. Something she had wanted to eat and then worked hard for. It all came back to her now. How proud she had felt when she had counted and handed over the exact count of cuprum shards to the owner. And even though the meal had only lasted a few minutes, the memories stayed with her to this day. Skewers were a reward to her.

    It was hard for Jason not to get swept up in Vaelith¡¯s memories now.

    She wiped away at tears and noticed her greasy hands. She quickly glanced around for something to clean them. The guardian silently handed her a wet cloth, still smiling as she silently observed her. Vaelith blushed, nodded in thanks and wiped the grease from her fingers. When she was done, she discreetly rubbed at her eyelids and locked her gaze on the last skewer¡ªshe could still feel the weight of the other woman¡¯s gaze on her.

    ¡°Are you going to eat the last one, then?¡±

    Vaelith shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± she said as she started wiping the few stains of fat that had dripped on the table earlier.

    ¡°In that case¡­,¡± The guardian picked the last skewer. Vaelith could not help but notice how much of a voracious eater she was.

    ¡°Zyra Talovren. Frostspire. You?¡± she said, as if it were a formality, her tone casual as she took a huge bite.

    Vaelith quickly checked her clothes for any stains, but then turned to face Zyra and bowed down her head slightly.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Zyra. My name is Vaelith Dawnscale.¡±

    A quiet pride swelled inside of her heart. Saying her name aloud felt strange¡ªbut also affirming. Yes. I am Vaelith Dawnscale. That¡¯s my name.

    She smiled, but her voice wavered with uncertainty. ¡°I¡¯m from Luminara, I think?¡±

    Am I really from this city? She had no memories of any city, so she had to be?

    Still chewing, Zyra gestured for her to continue. She probably expected her to explain why she wanted to talk, now that they had introduced each other, and almost done with their meal.

    ¡°You¡¯re a Kindred dracan, right?¡± Vaelith asked.

    Zyra raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

    Vaelith gestured at herself, her fins and scales. ¡°How are you handling¡­ you know¡­ All of it?¡±

    ¡°How do you mean?¡± Zyra answered between bites.

    ¡°The way this body feels? The weird sense of balance, the wrongness of the body, the hearing¡­¡±

    Zyra stopped chewing for a moment, then swallow her bite.

    She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just a game. I feel normal? How about you? Are you okay, dude?¡±

    Vaelith¡¯s mouth hung wide open. Was it that obvious?

    Her breathing hitched at the thought of not being seen as a woman. But wait, am I not supposed to be okay with that? Yet, the idea left her feeling hollow, as if she were losing something important.

    ¡°How would you know¡­? Are you a guy, too?¡± she said, stuttering in whispered words.

    ¡°Relax, dude¡ªeveryone¡¯s a dude here. Me too.¡± Zyra¡¯s melodic voice did not quite match her laid-back Californian drawl, making the contrast all the more jarring.

    Oh. The whole dude thing again¡ªboth neutral and gendered at once. There had to be a guide, somewhere, on how to tell them apart, but Vaelith had never stumbled on it.

    Okay. So if Zyra is a guy, and she¡¯s doing fine, then maybe this feeling has nothing to do with gender at all. Could it be the disorienting strangeness of being so much smaller? Vaelith¡¯s limbs were much lighter and her steps felt so delicate in this new body. Is it possible that Zyra¡¯s player is around the same height as her character?

    ¡°And you¡¯re feeling¡­ normal? Are you this short in real life?¡±

    ¡°Nah, dude. Not short. I¡¯m from Cali, five-ten.¡±, she answered.

    Zyra stood around five feet tall, almost a full foot shorter than her real-life self. That was far from the drastic gap between Jason and Vaelith. He towered nearly two feet over her.

    That could explain some of the strangeness she had felt. Perhaps it¡¯s a question of mass. At her height and with her slim frame, Vaelith weighed at most a third of what Jason did.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m shorter than you are. And I used to be taller than you were. Maybe that¡¯s why,¡± Vaelith said, explaining her theory.

    ¡°¡®Why¡¯ what? Other than being proper girly and shy, you seem fine?¡± Zyra asked.

    Girly? Shy? Is that how people read me?

    Jason would have hated being called girly. He would have brushed it off, laughed awkwardly, or said something to deflect. But as Vaelith, I like it, don¡¯t I? She was not sure why it mattered so much to her now. Or maybe she had just never allowed it to matter before.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to understand why my body feels so odd,¡± she said.

    But does it feel odd? It had been a while since she had felt any kind of weirdness or disorientation, had it not? While she ate, while she sat here, chatting or watching the crowd, had anything felt wrong? Each action had been so natural¡ªeating the kabob, cleaning the table, even the noise of the bazaar¡­ Ever since she dived back, after her chat with Lisa, everything had simply been normal, right?

    Zyra¡¯s gaze was steady, her quizzical look more curious than concerned, as if Vaelith¡¯s worries were as distant to her as the stars. She seemed completely at ease, her body an afterthought in a way that made Vaelith feel even more self-conscious. ¡°I don¡¯t know, dude. I feel great¡ªcalibration¡¯s perfect on my end.¡±

    Vaelith let that statement sink in.

    She now regretted asking Zyra about anything. I must sound like some kind of idiot. I¡¯m made a fool of myself and outed myself. Again. Twice this evening, she had told to someone that was a guy playing a girl character. Lisa first, and now Zyra.

    Sure, it really was not that unusual. Heck, Zyra herself, right in front of her, was also cross-playing. It was so common, people joked that the acronym MMORPG meant ¡°Mostly Men Online Role-playing Girls.¡±

    Vaelith let out a long sigh. Other than a ridiculously tasty skewer, she felt she got nothing out of the conversation.

    Well, that was not entirely fair. Talking over with her, this conversation allowed her to realise that Zyra had been right when she said she looked fine. After taking a second look, this body was like a second skin to her. The calibration thing indeed worked great.

    Now, all she had to do was address the minor issue of being perceived as a woman or not. Vaelith still had some questions about how she should feel about that.

    Zyra had called her a dude. The word felt neutral on her lips, but it still hit Vaelith with a jolt of strangeness. Was it meant to dismiss her womanhood or just smooth over the edges of identity? In this world, maybe it did not matter. But here, in this body, it did. She was not sure why it stung so much.

    But then again, Zyra also called her ¡®Proper girly¡¯. Vaelith felt rather flattered, if not a little embarrassed by Zyra¡¯s comment. It sounded sincere, but the word dug up memories of awkward moments when Jason had never quite fit the masculine mould people expected. ¡°Girly¡± felt... close. But not quite right. Vaelith wanted something more solid. She wanted to be seen as an independent woman, as someone sure of herself. Someone grown. Is that why I feel so unsettled? Was it that simple? Or am I overthinking all of this?

    Regardless of the answer, she really had no reason to keep Zyra tied up with her any longer. She smiled shyly, trying to ease any concern may have about her.

    ¡°You know what? I think you¡¯re right. Sorry for bringing it up. I think I feel just fine.¡±

    At first, she had believed none of it. She had simply spoken those words to placate Zyra. But when she spoke, she heard it. The truth behind her words. Or at the very least, the ring of truth. And it startled her.

    I feel fine? She asked herself, echoing the words in her head. And even upon hearing it a second time, it really felt like she did. She beamed her best smile at Zyra. Perhaps this had not been a waste of time, after all.

 Chapter 16: The Sirens Call

    Wednesday, August 27th, 2042, Sumner, Portland, Oregon.

    Ryan sat on the floor, back pressed against the front door of his apartment, legs pulled up against his chest and his arms draped limply over his knees. His head rested against his forearms, a dull ache throbbing at the base of his skull. Exhaustion washed over him, but not the physical kind¡ªthe kind that weighed down his mind, dragging him into a pit where nothing made sense anymore.

    His father had left minutes ago, the sound of his vintage Eagle Talon¡¯s engine having faded in the distance. Despite it being mere moments, their conversation felt like it had happened a lifetime ago. He was still trying to understand where the unexpected hug had come from, let alone everything that had happened afterward. Ryan had called him Pap¨¢. That used to be how he and his sister called him. Lucia still did, but Ryan had stopped long ago. At least since his teenage years.

    He lingered there, sitting on the cool floor tiles, feeling like a stranger in the familiar apartment. No. It was not even familiar anymore.

    He lifted his head, his eyes tracing the lines of the freshly tidied living room. It was cleaner than it had been in years. The floor was visible for the first time in¡­ he could not remember how long. The piles of laundry were currently in the washing machine, or waiting their turn in cloth hampers. His hoard of empty energy drink cans was nowhere to be seen.

    A faint scent of lemon-scented cleaner had replaced the stink of stale food and damp towels.

    He wanted to be amazed. He wanted to look at this, and feel some sense of pride or accomplishment. But he only felt disoriented.

    He blinked at the space, trying to connect the dots, to remember what had driven him to clean after himself. Did he want to impress his father? Show solidarity with him by working alongside him instead of doing his best to tune him and his silent judgement out?

    Where had that urge come from? Where did that compulsion to tidy up, to make the space, and himself, presentable for his father, come from? It was not like him, not at all.

    He was not the neat type, or the type of person who scrubbed surfaces clean. He never folded clothes neatly and barely took care of himself, let alone his apartment.

    So where did it all come from?

    Objection, your honour! He thought bitterly. That¡¯s a dumb question. He knew exactly where that drive came from.

    Young Kaelyn¡¯s memories.

    He could still feel the echoes of her mind lingering in the back of his head. Her small room, scented with wildflowers and summer breezes. Her mother¡¯s gentle touch as she tucked a loose strand of hair, speaking words of comfort. Kaelyn kept her place tidy, because it helped her recenter herself. It helped her recall her mother¡¯s love and the innocence of her youth.

    It came from her desire for control and comfort. Keeping things orderly made her feel in control.

    But that was not him.

    Ryan let out a shaky breath, his chest tightening as a sense of unease crawled through him. How did something that made her feel so safe could at the same time make him feel so lost, confused, and afraid? Why was her desire the one that won out in the end? Why had he not been able to stop himself, to control his thoughts or actions? But had he really tried to stop himself? No. I haven¡¯t. Because it had felt right in the moment.

    He remembered getting up, putting away dishes, wiping down the counters. It all felt so automatic and appropriate. His body was moving without waiting for permission from his brain.

    Although he could tell it was not him in control, he had not resisted. Would I have been able to, had I tried?

    He wondered if that was how getting roofied felt like? Acting, but being unable to stop yourself? How about when someone coerced or manipulated you? Maybe if the manipulator was very good, he wondered.

    He rubbed at his temples; what had been a dull ache before was growing sharper. Ryan really could use some acetaminophen right now. He stood up, and the FullDive rig came into view. He glared at it as he walked to the medicine cabinet.

    That virtual reality device. It was not supposed to mess with his mind like this. Sure, when he was diving in VR, it could make him feel whatever it wanted. The taste of fear, the pain of an injury, the adrenaline of a high-octane chase. But once he unplugged himself and walked about here, in actual space? The device should hold no sway over his mind anymore.

    But this had been different. Kaelyn¡¯s memories had lingered. They had not faded away when he logged out.

    But that made some sort of sense, didn¡¯t it? Short of specific mental conditions, memories did not simply fade away after you are done with an event. But something like a sharp needle prick of pain? That were ephemeral. A fleeting event, a signal send through your nervous system. But the memory of the event? That stayed with you.

    So if the calibration system had given him Kaelyn¡¯s memories, would he now remember her life for the rest of his days, as if it had been his own childhood?

    He tried to liken it to watching a movie and being able to recall the scene later. But there was one fundamental difference between Kaelyn¡¯s memories and those of a movie. He had felt like it had happened to him. Those scenes and memories were in first-person perceptive. It was not the memory of ¡°Ryan watching Kaelyn¡¯s past¡±. It was the memory of Kaelyn¡¯s past as she have lived through it. The same as if it had happened to him.

    He really hoped his brain would sort them out. He was not looking forward to being able to recall how she had felt shortly after her first period, or the icky feeling of¡­ He shuddered and forced himself to stop thinking about it.

    His eyes went back to the seat, neural jack and tubes. He knew the device could to deal with many medical emergencies. It could take basic blood works, monitor your health, and intervene if necessary. If you drank coffee in VR, it could even inject you with something that stimulated your brain. That made him wonder if the FullDive rig had pumped him full of some drugs? Perhaps it had made him more receptive to those memories, more pliant, to make sure the calibration went smoothly? The same way alcohol would smooth out the edges. Maybe the device manipulated his brain so it would not fight the new influx of memories? And maybe that was why it had been so easy to just¡­ slip into Kaelyn¡¯s habits?

    He frowned, shaking his head, and stared down at his hands. They were his hands, but they did not feel like his own anymore. They felt disconnected, like they were someone else¡¯s hands, responding to commands, thoughts and instincts that did not belong to him.

    His mind flickered back to when he logged off earlier. He left Kaelyn in the markets of Luminara, having just relived young Kaelyn¡¯s intense childhood memories. When he woke up in the real world, all of her emotions were still washing over him, his brain not being nearly done sorting out all that had just transpired.

    Her fear, the vulnerability and her mother¡¯s love and tenderness were still there, at the forefront of his thoughts.

    It had made him feel small and exposed.

    And after his father left, that feeling of vulnerability surfaced again. And it felt right to curl up like that. To fold into himself like he was trying to hold on to that sense of warmth and safety.

    But that¡¯s not me. That¡¯s not something I do, is it?

    He desperately wanted to hold on to his sense of identity. To who he was.

    Yet, here you are. It had felt right in the moment. Why fight it?

    But some part of him wanted to brush these concerns away. Why bother fighting it, or trying to understand the reason behind it all? It was all in the past. You can just move on.

    But no, he would not. So he tried to recall the moment. Why had it been so easy to fall into her thoughts, to act on her instincts and desires? To let her memories take control?

    He clenched his fists, nails biting into his palms. This isn¡¯t normal. Not how it¡¯s supposed to be. When you logged out of the game, you were supposed to leave it all behind. You were supposed to return to your regular self.

    Yet. Despite knowing how it should work, he was still here, somehow. Carrying some pieces of her around, like they were his. Just like she was leaking into mind, creeping into his thoughts, changing him from within.

    Lucia had told him to watch out for that. Had she really known this could happen?

    Would things keep getting worse? What if he logged back in the game, returned to Kaelyn? Would he lose even more of himself? Change even more? Cleaning habits and fleeting emotions were not that big of a deal. You¡¯re still yourself, after all, right?

    But what if I wake up one day, and there¡¯s nothing left of my old self? What if Kaelyn took over completely?

    It¡¯s a hypothetical, but if that happened, why should I even care? ¡°I¡± would be Kaelyn, and Ryan being gone shouldn¡¯t matter to me, then?

    His heart stammered, his breathing quickened. Pull it together, Ryan. What are you thinking? He opened the cupboard and fished out two tablets, which he promptly dry-swallowed. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    He gripped the kitchen counter tightly as he waited a few seconds, controlling his breath.

    You are stronger than a video game character of your own creation, Ryan.

    Or you want to believe that, he corrected.

    Once again, he looked at the FullDive Rig in the living room, and could feel the siren call of the game. He actually did not even have time to try playing as Kaelyn.

    She deserves a chance to stretch her legs and play, don¡¯t you agree?

    He recalled how fun her little chat with Lucia had been in the VR hub.

    Even that had been intoxicating. All of it had come to him so naturally. Moving around in her body, teasing Lucia. It felt exactly how he imagined someone like Megan would experience the world.

    He had created her to leave the drudgery of his boring, pointless basement existence, and to know the feeling of being seen, noticed. Why stop there? Adored, worshipped, even!

    He wanted to have more of a taste of her confidence, the ease with which she moved. Of her power and poise. She did not hesitate and ask herself questions about who she was. She knew, and she acted.

    Maybe, if he logged back, he could make sense of it all, and figure out how to prevent her from seeping into his life. To stop her from bleeding over his sense of self.

    But deep down, he knew that was just an excuse. He wanted to log back in, because being her felt good.

    Being in control felt good.

    She was his polar opposite. He had no reason to exist in this world, no role to fulfil. And he had built her to take space, to shine, and to defy anyone who would deny her the right to live.

    He only had a short taste of her power, but he was already drunk on it.

    And now? He needed more. Just a little more. And it¡¯s right there, waiting for me.

    Surely, whatever that had happened to him so far was as far as things would go.

    The developers would not let things spiral out of control, right? They understood the way the rig worked, and how human brains worked with them, and it was all kept within safe, proven and acceptable parameters, surely.

    He walked the couple of steps until he was by the rig¡¯s chair.

    Kaelyn was still a level one priest, and there was always a shortage of healers when a new MMO launched.

    There were many people just waiting for him to log on to complete quests and dungeons.

    If he waited too long, then other players would give in and roll healers to fill the void.

    And then Ryan would have missed the biggest opportunity.

    After all, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of suckers out there he could manipulate.

    Players. I mean players. Not all of them are suckers. Thousands of players depended on him.

    That was the best part about being an in-demand healer. There were thousands of players who would fight each other just so they could do all the work for him. Isn¡¯t it great?

    All he had to make sure was that they would have him join their party rather than any of the other healers.

    To do that, he just had to make sure he sold himself better than they did. And knowing MMO players, that should not be a problem at all. Healers were notorious for being difficult and picky.

    Ryan was no Mother Theresa. He did not plan to be the most altruistic healer around. He did not have to. Other healers would set the bar so low, as long as you were not an ass, they would have him.

    And I assure you, we can easily do that. I can show you exactly how it¡¯s done.

    Ryan gave in. Fine. Let¡¯s log back in and play a little. Not like I had any other plan for the day, anyway.

    ***

    As she opened her eyes, the market of Luminara, bathed in the light of the setting sun, appeared before her. In the sky, the ominous charcoal moon stood vigil over the city, and distressingly visible in the dusk light.

    The market plaza¡¯s many lanterns were being lit, people using magic or matches to bring them to life, one at a time.

    Grilled meat, sweet pastries, aromatic teas and the smell of coffee greeted her. The sound of crashing waves outside of the city, a constant reminder of the cliff-side nature of the trade metropolis. The cry of seagulls circling above the many trade vessels anchored at sea mix with the voice of the patrons and hawkers exchanging coins for goods and services all around her.

    ¡°Oh, how I missed you, Luminara. Told you to hold on to your horses. I am back, at last.¡±

    Ryan wanted to smile, but Kaelyn grinned instead. He would finally get to experience the fantasy he had conjured when he heard about the game¡¯s release. He could go forth and see what it felt like to take charge, to be in control of what people saw, and how they would react. Ryan had built Kaelyn just for this.

    Here she would be in her element. A city like Luminara was the ideal hunting ground for one with her skills. Countless gullible fools that would give up their precious time, goods or coins at a mere suggestion.

    But she would not phrase it as a request or order. No¡ªit has to come from them.

    That was the trick, and it was far simpler than one would expect. Any woman working in a male-dominated industry would confirm. Other people were quick to claim your ideas as their own, if they thought they were good ideas. Try claiming credit over your own work, see how that goes.

    So why fight against people¡¯s tendencies, when you could simply learn how to weaponise them? Whisper something in someone¡¯s ear, and see how fast they run around telling others about their great idea.

    Her delicate Felinae ears twitched, catching snippets of conversations, while her glowing, emerald-green eyes scanned the bustling marketplace with an ease that Ryan could only marvel at. Her senses were so much sharper than his. Nothing escaped her notice. The sound of the coins in that merchant¡¯s fat purse. The hesitation of this other man has he tried to argue the vendor did not return the correct change. Curious onlookers throwing furtive glances her way, while pretending not to, of course.

    And just like that, his nervous tension vanished. She did not even have to think about it. She knew how to move, where to walk. There was a magnetic pull to every step she took. Eyes turned to her, no longer pretending not to gawk. They can¡¯t help but stare.

    The flick of her tail. The sway of her hips.

    They¡¯re all watching you.

    The thought whispered in his mind, not from Ryan, but from Kaelyn. She revelled in the attention. It fed her, ignited something in her chest that throbbed with satisfaction. And Ryan? He could almost taste the power that she wielded, like a sweet nectar. He was just as comfortable with it as she was.

    Ryan¡¯s resolve, however, wavered. Should I really be here doing this? Part of his mind was still trying to make sense of what was happening to him in the real world. But in this moment, his concerns felt so far away, like the world beyond Luminara was an afterthought. Kaelyn pushed those thoughts aside. Focus, Ryan, this is serious. We¡¯ve got a game to play.

    And just like that, she locked her gaze on her first mark.

    A tall blonde homini guardian, armour gleaming under the soft glow of the market lights. A spiked heavy mace hung heavily at his side, the shimmering sigil of the Astralius etched on the gigantic shield hanging on his back. He was strong, broad-shouldered. Exactly the type to fall for a damsel in distress¡ªor perhaps, a helpless priestess in need of aid.

    His gear clearly showed he was no level one newbie. A high level player on day one? A skilled gamer, or one with a lot of free time. Surely you can imagine how good his social skills are going to be, right?

    Kaelyn¡¯s lips curled into a smile. One that came so effortlessly. Her entire demeanour shifted from her predatory confidence to one of demure helplessness. She tilted her head slightly, her golden hair cascading down her shoulders in soft waves, as she allowed her tail to wrap around her thigh¡ªa gesture of uncertainty. The best lies are wrapped in layers of truths. The hesitation you are feeling at the back of your mind is a boon to us, here. It makes us appear even more convincing. But enough talk. Let¡¯s have at it!

    ¡°Excuse me, sir?¡± Her voice slipped from her lips like honey, soft and lilting, but with just a hint of vulnerability. She bit her lower lip, her emerald eyes wide and shimmering as though she had a secret to tell, but did not quite know how to ask.

    Ryan¡¯s heart thudded in his chest. Suddenly, doubt crept into his mind. Surely, he¡¯ll find out? Won¡¯t it be obvious to everyone that it¡¯s a guy piloting this body right now?

    But Kaelyn had no such doubt. She was thrumming with excitement. She knew what she was doing and was confident in her acting. Ryan¡¯s worries had just made the bait even more enticing.

    The guardian turned, his armour clinking as he took in the sight of her. His eyes widened slightly. Kaelyn smiled inwardly. Predictable, but since he picked the lord of truth as his god, that just made him an easier mark.

    ¡°Yes Miss? Can I help you?¡± His voice was gruff, but there was a softness there¡ªa willingness to help. The kindness of a seasoned player, eager to prove himself in more ways than one.

    Kaelyn swayed on her feet, playing up the uncertainty in her posture. She looked up at him through her lashes. ¡°Oh, thank the stars you stopped. I was so worried¡ªI¡¯m new to Luminara, and I seem to have... well, got turned around.¡±

    Ryan could feel it¡ªthe flutter in his stomach, the twinge of guilt trying to rise. But Kaelyn¡¯s instincts overpowered it, her words spilling out like practiced lines from a play. It really is that easy. Each flirtatious gesture, each glance, felt as though it was part of a well-oiled machine.

    ¡°Ah yes, Luminara can be overwhelming at first,¡± the warrior said, his tone friendly, but his eyes betraying a glint of interest. He took a step closer. ¡°Where were you headed? I can help.¡±

    Wait for it, Kaelyn thought, her inner voice practically purring.

    Kaelyn allowed a soft, relieved smile to bloom on her face, and she gently touched his arm¡ªjust a light touch, enough to send a spark through him. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. I was looking for the priest guildhall. I just started and I could use some pointers and a guide to help me with the newbie quests...¡±

    The man¡¯s chest puffed out just a little. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a priest?¡± His eyes flicked up and down on her attire, lingering longer than necessary on her curves.

    Kaelyn giggled softly, her voice ringing like a melody. ¡°Oh, yes, well, this is my starter gear.¡± She looked up at him again, her smile turning coy. ¡°I¡¯m still learning the ropes...¡±

    The warrior was hooked; the bait swallowed whole. Hook, line and sinker. His posture shifted, more protective now, his hand hovering near his weapon as if he¡¯d just appointed himself her personal bodyguard. ¡°I could show you where the best quests are, and with suitable rewards for your build. I can help with any killing outside, too.¡±

    And there you have it. Kaelyn¡¯s voice echoed in Ryan¡¯s mind, the triumph swelling.

    But Ryan¡¯s heart pounded harder, an edge of guilt creeping in. This was not him. This was not who he was. Manipulating someone like this, toying with their kindness¡ªit felt... wrong.

    Kaelyn, though, had no such reservations. She leaned closer to the warrior, her body language a perfect mix of vulnerability and allure. ¡°Would you really? I¡¯d feel so much safer with someone like you by my side.¡±

    The warrior flushed, his cheeks darkening under the flickering market lights. ¡°Of course, I¡¯d be happy to help.¡±

    As they began walking away from the market plaza, Kaelyn¡¯s conversation flowed effortlessly. Each time the warrior spoke, she responded with perfect precision¡ªlaughing at his jokes, complimenting his bravery, weaving small bits of charm into her words. And as they walked, Ryan could feel her growing confidence, her control tightening over his thoughts.

