[IC] Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

[Supermaxx]

Location: The Dungeon, -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

'I'm too late.'

Enos lay motionless atop a stalagmite, the rock jutting through his chest. Blood washed down the side of the stone structure- fresh, slick. The light had only just left his eyes before they'd arrived. Death was not an unfamiliar presence in Andrew's life. He'd been to more funerals than he cared to remember. But that was always so...sterile. A body in a casket didn't bleed. Didn't still have that look of terror and fear and regret trapped on its face. Graves had promised Andrew he'd save each and every one of these people, and he'd already failed.

A scream echoed from ahead of them, further in the room. It was Luci's.

'Not again.' Graves sucked in a breath. His body was shaking- all adrenaline, all rage, all regret. He started walking toward the door, slowing even as everyone else sprinted ahead. He reached an unsteady hand out toward where Enos lay. He was already gone now, both here in Pariah and in the real world beyond. What was his body but an empty shell of code?

An empty shell. That's all it was.

An empty shell full of blood.

It came tearing out of him in long, dancing streaks. Light glistened off it from fading torch light. The wound in Enos's chest expanded with a sickening series of snaps, opening up further avenues to drain his arteries dry. It all gathered around Graves's hand, crawled up his arm. It formed something akin to a dense gauntlet of not-quite-liquid that reached just below his shoulder.

"Sorry, pal. I'll...I'll keep the rest of 'em alive for ya. I promise." The words trembled upon his tongue. A hurricane built up in his chest. Emotion raged like torrents of rain, tore through his body like whipping winds. The enemy they faced was far greater than anything they had taken down so far. It was a demon of earth, of green, of ravenous hunger. And it had killed another man right in front of them.

Aaginim was tossed aside like a broken toy. Limp, unmoving, and covered in his own blood. He'd fallen trying to protect the rest of his party. If they'd been there even a few minutes faster...

No time to think like that. No time to think at all. So many of the others were either fallen or close to it. Kazuki was rushing in to get at Priscilla's side. Alja was all fire and fury as she charged the creature head on, even as it reached out for her-- to do to her what it had already done to Aags. She was strong- stronger than most of them- but that towering titan of stone wasn't something she could muscle her way through. Not alone.

Graves ran forward to her side, slamming