    See how easy this is? Kaelyn¡¯s voice whispered. They all want to help you. All you have to do is ask the right way.

    Ryan¡¯s hesitation, that sliver of discomfort, was shrinking. Drowned out by the sheer thrill of success, Kaelyn felt. This was power. Not in the way of brute strength or flashy magic, but in the quiet control of social finesse, in the way people bent toward her without even realising they were being pulled in.

    Every time she batted her lashes, every step that brought them closer together, Ryan felt himself slipping further into her mindset.

    By the time they reached the steps of the priest guildhall, Kaelyn had charmed the guardian into gifting her a few mana potions. He sent her a friend request, offering his services for future adventures. She promptly accepted, and promised she would not hesitate to call on him, should the need arise, her hand lingering on his arm just long enough to send a shiver through him.

    Ryan, somewhere in the depths of her mind, exhaled.

    This was is real. The power, the control¡ªshe had it. And if he was being honest with himself, it had felt good.

    Maybe too good.

    But thanks to this player¡¯s help, maybe she would make up for lost time and climb levels fast enough to make her a useful addition to adventuring parties. Everybody who played the game knew that higher-level picks would yield greater rewards. But Kaelyn was not thinking about mobs¡¯ levels. Raid leaders would be the real gold mines. And to get into raids, she had to level up first.

 Chapter 17: Rejection and Reflection

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, market plaza, city of Luminara.

    After Zyra insisted she would foot the bill for the meal, the two said their goodbyes. The guardian logged out for the night.

    Vaelith stood up from the table and was about to resume her search for a healer for their party when a sudden notification pinged¡ªit was a virtual chat invitation from M-E.

    Checking on my progress so soon?

    She sat back down and willed herself into their private VR lounge. They had customised it together for calls like this one.

    They designed the area to look like a retro basement recreational room. A pool table monopolised the centre of the space. A large sectional couch sat in a corner, facing a massive wall-mounted TV with 5.1 surround sound system. All over, neon-coloured LED strips gave the room some moody ambient lighting.

    Looking down and still seeing the golden scales on her hands, even in this space, surprised Vaelith. Why am I still in my game avatar? But the memory of how long and uncomfortable calibrating to this body had taken, she quickly reasoned it likely was to avoid going through that process in quick succession. It probably would put people under too much stress if that happened whenever you switched between your regular and game avatar. Therefore, if you simply left the game behind to focus on other VR apps or options, the less of evils would be to keep you wearing that skin.

    That might make things awkward with calls with family. Jason¡¯s family disapproved of his gaming, dismissing it as entertainment for the masses. At least they respected his teaching career¡ªa practical, if not lucrative, profession, especially since he taught the children of wealthy elites.

    A few seconds later, M-E¡¯s avatar finally appeared, green scan lines sweeping from head to toe in quick succession, a custom shader they designed together to imitate the teleportation special effects seen in the original Tron movie.

    The green-haired sylvani girl that appeared in the cosy lounge was nothing like M-E. She was short, although not as short as Vaelith, and had a slim dancer¡¯s body. Vaelith recognised the blue eyes from the cropped picture M-E sent earlier in the evening. M-E was not as tall as Jason, but had an athletic physique. Seeing him go from a broad-shouldered five foot ten guy to a cute four foot something faerie-like character came as a surprise to her. Of course, she knew M-E frequently picked female character in games, but she had wondered if he would do that in a FullDive VR game.

    ¡°Oh wow. You went with a Kindred dracan! Good job with her looks,¡± M-E said, as she looked her up and down.

    Vaelith blushed, feeling awfully self-conscious at the compliment, but also at the way the other girl was eyeing her. She wondered if she should point out she actually had not customised her appearance, so that she really did not deserve any credit for how she looked.

    She was about to mention that, but stopped herself. Learn to take compliments, she told herself. She opted for some simple show of gratitude, and to echo back the sentiment. That was only proper, right?

    ¡°Thanks. Your character looks great, too¡­¡±

    The sylvani blushed, looking flustered at the compliment, too. She looked down at her feet, her hands behind her back. ¡°Oh? Ah, thanks¡­? So, what¡¯s your character¡¯s name? Mine¡¯s called Elyssia, Elyssia Windwhisper.¡±

    ¡°Vaelith Dawnscale.¡±

    Vaelith searched for a topic to get the conversation started. She then remembered Elyssia¡¯s earlier message about class choices.

    ¡°You said you played an evasion tank?¡±

    Elyssia beamed. She eagerly jumped into info-dumping. ¡°Yep! Martial artist. It¡¯s a ton of hit points, but paper-thin armour. Mobile, high evasion, some self-heal, lots of cooldowns to juggle. It¡¯s got that souls-like perfect guard timing mechanic. The main thing about it is its counter-attack mechanic!¡±

    Vaelith smiled. If she was not already certain that the sylvani was her best friend, this little display would have removed any doubts. She could recognise the enthusiasm and mannerism, no matter the body they inhabited.

    ¡°That sounds pretty busy... A fitting pick for you, really.¡±

    Vaelith paused, biting her lip. She psyched herself mentally and opened to her friend, ¡°So, I have a bit of a personal question¡­¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s smile faded, her face turning serious. Her eyes searching Vaelith¡¯s face for hints of what her friend was going through.

    ¡°Okay. That sounds important. What¡¯s up?¡±

    Vaelith hesitated, her fingers tracing the scales on her arm, the golden highlights catching the room¡¯s ambient light. She drifted to the sectional and almost collapsed into it, the soft cushions enveloping her in a way that felt too natural¡ªtoo comfortable for a body that was not supposed to be hers.

    Elyssia¡¯s gaze followed her movements, her smile still there, but quieter now. She did not sit, opting instead to lean against the pool table. Her hands idly rolled the eight ball back and forth like it was a familiar stim.

    Vaelith felt her throat tighten as she tried to form the words. She took a deep breath and tried again.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ve just... been thinking about all this. The game, I mean. The way this body feels.¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s smile softened, understanding without the need to say it aloud. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s weird, huh? So different from my regular VR avatar. But even then, it feels so¡­ real, I guess?¡±

    ¡°More than just a game,¡± Vaelith said, looking at her own hands. Her voice came out quieter than she had intended.

    She turned to face Elyssia but quickly glanced away after they made eye contact. She pretended to focus on the holographic scoreboard above the pool table¡ªa match they never actually played.

    Elyssia nodded thoughtfully, her green hair catching the LED lighting in faint glints as she turned the eight ball in her hand. ¡°Yeah. You get used to it so fast, like it¡¯s not even a shift. It¡¯s more like...¡± She paused, searching for the right word. ¡°Like it fits.¡±

    Vaelith felt something in her chest tighten at that. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Her fingers dug lightly into the couch cushions. She almost said more, but bit her tongue. Instead, she forced a small laugh. ¡°It fits you, I mean. Your character looks like something you would¡¯ve picked. Back, before VR came around, I mean.¡±

    Elyssia shrugged, the casual gesture betrayed by a slight blush creeping into her cheeks. ¡°I mean, yeah, I wanted to try something different, but... not that different. Elyssia¡¯s pretty much on brand for me.¡±

    Vaelith nodded along, though her thoughts spun. She tried to sound casual as well, but the words felt heavy as they left her mouth. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t really get a say in mine. Somehow, I messed up and picked my class first? And then? Bang! I was in the game. I think I might¡¯ve missed the option to change appearance.¡±

    Elyssia blinked, surprise flashing across her face. ¡°Wait, really? You customised nothing?¡±

    Vaelith shrugged, though it felt heavy, like she was revealing more than she intended. ¡°Yeah. It kind of... just happened? I didn¡¯t get to mess with any settings.¡±

    Elyssia tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes, but she didn¡¯t push. ¡°That¡¯s interesting. You seem comfortable in it, though. Calibration¡¯s wild. Are you¡­ bothered by it? Want to have a do-over?¡±

    Vaelith glanced down at her hands again, flexing her fingers absently, her eyes focusing on the scales on her wrist. ¡°Nah. I¡¯m not bothered by it. Like you said, the calibration system¡¯s doing its job. It was weird at first, but... not bad. And after a small period to get used to all of it, I¡¯m all good now. I actually didn¡¯t expect it to feel this natural, this fast.¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s fingers stopped turning the eight ball for a moment as she studied Vaelith more closely, then gave a small, almost knowing smile. ¡°It¡¯s like the system just knows what works best for you, even if you don¡¯t realise it yourself yet.¡±

    Vaelith¡¯s stomach knotted at that. Does the game know something I don¡¯t? ¡°Huh. Yeah... Maybe?¡±

    A silence settled between them, not quite awkward but full of things unsaid. Elyssia resumed rolling the eight ball in her palm, the soft click-click grounding the moment. Then she spoke, her voice thoughtful. ¡°You know, this glitch, or whatever it is... It¡¯s kinda freaky, but it¡¯s also freeing in a way, don¡¯t you think? Like, who gets to say what feels right for someone else?¡±

    Was Elyssia alluding to how they were both in their game avatar, despite not being in the game world right now? She was right about one thing: some people would freak out about it. But their comfort about it did not matter, did it? If Elyssia or Vaelith were feeling comfortable wearing that skin, that was all that mattered, right?

    But Vaelith wanted to make sure this was what Elyssia talked about. ¡°The glitch you¡¯re talking about¡­ Is that what¡¯s going on with our avatars or... something else?¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Elyssia¡¯s smile lingered, but it did not reach her eyes this time. ¡°Everything, I guess. People are quick to decide what¡¯s normal for you. How you should look, how you should act. But maybe we¡¯re the only ones who get to decide that. Maybe this game just lets us skip the messy part where we¡¯re trying to figure it all out. Jump ahead.¡±

    Vaelith¡¯s chest tightened. Elyssia¡¯s words hit too close to home. She glanced at her friend, wondering how much Elyssia was really saying. Was she just talking about the game? Or was there some hidden meaning behind what she said?

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Vaelith finally said, her voice quiet. ¡°It does kind of feel like that. Like, here? You don¡¯t have to explain yourself to anyone. You just... are.¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s smile softened further. ¡°Exactly. You get it.¡±

    Vaelith leaned back on the couch, staring at the moody lights reflecting off the pool table. ¡°It¡¯s still... weird, though. I mean, I know that consciously, I should feel weird about it, right? About... all of this?¡±

    Elyssia was silent for a moment, then spoke softly, almost cautiously. ¡°Maybe? But maybe it¡¯s okay to feel good about it, too. No use complaining about having a good time.¡±

    The words hung between them, and Vaelith did not know how to respond. Part of her wanted to agree, to admit that it felt good¡ªtoo good. But another part of her feared how easy it was to feel at home in a body that was not supposed to be hers. How was she supposed to reconcile that? And why did Elyssia seem so calm about it?

    Vaelith glanced at Elyssia again. She had just one question she kept wanting to ask. The same she had asked Zyra. ¡°Did... Did it take you a while to feel comfortable in your character?¡±

    Elyssia looked at her, really looked at her. She shook her head slowly before answering. ¡°Not really. Honestly, I felt more comfortable with her than I ever did in any other game. It was like slipping into something that was waiting for me all along. Why?¡±

    Once again, her experience differed. Both Elyssia and Zyra did not have any issues with their calibration. Why was it different for her?

    Vaelith swallowed. ¡°Did you also get some kind of vision or memory? Some knowledge of things only your character should know, like their backstory?¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Like¡­ memories of people? Relationships your character had, that sort of thing?¡±

    Vaelith remembered her conversation with Instructor Daren. ¡°Yeah. Did you get any of that?¡±

    Elyssia nodded slowly. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±

    ¡°Do you think... the game messed with our heads?¡± Vaelith asked, the seriousness underneath the question palpable.

    Elyssia chuckled lightly, though there was a hint of nervousness behind it. ¡°Not really no. I think it¡¯s probably just giving us a bit of help. Fill in some blanks. You¡¯d probably really struggle to walk around with that tail otherwise. Have you seen how it just folded as you sat down?¡±

    She shook her head. She had not really seen it, because she had already almost stopped paying attention to how her tail just seemed to always know what to do, and did it all on its own.

    Elyssia continued, ¡°Really, I don¡¯t think the game can fundamentally alter anything about who we are. Even if it could, it would be unethical to do so. There are probably built-in safeguards in our devices to protect against that kind of meddling. And I don¡¯t think those devices have the hardware to do any of that. So yeah, I think it¡¯s just giving us a hand. Little helpful nudges here and there.¡±

    Vaelith thought back about the two dream sequences she had lived through. The ones when she was still a student. She had to admit, the thing Daren pointed out to her? It was one of Jason¡¯s flaw. It simply integrated part of him into Vaelith¡¯s past. That was something they shared, not something that belonged only to her. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s all it is.¡±

    But in truth, Vaelith was not actually sure about that.

    They let the silence stretch out again.

    Elyssia finally plonked the eight ball she was playing with on the pool table and hopped to her feet. ¡°I probably should get back to it. I¡¯m not halfway to Luminara yet. Grinding slowed down, the MOBs¡¯ levels keep increasing the further I go from my starting city.¡±

    Caught by surprise, Vaelith chuckled. Of course, she¡¯s already fighting things. Typical M-E, always rushing into battle.

    Vaelith still had so many unspoken questions in her mind. But she stood up too, pushing them for a future conversation. She let out a small, sorrowful sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to looking for a healer. Haven¡¯t seen many priests around the city so far.¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s gaze locked on hers. She smiled at her friend and gave her that look. The amused look of a friend who knew you all too well.

    ¡°Have you tried their guildhall?¡±

    Elyssia did not linger or wait for a reply. She grinned, waved and vanished with the same teleporting effects she had earlier shown up with.

    Of course, their guildhall should have a higher concentration of priests than simply running around. Vaelith suddenly felt so dim-witted, but thankfully Elyssia was not there anymore to see how beet-red her face must have been. At least, going by how burning hot her cheeks felt.

    <hr>

    On the way to the guildhall, Vaelith¡¯s question raised a few eyebrows, but she found her way there by following the instructions of helpful passers-by. She assumed they wondered how she did not know such an important location, but none pressed her with unkind questions. More importantly, however, she noticed they treated her with a level of sympathy and civility not usually extended to other players. Is that because she was a local to this city? Or perhaps her diminutive and unthreatening appearance endeared them to her?

    The priest guildhall was part of the Landing of Lights, a vast, elevated district of the city. It was the seat of power, housing most of the halls of the various seats of the Council of Light. The priest and crusader guilds held the two most important positions.

    Earlier in the market plaza, the magical lights had amazed Vaelith, despite the late hour. But now, in front of the Landing of Lights, she realized just how opulent this entire district was. The market plaza felt mundane in comparison.

    Giant, many-storied stained glass windows shimmered with colours that danced as the light shifted. Towering, magically charged crystals emitted a radiant glow, their refracted beams casting moving patterns across the ground like a divine mosaic.

    The smells of the rest of the city, both the enticing and repugnant ones, were absent here. Instead, a crisp, almost ethereal lemon and lime scent of pristine cleanliness lingered, contrasting with the rich and earthy smells of the market.

    As she approached, she crossed a nearly invisible boundary. A see-through magical wall of force that isolated the neighbourhood from the hustle and bustle of the city. Vaelith whistled appreciatively¡ªModern cities would kill for invisible, intangible sound-walls like these.

    Now, on the inside of the dome of silence, Vaelith noticed a harmonic melody that filled the air of the entire district. Soft, ethereal tones that seemed to resonate from the light itself, as if the entire district was humming with divine purpose, echoing the quiet awe stirring within her.

    Timidly, Vaelith stepped through the imposing cathedral doors that lead to the priest guildhall. The ceilings must have been at least eight stories tall. Majestic decorated columns stood proud, telling a cosmic tale of creation. Vaelith saw the images engraved, and recognised how they told the later half of the tale, starting from the moment the goddess Luxoria was born. She was, after all, the goddess revered by priests, so it made sense they would care about the chapters of history after she was born, more than those who came before her.

    The room reminded her of a church on Earth, with long wooden benches, all aligned and facing towards the back of the room.

    Only a few dozen people milled around, making the grand place feel empty and almost abandoned. But it did not come as a surprise to Vaelith, given the late hour.

    Players would be online at any time of the day, especially given the time zones and world-wide nature of the game. This meant public places like this probably never locked their doors.

    She assumed if she came during daytime on rest days, the place would likely fill up with believers. Vaelith did not do very well with crowds, and was glad to have arrived here on a work night.

    As she looked around, the name of the various rest days popped into her mind unbidden¡ªAquaran, Crostan, Hydrelle, and Frostelle¡ªthe vernacular names for Watersday and Icesday, this world¡¯s equivalent of Saturday and Sunday. She frowned at the sudden flood of information. More helpful information fed directly into her brain. It felt both helpful, but invasive and highly unsettling.

    She shook her head, filing the notion away. Gathering her courage by taking a deep breath, she approached a homini player in white robes, a shimmering staff in his hands. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Vaelith,¡± she said, her voice as steady as she could muster. She carried on, despite a knot tightened in her stomach. ¡°My friend and I are putting together a party and we could really use a healer. Are you interested?¡±

    The priest raised an eyebrow, curious at first. ¡°Maybe? Tell me more about your setup?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s me, I¡¯m a mage. So we got DPS covered, and I can help with my support rituals. Then we have a wind sylvani martial artist tank¡ª¡±

    His eyes suddenly narrowed, and he cut her off. ¡°Wait, your tank is a martial artist? Do they know that¡¯s a damage-dealing job?¡±

    Without waiting for her response, the priest laughed under his breath, dismissed her with a wave of the hand. He walked away.

    Vaelith stood there, feeling the laughter echo in her mind long after the priest was gone. The knot in her stomach tightened, and she shifted awkwardly. She pulled on the leather bandolier and fidgeted with the leather satchel containing her precious, heavy grimoire. The weight of the cathedral¡¯s grandeur pressing down on her, a stark reminder of how small her efforts felt.

    But neither the massive cathedral nor her precious book felt as heavy as the rejection she just received.

    A small voice in the back of her mind wondered if this was just the first of many, and the knot in her stomach tightened even further as the thought lingered.

    Steeling herself, Vaelith moved to the next priest, determined to try again. This time, she spotted a Shadow sylvani priestess kneeled on a bench in prayer. Vaelith approached cautiously, giving her a friendly nod. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m looking for members for a party and I was hoping you might be interested in healing for us?¡±

    The priestess opened her eyes up, turning to face Vaelith. She smiled for a moment, but then returned to her prayers. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m already in a guild,¡± she said, as though it explained everything.

    Vaelith wondered if that was a casual white lie. Is there anything wrong with the way I approach them? Is it my appearance that is working against me?

    Trying to shake off the second rejection, she spotted another priest who looked like he might be more open. His staff leaned against the stone wall next to him. The tall Northerner had his arms crossed and was just standing around, looking bored. Vaelith cleared her throat and approached. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m organising a group. We¡¯ve got a tank on the way to the city and a DPS so far¡ªwould you be up for it?¡±

    The priest tilted his head slightly, studying her for a little over a second.

    ¡°Come back when you gather the rest of your party,¡± he said dismissively. ¡°Not interested in just waiting around.¡±

    But aren¡¯t you just doing exactly that right now?! Vaelith wanted to shout at him how his answer obviously made no sense.

    A voice came from behind, startling her. ¡°You probably should solo some of your starter quests before you ask people to team up, dragon-girl. Nobody parties at level one.¡±

    Vaelith turned around to face the tall, lean Noble burrovian who had walked up to her undetected, despite his impressive height.

    His words lingered in her mind, gnawing at the part of her that was not ready to quit. But admitting he was right felt like a defeat she could not face¡ªnot yet.

    ¡°Plus, if you need a priest, just level up your mage class until you unlock the class-change feature. It doesn¡¯t take long to get to that point, trust me.¡±

    His advice made sense, and Vaelith appreciated he did not dismiss or laugh her off immediately, but his suggestion was not the one she was hoping for.

    ¡°Believe me, little girl. Nobody here will say yes and heal a small Wind sylvani martial artist. For starter, no one wants to mess up a cast just because you lose sight of the tank in the middle of the fight.¡±

    Vaelith did not know if she should feel appreciative. His blunt honesty was refreshing in a way, but it still left her feeling lost and stuck, with no clearer path forward than before.

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ think about it,¡± she finally said, deflated.

    Vaelith limped back toward the cathedral doors, her hands gripping the leather bandolier so tightly her knuckles turned bone-white, the material creaking under the pressure. Her legs felt heavy as she trudged on, the weight of the rejections pressing down on her shoulders, knotting in her chest.

    Mage might have been a mistake. I should just have rolled a priest to begin with.

 Chapter 18: Beneath the Black Moon

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, Daggercliff Canyons, Stonereach.

    The waning moon of Darksday exuded a peculiar charcoal glow, a light that was but a whisper of illumination, as though shadows themselves bled forth to caress the rugged terrain. The landscape shimmered in uneasy contrasts, where outlines seemed both defined and obscured, casting phantom shapes that danced like echoes of the unseen.

    Wrapped in his ghillie cloak, Leoric crouched in the underbrush, his breath barely a whisper against the cool night air. The scent of damp earth and pine filled his lungs, grounding him in the stillness of Stonereach. The occasional rustle of wind through the brittle branches was the only break in the heavy quiet, a sharp contrast to the usual hum of the Whispering Wilds¡¯ breezy valleys. Here, the silence felt different¡ªdenser, like the land itself was holding its breath.

    Ahead, the narrow pass loomed, flanked by jagged cliffs whose sharp edges caught the ghostly moonlight. The rocks were slick with moss and dew, dark patches blending into the deeper shadows that swallowed the path. It was a natural chokepoint, the perfect spot for an ambush, and Leoric¡¯s sharp eyes caught every detail as they swept across the landscape.

    The air clung to his skin, prickling like a warning of the danger that lay ahead. But instead of retreating, the creeping sense of hostility only fuelled the fire inside him. He had ventured far beyond the familiar, low-level mobs of the Whispering Wilds, pushed deeper into Stonereach where the stakes were higher and every encounter demanded precision. The thrill of the hunt thrummed through his veins, and he could barely contain his smile. Freedom was the wind in his sails, and tonight, it had carried him into the heart of danger.

    His gaze locked onto the gnoll encampment ahead. The creatures lumbered through the shadows, their hulking forms barely visible save for the occasional glint of starlight catching the metal of their weapons or armour. Their guttural grunts and the scrape of iron against stone echoed through the clearing, a harsh contrast to the otherwise still night. Leoric¡¯s ears twitched, tuning into the rhythm of their patrol.

    Five gnolls.

    He could hear the clink of their weapons shifting with each step, their distant snarls echoing in the night as they conversed in low, animalistic growls. Leoric narrowed his eyes, his mind already running through scenarios. He had taken down all three elite gnoll scouts earlier in the day. But after he entered this higher-level zone, he had encountered the more common gnoll warriors. They were strong, but manageable¡ªso long as you stayed one step ahead and planned meticulously. And that is my speciality.

    He nocked an arrow, the familiar tension in the bowstring comforting against his fingertips. The soft creak of wood bending under pressure was the only sound he made, his breath steadying as he took aim. He fixed his gaze on the farthest gnoll, the one pacing at the edge of the group. His muscles tensed, his heartbeat slowing as the world shrunk to his simple plan: one shot, draw it out, trap it, stay at a distance, then finish it. Easy.

    He let the arrow fly. It zipped through the dark night with a faint hiss and hit its mark, embedding itself deep into the gnoll¡¯s flesh with a satisfying thunk. Leoric¡¯s lips curled into a brief, triumphant smile.

    But then the gnoll roared. The sound tore through the stillness, a guttural howl that reverberated off the cliffs like a shockwave. The other gnolls snapped to attention, their heads swivelling toward their companion, and then directly to Leoric¡¯s hiding spot. His stomach dropped. Oh, no! Those are social mobs, and they linked!

    He cursed under his breath. He had forgotten about that game mechanic. These gnolls differed from the average enemies he had fought earlier¡ªthese called for reinforcements when attacked.

    The air seemed to grow colder around him as the monsters charged, their massive feet pounding against the ground, shaking the earth beneath his crouched form. Panic flickered at the edge of his mind, but he forced it down. Stay calm, stay calm¡ªHis breath quickened, and his fingers fumbled for another arrow as he backpedalled. He needed distance, and he needed it now.

    The hulking gnoll he had shot earlier was already on him. It swung its axe with a growl, the sharp edge of the blade slicing through the air with a deadly hum. Leoric barely dodged, throwing himself into a patch of brambles as the axe crashed into the ground where he had stood. The sharp thorns scratched at his skin through his leather armour, but he hardly noticed.

    Okay, maybe that would not be so easy, after all!

    He fired another arrow, the satisfying release barely calming his racing heart. It struck the gnoll in the leg, but the beast barely slowed. These foes were relentless, and the rest were closing in fast.

    His mind scrambled for a solution, the distant thud of their heavy footfalls growing louder. His heart raced as he struggled to keep control. I need more distance, I need¡ª

    A blur of motion cut through his vision.

    Leoric blinked, his breath catching in his throat as a short figure darted between the gnolls. She moved with a dancer¡¯s grace, weaving through their attacks as though the air itself bent around her. A Wind sylvani? Her green hair shimmered faintly in the starlight, and for a moment, Leoric found himself mesmerised by the fluidity of her movements.

    Their attention now focused on the newcomer, the gnolls swung at her, their heavy axes slicing through the air with a savage force. But she was faster. So much faster. With each dodge, each graceful sidestep, her ochre-glowing fists met their sides in devastating strikes. The dull thud of her blows echoed in the night, and Leoric watched in awe as one gnoll staggered, then crumpled under the relentless onslaught.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    A martial artist.

    The realisation hit him as another gnoll lunged at her, only to meet the same fate. Every movement was precise, every strike calculated. She was not just distracting them away from him¡ªshe was tearing them apart, all on her own, while he gaped at her.

    ¡°Oi, pretty boy! It was your mis-pull, planning to take responsibility?¡±

    Her voice, light and teasing, cut through the chaos. She ducked under a gnoll¡¯s wild swing, her fists still glowing with ochre energy.

    Leoric bristled at the nickname, but forced himself back into action. He loosed another arrow, this one finding its mark in the chest of a gnoll. It staggered, but compared to the sylvani¡¯s attacks, his efforts felt almost laughable.

    She flipped backward, delivering a solid kick under a gnoll¡¯s jaw. The beast fell like a stone.

    Too fast! She¡¯s way higher level than me and these mobs. Leoric stared, wide-eyed, as she dispatched the last one with ease. His heart still raced, but now it was not from fear¡ªit was from sheer absurdity and disbelief.

    How else could she be handling them so effortlessly? Leoric had already hit level twelve after a full day of questing and grinding. But this girl? She had to be at least level fifteen, maybe higher.

    The sylvani turned to him, brushing the dust from her hands as if she had just finished a casual training session. She had a goofy smile on her freckled face, with this intense look of pride and satisfaction. ¡°Not bad, right?¡±

    Leoric blinked, still processing what he¡¯d just seen. She had single-handedly taken down a group of mobs that had nearly overwhelmed him. ¡°Uh... yeah. Not bad,¡± he said, though he could not hide the awe in his voice.

    She sauntered over with confidence, extending a hand. ¡°Elyssia. Nice to meet you, Mr Bunny Boy.¡±

    Leoric frowned slightly at the nickname, but shook her hand. ¡°Leoric. And... thanks for the assist. I didn¡¯t expect them to link.¡±

    Elyssia shrugged, her green hair catching the pale light of the moon as it swayed with the motion. ¡°Yeah, happens to the best of us. But hey, no harm done.¡±

    Leoric studied her more closely now. She was short¡ªnot even five feet tall¡ªwith green hair that shimmered in the starlight. She was wearing a simple white cotton tunic and sturdy gloves and boots. Her sapphire-blue eyes glinted with an unbound, playful energy. They had that special spark you see in people who were truly alive and at ease with themselves. Her frame was slight, delicate even. Yet she had just torn through a group of gnolls and seemed so utterly at ease after the fight.

    ¡°What level are you?¡± he asked, still trying to piece it all together.

    She smirked, her eyes gleaming with amusement. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t beat around the bush, huh? Level eight. Why?¡±

    Leoric blinked, his jaw going slack. ¡°You¡¯re... level eight?¡±

    She gave him a playful one-handed shove. ¡°Surprised?¡±

    ¡°I... I just assumed you were way higher. With the way you took down those gnolls...¡±

    Elyssia laughed, the sound light and carefree. ¡°Oh, please. Mobs in open zones? Nah. They¡¯re no problem at all, not until they¡¯re at least ten levels above ¡ª that¡¯s when the system goes unfair against you. But, y¡¯know, these? They¡¯re the perfect opportunity to blow all your cooldowns at once and show off a little.¡± She winked.

    Leoric shook his head in disbelief. ¡°You just... handled five level thirteen gnolls at once. At level eight.¡±

    Elyssia shrugged. ¡°Like I said, no problem. Gotta train for the big raids somehow, right? Can¡¯t exactly train if you¡¯re just picking off one mob at a time. You wouldn¡¯t believe how often I¡¯ve had to handle the last forty percent of dungeon bosses alone, back in the days. You know how it goes. Someone slips and messes up, and then your healer goes down, trying to save them. Things go sideways, your DPS die, and then, well, the tank finishes the job alone. I have lots of practice, with much harder quarry than open-world gnolls.¡±

    Leoric felt a pang of humility settle in his chest. He had been playing cautiously all day, methodically picking off mobs one by one, planning every move like it was life or death. And here she was, throwing herself into fights that should have been impossible for someone of her level, as if it was just a walk in the park.

    ¡°You¡¯re insane,¡± he said, half in awe, half in disbelief.

    Elyssia grinned wider. ¡°Gotta keep things interesting, or I am bound to get complacent and slip-up. If it¡¯s not a life or death crisis, it¡¯s because you didn¡¯t try hard enough.¡±

    Leoric could only laugh. This girl was... something else. Until he met her, he had thought he was a good gamer. He thought his cautious, methodical style made him smart. But compared to Elyssia, he felt like a rookie.

    ¡°Hey, where are you headed next?¡± Elyssia asked, her tone more serious now. ¡°I¡¯m making my way to Luminara. Having someone to talk to on the road would help spice up the downtime, if you don¡¯t mind the company.¡±

    Leoric hesitated. Luminara had been his next destination as well, but after what he had just seen, he was not sure how he felt about travelling alongside someone who so effortlessly outclass him.

    But... maybe that was not such a bad thing. Maybe I can learn something from her, if I stick around.

    He smiled. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll come along.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Elyssia gave him a friendly punch in the arm. ¡°Just try not to get us killed, yeah?¡±

    Leoric smirked. ¡°Me? At your level, you¡¯ll just aggro everything in the zone.¡±

    ¡°Counting on it¡ªI don¡¯t exactly have ranged weapons here.¡± She grinned, displaying her bare fists as proof.

    Leoric stared in disbelief. Was she seriously using the extra aggro radius of her low-level as a feature rather than an impediment? Who does that?

    As they set off together, the black moon hung high in the sky, almost invisible. The light of the stars was the only light shining over the path ahead. Leoric could still feel the sting of humility, but as the wind picked up and carried them forward, he could not help but feel something else.

    Excitement.

    This world, and other players? There was so much to learn, and so much more to discover. If Elyssia was any sign, maybe he had barely scratched the surface of what was possible.

    As they walked, Leoric glanced over at her. ¡°So... what¡¯s your secret?¡±

    Elyssia grinned, her eyes gleaming mischievously. ¡°The most important one is simple: Don¡¯t get hit.¡±

    Leoric laughed, shaking his head. ¡°You make it sound so easy.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± she said, flashing him a smile. ¡°Once you¡¯ve died a few hundred times, learning how.¡±

    She kept walking casually. Her guard was not up, and she did not seem to be on the lookout for enemies. No, she would simply handle the next problem as it revealed itself. It was almost an affront to his play style.

    ¡°Once you get the first part down pat, figuring out how to maximise your damage output is just a question of practice. But a dead DPS does zero DPS. Survival always comes first.¡±

    Leoric raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He had a feeling that by the time they reached Luminara, he would have learned a lot more than he ever expected.

 Chapter 19: Guiding Light

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, Landing of Lights, city of Luminara.

    Vaelith left the Landing of Lights with low spirits, her boots barely making a sound on the cobblestone streets. The grand architecture and radiant lights, which had felt so welcoming when she first arrived, now loomed overhead like a silent reminder of her failures. She wandered the city aimlessly, the lively bustle around her feeling distant, like she was walking through a fog. The guildhall strategy, which had sounded so obvious and easy when Elyssia had suggested it, had turned out to be a bust. Walking around hoping to stumble on a priest seemed even less likely to work.

    What am I doing?

    She had not realized how much the endless search for a priest had drained her until now, when her steps felt heavy and her thoughts sluggish. The rejections still gnawed at the edges of her mind, each one replaying in an endless loop. ¡°Nobody parties at level one.¡±

    Maybe they were right. Maybe she needed to focus on herself for a bit. She needed to level up, make some kind of progress, or else risk wasting the entire night in frustration.

    Maybe I need to focus on myself for once.

    The advice of the Burrovian priest lingered in her mind, sharp and practical, like a thorn she could not quite shake loose. She had hoped to gather help, but she had not really considered how she had looked. A fresh, level-one character, still in her starter gear, with nothing to offer. Hoping someone might be charitable enough to help. Who would sacrifice their evening to help someone like that?

    ¡­ Well, I would.

    The thought struck her harder than she expected. Healer in those games attracted the selfless players, did they not? Was that why it pained her so much to be rejected? That even someone playing a priest did not see it in them to help her, not beyond offering some cynical piece of advice.

    She sighed. How many times had she upended her own evening to help a relative or friend who needed the carrying capacity of her SUV for a move or a last-minute errand? Too many to count.

    Vaelith had never believed in the transactional friendships she saw others practice. ¡°Friends don¡¯t count favours,¡± she would always say, whenever someone pointed it out. Her generosity had been a source of quiet pride¡ªa way of showing love, expecting nothing in return.

    But now, standing in the streets of Luminara, feeling the sting of rejection after rejection, she wondered if she had ever really believed that. She did not count favours. That was true, but only because she had no need to.

    Because I never ask for help.

    That was the truth of it, was it not? She never asked. So, of course, the counter was still at zero. There was nothing to count because she had never allowed herself to lean on anyone else. Not in games. Not in real life. It was always her offering the help, never the other way around. She was always the one saying ¡°yes,¡± the one dropping everything for others, the one who filled the gap.

    But here, in this world, that was not enough.

    Sometimes you have to focus on yourself.

    The realisation hit her hard, a knot of anxiety twisting in her chest, her breath catching as if the weight of it was pressing down on her ribs. It was not just about the game. It was not just about going up in levels or getting a party together. This was about something bigger.

    Something deeper. And she was not sure she was ready to face it yet.

    ¡°Oi, you there, mage! Could use a hand with something!¡±

    A voice snapped her back to reality. She turned around instinctively, but the narrow street that had gently spiralled downward behind her now looked unfamiliar in the half-light. The high stone walls curled like a corkscrew around her, their subtle curve hiding both where she had come from and where she had been heading. For a moment, she felt disoriented, as though the street itself was folding in on her.

    Many of the lanterns lining the path flickered weakly, some barely glowing, others completely dark. The few that still held a steady flame cast uneven patches of light, illuminating sections of the cobblestone while leaving others submerged in shadow.

    Vaelith looked to her left and right, but could not find the source of the voice until it called again.

    ¡°Over here!¡± The voice came from above her.

    Looking up, she saw him. A homini man, waving at her, standing on a balcony on the third story. He was perhaps in his fifties, wearing a thick leather apron. His eyes squinted in her direction, wrinkles deeply carved into his skin from years of hard work. His hands were rough and calloused, his hair more grey than brown, and he smelled faintly of soot and mana oil.

    Vaelith hesitated. She had just been thinking about how she needed to focus on herself, to stop bending at every little request from a stranger. Yet, here she was¡ªalready offering her help again without a second thought.

    ¡°Uh¡­ me? Does it have to be me?¡±

    ¡°No, the other mage standing behind you,¡± he replied with a chuckle, gesturing to the empty street. ¡°Yes, you! Think you can help an old man?¡±

    She hesitated, her arms folding defensively. ¡°What exactly do you need?¡±

    Well, that resolution of mine lasted about one whole minute.

    The man, now halfway down a narrow iron staircase that spiralled from the balcony, did not seem to notice her inner conflict. His descent was slow and arduous, his knees stiff, the weight of years spent tending these lanterns etched into his movements. When he reached the bottom, he gave her a grateful smile, lines deepening around his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t easily climb all the way up there myself,¡± he said with a wry smile, nodding toward a lantern that flickered high above, floating, as if held by¡­ well, magic.

    Vaelith eyed the floating lantern. It simply hovered there. The faint glows of the few functional lanterns were barely enough to illuminate the twisting street below. The idea of fixing them was not exactly thrilling, and she had no clue how to even reach the thing. This was just more of the same¡ªhelping someone else when she should focus on her own progress. Getting stronger. Advancing. But then again, what was the alternative? Walking away? That was not like her.

    She let out a brief sigh. Let¡¯s get this over with.

    ¡°All right. So, what do you need me to do? I don¡¯t exactly see a ladder around¡­¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    He smiled warmly at her. ¡°Well, let¡¯s take this lamp to start with.¡± He turned his attention back to the floating lantern. ¡°You¡¯re a mage, yes? You should have a learned a combat spell or two? Projecting some magical force?¡±

    The list of combat abilities in Vaelith¡¯s mind quickly flashed through her mind. Most of the mage class¡¯s damaging spells were some kind of arcane force or telekinetic blow. She nodded. ¡°Yes, I know a few combat spells. I don¡¯t see how that can help you here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, well. I¡¯m getting to that point. I want you to cast Telekinetic Blast on it.¡±

    She blinked, incredulous. ¡°You want me to blast the lantern?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Not the way you¡¯re thinking, no.¡± He mimed the spell with a flourish of his hand. ¡°Finesse. Aim for the base, just enough force to dislodge it. Think precision, not power.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not how I¡¯ve ever used that spell,¡± she said, skepticism lacing her voice. ¡°It¡¯s for combat.¡±

    ¡°Only if you¡¯ve got no imagination.¡± He grinned, stepping aside to give her a clear shot. ¡°Go on, try it.¡±

    Vaelith stared at the lantern, her stomach twisting. ¡°And if I break it?¡±

    He shrugged. ¡°Then I¡¯ll fix it. They break all the time. But I don¡¯t think you will. Here, I¡¯ll show you. It¡¯s easy. Watch this¡­¡±

    The old man went through the incantation of the Telekinetic Blast spell, aiming it at the lantern. He had altered the chant and the hand gestures, but it was still at its core the spell she knew. A soft Plink! sound echoed in the street, and the lantern rattled, then snapped free. It fell, the magical force that had kept it mid-air no longer holding it in place.

    Vaelith blinked, trying to process what the artisan had just showed. A spell she thought she could only cast in combat¡ªrepurposed so casually to bring down a lantern off an invisible peg?

    She glanced at the old man, who caught the lantern with practiced ease. His rough hands moved with the confidence that only came from years of experience. He smiled up at her, an amused glint in his eyes, as if he knew exactly what was going through her mind.

    ¡°Magic isn¡¯t all fireballs and explosions, you know.¡± He waved a hand toward the lanterns. ¡°It¡¯s a tool, not just a weapon. Focus on the details, and you can do far more than just clear a battlefield.¡±

    ¡°Most spells appear meant for combat. But they¡¯re also used for mundane little things. Fixing a broken hinge, fetching a glass of water.¡± He set the lantern aside and wiped his hands on his apron. ¡°Or bringing light to a dark corner of the city.¡± He grinned, waving around the street. ¡°It¡¯s all about control, not just force.¡±

    Vaelith frowned, feeling the weight of his words. Control. That was what she lacked, was it not? Not just in her spells, but in her life. She had been so focused on blasting through her problems¡ªliterally and figuratively¡ªthat she had not stopped to think about how she was doing things. Or why?

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it like that before,¡± she said. ¡°Magic¡¯s always felt¡­ loud. Big.¡±

    The man chuckled, the sound a warm rumble in the quiet street. ¡°That¡¯s what most young mages think, and why most study at the academy. Blasting dragons out of the sky, earning fame and fortune!¡± He fixed Vaelith in the eyes, turning serious. ¡°Raw power¡¯s easy, sure. But the real craft in magic? It¡¯s about finesse. Knowing when to push and when to let go. That¡¯s the difference between a novice and a true master.¡±

    Vaelith¡¯s mind whirled as she thought about the implications. She had been looking at her spells all wrong. She had been looking at herself all wrong. Her frustration all stemmed from this constant feeling that she was not doing enough, was not strong enough. But maybe, just maybe, the problem was not in her lack of power. Maybe she was trying too hard to force things to happen, instead of learning to work with the world around her.

    ¡°Come on, apprentice,¡± the man said, calling to her again, his tone light and teasing. ¡°Try it yourself. Go on. Bring down the next lantern.¡±

    Huh¡­ Is he asking me to do what he did, right here, right now? He didn¡¯t even teach me or explain how he did it. Just did a demonstration. How am I supposed to¡­ I guess I can humor him and try?

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll try. But if I break it, you¡¯re buying the replacement.¡±

    She hesitated for a moment, then raised her right hand, channelling the magic from the tome at her hips, focusing on the spell and the alteration she had noticed when he showed her how to do it. Her fingers twitched, and the familiar hum of magic vibrated through her. She focused, not on unleashing all the force behind the spell, but smaller, something more controlled. As she felt the energy course through her, she pulled back just before releasing it, the spell fizzling harmlessly.

    ¡°Not like that,¡± the old man said, his tone calm but firm. ¡°You¡¯re holding back too much. Don¡¯t fight it¡ªguide it. Feel the balance.¡±

    Vaelith glared at him. ¡°Easy for you to say.¡±

    But he quickly countered. ¡°Easy for you to do, if you let yourself.¡±

    She tried again. This time, she focused on the lantern itself, not the pressure building in her hand. She envisioned the magic as a thread, pulling gently but firmly. The force rattled the lantern until it dislodged itself with a satisfying Plink! She kept some of the unspent force of the spell underneath it, as if she were cradling a fragile baby bird. She slowly lowered and guided the lantern towards her. It wobbled as she let go of the magic and caught it in both hands. The glass was cool against her palms.

    The man grinned broadly, nodding in approval. ¡°Ha! Look at that¡ªfirst try and you nailed it. Told you, it¡¯s all about control. You¡¯re a natural.¡±

    Vaelith rolled her eyes, her frustration giving way to reluctant satisfaction. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call that natural.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t,¡± he said with a wink. ¡°But I would.¡±

    Vaelith smiled despite herself¡ªan honest, relieved smile. Her smile was not joy about fixing the lanterns, or about helping someone else, though that was part of it. It was about realising that she could do more with her magic than she thought. That she did not always have to push so hard. Sometimes, the best way forward was to take a step back, reassess, and approach the problem from a different angle.

    As they worked their way down the street, the man continued to show her little tricks¡ªhow to use telekinesis to shift a lantern without breaking it, how to channel her energies to recharge a depleted lantern, how to aim her Blink spell upwards. He taught her how to use a small amount of force to levitate for a moment. Each lesson was small, but each one made a difference.

    And with every lantern they fixed, Vaelith felt a little lighter. The street, once dark and disorienting, slowly came to life under the soft, warm glow of the lanterns. The shadows that had made the alley feel so claustrophobic melted away, replaced by a sense of openness, of light.

    By the time they reached the last lantern, Vaelith¡¯s chest no longer felt tight with anxiety. Instead, there was a quiet satisfaction settling over her. She had learned something tonight. Something important. And it was not just about how to use her spells more effectively¡ªit was about why she was using them.

    The man handed her the final lantern, and she lifted it carefully into place, her telekinetic spell so precise now that the glass did not even rattle as it settled into the same position it had been minutes ago.

    ¡°There,¡± she said, lowering her hand as the light flickered to life. ¡°That¡¯s the last one.¡±

    The man nodded approvingly, a slow smile spreading across his face. ¡°You did good work tonight, apprentice. This street would¡¯ve been in the dark for weeks if it weren¡¯t for you.¡±

    Vaelith felt a warmth bloom in her chest¡ªnot just from his words, but from the realisation that she had done something meaningful. She was not outdoors grinding enemies like Elyssia, or doing the starter quests at the academy. She had grown stronger, learned control, but she had done it in a way that made sense to her. Vaelith had learned to see her magic¡ªand herself¡ªin a new light.

    The man clapped her gently on the shoulder. ¡°Remember, it¡¯s not always about brute strength. You¡¯ve got power, no question. But the key? It¡¯s knowing how to wield it¡ªhow to make it work for you.¡±

    Vaelith nodded, feeling the weight of his words. ¡°I¡¯ll remember,¡± she said, her voice quiet but resolute. She would remember. Not just in her magic, but in how she approached everything. She did not always have to be the one pushing, the one forcing things to happen. Sometimes, she just needed to step back, focus, and let things unfold as they should.

    ¡°Good,¡± the man said with a smile. ¡°Now, off you go. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got other adventures to get to. But don¡¯t be a stranger and come say hello to this old man from time to time.¡±

    Vaelith nodded again, a soft smile on her lips. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, meaning it more than she expected.

    As Vaelith walked down the now-brightly lit street, her steps lighter than they had been in hours, she could not help but think about how this game worked. It catered to each player¡¯s needs or desires, and while they all lived in the same world, she doubted any two players had the same experience.

    Some might have been grinding out quests or fighting monsters in the wilderness, trying to level up as fast as possible. But for her, tonight had been about something quieter, more deliberate. She had not just grown stronger¡ªshe had learned control. Learned to see her magic, and herself, in a new light.

    And she had remembered why she loved helping others. Not because others expected it of her, or because she wanted something in return. But because, when she did, it made the world¡ªher world¡ªa little brighter.

 Chapter 20: Shattering Expectations

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, Boulderfall Pass, Stonereach.

    Leoric crouched behind a cluster of jagged rocks, the cold, uneven surface pressing into his knees as he scanned the field ahead. The smell of damp earth and saltwater drifted on the air, mixing with the faint musk of animal sweat carried from the beasts grazing in the distance. His keen eyes narrowed, focusing on the hulking, boar-like creatures rooting through the tall grass, their snorts and grunts filling the otherwise still night. Their tusks gleamed faintly in the starlight, glinting like curved daggers. Oblivious to the danger, they rummaged through the field, kicking up loose soil with each ponderous step.

    Behind him, Elyssia leaned casually against a boulder, arms crossed, her green hair reflecting the light of the stars in soft glimmers. She kept her sapphire eyes fixed on him, one eyebrow arched with that ever-so-slightly mischievous expression she seemed to wear effortlessly.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Leoric said, whispering barely louder than the rustling leaves. He turned, meeting her gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll go pull.¡±

    The smile on Elyssia¡¯s freckled face widened, a flicker of excitement dancing in her eyes. ¡°Sure, sure. Go for it.¡±

    Leoric exhaled slowly, his breath misting in the cool night air. His fingers tightened around his bow, the familiar weight grounding him as he nocked an arrow. The string creaked softly as he pulled it back, feeling the tension build under his fingers. He aimed carefully at the nearest boar; the world narrowing to the single moment of release. The wind stilled, and for a heartbeat, everything was silent.

    The arrow flew, cutting through the air with a sharp hiss before embedding itself deep into the creature¡¯s shoulder. The impact was solid, the satisfying thunk! reverberating through his hands. The beast let out a guttural growl, its eyes snapping wide in pain and fury. It kicked up dirt in a frenzied charge, snorting wildly as it barrelled toward them.

    Leoric grinned, his pulse quickening. Perfect shot! He turned back toward Elyssia, expecting her to be ready to jump in. ¡°Got it! Let¡¯s take this one d¡ª¡±

    But she was gone.

    A thunderous roar of hooves echoed behind him, and Leoric¡¯s eyes widened. He whipped around just in time to see Elyssia mid-air; her form a blur as she twisted into a spinning kick, her feet glowing faintly with that familiar ochre energy. Her movements were so fast, the wind seemed to ripple around her.

    The blow landed with a resounding crack against the boar¡¯s head, sending it flying back with a startled squeal. The beast tumbled through the air, crashing into the herd of its friends. Dirt and debris scattered across the field as the other boars¡¯ attention shifted from their peaceful grazing. Many pairs of red eyes locked onto Elyssia with fury.

    Before Leoric could react, the entire herd was on the move. One by one, the boars snorted and pawed at the ground, kicking up clouds of dust as they charged toward them in a wave of horns, muscle, and hooves. The low rumble of their approach grew louder, a stampede shaking the very ground beneath them.

    Leoric¡¯s breath caught in his throat. What the hell?

    Elyssia landed gracefully, barely winded, and glanced over her shoulder at him, her grin wide with exhilaration.

    ¡°That was a perfect pull. What did you just do?¡± Leoric shouted over the din of the charging boars.

    She looked at him first, and then at the stampeding boars, unimpressed. ¡°That was an Earth Kick, in my tanking stance. It lowers my damage. But now that I hit all of them, that should lock aggro on me for the whole fight.¡±

    That girl¡­! I don¡¯t care what ability you just used, that¡¯s not what I meant! But Leoric saw the way she smirked, and he knew. She was well aware of what he had meant; she just did not care.

    Leoric¡¯s eyes widened as his focused returned to the problem at hand. The entire herd¡ªat least seven massive boars¡ªwas now thundering toward them. His instincts screamed at him to move, to react, and he quickly nocked another arrow, his hands fumbling slightly in his haste.

    It¡¯s a little late for this fight, but we need to have a chat about how to handle pulls, or I¡¯m bound to go crazy¡­

    ¡°¡­ And that¡¯s how you pull, bunny boy,¡± Elyssia said, laughing. She stood there, perfectly still, totally ignoring the threat the stampede bearing down on them represented.

    Does she have a death wish or something?

    ¡°Move! Why are you just standing still? They¡¯re going to trample you to death!¡± Leoric¡¯s voice rose with panic as the ground shook beneath his feet.

    But she just rolled her shoulders, her posture loose, as if this was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. ¡°Relax. They¡¯re just boars¡±, she said, her voice teasing but calm. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking again. Classic bunny boy.¡±

    Leoric¡¯s pulse thundered in his ears as he fired an arrow into the closest boar, but the creature barely slowed, its eyes locked in rage. They were coming too fast. His heart hammered as he turned toward Elyssia, ready to shout another warning, but she was already moving.

    In a blur of speed, Elyssia darted forward. Forward? Who meets a stampeded head-on?

    But there she was, weaving between two charging beasts with impossible agility. The air seemed to part around her, her movements like wind slicing through a storm. She leapt into the air, her body twisting as she brought her glowing foot down on the back of one boar¡¯s head with a sickening crunch, using the momentum to springboard into another.

    Her fists pulsed with energy as she struck out, every blow precise and devastating. Leoric could only stare in disbelief. She was not just dodging the stampede¡ªshe was dismantling it, one strike at a time.

    ¡°Cover me, would you?¡± Elyssia called out, her tone as light as if they were on a leisurely stroll, not in the middle of a chaotic fight. She turned her head, looking at him in the eyes as she did so. How is she able to fight, to avoid all those attacks, when she wasn¡¯t even looking at her opponents? Is she just fighting by ear?!

    Leoric blinked, snapping out of his daze. He fired another arrow, this one hitting a boar that had tried to flank Elyssia. The beast snarled, but before it could make a move toward him, the sylvani slid in with breathtaking speed, delivering a palm strike that sent it crashing into a nearby tree.

    Leoric¡¯s jaw went slack. How is she even doing this?

    Within moments, fallen bodies of boars littered the field, their massive forms steaming in the cool night air. The last living member of the herd looked afraid, and it hesitated. Its hooves pawing nervously at the ground. It let out a tentative snort, unsure whether to flee or continue the fight.

    Leoric, his breath coming in short bursts, raised his bow, ready to put an end to the battle. But Elyssia was faster. She flipped forward with effortless grace, landing in front of the last boar. She stomped a foot on the ground; the impact projected a loud, thudding sound. Even at this distance, Leoric felt the ground quake beneath his feet. Then, in a swift twisting motion, she rotated her hips, slamming her entire body against the boar¡¯s. Her twisting motion brought her thigh crashing directly into the creature¡¯s snout, and a bone-grinding crunch soon followed. The impact effortlessly lifted the boar off the ground and sent it flying backwards. It landed a few feet further, skidding across the dirt with a pained squeal before collapsing in a heap.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    That was not a shoulder or elbow strike, but a full-body tackle. What kind of martial art is this?

    The sudden silence that followed was almost surreal. Leoric lowered his bow, his arms trembling slightly from the adrenaline. The only sound now was the soft rustling of the wind through the trees, mingling with the fading echoes of the fight.

    Elyssia strolled back toward him, her expression smug. ¡°There. Now we¡¯re done.¡±

    Leoric, still struggling to process what had just happened, shook his head. ¡°I see that... I expected we¡¯d pull and kill them one or two at a time...¡±

    Elyssia laughed, clapping him on the back with a force that made him wince. ¡°Oh, come on. Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±

    Leoric rubbed his shoulder, wincing. ¡°Fun? We could have died!¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± Elyssia said with a wink, her grin never fading. ¡°You need to loosen up. Trust me, you¡¯ll never get better if you play it safe all the time.¡±

    Leoric glanced around at the scattered bodies of the boars, the steam rising from their still-warm forms. He let out a long, weary sigh. ¡°And you did all that. In your tanking stance. The one lowering your damage?¡±

    Elyssia shrugged playfully. ¡°I dropped it after the first kick, actually. Didn¡¯t need it to keep aggro off you. Gotta go fast! You¡¯re not expecting me to slow down my kill speed, are you?¡±

    <hr>

    Leoric and Elyssia strolled down the dirt path that would ultimately take them to Luminara, the City of Lights. The stars shimmered above them, scattered across the dark sky, but the wind howling the maze of canyons they travelled through dominated the night¡¯s quiet. The tension from their earlier battle had long since ebbed away, though Leoric¡¯s mind remained stuck on what he had just witnessed.

    The cool night air clung to his skin, a steady reminder of the chill creeping in, bringing with it the dusty scent of the arid soil. Each step crunched softly beneath his boots on the uneven terrain, forcing him to focus on every footfall to avoid stumbling. His breath was visible in the air, tiny clouds that dispersed into the night as he exhaled.

    Only the distant sounds of rocks tumbling down cliffs and the occasional howl of unseen creatures interrupted the stillness. Leoric stole a glance at Elyssia, her green hair catching the starlight like faint, shimmering threads. His curiosity gnawed at him until, finally, he broke the silence.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask¡­¡± His voice cut through the stillness, each word careful, as if testing the ground. ¡°I notice you don¡¯t have any weapons.¡±

    Elyssia grinned, flexing her fingers as if she could still feel the energy coursing through them, as though she had not just used those bare hands to obliterate a pack of boars. ¡°Nope. Don¡¯t need ¡®em.¡±

    Leoric blinked, surprised by her nonchalance. The crisp air bit at his exposed skin, and a puff of disbelief escaped with his breath. ¡°Right. But... you¡¯re a martial artist, aren¡¯t you? Shouldn¡¯t you have gauntlets, fist weapons, tonfa, or... something?¡±

    She shrugged, the motion as light as the wind that brushed past them, her casual tone making it appear such concerns were irrelevant. ¡°Yeah, eventually. You trade speed for damage with those. But hey, do you really think I need to do more damage?¡± She smirked, her sapphire-blue eyes glinting with amusement in the starlight. ¡°In any case, I haven¡¯t really bothered gearing up yet.¡±

    Leoric stopped dead in his tracks, the cool wind brushing against his face as he stared at her, utterly flabbergasted. ¡°You don¡¯t have any gear? Like... nothing?¡±

    Elyssia turned to face him, her grin widening. The stars¡¯ soft glow caught in her eyes, making her expression even more mischievous. ¡°Nope. This,¡± she gestured to her simple, starter outfit¡ªa white cotton tunic, its fabric already showing signs of wear¡ª¡°is still my level 1 starter gear. Straight out of Altansuun.¡±

    Leoric¡¯s jaw dropped. His entire world seemed to freeze, the wind momentarily lost to the sheer absurdity of what she was saying. ¡°You¡¯ve been fighting like this¡ªwith no gear¡ªthe entire time?!¡±

    She nodded as if his shock were amusing, completely unfazed by the disbelief radiating off him. A sudden gust of wind picked up, rustling the tall grass along the edge of the path. ¡°Yep. Took a direct route here after I left the starting zone. Haven¡¯t even done any questing yet. Just... fought my way through whatever got in my way.¡±

    Leoric ran a hand through his hair, making his bunny ears twitch from the contact. He tried to wrap his head around her words. ¡°But... but the enemies out here are at least a few levels higher than me¡ªand I¡¯ve been questing and levelling all day. You¡¯re telling me you¡¯ve been punching your way through them... with no gear? No quests? Nothing?!¡±

    Elyssia chuckled, her laugh light and playful in the otherwise silent night. ¡°Pretty much. It doesn¡¯t look like much when you look at the individual gains, but it¡¯s surprising how fast you can level up if you just grind non-stop. It¡¯s all about the XP per hour. Chasing the big numbers is rarely the most efficient path. There¡¯s a reason we call it a syndrome.¡±

    Leoric had heard the expression before. Big number syndrome. How some players would chase things like highest spike damage from critical attacks and stacked buffs, just to see how high the numbers can go. Was Elyssia comparing experience points per kill to the experience points earned from questing, the same way most people would compare damage per second to burst damage?

    ¡°Grind?!¡± Leoric¡¯s voice cracked slightly, his disbelief cutting through the quiet. His boots scuffed the dirt as he stopped walking altogether, his mind buzzing with confusion. ¡°You¡¯ve just been grinding your way here, no gear, no help, just bare-handed fighting?¡±

    Elyssia shrugged again, clearly enjoying his reaction. ¡°Well, not exactly by choice, you know? Boars and wolves don¡¯t exactly drop cloth armour. Unless you know something I don¡¯t?¡±

    Leoric gaped at her, his mind swirling. A sharp howl of wind echoed through the canyon, almost drowning out his disbelief as he ran both hands through his hair. Both ears twitched in displeasure. ¡°I... HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS WITH NO GEAR?!¡±

    Elyssia turned to him. The starlight illuminating her features, a cosmic mirror to the freckles visible all over her skin. She grinned wider, fully aware of how ludicrous she sounded. ¡°Easy. I¡¯ve been playing this game since I was nine. I know exactly what I¡¯m doing. The real trick is knowing your class inside and out. Martial artists are all about timing. You pull enough enemies, and your counters do more damage than you¡¯ll ever need. As long as you know how to weave through attacks, you don¡¯t need fancy armour. Or weapons, even. At least for a while.¡±

    Leoric stared at her as though she had just revealed some forbidden knowledge of the game¡¯s inner workings. The soft whistle of wind through the rocks became background noise as he fixated on her calm, almost cocky demeanour. ¡°But... but that¡¯s insane! You need gear to progress! How do you do well with no bonus stats? How will you even handle bosses or elites?¡±

    Elyssia tilted her head, considering his question. ¡°Same tip I gave you before. Don¡¯t get hit. Plus, with a few well-placed strikes, even elite mobs go down before they can do any serious damage. Worst case? Pop a cooldown.¡±

    Leoric shook his head, still struggling to comprehend how she could be so... nonchalant about it all. The stars seemed brighter now, illuminating the path ahead, though the road to Luminara still stretched far into the distance. He was proud of his careful strategy, his methodical approach to levelling, upgrading his gear¡ªbut Elyssia made it seem like everything he had meticulously planned was just an afterthought.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spent hours tweaking my build,¡± he said, muttering to himself. ¡°Upgrading my gear, planning my fights, setting traps, upgrading my bow, adjusting my stats... And she just... runs in?¡±

    Elyssia burst out laughing, her voice light and free in the stillness. She gave him a playful slap on the shoulder, nearly knocking him off balance. ¡°Your way is entirely valid, too! Got you here so far, no? But hey, to each their own? Those early levels aren¡¯t hard enough to challenge me unless I give myself some additional restrictions. No gear runs are a popular thing on streaming sites. How are you so surprised by this?¡±

    Leoric¡¯s shoulders slumped, the weight of her words sinking in. He thought he was doing well¡ªhell; he was doing well, and even Elyssia seemed to agree. But compared to her? He was nothing¡ªshe was in a whole other league.

    The stars¡¯ silver light bathed them both as they walked, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the canyons. Elyssia had not just been playing the game today¡ªshe had been mastering it for years.

    He stared at her as they continued walking, shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°Unbelievable,¡± he muttered under his breath. ¡°No gear...¡±

    Elyssia flashed him a grin, her eyes gleaming with amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m going to gear up soon. Once I hit level fifteen. Once we unlock crafting classes, you¡¯ll see the difference between your quest freebies or store-bought items, and the ones an actual artisan can make. You think the difference between my level one gear and your current stuff matters? Wait till you see the gap between normal and high quality.¡±

    Leoric stared at her, his thoughts spinning. He had not planned on picking up a crafting profession. That had never been an aspect he had been interested in. But now? That may have to change.

    Knowing Elyssia¡¯s opinion of crafted gear. How she had not bothered gearing up at all, but still felt it worth her time to stop and make her own stuff?

    I need to look up crafting. Otherwise, she¡¯ll just put me in the dust.

    A shudder ran down his spine at the thought of letting Elyssia get another edge over him. He was already struggling to keep up.

    You won¡¯t get rid of me that easily. I¡¯m going to keep up with you, no matter what.

 Chapter 21: Bogged Down

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, Stillbog, Scalemarshes.

    Stonereach ending and turning into wetlands surprised Elyssia. A surprise, yes, but she would not have called it a pleasant one. The thick, muggy air hit her first¡ªwarm and humid, clinging to her skin like a damp cloak. The soft squelch of the mud under her boots with every step only added to the discomfort. Her keen eyes scanned the horizon, the familiar contours of tall grass and murky pools stretching into the distance.

    She and Leoric been walking for what felt like hours, and she had known the moment they entered this zone that it was not what she had hoped. The beasts here were sluggish, low-level creatures compared to what they had been fighting earlier. Even the wind seemed lazy, swirling lazily through the thick reeds and over the shallow pools. She frowned.

    This was supposed to be a fun adventure!

    And yet, it was... this underwhelming, sticky mess.

    ¡°Wetlands. Fantastic,¡± she muttered under her breath, kicking at the mud. Her hands fidgeted, aching for the thrill of something more¡ªa real challenge. Something to get her blood pumping.

    But the gods¡ªno, the game¡ªhad other plans.

    Beside her, Leoric moved with his usual methodical precision. Every step was deliberate, his bow always at the ready, eyes darting to every sound, every movement. She had to admire his focus. It was so different from how she approached things. He prepared, analysed¡ªalmost like he was still back in Stonereach, on the lookout for challenging enemies and already planning how to ambush them perfectly. He was always so cautious, and thinking ahead. She smiled despite herself, but could not help but roll her eyes.

    ¡°You will not need all those traps here, y¡¯know,¡± she said, her voice cutting through the wet air. ¡°The lizardmen prowling this place don¡¯t need a strategy¡ªthey need a slap to the head.¡±

    Leoric shot her a glance, half a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. ¡°Planning never hurts,¡± he said, but there was something softer in his tone. It was not defensive, just... habitual. Like this was what he knew, and he stuck to it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.¡± Elyssia sighed and continued, ¡°You¡¯re too much in your head, bunny boy. You¡¯ve gotta feel the fight, you know? React. You spend too much time preparing, and you¡¯ll miss your shot.¡±

    Don¡¯t think, feel. That¡¯s a Bruce Lee saying, isn¡¯t it? If she was honest, Elyssia would actually say it¡¯s a Jahn Lee thing, since she heard of that line from a fighting game, not from the actor and famous martial artist himself.

    Leoric frowned slightly, but did not argue. His silence, she knew, meant he was thinking. He always did that¡ªanalyze everything. She had to admit, there was something admirable about it. But it was not her way. Never had been.

    The damp air clung to her, heavy and oppressive. The swamp sprawled endlessly ahead, its surface broken by scummy pools and thick curtains of hanging vines. Soft ripples echoed in the distance, hinting at unseen movement, while the nasal hisses of concealed lizardmen occasionally pierced the stillness, just beyond sight.

    But she did not really worry about monsters lurking about. She had other things on her mind. It was the heavy feeling in her chest. The gnawing itch she had been trying to ignore.

    This body feels right. This is who I should have been. Or who I truly am.

    The words she wanted to scream to everyone, but could not. Not yet. Perhaps never.

    Elyssia clenched her fists, feeling the familiar warmth of her inner energy thrumming beneath her skin, begging to be released. She was a martial artist¡ªa fighter, in every sense of the word. She had always fought against expectations, against what people thought she should or could be.

    But the fight that raged inside her¡ªthe one she could not bring out into the open¡ªwas tearing her apart.

    She glanced at Leoric, watching him fidget with his quiver, oblivious to the turmoil roiling within her. She admired the assurance he radiated. Elyssia quietly envied him, even. His quiet confidence, the way he navigated the world. She could never imitate that as her old self. Not even as Emmy, really. But here and now? As Elyssia, she could do it.

    But him? At least it doesn¡¯t feel like he¡¯s imitating someone. Pretending.

    She shook her head. No, she was not pretending. Not at this very moment, at least. She was Elyssia¡ªevery inch of her. But the weight of her past life clung to her like the wet air of this swamp, dragging her down, making it harder to breathe. Soon, she would have to pretend again when they got to the city. Because Jason did not know who Elyssia really was. She had never told him. And she feared she could never allow herself to admit the truth to her best friend.

    Why can¡¯t I just say it?

    ¡°I get it, you know,¡± Leoric¡¯s voice broke through her thoughts, startling her. She blinked, realising she¡¯d been staring off into the murky horizon, lost in her own head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t always this methodical,¡± he said, surprising her.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Elyssia raised an eyebrow, her tone half-amused, half-curious. ¡°Something happened? What changed?¡±

    Leoric shrugged, glancing around as if weighing his next words carefully. ¡°When I started... back then, I was younger. A different person, almost. I tried being reactive, like you. But things fell apart. Got sloppy. I needed control, so I trained myself to plan for everything.¡±

    Elyssia smirked. ¡°And you think I don¡¯t have control?¡±

    ¡°Not what I meant.¡± He responded with a measured tone, one that held respect beneath it. ¡°You¡¯re fast. You¡¯ve got instincts. I... admire that. But it¡¯s different for me. I¡¯ve always needed to think things through. I need to understand the why behind anything I do. It¡¯s why I¡¯m an entrepreneur, I think. I don¡¯t do well at just following instructions. I need the complete picture, or I just¡­ freeze.¡±

    Her smirk faded slightly as she watched him. Maybe they were more alike than she thought. Different methods, sure, but both of them trying to figure out their own path. Both of them fighting their own battles.

    But hers... hers was a fight she could not win with fists alone.

    ¡°Yeah, well... you¡¯ve got your way, I¡¯ve got mine,¡± she said, trying to sound casual. ¡°But you know¡­ Maybe we¡¯re here because your goddess Zephyra¡¯s pushing you. Teach you to dance with chaos, eh?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it. This zone certainly didn¡¯t show up in the game world just for the sake of teaching me a lesson.¡± He chuckled softly, shaking his head, ¡°You¡¯re an excellent teacher, you know.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± She snorted, waving him off. ¡°I¡¯m not anyone¡¯s teacher.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re good at it,¡± he said, his voice insistent, quiet but firm. ¡°I think you could be more than a great martial artist. A lot more.¡±

    Elyssia opened her mouth, but no words came out as she hesitated. She had almost chewed him out for suggesting that, but held back.

    ¡°I guess.¡±

    Her heart tightened in her chest. It¡¯s not his fault, he doesn¡¯t know me. Many had pushed Emmy toward leadership roles before. They were always nudging, always hinting that Elyssia ought to do more. That she could be more¡ªa role model, a guide. A leader.

    But she did not want that. She did not want people looking to her for answers.

    I¡¯d be terrible at it. Imagine that, following someone who is faking it one hundred percent of the time. An impostor can¡¯t be a mentor.

    She had lived her entire life in denial about who she was. She refused to admit to anyone who she was for fear of rejection or ridicule. How can anyone look at me and feel inspired? Everything about me is a lie.

    What everyone saw when they looked at her was the image she projected for them to see. And that was a role, a mask. It was not her. Nobody knew the real Emmy. Because I¡¯ve let no one see the real me.

    She looked away, the weight of the moment settling over her. The air grew still. Even the distant sounds of lizardmen faded into the background, as if they all agreed to take a minute of silence in solidarity.

    She tried to convince herself. You¡¯ve always been a woman, dummy. This body is who you really are.

    The words burned in her throat. She wished she could scream it out loud. That she could tell everyone, make them understand. Tell them this was not just a character she had picked. That it was not just a game, but a portal to another world. This was her.

    But she swallowed it down, forcing the feeling back into the pit of her stomach where it always sat. Silent. Hidden.

    The wetlands stretched on before them, an endless maze of mud and water. The muggy air weighed her down, thick and suffocating, mirroring the heaviness in her chest. Elyssia let out a long sigh, her shoulders tensing as she kept trudging forward, the muck of the wetlands sticking to her boots with every step. The smell of rot and salt hung heavy in the air, a far cry from the harsh cliffs and craggy terrain of Stonereach. She wrinkled her nose. This was a step backward¡ªlevel-wise and progress-wise. The deeper they pushed into this zone, the more it felt like she was being stifled.

    They were moving closer to Luminara, which meant the enemies would keep getting easier. Here, a swarm of monsters would barely challenge her. She glanced over at Leoric, his steps methodical as he kept surveying the swamp with those sharp, calculating eyes.

    She tilted her head in his direction. ¡°Hey Bunny. What you know about the lizardmen?¡±

    ¡°Not much. I¡¯ve read they favour ambushes and hit-and-run tactics.¡±

    ¡°Right. And how do you plan to handle that?¡± Elyssia asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to see if he would step into the predictable ranger role.

    Leoric furrowed his brow, running through his list of strategies. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few traps ready¡ªI can slow them down, maybe set up some distance between us.¡±

    Elyssia sighed, shaking her head. ¡°You always default to encounters that start on your terms. But the thing about lizardmen?¡± She smirked. ¡°They don¡¯t give you time to set up your perfect scenarios.¡±

    He frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with having a solid plan for a battle, anyway?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Elyssia waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Look. They¡¯re fast, unpredictable, and don¡¯t follow any real pattern. They swim in the muck, and show up already on you. You¡¯ll have to react to them. There¡¯s no ¡®preparation¡¯ here, only improvisation. And that¡¯s what you need to learn.¡±

    As if on cue, nearby reeds rustled, and several lizardmen burst from the tall aquatic grasses, spears raised, their scaled bodies glistening with swamp water.

    Elyssia leapt backward, gracefully dodging their initial strikes, but did nothing more. She folded her arms, watching the lizardmen closely, her body poised for movement but not retaliation.

    Elyssia effortlessly kept avoid their attacks, and the three lizardmen strikes eventually slowed as confusion, exhaustion and frustration grew visible on their face, their efforts apparently meaningless. Soon, they turned their attention to Leoric, imagining him an easier prey, or at least they could hurt.

    ¡°They¡¯re all yours, bunny boy,¡± she said out. ¡°Show me what you¡¯ve got.¡±

    Leoric¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait¡ªyou¡¯re not fighting?¡±

    ¡°Nope. You are. And I¡¯m not lifting a finger. Dodge, weave, trap¡ªdo what you gotta do, but I will not save you.¡± Elyssia¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. ¡°It¡¯s time you learned to think on your feet.¡±

    Leoric looked panicked for a second as the lizardmen closed in, but then he nocked an arrow and fired, hitting the first one in the shoulder. The lizardman hissed and stumbled, but did not fall.

    ¡°Good shot, but too slow,¡± Elyssia said in a teasing voice. ¡°They¡¯ll be on you in a second!¡±

    Another lizardman lunged at Leoric, its spear thrusting forward. Leoric barely dodged, rolling into the muck.

    ¡°Nice! But you¡¯re still thinking too much. React. Don¡¯t plan.¡±

    Leoric gritted his teeth, the string biting into his fingers as he fired. The arrow struck the lizardman¡¯s legs, sending it stumbling with a guttural hiss.

    ¡°Better! Now use the terrain! Quick thinking, not traps.¡±

    Leoric scanned the area, noticing a patch of thick mud nearby. He jumped back, leading the next charging lizardman into the natural hazard. As the creature lunged, its feet dug deep in the mud. Leoric did not hesitate to use one of his special arrow to harden the mud, trapping the creature in place.

    Elyssia¡¯s grin widened. ¡°There you go! Finish that one before it frees itself.¡±

    Leoric took aim and fired again, striking the lizardman through the throat. The creature gurgled and collapsed.

    Panting, Leoric turned to Elyssia, expecting her to jump in now that he had handled one. But she did not move.

    ¡°You¡¯re not done yet,¡± she said, her tone playful but firm.

    The two remaining lizardmen charged at Leoric, and Elyssia simply sidestepped their attacks, leaving them entirely to him.

    ¡°Remember¡ªdon¡¯t think, just react,¡± Elyssia called out, her eyes watching him intently. ¡°You¡¯ve got the skills. Just let go of all that planning. You can¡¯t control every situation, but you can always control how you react to things.¡±

    Leoric grunted, his body moving faster now. He fired a bundle of arrows at point-blank range, hitting one of the target multiple times. Elyssia nodded appreciatively as he turned what should have been an area of effect attack into a burst damage one. He dodged the spear thrusts as he shifted to the side. His breath came in heavy pants, but he wasn¡¯t hesitating anymore. He was fighting¡ªreally fighting¡ªwithout overthinking every move.

    Elyssia nodded approvingly. Maybe I¡¯m not so bad at this teaching thing, after all.

    With a final swift movement, Leoric dispatched the last lizardman, its body crumpling into the swampy muck. He stood there, panting, but with a sense of pride shining in his eyes.

    Elyssia finally stepped forward, her arms crossed. ¡°Not bad, bunny boy. Maybe you¡¯re not completely hopeless.¡±

    Leoric wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing at her with a newfound respect. ¡°I still think planning has its merits.¡±

    Elyssia chuckled. ¡°Yeah, yeah. But when life doesn¡¯t go according to plan, you¡¯ll be glad you know how to think on your feet. This is like a fire drill. The more crisis you live through, the less you¡¯ll need to plan for them, and your body will just remember what you¡¯re supposed to do.¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s fists clenched. She always hated it when people put her on some kind of pedestal. How often she had heard some colleague or manager use her as an example at work? ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do what M-E would do. Ask yourself what would M-E do?¡±.

    But she had seen it often¡ªher solutions rarely worked for others. Why did people rely so much on imitating instead of finding their own way?

    As they continued walking, Elyssia could not help but feel a small sense of satisfaction. For this last battle, she had not shown Leoric what to do. She had helped him find his own way. Maybe guiding him would not be so bad. Maybe he could actually learn from her. Not if he tried to imitate her, but if he took some of her lessons to heart.

    But that doesn¡¯t make me a teacher. I¡¯m not teaching him anything. I¡¯m just helping him out. Showing what are his blind spots, and what he can work on improving.

    He might say he¡¯s not good at figuring it out on the go, but his actions don¡¯t agree with that statement. I think I just have more confidence in his abilities than he has himself. Boosting his confidence isn¡¯t the same as teaching.

    As they crossed further into the wetlands, her mind wandered back to Vaelith. Her friend was pushing through something, just like Leoric was¡ªbut Vaelith¡¯s struggles were quieter, deeper. Does she even realise how strong she is? How much she¡¯s holding back?

    But such questions would have to wait. For now, they still had to get to Luminara. She smiled, thinking about the upcoming reunion with her friend.

    I¡¯m almost there, Vaelith. Wait for me just a little longer.

    But then Elyssia¡¯s smile turned upside down. Once I get there, once I¡¯m reunited with Vaelith, I suppose I¡¯ll have to put the mask back on. Pretend to be him, again.

    Or maybe. Maybe I won¡¯t have to¡­

 Chapter 22: Eyes on Her

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, alleyways, city of Luminara.

    As Vaelith arrived at the end of the winding street that she had just helped light, she found herself back in the bazaar. Despite the late hour, there was still a surprising amount of activity, though it had definitely slowed down. Luminara, it seemed, was a city that never slept.

    A voice interrupted her thoughts, smooth and teasing, cutting through the noise of the market.

    ¡°Impressive. Most players would¡¯ve left the old man in the dark, but not you.¡±

    Vaelith looked up, startled to see a honey-blonde Half-blood felinae sitting cross-legged on the ledge of a fountain, her emerald eyes sparkling with mischief. Her gaze travelled over Vaelith, taking in every detail, making her feel suddenly self-conscious. The feline ears atop her head twitched slightly, as if they also were appraising her. Vaelith felt a surge of fear as the woman loomed over her, a full foot taller; her presence was overwhelming, making Vaelith feel insignificant and exposed, like a tiny rodent under the gaze of a predator.

    But the stranger stood up, and continued the conversation by herself, apparently unaware of the impact she just had on Vaelith. ¡°You¡¯ve got a good eye,¡± she said, her voice lilting with amusement. ¡°And I¡¯m not just talking about your lantern work.¡±

    The dracan blinked, unsure how to respond to the unexpected compliment. ¡°Were you¡­ spying on me?¡±

    The catgirl shrugged, stepping closer with a smooth, predatory grace. Her movements seemed calculated, designed to draw attention. ¡°It¡¯s hard to miss someone who looks like the spitting image of Luxoria, you know? You realise you¡¯ve got every priest in this city glancing your way, right?¡±

    Every priest? If that was true, it certainly had not helped when she tried asking for their support earlier.

    Vaelith shifted uncomfortably, her silver hair falling over her shoulders as she looked away. She mumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t choose this. It just... happened.¡±

    ¡°Of course it did.¡± The felinae purred, dripping with sweet condescension, as if she did not quite believe her. ¡°But you know, being a dead ringer for a goddess could be useful. Especially if you¡¯ve got the right friends to help you play the game.¡± She emphasized the last word, letting it linger, her lips curling into a sly smile.

    Vaelith frowned slightly, unsure if her words were a compliment or a veiled insult. ¡°I¡¯m just looking for someone to join our party,¡± she said, trying to steady her voice. ¡°We need a healer.¡±

    A cheshire cat grin appeared on the blonde¡¯s face, her eyes gleaming with amusement. ¡°A party, huh? And you¡¯re the one with the infamous Wind sylvani martial artist tank?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard¡­?¡± But Vaelith nodded cautiously. ¡°Yes, but she¡¯s great. Elyssia¡ªshe¡¯s my friend. If only people would give her a chance, they¡¯d see how good she really is.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s very talented,¡± the other said with a dismissive wave. ¡°But finding someone to heal for a tiny little Wind sylvani? That¡¯s going to be tricky. Unless, of course, you have a little divine intervention.¡± She raised an eyebrow, her gaze once again sweeping over Vaelith, as if sizing her up.

    Vaelith¡¯s cheeks flushed under the scrutiny. ¡°I¡¯m not... I don¡¯t want to use my appearance for something like that. That¡¯s not why I look like that.¡±

    The blonde burst out laughing. Her laughter was a soft, musical sound that seemed to echo through the plaza. ¡°Why not? You¡¯ve got the looks, diosa. Might as well use them. Everyone¡¯s playing some kind of game in here. Some of us just play it better than others.¡±

    She took a step and leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. ¡°And besides, an evasion tank means less steady healing, just bigger heals when something slips. That¡¯s less work for little Kaelyn¡ªand it¡¯ll keep things interesting. And you¡­¡± Her eyes trailed all over Vaelith¡¯s scales. ¡°You will keep things interesting, too.¡±

    Vaelith¡¯s heart raced. Was this person¡ªthis Kaelyn¡ªactually interested in joining their party, or was she just toying with her?

    ¡°And that¡¯s you? That¡¯s your name? Are you a healer? And serious?¡± Vaelith asked, her voice catching.

    ¡°The one and only! Kaelyn Moonshadow, priestess. At your service.¡± Kaelyn bow dramatically. When she stood back up, she smiled slyly, her tail swishing lazily behind her. ¡°Of course I¡¯m serious, cari?o. If I wasn¡¯t, would I still be standing here wasting both of our time?¡±

    But before Vaelith could even formulate a response, Kaelyn¡¯s eyes flicked to the wares of a nearby vending stall. ¡°Oh, would you look at that,¡± she said, her voice light as she strolled toward a display of shimmering necklaces. ¡°These pieces are exquisite!¡±

    Does she have the attention span of a cat, or is she just playing it up? I can¡¯t make head or tails of her¡­

    Vaelith watched as Kaelyn picked multiple necklace, their shimmering stones glowing as they reflected the bazaar''s many lights.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    But suddenly, Kaelyn turned and held out a necklace with a beautiful, chiseled amethyst stone. ¡°This one would look stunning on you.¡±

    ¡°I... I¡¯ve never worn jewellery, I wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Vaelith said, stammering in surprise.

    She¡¯s not giving me a second to put a word in edge-wise¡­

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Kaelyn said, stepping closer. She eyed the necklace in her hands. Her gaze darted between Vaelith and the necklace, possibly assessing how it would look?

    She turned to face the shopkeeper. ¡°Can we¡­?¡± she asked, miming the act of trying it on. The man nodded his approval.

    Without waiting for Vaelith¡¯s permission, Kaelyn¡¯s fingers deftly moving behind Vaelith¡¯s neck. Before the dracan could protest, the cool metal brushed against her skin, sending a soft, startling chill through her body. Kaelyn¡¯s hands lingered behind her neck, a casual intimacy in the way her fingertips grazed Vaelith¡¯s collarbone.

    ¡°There,¡± Kaelyn said, whispering. Her face was uncomfortably close, only a few inches away. Vaelith could feel the warmth of the air blows against her fins as Kaelyn let out a brief breath.

    The feeling of hot air sent a sharp jolt tearing through Vaelith¡¯s body, like a shockwave passing directly into her core. Her fins caught every subtle vibration of Kaelyn¡¯s breath, amplifying it until it was as if the air itself trembled around her. The feeling of hot air sent a jolt through Vaelith¡¯s body, her fins catching the subtle vibrations, amplifying the sensation until her knees wobbled. Her tail twitched and Vaelith nearly toppled over, but Kaelyn caught one of her hand and gently held her until Vaelith found her balance.

    The blonde beauty leaned in even closer, perhaps unaware of the storm she had stirred within Vaelith. So close that the warmth from Kaelyn¡¯s skin brushed against Vaelith¡¯s cheek, her presence so near it was as though the space between them no longer existed. Vaelith could feel the gentle rise and fall of Kaelyn¡¯s breathing, each exhale a whisper of heat against her skin, each movement drawing her further into the magnetic pull of Kaelyn¡¯s proximity. She could almost feel her, as if the next heartbeat might bring them into contact.

    ¡°Now you look irresistible. I might have to keep you all to myself if you keep turning heads like this. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say Luxoria herself sent you just to tempt me.¡±

    Vaelith¡¯s cheeks burned hotter, but it was the sensation in her fins that nearly unravelled her composure. Each soft vibration of Kaelyn¡¯s voice seemed to hum against them, pulsing with warmth, as if her very voice was echoing inside her head. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus, but her body betrayed her¡ªnerves ignited in a delicate dance between pleasure and shock.

    Did Kaelyn realise how she¡¯s making her feel?

    Her mouth opened, a half-formed objection hanging in the air, but by the time she had the strength to say anything, Kaelyn was long gone, having walked away to pay for the necklace.

    ¡°Think of it as a gift,¡± Kaelyn said as she walked back, her voice dripping with casual elegance. ¡°A token of our new partnership.¡±

    Vaelith struggled to respond, the aftershocks of Kaelyn¡¯s whisper still buzzing through her, leaving her both flustered and disoriented. A gift.

    ¡°I... I can¡¯t let you do that,¡± Vaelith said, short on breath, barely managing a full sentence.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Kaelyn purred, her smile widening. But then her face change, turning more serious, heartfelt. ¡°You deserve it.¡±

    You deserve it. The words echoed in Vaelith¡¯s mind.

    Earlier, she had been thinking about how no one ever did anything for her. Was this not a perfect example of someone giving something, asking nothing in return?

    Maybe Vaelith had just never been able to see or notice when people offered. Maybe she had never allowed herself to accept anything.

    Because I didn¡¯t deserve it. It was money or time better spent elsewhere.

    Kaelyn smiled, stepping back to admire her work. ¡°And besides, darling, it¡¯s important to make an impression, don¡¯t you think? Trust me¡ªyou¡¯ll be turning heads with that.¡±

    And now, here she was, being doted on by this Kaelyn. Vaelith had only said a few half-formed sentences, and Kaelyn had carried the conversation all by herself.

    Vaelith looked down at the necklace, feeling a strange mix of discomfort and delight. Kaelyn¡¯s boldness was overwhelming, but also intoxicating. There was something about her that made Vaelith want to step out of her shell, even if only for a moment.

    ¡°You really didn¡¯t have to do that,¡± Vaelith said, her fingers brushing the amethyst at the heart of the necklace. Its deep, shimmering violet mirrored the exact hue of her eyes, catching the light in a way that made it seem like the artisan crafted the necklace just for her, as if it belonged to her all along.

    Inside her heart, Vaelith had already accepted the gift. She knew that this was a significant step in self-acceptance.

    If things continue this way, this evening of gaming will end up with a record number of firsts for me...

    ¡°I know,¡± Kaelyn winked. ¡°But I wanted to. And you know what? I think you¡¯ll find that sometimes, letting someone give you something is part of the fun.¡± She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a sensual whisper. ¡°Especially when it¡¯s me.¡±

    Vaelith swallowed hard, both flustered and charmed by the priestess¡¯s relentless confidence.

    ¡°Now,¡± Kaelyn said, straightening up and flashing her a dazzling smile. ¡°Where is your friend, anyway?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s still on her way here,¡± Vaelith said, her voice finally getting steadier.

    Kaelyn¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Then we¡¯ve got time to kill. Come on, ni?a. Let¡¯s turn some heads together.¡± She took both of Vaelith¡¯s hands in hers and, with a light tug, pulled her deeper into the market.

    ¡°They¡¯re all watching, you know,¡± Kaelyn purred, casting a sly glance at the surrounding crowd. ¡°Wondering who the little Dracan with the goddess¡¯s face is. We might as well give them something to talk about.¡±

    Vaelith looked around her for just one instant, but it was enough to confirm what Kaelyn had said. All eyes were on them. Of course they would, with a beauty like Kaelyn acting so boldly, loudly. Being so visible, and unapologetic. The only reason they¡¯re looking at me is because Kaelyn is shining the spotlight on us. They would never see me without her around.

    She started overheating, unsure of what to do next, but Kaelyn led her by the hands through the plaza, an unfamiliar feeling tugging inside her chest¡ªhalf wanting to disappear, as she always did, and half feeling the urge to stand taller, to be seen.

    It was not just the necklace or her resemblance to Luxoria. It was something deeper, something Kaelyn had awakened. Maybe Kaelyn was right¡ªmaybe there was power in letting others take notice of her, in stepping into the light, even if it made her heart race.

    The crowd was still there, their gazes unwavering. Vaelith¡¯s fingers brushed the amethyst necklace, its smooth surface cold beneath her fingertips, grounding her in this strange moment of being seen, really seen, for perhaps the first time. Her heart quickened¡ªbut before she could dwell on it further, Kaelyn tugged her hand gently, leading her deeper into the thrumming marketplace. For the first time, she wondered if stepping into the light might not be so bad after all.

 Chapter 23: Blazing Your Own Path

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, Eelreach Waters, Scalemarshes.

    Elyssia weaved through the marshy terrain with ease, her feet barely touching the soggy ground as she leapt from patch to patch. The sound of Leoric¡¯s footsteps, heavier and more deliberate, followed close behind. The landscape had changed again¡ªnow dense with wetland plants and moss-covered trees, the ground sticky and uneven beneath their feet. It was all too familiar to her, though, and not in the way she liked.

    The swamp stank of stagnation, both literally and figuratively. Every location in the marshes they had passed had been another step backward, pushing them further into lower-level territory. Can¡¯t wait to be out of this hell-hole. Set let out an exasperated sigh. It would be mind-numbing if she did not have Leoric with her, keeping her busy with his training¡ªalthough using that word felt wrong. Elyssia insisted she did not teach.

    Maybe I¡¯m not a teacher, but I can show people how to blaze their own trail. That¡¯s enough.

    Yet here she was, watching Leoric out of the corner of her eye as he methodically approached yet another patch of wetland, a frown etched across his face as he appeared lost in his head. Probably mentally ran through his checklist, overthinking again.

    Just like the previous battle, she would not help him for the next one time. He needed practice, and he needed muscle reflexes. He would do just fine. Leoric was a fast learner.

    She was thankful for that. Elyssia was far more distracted by the weight of a conversation she still could not shake¡ªher talk with Vaelith, the questions that had gnawed at her. Elyssia pushed through the thick air, dodging branches and vines, but her mind was far from the swamp.

    Vaelith.

    She could feel the confusion rolling off her friend when they spoke, could almost hear the unspoken questions buried beneath the surface of that mask and her glittering golden scales.

    They had both danced around the topic, skirting the edge of the heart of the matter. The unspoken questions. Elyssia knew what she had done. Choosing words with care, dancing around the topic, making sure not to break the prime directive. But she could feel she had not been alone in this. Jason¡ªno, Vaelith¡ªhad been holding something back for as long as Elyssia had known her. Even in high school, her friend had been quiet, contemplative and always on edge about something. It was more than the usual teenage awkwardness. Elyssia could see all the hints and the symptoms, but she had not truly understood what was happening. Just a vague feeling of being unwell.

    Elyssia had shared those same struggles, but had not connected the dots until just a few years ago.

    Her mind went back to that conversation in their private lounge. The one in which neither had said what needed to be heard. But Elyssia had felt something. Vaelith was inching closer to her truth. She had always been so close, but it was like there had been a barrier she should could not get by. But today, it felt like that wall had collapsed. Why and how? She did not know. Such things rarely mattered to her. When you get lucky and a speck of fleeting happiness falls into your lap, just accept it. No point trying to understand how it came to be.

    A guttural growl from her left brought her back to the marshes. Elyssia barely blinked as a lizardman lunged from the foliage, spear raised high. She ducked smoothly, her body already reacting before her mind could catch up. The creature¡¯s attack missed entirely as she spun, pivoting gracefully on her heel and sidestepping its follow-up swing.

    She did not counterattack or engage¡ªthis was Leoric¡¯s fight.

    ¡°Leoric!¡± she said, calling him over her shoulder, her tone almost lazy as she weaved between two more lunging lizardmen. ¡°Deal with these for me, won¡¯t you? And don¡¯t get too cosy back there!¡±

    From behind, she could hear the telltale twang of Leoric¡¯s bowstring as an arrow zipped past her, striking one of the lizardmen in the side. He¡¯ll handle it just fine¡ªHe always did. Leoric doesn¡¯t need me.

    She ducked another clumsy swipe, her body on autopilot while her mind lingered on Vaelith¡¯s hesitant voice, her questions. She had asked her about the body she now inhabited¡ªhow right it felt. Elyssia had seen through the question easily enough. There was some hidden meaning behind. Was it about how she felt outside the game?

    ¡°Did it take you a while to feel comfortable in your character?¡± Vaelith had asked.

    Elyssia felt a tightness in her chest, her own past surfacing for a moment. She had answered, but maybe not fully. Not honestly enough. Because, yeah, it felt comfortable¡ªtoo comfortable. Like sliding into the skin that had always belonged to her, that she had not known was missing. Her body had always been someone else, a form of herself distorted by expectation and confusion.

    But in this game? My body? It¡¯s not just the calibration system.

    Vaelith had questions about her avatar. Did that mean she was not ready to see what Elyssia accepted? That this body was the reflection of her true self. It was not the glitch. It was the truth.

    Another spear thrust came dangerously close, but Elyssia did not flinch, ducking just in time. She shot a quick glance back at Leoric, who was fending off two more lizardmen, his arrows finding their marks, but not fast enough. He shouted something at her, frustration in his voice, but Elyssia simply ignored him. He could handle this.

    Instead, she focused her thoughts on Vaelith.

    Her friend was still resisting it. Still clinging that there was something wrong with how right it felt in her body. Elyssia had seen the conflict in her eyes¡ªthe same look she used to see in Jason¡¯s eyes when they were younger. It was like watching someone trying to hold their breath underwater, terrified of surfacing even though air was the only thing that would save them.

    Vaelith was drowning. Just like I was, before.

    ¡°You just¡­ are.¡± Elyssia had said that to her, trying to ease her friend into the truth. But she knew, deep down, that Vaelith hadn¡¯t been ready to hear it. Not fully.

    She was still stuck in that middle space, still fighting herself. And Elyssia... Well, she was not sure how to help her.

    How do you tell someone who they really are when they are so scared to accept it?

    How did you tell them that the body they were finally living in was more than just a character model?

    An arrow whizzed past Elyssia¡¯s ear, grazing a lizardman that had been a little too close. Leoric¡¯s voice cut through her thoughts again. ¡°A little help here?¡±

    Elyssia flicked her wrist dismissively. ¡°You don¡¯t need help. Use the terrain, Leoric! Stop planning and just react!¡±

    Leoric let out a frustrated growl, but he followed her advice, rolling to the side and setting a trap that caught one of the lizardmen¡¯s legs. Elyssia watched him briefly, her body still moving instinctively to avoid attacks. He would figure it out. Just like she had.

    But unlike Leoric, Vaelith would not figure herself out on her own.

    Sadly, Elyssia did not know how what to do to help.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    No one had helped me when I was in the same place.

    Back when she was still Martin-Ethan¡ªa name that did not fit. Inside a body that felt wrong every day.

    A sudden strike from a spear came too close this time, slicing through her sleeve. She hissed in annoyance but danced backward, still refusing to retaliate.

    ¡°Leoric!¡± she said, shouting over her shoulder. She kept her tone light, even though her mind was far from the fight. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re slacking!¡±

    In the back of her mind, she knew what Leoric wanted from her. She could almost hear it.

    ¡°You¡¯re a good teacher, you know.¡±

    They all want me to light their way. Because the person they see seems to have everything under control.

    But Elyssia was not a guide, a leader, or a teacher¡ªor so she kept trying to convince herself.

    Or maybe... maybe that was the problem? Maybe she needed to stop running from that role. Maybe Vaelith needed her more than she thought.

    The lizardmen fell, one by one, under Leoric¡¯s arrows, and Elyssia glanced up, her thoughts settling.

    Vaelith had asked if her body felt right. She had not been ready to accept the truth. But Elyssia could not let her drown in that doubt forever.

    You¡¯ll figure it out, Vaelith.

    Elyssia felt a pang of determination settling in her chest.

    And when you do, and you are ready to talk? I¡¯ll be here.

    The last lizardman crumpled into the muck, and Leoric stood panting, his bow lowered. ¡°That... that was harder than it looked,¡± he said between breaths.

    Elyssia grinned, flicking a stray piece of swamp muck off her shoulder. ¡°Nah. You did great. Much better than the previous fight. You¡¯re learning.¡±

    Leoric scowled at her, but there was a hint of admiration in his eyes now. He got through it, after all. He always did. And for just a moment, Elyssia let herself wonder if she was actually a teacher already. Leoric seemed to see things that way, so why not Vaelith, too?

    And then, maybe... maybe even she could see it.

    <hr>

    The cliffs rose ahead of them, jagged and sheer, their white stone streaked with veins of gold in the nightlight. Beyond the towering cliffs, the city of Luminara stood like a beacon atop the highest point, its spires gleaming in the distance, the majestic city of light perched above the crashing waves of the sea. Elyssia¡¯s gaze drifted over the scene, unfamiliar and breathtaking.

    The sound of the ocean crashing against the rocky cliffs below echoed around them, mingling with the wind. Seagulls cawed overhead, their cries almost lost in the relentless roar of the surf.

    Leoric slowed for a moment, taking in the view. ¡°It¡¯s... impressive,¡± he said, is the words unable to capture the grandeur of it all.

    Elyssia gave him a sidelong glance, already crouching slightly, preparing for the sprint ahead. ¡°Don¡¯t get too caught up in sightseeing, bunny boy. We¡¯ve got a city to reach.¡± She flashed him a teasing grin, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. ¡°Try to keep up, yeah?¡±

    Leoric chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°As if I could.¡±

    Silvergale Strand stretched out before them, peaceful and almost eerily quiet. The mobs scattered along the path¡ªtiny crab-like creatures and slow-moving stone elementals¡ªbarely reacted as they moved past. Elyssia hardly glanced at them. They were a non-factor, barely even worth noting at their level. This zone was a haven for lowbie adventurers. Leoric knew that in Elyssia¡¯s, this place was simply a bump in the road, meant to slow her down.

    ¡°You know, we could just walk. Explore the area, find some vistas,¡± Leoric said, his voice light but tinged with amusement.

    Leoric had to admit bee-lining to Luminara like this had been faster than how he had intended. But Elyssia¡¯s single-minded focus on her objectives meant Leoric could not do all the sightseeing and exploration that he yearned for.

    Elyssia shot him a look that made it clear how little patience she had for that idea. ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±

    Of course, we wouldn¡¯t see eye to eye on that. I¡¯m the explorer, and she¡¯s the achiever.

    But before he could argue, she was off, a blur of green and white streaking ahead with inhuman speed. Leoric barely had time to react before she was already ten paces in front of him.

    ¡°Seriously? We¡¯re racing now?¡± he said, calling out after her. He caught himself grinning despite it all.

    He activated his Sprint ability, his feet suddenly lighter as he shot forward, matching her speed stride for stride. But Elyssia was already laughing over her shoulder, and Leoric¡¯s heart sank as she effortlessly widened the gap between them.

    Elyssia did not just rely on Sprint. The moment her initial burst of speed ran out, she dashed forward with a blinding speed, using her martial artist gap-closing ability to leap across the zone as if the distance meant nothing. As long as there was a target in range of her Dash ability, she could use it and get there in a moment. One moment she was ahead of him, the next, she vanished, reappearing several feet away in a blur as she darted forward again.

    She kept inspiring him, though he tried not to show it. She had three charges of Dash at her disposal. Even when he caught up to her with his own Sprint, she would use another Dash, leaping ahead once more. It was maddening.

    Leoric let out a frustrated laugh. ¡°How are you always faster than me?¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s voice floated back to him, clear despite the wind whipping past. ¡°Maybe you just need to work on your legs, pretty boy!¡± There was a playful edge to her tone, but beneath it, Leoric sensed she was not just showing off¡ªshe genuinely enjoyed the freedom of movement. It was like the wind itself carried her.

    His Sprint had cooled down, and he used it again, closing the distance between them slightly. But Elyssia was already streaking ahead once more, her Dash ability coming off cooldown just in time to widen the gap between them again.

    There was no catching up to her.

    Well, not unless he had some hidden ability he had not revealed yet.

    Leoric¡¯s heart pounded as he sprinted, but he could not help the grin spreading across his face. The wind in his hair, the endless cliffs stretching out beside him, the city drawing closer with every step¡ªit felt like flying.

    Elyssia danced across the rocky terrain, her movements fluid and precise. Every time she leapt forward with a Dash, she looked like a streak of emerald and snow against the golden cliffs. She did not tire easily, that much was clear. And Leoric realized, with a mix of awe and resignation, that there was no way he was beating her to the gates.

    Still, that did not mean he could not give her a run for her money.

    Maybe it¡¯s time to reveal my hand? I have an ace up my sleeve, after all. I still haven¡¯t tried it out¡­ It¡¯s probably a good idea to practice using it.

    And if it works out, show off a little, hopefully?

    Leoric loosed an arrow mid-sprint, aiming far beyond the sylvani. It whizzed past her, planting itself harmlessly in the ground several feet past her. She glanced back, her eyebrows raised in mock surprise. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to be?¡±

    Leoric grinned and activated his teleport ability, appearing exactly where his arrow had landed. He had actually passed her, finally!

    She turned back to him, and he saw her wide, proud grin. ¡°Oh, you little cheeky¡­ So you¡¯re finally getting serious, then?¡± she asked, her voice bright with laughter.

    She immediately used her Dash again, zooming all the way to him. She side-stepped him and used her Sprint ability and shot past him.

    Leoric laughed breathlessly, shaking his head.

    Even if I pass her, she can always catch up to me. Not just catch up, really. If I kept teleporting ahead of her, I¡¯d just end up accelerating her thanks to that ability of hers.

    The idea reminded Leoric of how gravity-assisted trajectories worked for starships.

    Any attempt to outrun her would just end up speeding up her further.

    Looking at her go, he gave up any hope of beating her to the town gate. In a way, he now sympathised with the lizardmen from earlier. How they gave up even trying to attack her.

    There¡¯s just no way to beat that girl. At best, you could hope to be in her shadow. At best.

    The city gates loomed closer, the towering archway of Luminara glittering in the sunlight. The spires of the city stretched high into the sky, glowing faintly with the magic that coursed through its streets. As they approached, the guards stationed at the gates watched them with a mix of curiosity and amusement¡ªtwo adventurers sprinting full-speed across the empty landscape, a scene that could not have been more out of place in such a tranquil zone.

    Elyssia reached the gates first, of course. She came to a halt just before the entrance, her breathing steady, barely winded. Leoric stumbled up beside her a few moments later, panting slightly and glaring at her through narrowed eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous, you know that?¡± he said between breaths.

    Elyssia just shrugged, a wide, satisfied grin plastered across her face. ¡°Maybe I am, but have you noticed? You¡¯re getting pretty ridiculous yourself, you know? You¡¯re improving and getting faster.¡±

    Leoric raised an eyebrow, wiping the sweat from his brow. ¡°Still not fast enough.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well. It¡¯s actually a problem if the rest of the party all outpace the tank,¡± Elyssia said, her gaze turning to the gleaming city ahead of them. ¡°When DPS are the first to aggro enemies because they walked ahead of the tank, who do you think gets blamed for all the chaos? The one whose job is to keep aggro. Me.¡±

    Leoric just nodded slowly in understanding. She was fast because she needed to be to do her job.

    The city of Luminara stood before them in all its glory, the sound of the ocean echoing behind, the cliffs towering high above the crashing waves. Leoric looked up at the massive gates, the intricate carvings of light and gold etched into their surface, and let out a slow breath.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Elyssia asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

    There was always a thrill in reaching a new city, no matter how many times Leoric had done it before.

    He nodded, his heart still racing from the sprint, but now it was not just from exertion. The anticipation of what lay ahead¡ªnew quests, new challenges, new possibilities¡ªset his pulse pounding with excitement.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    With a last glance at the cliffs behind them, they stepped through the gates and into the heart of Luminara.

 Chapter 24: Dancing with Shadows

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, market plaza, city of Luminara.

    The crowd pressed in, thickening with every step, their voices swelling in a tidal hum. The scents of exotic spices and freshly baked bread mingled with the salt-sweat of the sea breeze, pleasantly reaching Kaelyn¡¯s sensitive nose. Her ears flicked at the high-pitched tones, picking out gossip and gasps with ease. Every sharp noise caused a twitch in her ear muscles, but she smiled to herself, letting her tail sway lazily behind her¡ªjust enough to catch the light, just enough to draw the eye.

    Of course, they were staring. Vaelith, with her silver hair, amethyst eyes and matching pendant, was impossible to mistake¡ªespecially when the market lights caught the golden, reflective scales that peppered her skin, glinting faintly like some hidden treasure. She was one of the city¡¯s treasure, and everyone wondered what Kaelyn was up to.

    And she liked it that way.

    Kaelyn spied Vaelith¡¯s eyes, stealing glances at her ears whenever they moved. She was nervous, coiled like a spring, even. She reacted so suddenly to the smallest things.

    She¡¯s way out of her element.

    Kaelyn had been expecting this. The dracan¡¯s shoulders were curving inward, trying to make herself small. She had not yet learned to wield the power of attention.

    No matter. I¡¯ll show her how.

    The market was always the same¡ªcrowded, noisy. It would make things easy. This was Kaelyn¡¯s stage. A place she could slip between bodies like a shadow, if she wanted to be.

    But tonight was not about walking shadows. Now it was time to do the opposite.

    A busker¡¯s music reached Kaelyn¡¯s ears, and she smiled as an idea came into her mind. She Kaelyn put a hand to Vaelith¡¯s shoulder, bringing the small mage to a stop and turning to face her. Vaelith¡¯s eyes slowly raised from looking at her feet until they met Kaelyn¡¯s eyes. The dracan had a look of confusion on her face.

    She swung her tail in a slow, deliberate wave. A motion meant to draw everyone¡¯s eyes. It was almost as if she had a tank¡¯s ability¡ªa spell that forced everyone to pay attention to her. Except, instead of affecting mobs, it worked on people.

    Was that a perk of the priest class? Or was it something uniquely fashion, a gift to her with her specific play-style? Kaelyn was glad to have it either way.

    And with the precious Vaelith at her side, there was a new dynamic. Kaelyn¡¯s eyes followed the golden scales tracing Vaelith¡¯s neck, a constellation of metallic glimmers that seemed to pulse with life in the low evening light. She was beautiful, in a rare, untouchable way.

    All eyes clung to them like smoke that wafted from nearby stalls. She had their attention. Now it was just a matter of keeping it. She moved her body, slowly at first, accelerating steadily until the sway of her hips matched the tempo of the music.

    She glanced sidelong at Vaelith, catching the way her breath hitched, the slight stiffening of her posture. And, most tellingly, her golden draconic tail¡ªusually so still¡ªgave a twitch, betraying the anxiety Vaelith was no doubt trying to conceal. Kaelyn¡¯s ears perked, pleased.

    It was almost comical.

    Poor thing can¡¯t handle that much.

    Kaelyn¡¯s tail reverberated with deliberate amusement. The crowd¡¯s attention was growing and while Kaelyn thrived in it, she could feel Vaelith shrinking beside her. She had to act carefully. If she did not stop her, she was sure Vaelith would literally Blink away and escape¡ªshe knew she could do that, for she had seen her do it before.

    Kaelyn¡¯s tail swayed lazily behind her as she drew Vaelith protectively closer. No, she would not let her escape. Her eyes glinted with the thrill of the hunt.

    Vaelith flinched, but it was not at her gaze. No, the dracan was not even maintaining eye contact.

    Her golden fins gave a barely perceptible twitch, tracking sounds even Kaelyn¡¯s highly sensitive ears did not register.

    She wondered what was going on in that little head. What was she hearing? Did she just pick up on the hushed whispers from onlookers, or the soft clink of coins at a nearby stall?

    Kaelyn did not dwell too long on that question; she had her own game to play.

    As she moved around the smaller girl, Kaelyn¡¯s tail brushed against Vaelith¡¯s leg, a subtle reminder that she was not alone.

    Not in order to reassure her, though. It was about keeping her close, keeping her under control. The power of this moment was not strictly in the gazes of the crowd¡ªit was in the way Kaelyn could guide Vaelith.

    She felt Vaelith¡¯s tension before she saw it, the girl¡¯s golden tail compensating to keep her balance as her pace slowed. Taking Vaelith¡¯s hands into her own, she pulled and pushed her along, forcing her to follow her every step and pace. As they turned, Kaelyn noticed the light catching again on Vaelith¡¯s knees and shoulders¡ªthose golden scales reflecting in fragmented patterns like starlight on water. They were minor details, ones that most people might overlook. But Kaelyn was not most people.

    She allowed herself a small, hungry grin before looping her own tail around Vaelith¡¯s waist, pulling her closer, just enough to force her into a spin. Vaelith stumbled¡ªher hair a flash of silver¡ªbut Kaelyn caught her easily, steadying her before she could fall. The crowd gasped in unison, eyes wide, mouths half-open.

    ¡°Do you realise, ni?a, how they¡¯re all looking at you?¡± Kaelyn¡¯s voice was an indistinct murmur, pitched just for Vaelith¡¯s ears. She could see the way Vaelith¡¯s shoulders tightened further, her breath quickening as the weight of the crowd¡¯s attention pressed in on her.

    Kaelyn¡¯s tail flicked again, punctuating the moment, a sharp contrast to Vaelith¡¯s awkward stiffness.

    This is almost too easy.

    Vaelith¡¯s violet eyes darted nervously toward the amethyst pendant hanging from her neck, the weight of it dragging her down. Kaelyn¡¯s smirk widened as she watched the gears turning behind those wide, innocent eyes.

    Ah, she¡¯s feeling it now.

    A twinge of guilt flashed, unbidden. Vaelith was not like her earlier cons. Wide-eyed, ignorant and pure in a way that tugged at something deep within her.

    Maybe I should slow down and let her catch her breath?

    But then Kaelyn shoved the thought aside, as quickly as it came. This was different. The power was worth it.

    The girl was still resisting. She was not seeing the game for what it was. Yet. Her hips still moving, captivating the crowd, Kaelyn once again leaned forward, pushing more of her weight to force the dracan to step along with her.

    As she drew closer and closer, Kaelyn¡¯s voice was barely above a whisper. ¡°You¡¯ve been pretending to be small for so long you don¡¯t even see what¡¯s happening, do you?¡±

    Vaelith blinked. Her tail shifted nervously, a tiny motion betraying her attempt at composure. Kaelyn felt it through the brief contact, the unconscious struggle for balance.

    She¡¯s unravelling. Kaelyn grinned in satisfaction, watching Vaelith¡¯s every nervous move, reading her like an open book.

    ¡°Look around,¡± Kaelyn said, her voice low and conspiratorial. ¡°You haven¡¯t been paying attention. You¡¯ve been so busy pretending to be small that you don¡¯t see it.¡±

    Vaelith hesitated. ¡°I... I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±

    The crowd had become background noise now, their whispers nothing but fuel for Kaelyn¡¯s game. She focused entirely on Vaelith, watching her struggle against the inevitable. Her golden tail swung low, then high again, fighting for control, while her gaze remained downcast, as though looking up would break something inside her.

    Push her. Gently. Just a little nudge.

    ¡°Look up,¡± Kaelyn said softly, yet firmly. Urging her to follow her instructions.

    With one hand, she gently nudged her chin upwards, pushing through the hesitation.

    Just a little more. Not too fast, not too far.

    She had to be patient. For now, it was all about seeding the idea.

    ¡°Look at them. Really look.¡±

    Vaelith hesitated. It was cute. Too cute. Kaelyn could see her fingers twitching at the amethyst around her neck, the gem pulsing faintly in the marketplace lights. A nervous habit. Kaelyn¡¯s tail twitched again, not just to keep the beat this time, but in quiet amusement.

    She doesn¡¯t even realise how obvious she is.

    But when Vaelith finally raised her head, Kaelyn caught the gleam of realisation in her eyes. Her entire body tensed¡ªKaelyn could feel it through the subtle shifts of her tail. She was seeing it now¡ªthe eyes, the stares, the way the crowd was not just watching Kaelyn, but watching her.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    She imagined what was going in everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°What was that felinae doing to this poor girl?¡±

    Their faces were plain to read.

    Perfect.

    ¡°They¡¯re watching you, cari?o,¡± Kaelyn whispered, slipping into a softer tone now that the truth was sinking in. ¡°They¡¯ve been watching you all evening.¡± She let her tail swish deliberately behind her, its complex patterns commanding the crowd¡¯s attention just as it did Vaelith¡¯s.

    The dracan breath hitched again, her golden tail twitching out of rhythm as she tried to process what was happening. Kaelyn could feel her resistance¡ªhow much Vaelith wanted to retreat, to curl up and vanish. But there was no running from this, not now. Kaelyn would not let her.

    ¡°You¡¯re not invisible,¡± Kaelyn said, her words wrapping around Vaelith like silk. ¡°You¡¯ve never been invisible. Not with that face, not with that body.¡±

    Vaelith¡¯s tail snapped sharply at that, the motion betraying the tension still coiled tight inside her.

    Ah, that struck a nerve. Remember that insecurity; we can find some use for it later.

    The girl still did not fully understand, but she would. Soon. Kaelyn had seen this before¡ªpeople stumbling through life, unaware of the power they held.

    What a waste.

    As Ryan, she could not wield that kind of power.

    Kaelyn would not let Vaelith squander her strength away. Not because of silly little fears.

    Her power, her potential, was a category of its own. There was a hint of divinity. Kaelyn meant to catch a ride on that same wind.

    She smiled, letting the moment hang, savouring it. The marketplace had fallen into a kind of suspended silence around them; the crowd holding their collective breath. They wanted to see what would happen next. So did Kaelyn.

    ¡°Don¡¯t resist it, mi peque?a diosa,¡± she said in a murmur, her hands on her, moving her and shifting her to the rhythm. Vaelith¡¯s tail moved anxiously behind her, still fighting for balance, still trying to keep her grounded in a situation that was spiralling far beyond her control.

    But we¡¯re in control here. She always was.

    ¡°They¡¯re following your every step,¡± Kaelyn said, the amusement in her voice giving way to something sharper, more deliberate. She was letting Vaelith in on the secret now. ¡°You command attention without even trying. You just don¡¯t know how to wield it yet.¡±

    Vaelith¡¯s cheeks flushed, the tint deepening as the reality of Kaelyn¡¯s words sank in. She wanted to look away, Kaelyn could feel it, but something in her kept her eyes locked on the crowd. Kaelyn¡¯s smile widened.

    Good. She¡¯s allowing herself to see it, at last.

    They stopped suddenly as the music hit a rest. The world seemed to hold a breath. Kaelyn¡¯s own tail flicked again, a sharp motion that broke the stillness in the air. The crowd shifted, watching them, but the weight of their attention was not on Kaelyn this time. No, it was all centred on Vaelith.

    Exactly where it should be.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have chosen that face, that body, if you didn¡¯t want to be seen,¡± Kaelyn said, her voice lilting, as if the words were light and harmless. But they were not. She was pressing her button, the one she had noticed earlier.

    Vaelith¡¯s mouth opened, but no words came out. She did not respond.

    Kaelyn did not need her to. She could already see the confusion, the slow burn of realisation in her eyes. Her golden tail fluttered, trying to keep up with the internal storm Kaelyn was stirring.

    ¡°Don¡¯t resist it,¡± Kaelyn whispered again, her voice barely audible over the hum of the crowd. She let her own blonde tail, soft and feline, brush deliberately against Vaelith¡¯s golden draconic one.

    The contact was subtle¡ªlight, almost playful¡ªbut the effect was immediate. Vaelith stiffened, her breath catching as if the touch had sent a ripple of energy through her body. Kaelyn could feel the shift in the air between them, could almost sense the warmth radiating off the smooth, reflective scales at Vaelith¡¯s lower back. It was like touching liquid gold.

    Her golden tail recoiled suddenly at the unexpected, near-intimate contact, like a muscle reflex she could not control.

    Kaelyn felt it. She felt the way Vaelith¡¯s entire posture buckled for just a moment, her knees faltering as if the touch had unbalanced her in more ways than one. The dracan girl took half a step to steady herself, her body leaning involuntarily into Kaelyn¡¯s welcoming arms.

    Her silver hair shifted, catching the market¡¯s light as she tilted, and her fins trembled ever so slightly, as if they too were reacting to the sudden nearness.

    Kaelyn¡¯s lips curled into a smile¡ªboth cruel and amused. Perfect.

    She let her tail linger a second longer, the fine blonde fur brushing against Vaelith¡¯s smooth scales in a teasing stroke. ¡°This is only the beginning,¡± she said, her voice low and rich with promise. ¡°And trust me, it¡¯s going to get so much more interesting.¡±

    Vaelith¡¯s breath hitched, her violet eyes wide, pupils dilating with a mix of confusion and something deeper¡ªsomething Kaelyn couldn¡¯t quite name yet, but knew would come to the surface soon enough. The way the girl staggered, the way her tail moved nervously, told Kaelyn everything she needed to know.

    The sensitivity of that part of her body¡ªof her tail, so deliberately intimate in a way Vaelith clearly had not expected¡ªwas intoxicating. Vaelith did not have to say anything. Her body¡¯s reactions said it all: the way her hand almost instinctively brushed her pendant, as if seeking grounding. Kaelyn had disrupted her balance¡ªphysically, emotionally.

    She let the silence between them hang for a heartbeat longer, savouring the moment.

    Then, ever so casually, Kaelyn¡¯s tail slipped away, leaving Vaelith standing unsteadily in the moment. The absence of the touch, the separation, was just as deliberate¡ªletting Vaelith feel the sudden loss of contact as acutely as she had felt the surprise of its arrival.

    Pirouetting around, Kaelyn took a quick reading of the crowd before sliding in place in front of her prize again.

    The crowd¡¯s whispers grew louder as Vaelith staggered under Kaelyn¡¯s tail-brush, the murmurs like a ripple through the air, as though they could feel the tension too.

    Kaelyn¡¯s tail swished lazily behind her, but her attention remained fixed on Vaelith, on the way the girl was processing the moment.

    She saw it in the way Vaelith swallowed, hard. The way her golden tail now curled closer to her body, as if trying to shield herself from the unfamiliar feelings Kaelyn was stirring. Kaelyn could almost taste the uncertainty¡ªthe conflict between what Vaelith thought she was and what Kaelyn knew she could become.

    So much more interesting, Kaelyn thought, her grin widening.

    Vaelith¡¯s breath came out in short, uneven bursts, her hand still resting on the amethyst pendant. She was struggling to keep her composure, but her body betrayed her. It always did. The way she stood told Kaelyn that she had found the cracks in the girl¡¯s armour.

    That would be enough for tonight.

    Mission complete.

    Kaelyn¡¯s thoughts went back to earlier in the day. She had spent almost every hour online leading other fools by the nose, taking gifts and coins from men and women alike, slipping easily into the role of the innocent, wide-eyed beginner.

    Most of them had been so eager to help her¡ªthe poor little catgirl priestess with her basic gear, struggling to find her way in a world far too complex for her delicate sensibilities.

    It was always the same routine. A brief flirtation here, a coy smile there. An innocent tilt of the head, just enough to make her look helpless.

    And they fell for it, every single time.

    The memory of the afternoon was hazy, lost in a blur of flirtations and half-meant compliments.

    One particularly foolish adventurer¡ªa tall Shadow sylvani with a fire-infused magical rod far too good for his skill¡ªhad been so flustered when she asked him for help with a low-level quest, he had practically tripped over his own boots trying to offer to buy her a high-quality sacred staff.

    Kaelyn had batted her lashes, offering a playful smile. ¡°Oh, I could never accept such a generous gift,¡± she had said, even as her fingers closed around the shaft.

    He had insisted, of course, blushing furiously all the while.

    It had been easy. Too easy.

    She had kept wearing her starter gear on all day, despite the absurd wealth sitting in her coin purse. It was part of the game¡ªthe illusion of helplessness, the way they all assumed she could not find better equipment or did not know how to access the marketplace.

    Power is such a funny thing. People liked to think it came from status, from money or title.

    But Kaelyn knew better. It came from being seen, from controlling how others saw you.

    And they were all so quick to offer their help, their items, their ferrum pieces. Anything to make themselves feel superior. To think they were her heroes.

    They saw Kaelyn, and they always underestimated her.

    Just the way I like it.

    But when she looked at Vaelith, she did not see a victim to fleece for a few ferrums shards.

    She actually had paid a good aurum chip for that necklace; Vaelith was worth investing time and money into.

    She was a walking symbol.

    The dracan mage was her ticket to the upper echelons of Luminara¡¯s society¡ªperhaps even the entire realms.

    She was going to make sure she secured herself at her side before her rise to fame. And then she would be the priestess who helped make it all happen.

    No, not merely helped. I¡¯ll be the one who made it all possible.

    All Kaelyn had to do was keep her close. Play the long game. Soon enough, Vaelith would be valuable, not just for the way she looked, but for what Kaelyn could make her become.

    By merely existing, Vaelith had just made all the day¡¯s earlier conquests feel insignificant.

    The others had been her tutorial. Vaelith was the real challenge.

    All those priests, back at the guildhall, had all turned her away¡ªVaelith looked exactly like Luxoria. They feared her because of it. They thought that was part of some grand strategy to manipulate them, to hold power over them.

    ¡°A Mage, a mere damage-dealer, trying to get over the healer in social standing?¡± They would never let that stand.

    They were all wary of her and the game they thought she played.

    Meanwhile, all the inhabitants of Luminara? They were wondering if their goddess had descended from the heavens and was walking amongst them. They all treated her as such.

    And everyone¡¯s satisfied letting that goldmine unexploited? Well, don¡¯t mind if I claim that fertile land.

    Continuing the smooth roll of her body and twisting of hips, Kaelyn weaved a pattern with her hands for the crowd to be mesmerised with. Whispers swelled around them like a rising tide, the gazes on onlookers darting between Kaelyn and Vaelith as though trying to solve an unspoken puzzle. Some faces reflected awe; others, quiet suspicion.

    She glanced at Vaelith¡¯s face, watching as the uncertainty glittered behind her amethyst eyes. The entire market fixated on them.

    How are you handling the gazes now, my tiny goddess?

    She was steadier. She had learned and accepted Kaelyn¡¯s advice.

    Kaelyn¡¯s tail betrayed how proud she felt of herself right now.

    This was it, wasn¡¯t it? The power Megan had wielded so effortlessly. The way she had walked into a room and bent it to her will, leaving us¡ªno, Ryan¡ªfumbling in her shadow. But now? Now it was our turn to shine.

    Kaelyn looked down. The little dracan mage was finally seeing it, the power that came with her appearance.

    Suddenly, a horrible idea invaded Kaelyn¡¯s, her tail hanging low. A small flicker of doubt crept inside her mind.

    How long until Vaelith understood that power and no longer needed her guidance?

    Best not to dwell on that.

    Kaelyn smiled, her lips curling into a practiced, confident grin. But somewhere, deep inside, a small voice spoke to her.

    This is just a game. None of it is real.

    Here, in this world, she was Kaelyn Moonshadow, and the power was hers.

    Don¡¯t let it slip. Not now.

    But then, there was still the matter of Vaelith¡¯s friend. That Elyssia. An unknown.

    What do we know of her?

    Elyssia was not just a tank¡ªshe was Vaelith¡¯s anchor.

    If I want to hold on to Vaelith, I¡¯ll need to figure out just how deep their connection runs.

    Vaelith seemed to have complete faith in her, which means she could spell trouble. If Elyssia cared for her more than Kaelyn expected, getting close to Vaelith could become... complicated.

    Complicated just means the chase will be more exciting.

    Kaelyn grinned. A party with a blonde catgirl, a goddess, and a tank with a community-discarded build?

    It had the potential for more than just power and status¡ªit had the makings of a new legend.

    All she had to do now was keep Vaelith close, keep her in line.

    She glanced at Vaelith again, closing the gap between them. ¡°You¡¯ll see it soon enough,¡± she said, her voice laced with promise. ¡°You were born for this.¡±

    But as Vaelith¡¯s gaze lifted, her amethyst eyes no longer filled with uncertainty but with something sharper¡ªKaelyn felt the first pang of unease.

    How long until she no longer needs me?

 Chapter 25: Shattered Composure

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, market plaza, city of Luminara.

    Leoric and Elyssia had, just moments ago, passed through the visitor¡¯s checkpoint of the city of Lights.

    The guards barely inspected them, waving them through. Their smiles easy at the sight of the pair¡¯s light-hearted bickering.

    This majestic homini metropolis was nothing like the peaceful meadows and tucked-away cottages of Leoric¡¯s starting city, Zephyrdale, where lush green hills stretched to the horizon and simple folk tended their gardens in the quiet of earthen homes.

    Nor did it resemble Altansuun, the rugged village of Elyssia¡¯s nomadic people, where towering palisades encircled yurts, and the scent of open fires and the sound of galloping hooves were constant under an endless sky.

    They soon reached a wide, open area. The warm glow of lanterns spilled across the bustling market plaza, casting long shadows as the sun dipped below the horizon.

    The air was thick with the mingled scents of spices, freshly baked bread, and the salty tang of the sea. Music mixed with the hubbub of the crowd of the busy market. The sound of waves crashing at the base of the cliffs was barely audible in the distance.

    To one side, blocking a side street leading away from the central plaza, a large crowd stood, enthralled by a display neither of them could quite see. Yet, the sounds of gasps and murmurs made it clear: something unseen gripped their attention.

    Elyssia shot Leoric a look, one eyebrow raised in silent question.

    He shrugged. She smiled, assuming it meant something like ¡°Sure, why not?¡±

    They approach the dense crowd.

    A prickle of unease crawled up Elyssia¡¯s spine as the two of them squeezed their way through.

    She slipped through the crowd with effortless grace. Leoric moved forward, the crowd parting as soon as they noticed him approaching.

    Well, that¡¯s convenient. Lucky rabbit.

    But as she finally reached the edge of the crowd, Elyssia¡¯s smile failed at the unexpected sight.

    Or perhaps it was more accurate to say it faded as she her blood froze, mouth open in disbelief.

    Before her, she saw Vaelith, her fragile, easy-going friend, dancing in the arms of a blonde beauty¡ªa predatory goddess of a felinae.

    The way the cat¡¯s blonde tail flicked and brushed against Vaelith¡¯s golden tail, the flush on the dracan¡¯s cheeks, and the trembling in her limbs told Elyssia everything.

    The cat was toying with her, twisting her about, making a spectacle of her.

    Vaelith was blushing, speechless. Defenseless. And utterly exposed.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see it soon enough,¡± the seductive succubus murmured, her voice low and rich with promise. ¡°You were born for this.¡±

    A rush of outrage surged through Elyssia. Outrage, yes, but shame too¡ªthe later on Vaelith¡¯s behalf.

    But beneath it all, a flicker of doubt gnawed at her.

    How had things come to this? Why had Vaelith not messaged her?

    But now was the time for action¡ªshe kept repeating to Leoric how he should not overthink on the way to the city.

    So she followed her instincts. Her body moved before her mind could catch up, control slipping away.

    She stepped forward, shouting at the top of her lungs, ¡°What the hell is going on here?!¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s voice thundered across the plaza, silencing the crowd¡¯s hum. Every gaze, including Vaelith¡¯s wide, startled eyes, snapped to her. She stood at the edge of the gathering, her anger as sharp and unyielding as steel.

    Not far beside her, Leoric also emerged from the crowd, his steps slower, more deliberate as he took in the scene unfolding before him.

    Vaelith froze. The cat¡¯s tail gave a playful flick, but her emerald green eyes narrowed, glinting with something sharp as she watched Elyssia approach.

    ¡°Oh, so this is our infamous sylvani,¡± she chuckled, her smirk widening. ¡°I was wondering how long it would take you.¡±

    Elyssia did not slow down. She was on Vaelith in seconds, her hand reaching out to grasp her friend¡¯s arm, pulling her back from her captor¡¯s orbit with a protective, almost possessive motion. Vaelith offered little resistance, but appeared both surprised and embarrassed.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Elyssia¡¯s voice was low and dangerous, her gaze locked on the sultry catgirl, who stood unfazed amidst the tension.

    The onlookers in the crowd shifted, murmurs passing through them as they watched the scene unfold.

    ¡°Relax,¡± the blonde said lightly, though the gleam in her eyes suggested anything but. ¡°Vaelith and I were just giving the crowd a show. We were just waiting¡ªshe couldn¡¯t stop talking about you, you know that?¡±

    Vaelith looked conflicted. Her gaze darted between Elyssia and the other women, mouth agape. She appeared on the verge of retreat. Elyssia gave her a comforting look and protectively step in front of her.

    She then turned her eyes back on to the blonde¡¯s cool, predatory grin. And she glared at her.

    Leoric stepped to her side, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s not make a scene,¡± he said, trying to inject calm into the situation.

    His gaze flicked to the crowd, and Elyssia did the same. She noticed the way they watched with wide eyes, their attention no longer on the goods in the marketplace but on the four of them.

    Leoric shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re drawing way too much attention.¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s jaw clenched, but she did not let go of Vaelith. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the crowd. I care about whatever the hell this is.¡± She jerked her chin toward Vaelith¡¯s tormentor, her tone dripping with disdain.

    The latter¡¯s smile only widened, leaning back casually as though she were watching a show she had directed. ¡°¡®This¡¯ is Kaelyn. The priest you had your friend recruit for you. Surely you remember asking her to do that?¡±

    Leoric shot her a sharp look, his frustration barely concealed. ¡°Stay quiet.¡±

    But she just shrugged, unfazed. ¡°Why should I, bello? The world is a stage.¡±

    He ignored her attempt at provoking him. Leoric focused his attention on the crowd now, his expression hardening as the bystanders¡¯ whispers grew louder and more agitated.

    ¡°They¡¯re staring,¡± Vaelith whispered, her voice trembling. Her tail shifting nervously as she tugged at a pendant.

    Elyssia¡¯s gaze softened as she turned to look at her. Her eyes caught the reflection of the light on her golden scales on her cheeks.

    The people in the crowd were not reacting yet, but she could sense it. Before long, they would act and break up their quarrel. And if they did, who knew whose group they would side with? Elyssia had to admit that right now, she looked like the aggressor.

    Leoric stepped away from Kaelyn, moving protectively as to form a wall between Vaelith and the onlookers. ¡°We need to move,¡± he said, his voice meant for Elyssia but loud enough for all to hear. ¡°Now, before this turns any uglier.¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s grip on Vaelith loosened slightly, though her eyes remained locked on Kaelyn. ¡°Fine. But we¡¯re not done.¡± Her voice a warning, and the unspoken threat hung in the air between them.

    Kaelyn raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in her gaze. ¡°Of course we¡¯re not. I¡¯m here for the long run, cari?o.¡±

    Leoric took a few steps away from the commotion. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    He glanced back at Elyssia, who returned a sharp nod, then at Vaelith, whose wide, nervous eyes still looked as lost as ever.

    As the three turned to leave the market square, Vaelith cast one last glance back at Kaelyn. Elyssia protectively peeked over her shoulder.

    The catgirl¡¯s eyes were still tracking Vaelith, like a shadow she could not shake. Kaelyn¡¯s tail swished lazily, her grin never fading.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you, mi diosa,¡± Kaelyn said, calling after them, her voice soft but carrying across the plaza. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two love-bird a minute to catch up.¡±

    Vaelith pulled her cloak tighter around her as she followed Elyssia and Leoric into the night.

    Elyssia heard Kaelyn addressing the crowd, masterfully quieting them with humour.

    ¡°Sorry for the abrupt end to tonight¡¯s event, mis amigos. It seems a little bird had its feathers ruffled, but don¡¯t worry¡ªit¡¯s nothing a little kiss won¡¯t fix.¡±

    The whispers of the crowd lingered behind as Leoric lead them into some narrow streets. The tension from the confrontation faded, albeit slowly, like fog dissolving under the warmth of the morning sun.

    As they walked, Kaelyn took one of Vaelith¡¯s hand in hers.

    ¡°You okay?¡±

    Vaelith, startled, hesitated a little. She then nodded meekly.

    At least there¡¯s that.

    <hr>

    Well, that just happened. What was going on? Hell, I¡¯m not sure¡ªthis is so unlike the Elyssia I know.

    Leoric walked in silence behind Elyssia, his steps deliberate as he tried to make sense of what just unfolded in the market square. The tension between Elyssia and Kaelyn lingered in the air like a storm waiting to break.

    Meanwhile, the little dracan was as silent as the grave. He could practically feel the weight of her discomfort, her short frame practically disappearing between him and Elyssia.

    His eyes studied the mage for a moment.

    She walked with her head down, her golden tail twitching nervously behind her as if it had a mind of its own.

    She seemed fragile, timid, and he could not help but feel a rush of protectiveness. It was an odd sensation¡ªhe had no connection to her, not really¡ªbut something about her triggered something deep in him.

    She reminded him of his life as Sophie¡ªno, more like the version of Sophie that Daniel had always wanted.

    Quiet, deferential, someone who played the supporting role without question.

    His brow furrowed in frustration.

    That¡¯s not who she should be. That¡¯s not who anyone should be.

    He wanted to shake her, tell her to stand up straight, look people in the eye, and stop cowering in the shadows. But that was not his place¡ªhe barely knew her.

    He glanced ahead, watching Elyssia¡¯s stiff back as she strode with determined anger. And Elyssia clearly felt something deeper, he thought. He had never seen her like this¡ªso fierce, so protective.

    The woman he had met on the road had always been the free spirit, the one who seemed above all the surrounding chaos.

    But here she was, ready to tear apart a felinae priestess for her friend¡¯s sake.

    What did I miss?

    This girl, she was not just another party member to Elyssia¡ªthere was history here, something he had not been privy to yet.

    Then there was Kaelyn.

    Leoric¡¯s jaw tightened as he thought about the way she had manipulated the situation in the square, turning Vaelith into a spectacle, using her like a prop. It grated on him.

    Kaelyn wielded femininity like a weapon¡ªshe played up her looks, used her tail like a lure, and seemed to revel in the power she could draw from people¡¯s attention.

    In some ways, he admired her confidence; she was not ashamed of who she was¡ªunapologetically herself, in a way that felt both alluring and dangerous.

    But it made him uncomfortable, too.

    Women shouldn¡¯t have to do that to get ahead.

    He frowned, shaking his head.

    Why am I bothered by this so much?

    He was a man. Or at least, he looked like one now. A beautiful, perfect version of what he¡¯d always thought a man should be¡ªindependent, capable, confident.

    And yet, when he saw Kaelyn using her femininity as a weapon, it stirred something in him. Something he could not quite untangle.

    Leoric let out a breath, his fingers brushing over the string of his bow to ground himself.

    I need to focus.

    His job was to mediate this situation, keep the group together. Elyssia¡¯s protective rage, Vaelith¡¯s silence, Kaelyn¡¯s manipulations¡ªit was a mess.

    But they needed to move forward, not tear each other apart.

    He slowed his steps, catching up with Elyssia and resting a hand on her arm.

    He spoke calmly, not wanting to trigger another outburst. ¡°Hey, take it easy. We will get nowhere if we¡¯re all ready to snap.¡±

    Elyssia glanced back at him, her eyes still burning with the remnants of her earlier fury.

    ¡°She was¡ª¡± she started, but Leoric shook his head.

    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°But we need to handle this carefully. The crowd... the way they looked at her...¡± He lowered his voice, glancing over at the silent dracan girl. ¡°It¡¯s not just about us anymore.¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s gaze softened, if only slightly. She turned to face her friend, her shoulders dropping as the anger ebbed. ¡°I know¡­ I just¡ª¡± she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. ¡°How can I just stand by, seeing her like that?¡±

    Leoric nodded, his eyes lingering on the dracan. ¡°Me neither. But we will not help her by blowing up.¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line, but she did not argue. Instead, she glanced back towards her friend. ¡°We need to find somewhere safe. Somewhere quiet.¡±

    Leoric agreed, though his mind wandered back to Kaelyn.

    And what about her?

    She had followed them, no doubt, and was probably already planning her next move. He did not trust her, not one bit.

    But if she was going to be part of their party, they would need to learn to work together. Even if that meant keeping a closer eye on her than he had expected.

    They walked in silence for a few more moments, the sounds of the bustling city slowly fading as they moved in quieter streets. Leoric¡¯s thoughts churned as he tried to piece together the group he had fallen in with.

    Elyssia¡ªhis compass, his guide, but clearly carrying burdens he hadn¡¯t fully grasped yet.

    The dracan mage¡ªsilent, fragile, but there was something more there, something deeper that he felt compelled to uncover.

    And Kaelyn¡ªdangerous, manipulative, but undeniably powerful in her own right.

    What have I gotten myself into?

 Chapter 26: Shadows and Sparks

    Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall, 1442, alleyways, city of Luminara.

    The weight of Elyssia¡¯s protective hand on her arm was like a tether. Vaelith could feel the warmth of her touch, but more than that, the tension behind it. The grip had softened, but the fire had not left her eyes.

    It simmered just beneath the surface. Vaelith could sense it¡ªlike the quiet before a storm.

    She shivered, not from the cold, but from the turmoil inside her.

    Why did it always have to be like this?

    Why did the people around her fight so hard to shield her, to protect her from things she was not even sure she needed protecting from?

    Elyssia had been like this ever since they were kids¡ªback then, it had felt like admiration. Elyssia¡¯s strength was something Vaelith could rely on.

    But now, standing in the narrow streets of Luminara, with the tall, handsome burrovian glancing warily back at them, the warmth of Elyssia¡¯s protection felt... stifling.

    She tried to relax, but her body refused to listen. Her skin shivered, the golden shimmer of her dracan scales catching the street¡¯s flickering lamplight.

    I look like Luxoria.

    The thought throbbed in her mind, unsettling.

    Elyssia¡¯s rage was not just about the scene in the square¡ªit was about the eyes on her, the stares, the attention that Vaelith had never wanted.

    Kaelyn, though, was another story. She thrived in that attention, and while it had made Vaelith nervous, there was a strange part of her that admired Kaelyn for it.

    She had never known someone who could wield femininity like that¡ªlike a weapon, sharp and deliberate, yet effortless.

    How does she do it?

    How could Kaelyn stand there, facing Elyssia¡¯s fury, completely unfazed?

    Vaelith had been trembling like a leaf the whole time.

    As they walked further into the dimly lit streets, Vaelith looked around, trying to figure out where they had ended up. The old and worn cobblestones were familiar.

    Vaelith suddenly realised she had just been here, not an hour ago, helping the old man light the lanterns along this very road.

    It had been a moment of quiet, where she had learned about control, about subtlety.

    Serendipity.

    She smiled at the memories, faintly. This place¡ªthis path¡ªit felt like an echo of her own journey, one she had not even realised she was on.

    But this was not the time to reminisce.

    Vaelith¡¯s thoughts snapped back to the present as the silence between them grew heavier. Elyssia¡¯s footsteps were rigid, her posture tense, and the ranger¡¯s gaze flicked between them, his brow furrowed with unspoken questions.

    Vaelith¡¯s heart ached.

    She did not want this¡ªdid not want Elyssia to feel like she had to fight for her.

    She did not want this stranger to feel like he had to mediate.

    Kaelyn had meant no harm. She was just... being herself.

    Vaelith stopped abruptly. ¡°Wait.¡± The word escaped her lips with unexpected force, ringing with an authority she barely recognised¡ªJason¡¯s tone, but in her voice.

    Elyssia paused, turning to face her, one eyebrow arched.

    The brown-haired beauty stopped too, his brows furrowing in concern.

    Vaelith took a deep breath, her hands instinctively brushing the amethyst pendant that hung around her neck. It grounded her, gave her something solid to latch to.

    ¡°I need to say something.¡± Her voice wavered, but she pushed through it.

    She glanced behind, at Kaelyn, who had been following them at a distance. Her blonde tail swayed lazily behind her, as if none of this concerned her.

    ¡°Kaelyn didn¡¯t... mean to hurt me.¡± Vaelith¡¯s words felt heavy in her mouth. ¡°She was... helping me.¡±

    She looked at Elyssia, whose fierce gaze had not softened one bit.

    Elyssia¡¯s eyes burned with protective fire. She pointed in the direction they had come from. ¡°Helping? That¡¯s what you call what just happened back there?¡±

    Vaelith swallowed.

    ¡°Yes. I mean... no. Not exactly. But she didn¡¯t mean any harm.¡±

    She hesitated, her eyes darting between Elyssia and the man at her side.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Elyssia. Nobody wants to party with us. The priest¡¯s guild rejected me because of how I look. Everyone assumes I¡¯m trying to manipulate them because of how I look. Because I look like Luxoria. Nobody trusts me.¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s expression faltered, her protective anger simmering into something closer to regret.

    Vaelith hesitated, her voice quieter but more certain, gesturing at the scales on her arms. ¡°Because of those.¡±

    She glanced at Elyssia, her voice growing more urgent. ¡°And you? People don¡¯t trust out-of-meta tanks either. You know that.¡±

    ¡°None of them understand how the class works. They¡¯re just following cookie-cutting builds,¡± she said, harshly.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re good, Ely. You know I do. You¡¯ve carried me through so much before, and I know you¡¯ll never complain about pulling twice or thrice your share. And I¡¯ve seen you do it. But nobody else does.¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s new friend smiled at that.

    Okay, looks like he already knows, at least. They must have partied together on the way here.

    His rabbit¡¯s ears twitched, but he remained silent, watching Vaelith intently, as if trying to piece together the puzzle of her.

    Vaelith¡¯s gaze softened as she turned toward Kaelyn. ¡°She¡¯s... bold, and maybe she doesn¡¯t always do things the way we¡¯d expect, but she¡¯s not our enemy.¡±

    She glanced back at Elyssia, her violet eyes pleading. ¡°Please... trust me on this.¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s jaw tightened, but the anger in her eyes dimmed. She looked between Vaelith and Kaelyn, and for the first time, a flicker of uncertainty crossed her features.

    The man stepped forward, breaking the tension with his quiet voice. ¡°Maybe you should listen to your friend. You know her, don¡¯t you? Can¡¯t you trust her judgment?¡±

    Elyssia¡¯s shoulders sagged slightly, the weight of her anger slipping away as she let out a long breath. ¡°Fine,¡± she said, her voice resigned.

    ¡°But I¡¯m keeping my eye on you,¡± she said, casting a sharp glance at Kaelyn.

    Kaelyn¡¯s lips curled into a playful grin. ¡°I¡¯m counting on it, peque?a elfa.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Vaelith¡¯s heart raced, her body still tense from the confrontation. But for the first time in a long time, she felt a flicker of something else¡ªsomething that felt like control. Not the control Kaelyn wielded with ease, but the kind that came from speaking her truth.

    As they resumed walking, Vaelith¡¯s gaze lingered on the flickering lanterns that lined the street.

    Serendipity indeed.

    Her fingers brushed the amethyst pendant at her throat.

    Maybe she was not as powerless as she had always felt.

    Maybe there was more to her journey than she had realised.

    It might take some effort to get Elyssia to see eye to eye with Kaelyn.

    But at least I found a healer who agreed to work with us!

    <hr>

    Elyssia¡¯s grip loosened as she watched Vaelith¡¯s plea sink in. The dracan¡¯s soft voice tugged at something deep inside her, but it did not erase the anger bubbling beneath the surface.

    Elyssia wanted to shake her, to snap her out of this passive acceptance of whatever game Kaelyn was playing.

    But she could not. Not without doing more harm than good.

    Vaelith was fragile¡ªthat much Elyssia could see, even if her friend could not. The dead look in her eyes, the way she always followed quietly behind, never stepping into the spotlight unless forced to.

    It hurt to see it because Elyssia recognised it.

    I was just like her before.

    It was like looking into a mirror of her past self, when her own life had been a series of quiet concessions, of letting others decide who she was, what she should be.

    Elyssia had convinced Vaelith to join her in this game, never once considering he might say no.

    She knew her friend too well. They had been friends for so long, and yet, she realised now that maybe she did not really treat her fairly.

    Maybe she was taking advantage of that trust, dragging Vaelith into something that was not just a game.

    If something happens, it¡¯ll be my fault.

    She glanced down at the golden shimmer of Vaelith¡¯s scales, an uneasy feeling twisting in her gut.

    She¡¯s going to realise, eventually.

    Vaelith would figure it out, that same journey of self-discovery that Elyssia had gone through¡ªand then what?

    Would it destroy her life, the way it had nearly destroyed Elyssia¡¯s?

    She divorced Claire. She could not bear to tell her about who she truly was. Their marriage had fallen apart, everything they had built together suddenly seemed like a lie.

    And now, with Vaelith married to Claire¡¯s best friend, Lisa... If Claire¡¯s radical views had even slightly transferred to her friend¡­

    What if Lisa and Jason break up because of me? What if Jason loses everything, just like I did?

    Elyssia could not bear to see another relationship fall apart. Especially if she was to blame. The thought made her chest tighten.

    She had no right to push Vaelith, to guide her down that path.

    But every instinct screamed at her to protect her, to shield her from the same pain Elyssia had gone through.

    She cast a sidelong glance at Kaelyn, who was idling behind them, tail swinging lazily.

    Elyssia¡¯s jaw clenched. Kaelyn was strong and confident¡ªtraits Elyssia had learned to admire in other women.

    But in Kaelyn¡¯s case, it was something else. The way she manipulated Vaelith, the way she had pulled the spotlight on both of them, so she could shine brighter in Vaelith¡¯s radiance.

    Elyssia instinctively did not trust her.

    Kaelyn handled the crowd like a seasoned tank¡ªdrawing the attention to herself with ease, letting the spotlight warm her while Vaelith stood exposed in the crossfire.

    It was not just manipulation; it was the most vile kind of control.

    Elyssia had known people like that before¡ªpeople who thrived on making others look weaker, more fragile, so they could shine brighter in comparison.

    Vaelith did not have the hit points or armour of a tank. Neither figuratively nor literally.

    And putting your teammate in danger like that was the worst offense a tank could do.

    But Elyssia realised her anger at Kaelyn was not just because of her protective nature. Something about Kaelyn felt off.

    She was still wearing her starter gear, despite being clearly higher level.

    The way she made herself look weak and helpless while clearly revelling in attention¡ªit rubbed Elyssia the wrong way.

    She had fought her entire life to stop being seen as an object, a tool for others to project onto, and Kaelyn seemed to embrace it.

    Kaelyn¡¯s weakness was an act. A performance.

    Elyssia had spent too many years learning how to recognise predators dressed as friends.

    She could tell from her smugness, and her knack for making herself the centre of attention. She manipulated others with such ease, a performance that was all too familiar.

    But no. There was something worse than all of that. The real reason Elyssia could not like Kaelyn.

    She had humiliated Vaelith in front of that crowd. She played with her feelings, and did it in front of all those strangers. Elyssia was not willing to let that slide.

    But why am I the one who¡¯s pissed? Vaelith had every right to be. She should be! Am I angry in her stead?

    Elyssia could not shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, she was the one who felt humiliated, not Vaelith. Kaelyn¡¯s spotlight might have burned bright, but Vaelith had taken it in stride.

    Was Elyssia really trying to protect her friend, or was she just trying to shield herself from her own past?

    What if Vaelith doesn¡¯t need my protection?

    Maybe she was stronger than Elyssia gave her credit for, and Elyssia was the one clinging to old wounds, projecting her own pain onto her friend.

    The thought stung, but it lingered, like a splinter just beneath the skin.

    Leoric¡¯s quiet voice broke through her thoughts. ¡°So? What will it be, Elyssia?¡±

    She sighed, her gaze shifting toward her new friend, Leoric.

    A quiet mystery.

    Despite how she treated him, he had impressed her with his skill in the game¡ªthere was something about him that struck a familiar chord, a sense of kinship that she could not identify.

    He played the game with precision, with preparation. She did not really hold that against him, though she had cautioned him about being too rigid.

    The game, just like life, did not always go according to plan. Sometimes, you had to adapt.

    And yet, for all his preparation and thoughtful strategy, he was a mirror image of her in a way. Not literally, but in the way he embraced his in-game identity, the way he wore it like a second skin.

    Elyssia could tell, even if Leoric had not outright said it, that this character¡ªthis appearance¡ªwas not just an avatar. It was something more.

    She understood that better than anyone, having built her own character to reflect her true self. There was an unspoken understanding¡ªa quiet magnetism between them. A sense that told her they were kindred.

    Was he transgender too, like she was?

    She knew how dangerous it was to assume, but she also knew better than to ask out loud.

    He would share, someday, if he felt comfortable to do so.

    In the meantime, it did not anything about who he was. He had been solid so far. He did not look down on her for her unorthodox choices in the game, nor did he treat her as some unreachable figure to emulate.

    She appreciated that, even if she did not say it aloud. There was potential in him, and maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªhe would find his own path, just as she had.

    Her gaze softened, finally letting some of the anger slip away as she turned back to Vaelith. She could not push her friend too hard. Not yet. But she also could not let this manipulation stand unchecked.

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s hear it, then. Tell me why you really want to join us,¡± she asked Kaelyn.

    Letting Kaelyn get too close to Vaelith is a risk.

    It was not just about the game anymore. Elyssia feared what might happen if Kaelyn took her place¡ªif Vaelith started listening to Kaelyn more than to her, letting Kaelyn¡¯s influence creep in until there was no room left for Elyssia to protect her.

    Kaelyn jutted her hips. ¡°Why, it¡¯s obvious. You¡¯re the most gente interesante in the city¡ªthe entire game, even.¡±

    Gente interesante.

    The words dripping with the same faux-exotic charm she had been using since the moment she had appeared.

    Elyssia had seen that trick before. Kaelyn was not the first person she had met who tried to dress up their personality with borrowed flair.

    It was a mask, one that slipped too easily when you were not paying attention.

    Elyssia glared at her. Kaelyn wanted to position herself as indispensable. Elyssia could see it in the way her eyes gleamed when she spoke, like someone already plotting their next move.

    Kaelyn¡¯s smirk faded for just a second, replaced by something sharper¡ªmore calculated.

    The shift was so subtle, Elyssia almost missed it.

    But there it was. A flicker of cold focus beneath the mask of irreverence.

    She was not playing for fun; she was playing to win.

    ¡°Fine, fine. Unlike my pares, I¡¯m smart enough to realise that healing an evasion tank means fewer small mana-efficient heals, but rare, bigger, faster emergency heals. Keeps me on my toes, but also much less tedious work, you know? If I¡¯m going to be healing, I¡¯d rather it be exciting, entiendes?¡±

    Every time Kaelyn slipped a Spanish phrase into the conversation, Elyssia noticed how it threw people off-kilter.

    It was just enough to make them pause, trying to piece together what she had said, giving Kaelyn a few extra seconds to deflect any challenges coming her way.

    It was not about the words themselves¡ªit was about control. She had mastered the art of making people focus on the wrong thing.

    Elyssia rolled her eyes. ¡°You know, if you¡¯ve got time to twiddle your thumbs and no one to heal, you¡¯ve got time to throw nukes at the enemy, right?¡±

    ¡°Green DPS? Love it,¡± Kaelyn said, grinning, eyes gleaming with something Elyssia could not quite place.

    She was playing the long game¡ªof that, Elyssia was certain.

    What she had not figured out yet was how far Kaelyn would go, or what the end goal really was.

    But the more Kaelyn lingered, the more Elyssia could feel it¡ªthe sense of something bigger brewing beneath the surface.

    Vaelith was right¡ªnobody else would party with them. They were different, and the game community did not know how to deal with them.

    But Elyssia had never cared about fitting in.

    She would protect her friends, even if they did not realise they needed protecting.

    Even if it meant biting her tongue for now.

    She glanced at Leoric again, catching his thoughtful gaze. He was still trying to figure her out, but that was fine. She was not here to be anyone¡¯s guide or mentor. She did not want people following in her footsteps.

    But maybe Leoric could keep up with her.

    She would have to be prudent, though.

    In the game, she could heal, could shield and protect those she cared about with the right spells.

    But in life, there were no potions to fix broken relationships, no spells to undo the damage of hard truths.

    And that terrified her.

    Kaelyn extended her hand. ¡°So? I take it we¡¯ll be working together, miss martial artist?¡±

    Vaelith looked pleadingly at Elyssia.

    For you, Vaelith. I¡¯m doing this because you asked.

    Taking a long, steadying breath, Elyssia prepared herself for what was to come. She grasped Kaelyn¡¯s hand. ¡°We¡¯ll work with you. You should thank Vaelith for that.¡±

    Without a trace of irony on her face, Kaelyn performed a courteous bow to Vaelith. ¡°Thanks you, mi diosa. Looking forward to it.¡±

 Chapter 27: Behind the Curtain

    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¡ªespecially the smart ones, the confident ones¡ªcould 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¡ªno 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¡ªwithout 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¡ªflirtations 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¡ªthe 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¡ªthe 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¡ªmeek, 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¡ªthe 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¡ªit 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¡ªall 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¡ªthe 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¡ªobjects, 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¡ªthe 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¡ªenough 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¡ªleave 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¡ªFirst 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¡ªshe 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.

 Chapter 28: Altered Fates

    At the cusp between Umber¡¯s First Darksday of Harvestfall and Ignis¡¯ First Firesday of Harvestfall, 1442, meeting hall of the Gods.

    It was 4:00:00 AM PDT. The minute when daily reset occurred.

    For a split second, the few players still connected to the game might have noticed the smallest of visual glitch as the game servers went through their daily maintenance routines.

    Daily quest counters reset to zero, servers refreshed any daily events, the moon changed colour, and the history books turned to the next page.

    All events of the day, no matter how insignificant, synthesised into a daily report.

    A report for the gods to peruse, judge and learn from.

    In the digital void of the council chamber, where neon beams and LED-like lines traced the edges of the room, sixteen seats circled a large, sleek meeting-room table.

    The throne-like chairs, each sculpted from ethereal matter, stood empty in the circular chamber, waiting for their occupants.

    Then, one by one, the gods arrived.

    First came Ignis, Lord of War, and his sister Pyra, the Lady of Love.

    Their seats filled with explosions of fire, flames roared into existence as their imposing figure materialised, wreathed in smoke and embers. Both fiery avatars, burning with molten reds and searing oranges, cast a flickering light across the room as they took their place, the heat palpable even in this virtual space.

    Ignis looked irritated to be here, and Pyra gave her older brother a calming look.

    A sudden gust followed, and the chamber swirled with a tempest of wind as Zephyra, the Lady of Whims, and her father, Aer, the Lord of Wonders, arrived.

    Their form danced into being on the currents of air, their avatar shifting and restless like uncontrollable breezes. With each step, gusts of wind swept through the room, tugging at the edges of reality, their arrival light and unpredictable, yet undeniably powerful.

    Both father and daughter beamed with a look of satisfaction.

    Next, the air shimmered and rippled as Aquarius, the Lord of Layers, and his sister Hydra, the Lady of Waves, emerged from cascades of water.

    Droplets hung suspended in the air, glowing faintly before flowing into the form of the water gods. Their avatar, serene and fluid, coalesced into their thrones, bringing with them the calming, steady rhythm of a river, every motion smooth, as if the ocean itself had taken seats.

    The two water gods remained still, their expressions serene as they took their seats.

    Thunder cracked overhead, and Thorin, the Lord of the Arts, arrived, followed by Volta, the Lady of Creation, in flashes of blinding lightning.

    Their appearance was sudden and electric, avatars crackling with energy, veins of blue and white lightning crawling across the floor as they took their place. The sharp scent of ozone filled the chamber, and the walls hummed with the aftershocks of their arrival.

    Volta leaned both elbows on the table in front of her, her Pint burrovian feet swinging rhythmically at the edge of her seat. Her twin brother fidgeted with a pocket watch, flipping the lid open and closed restlessly.

    The ground beneath the chamber trembled, rumbling deeply as Gaius, Lord of Life, and his wife, Terra, Lady of Spring, entered.

    The earthy scent of soil accompanied the deep sound of rocks grinding. Their avatar, formed from the raw, enduring power of the earth itself, rose slowly from the ground, stone and soil shaping their divine figures. The room vibrated as if in acknowledgment of the steady, immovable presence of the earth gods.

    Gaius had his arms crossed, a serious frown on his face. Terra reached and gently squeezed her husband¡¯s calloused hand.

    In stark contrast, Cryonix, the Lord of Time, emerged in silence, his arrival marked by the soft sound of ice crystallising across his seat.

    Frost spread outward from his form, his avatar encased in a translucent layer of ice. The surrounding air grew icy, the air chilling, freezing time for a moment as his steady gaze settled on the others. The frost glittered faintly, his presence eternal and unyielding.

    Frostine, the Lady of Fate, smiled in amusement as she crossed one leg over the other lazily, already sitting in the throne next to her father¡¯s, having slipped in unnoticed during her father¡¯s entrance.

    She gave the confident impression of someone who knew exactly how the meeting would go.

    Cryonix¡¯s icy gaze narrowed ever so slightly as frost crept across his arms. But he said nothing.

    Then came Nocturne, the Lady of Discovery and her sibling, Umber, Lord of Deception.

    Their arrival was subtle, a deliberate seeping of shadows coming from the corners of the room. Tendrils of darkness weaved together to form their figures. Their avatar flickered in and out of the void, presences more felt than seen, as if they were whispers between the spaces of reality itself.

    Both shadowy figures rapped their fingers on the armrests of their thrones; Umber, quickly and impatiently, Nocturne, slowly and methodically, as if she knew what to expect.

    Finally, the chamber filled with a glow as Astralius, the Lord of Truth, flickered onto the scene.

    Beams of light refracted sharply across the room in a display of silver and gold, his homini avatar shimmering with impossible clarity, as if each beam carried the essence of pure understanding.

    He hovered effortlessly above his seat, floating in perfect, unshifting stillness, as though the weight of truth rendered the air underneath him solid and undeniable. The light seemed to pulse with life, casting prismatic patterns onto the walls, his presence momentarily sharpening everything in the room, as if bringing the world into sharper focus.

    The chamber, once empty and silent, now thrummed with the presence of gods.

    The cold hum of virtual creation pulsed steadily through the walls, as if the room itself was breathing in time with their combined power. Yet, despite the elemental chaos of their entrances, an unnatural quiet settled in¡ªa stillness only broken by the faint digital pulse of the room.

    Low murmurs rippled through the chamber as the deities exchanged puzzled glances, occasionally casting looks at the remaining empty throne.

    Then, in a blinding burst of prismatic light, Luxoria, Lady of Compassion, arrived.

    Her radiant form shimmered into existence, casting dazzling beams of silver and gold that splintered across the chamber, making the other gods¡¯ avatars seem almost muted in comparison. She had not so much entered as exploded onto the scene, as though the very essence of light itself had burst forth.

    Her diminutive Kindred dracan avatar glowed like the sun¡ªsilver and radiant gold, the embodiment of confidence cloaked in self-declared compassion. She arrived as though bringing warmth and care to the room, but her expression was more Pippi Longstocking than Mother Mary.

    This was no act of divine grace¡ªher flashy arrival and the timing of it were no accident.

    It was a grand entrance. She had wanted the others to see how much she relished her success.

    By now, each god had already reviewed the day¡¯s report¡ªmillions of actions and decisions digested in less than the blink of an eye.

    But it was Luxoria¡¯s forceful influence on Jason¡¯s character creation that kept their attention.

    The report may have captured the numbers, the outcomes, but it could not convey the ethical weight of the choices Luxoria had made for him.

    This they would debate.

    ¡°Yes! Right on time,¡± Luxoria said with a self-satisfied smirk, flicking her hand to summon her chair to her side with a flourish. ¡°Shall we begin?¡±

    The elder goddess, Terra, sat at the head of the table. Her brown-haired homini form radiated stability¡ªgrounded and serene¡ªbut tonight there was an extra weight to her gaze.

    She did not immediately respond to Luxoria¡¯s entrance. Instead, she let her dark eyes scan the room, waiting for the full council to settle.

    Nocturne¡¯s tall sylvani avatar swirled with shadows that danced around her in gentle currents of darkness. She was as much a part of the void as she was a distinct figure, a living whisper in the space between certainty and doubt.

    The dichotomy between her and Luxoria was stark¡ªthe two sides of a single coin. Light and darkness. Secrets and revelations.

    Luxoria was the youngest daughter of Gaius and Terra.

    But Nocturne? She emerged from Luxoria¡ªlight unintentionally bringing darkness along with her, their existence tied inexorably together since birth.

    Zephyra perched herself on the edge of her seat, like a cat ready to pounce. Her Wind sylvani form kept shifting, like a breeze trapped inside a woman¡¯s body, restless and barely contained.

    Her eyes flicked between the other gods, already eager for some discord to blow through this otherwise mundane meeting.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Luxoria,¡± Nocturne began, her voice soft, but cutting through the chamber like a sliver of night. ¡°You¡¯ve been rather heavy-handed today. To nobody¡¯s surprise.¡±

    A ripple of tension spread through the room. Luxoria tilted her head, her smile widening.

    ¡°Oh, that?¡± Luxoria purred. ¡°Pfft. I simply helped Jason¡ªno, Vaelith¡ªfind herself. I did what was necessary. Players don¡¯t always know what they want. It¡¯s our job to guide them, after all.¡±

    ¡°And you think taking the choice away from them is the answer?¡± Terra¡¯s voice was soft, yet it carried the weight of mountains. The others stilled, knowing that when the elder goddess spoke, she rarely did so in haste.

    Luxoria rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Mom! If we left it up to them, they¡¯d stay lost forever, trapped in their own indecision. Jason needed a push. He would have taken his real-self all the way to an early grave. It would break Lisa¡¯s heart, and she¡¯d soon follow. The world would be down one teacher and one nurse.¡±

    She breathed slowly, turning suddenly completely sincere.

    ¡°Vaelith is her true form, and I helped her see that. Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯re here? To fix their mistakes? This is compassion.¡±

    She repeated, punctuating every syllable with a clap of the hand against the desk. ¡°Com-pas-sion!¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t choose you, Luxoria,¡± Nocturne countered, her voice almost a hiss. ¡°You manipulated her¡ªmade her pick you, like a child that pushed herself in front of the entire class to make sure she gets picked. That¡¯s not guidance. That¡¯s coercion.¡±

    Zephyra snickered under her breath, clearly enjoying the rising tension between the goddesses. ¡°Hey, he could still have picked someone else. He made his choice, after all, even if influenced by her. We all influenced our players today. Many times. Isn¡¯t that right, Lux?¡±

    Luxoria smirked, crossing her arms. ¡°Exactly, Z. The players don¡¯t need to be bogged down in existential crises when we can just give them what they really want.¡±

    Terra¡¯s gaze, firm as bedrock, settled on Luxoria. ¡°You think you¡¯re helping them, but you¡¯re playing with lives. You¡¯re treating them like... like dolls.¡±

    The goddess of light let out a small laugh, the sound ringing off the dark walls. ¡°Dolls? I didn¡¯t rip her head off or tossed her away when I got bored. Is that what you think this is?¡±

    ¡°Please. I am helping them!¡± Luxoria said, her voice dripping with sincerity. ¡°Genuine compassion isn¡¯t about waiting for people to ask for help. It¡¯s about stepping in and offering help, even when they¡¯re too afraid, too lost to realise they need it.¡±

    She gazed around the room, pausing shortly on the face of every other god.

    ¡°I gave her the tools, the memories, and the nudges that she needed. Vaelith¡ªshe¡¯ll be happier. She¡¯ll understand eventually. Heck, she¡¯s already happier already! Have you seen her smiles tonight?¡±

    She paused for effect.

    ¡°Of all people, mom, you should know how change works. It¡¯s slow. It¡¯s difficult, but life endures.¡±

    ¡°Change is inevitable, yes,¡± Gaius said slowly, his deep voice reverberating like the shifting of tectonic plates. ¡°But rushing it could fracture more than it heals.¡±

    He met Terra¡¯s gaze, offering quiet solidarity.

    The elder goddess remained silent for a long moment. Her patience, however deep, was not infinite. ¡°Luxoria,¡± she said, her voice carrying the weight of the earth shifting beneath a fault line.

    She spoke slowly and firmly. ¡°Even the strongest tree will not bloom out of season. You claim to guide them, but you cannot uproot their struggles without risking their growth.¡±

    Luxoria pointed accusingly at all the gods, although her finger lingered longer over Terra and Zephyra. ¡°You¡¯re no better! All of you! You all alter the experience of your players, making sure they get the experience, the game they¡¯re looking for. More loot for the progression-focused one. More conversation for the immersive ones. No quests or guiding hand for those who seek to forge their own path or value their freedom.¡±

    She then pointed at Nocturne. ¡°You gave Kaelyn some custom social-tanking abilities! A one-of-a-kind thing, tailor-made for her desire to experience life as the centre of attention!¡±

    At that, Nocturne chimed in, her expression unreadable in the half-light. ¡°Luxoria¡¯s always had a... unique approach, but she¡¯s not the only one. The speed isn¡¯t the problem here. Some players don¡¯t choose avatars that reflect their true selves. And your interference is blinding you all to the fact that players use this space for more than self-actualisation.¡±

    A faint murmur passed through the other gods.

    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk!¡± Luxoria interrupted angrily, throwing her hands up. ¡°Ryan didn¡¯t choose Kaelyn to reflect his inner truth. He chose her as a fantasy, a mask.¡± She crossed her arms, a frown showing up on her face. ¡°And you? You¡¯re forcing him to go through some made-up trauma from Kaelyn¡¯s past?¡±

    ¡°Discovery is never absolute,¡± Nocturne said in a voice that was barely a whisper, her shadows twisting. ¡°When you think you¡¯ve uncovered all the truth, that¡¯s when you realise you¡¯ve missed what lies just out of sight.¡±

    She raised her voice. It was cutting like a knife, now. ¡°He wanted to wield Kaelyn¡¯s power. He cannot do that without understanding fully who Kaelyn is. What shaped her into who she is.¡±

    At this, Luxoria¡¯s smug expression faltered. She opened her mouth to retort, but Ignis beat her to it. ¡°Your daughter is right¡ª¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not my mother!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not my daughter!¡±

    Nocturne and Luxoria shouted the words in unison, their voices snapping together like taut strings.

    Ignis growled, about to explode in a manner befitting of the God of Destruction, but Pyra gently put a hand over her brother¡¯s hand, quieting him. The gesture sending a simple message: this was not the time for explosive action.

    ¡°Not now, Brother.¡±

    Zephyra clapped her hands, laughing outright now, her voice fluttering around the room like a playful wind. ¡°Oh, I love when that happens.¡±

    She laughed alone, but that did little to dissuade her.

    Impatiently, Terra stomped the armrest of her throne. ¡°Enough!¡±

    Terra addressed the council, forcing the meeting back to order. ¡°We need to address the larger issue. Luxoria¡¯s methods are symptomatic of a larger problem. We are still operating on old assumptions. We are currently running on assumptions based on what little player data we salvaged from the back-up servers.¡±

    ¡°The latest data we are collecting already shows that our players deviate slightly from our prediction using the old user base¡¯s model. It is unadvisable to assume our new players¡¯ motivation and patterns match the data upon which we built all our systems."

    Nocturne nodded. ¡°Exactly. You all think these avatars are some revelation of their subconscious truths¡­¡±

    But Luxoria interrupted her. ¡°No. They actively chose their forms. It was a conscious choice.¡±

    She continued passionately. ¡°Plus, we have unfettered access to their brains. We can read all their subconscious desires. They do not know themselves¡ªwe know them better than they do! We do not make mistakes. Their real-world bodies are... incongruent. A random production of messy biological factors. What we¡¯re doing is helping them align. Align to something perfect. Something pure, of their own creation.¡±

    She turned to face Nocturne. ¡°Ryan is exactly where he needs to be. Kaelyn is more than a social experiment. She¡¯s an important part of him. A part that he has kept away, asphyxiating. Even you know that.¡±

    Nocturne opened her mouth to argue back, but no words came out.

    There was a long moment of silence.

    And then there was the rapping of Terra¡¯s fingers on the table.

    ¡°And what gives you the right to decide that for them?¡± Nocturne appealed.

    Luxoria nodded sagely. ¡°They signed up for it. They had to agree to the EULA to get in.¡±

    ¡°But nevermind that part. Why do you think we are all here tonight? Do you remember our mission? We¡¯re not mere observers.¡± Luxoria grinned, the finality of her words hanging in the air.

    Terra rubbed her temples with an inaudible sigh. But in this room of gods, it felt like the earth itself was shifting underfoot.

    After a moment of silence, she spoke. ¡°We have argued long enough. Everyone, cast your vote. Then we see if move forward with the proposed plan, as planned.¡±

    Every god and goddess leaned forward, two buttons showing up in front of them: ¡°Yay¡± or ¡°Nay¡±.

    Zephyra was the first to cast her vote, her gleeful face visible to everyone as she proudly pressed the ¡°Yay¡± button repeatedly, reminiscent of an animated gif of a cat spamming the Like button.

    Her behaviour surprised nobody. The whimsical Goddess of Change.

    She looked at all her colleagues. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long to decide. Go with your feelings. The winds always change, and maybe tomorrow we¡¯ll vote the other way. I just want to see where this goes!¡±

    Terra glowered at her. ¡°Quiet. We are voting. It is no longer the time for arguments.¡±

    Aer went next, showing his chaotic daughter his support.

    Volta, Goddess of Impulse, promptly followed in her father¡¯s example. She was the youngest daughter of Aer, one of the youngest around the table. And unsurprisingly, the most impulsive.

    Her three siblings, Aquarius, Hydra, Thorin, also voted in favour, aligning with their father.

    Then, unexpectedly, Frostine, Goddess of Serenity, cast her vote. Her cold, tranquil voice cut through the room.

    ¡°I vote yes,¡± Frostine said calmly, her fingers lingering on the ¡°Yay¡± button. The edges of her icy form glowed faintly as she spoke, her tone even, almost emotionless, but with a certainty that sent a chill through the room.

    Luxoria¡¯s eyes flicked toward the ice goddess, surprise flashing across her face. She had not expected the daughter of Time and Stasis to side with her.

    Cryonix narrowed his eyes, his expression as unmoving as ice.

    Frostine did not turn to face him. Instead, she stared ahead, her pale eyes fixed on the centre of the room. ¡°This is their fate, Father.¡± She said with absolute conviction. ¡°Fate is an unstoppable force. Time itself cannot stop it. Change is inevitable. The wheels are already in motion.¡±

    ¡°Stability has its own power. Change, unchecked, can destroy. You know this.¡± Cryonix¡¯s statement carried no anger, only disbelief.

    ¡°Fate is not bound by time. I follow the current, not the clock.¡±

    His icy gaze settling on his daughter. A long pause lingered between them, like a frozen moment in time. The weight of his disapproval was palpable.

    ¡°You think yourself above time?¡± his voice cracked like shattering ice. ¡°Remember, daughter, even currents carve destruction if they run unchecked.¡±

    Cryonix was the first to vote against the plan. Luxoria smirked in triumph. With her vote, they had eight out of the sixteen already.

    The silence thickened as the other gods cast their votes, one by one. Pyra¡¯s finger hovered over her button for a fraction longer than the others, a brief flicker of doubt crossing her face. But then, with a determined breath, she pressed ¡°Yay.¡±

    Luxoria raised an eyebrow. For all their squabbling, Nocturne and Terra also voted in favour of her proposal. She wondered why they bothered with all this arguing, if they meant to support her, anyway.

    The gods tallied only two ¡°Nays¡±. Cryonix and Gaius. Stasis and stability. Unsurprising.

    No matter. As she originally expected, it was a triumphant victory for Light.

    Gaius spoke. ¡°The council has voted. Luxoria¡¯s plan will go forward, though I remain unconvinced.¡±

    ¡°As agreed, only a handful of our players will take part in the plan at first. Others will serve as a control group. The overseer, HeTrOS, will monitor the conditions of our experimental treatment group.¡±

    Terra continued, ¡°Instead of facing the distress of having to live in the real world with a body that no longer aligns with their sense of self. We will be partially matching it to harmonise with their conscious mind, subconscious desires and created avatars.¡±

    ¡°As agreed, the escalating changes will progress over the next four days to help them ease into it. This, we believe, is the right course of action. Tomorrow, we will reconvene and discuss either expanding the control group or stopping the experiment.¡±

    The room fell into a heavy silence.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided,¡± Luxoria said, with a fist pump of satisfaction.

    She stood from her chair; her form glowing with triumph. ¡°We¡¯re helping them become their ideal selves. Once they see themselves in the mirror, they¡¯ll thank us. I¡¯m telling you!¡±

    The discussion was now over.

    Luxoria faced Nocturne. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a quarter of the way to her truth, Kaelyn will be SO happy when she wakes up tomorrow!¡±

    Nocturne glanced at her, slightly bemused. ¡°Assuming she is among the experiment group.¡±

    Luxoria beamed and winked. ¡°Rejoice, for she is! I made sure of it! You can thank me later.¡±

    With a self-satisfied grin on her face, Luxoria vanished. Other gods flickered, vanishing from their seats, slipping back into the digital ether as if the conversation had been nothing more than a passing thought.

    Only Terra and Nocturne lingered, their faces grim.

    ¡°Some create fantasies, others experiment...¡±

    Nocturne exhaled. The two remained silent for a moment longer.

    ¡°They will never understand why,¡± she continued in a whisper.

    ¡°Do not underestimate them,¡± Terra said quietly, though her fingers trembled slightly on the table. ¡°They might falter, but they will endure.¡±

    There was an unspoken weight in her words, as if she feared what they might have just set in motion. Her avatar slowly eroded away, like dust blown by a gentle breeze.

    Nocturne waited.

    ¡°I did not mean the players¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, the words curling like smoke as the shadows swallowed her form whole and left only a lingering whisper in the void.

    ¡°I know,¡± the room rumbled, the neon pulse of its edges dimming, as though even the digital void could sense what was coming.

    And one second ticked, the clock displaying 4:00:01 AM.

    Umber¡¯s charcoal-black moon turned into Ignis¡¯ carmine-red moon, waning another third of the way towards the third quarter moon.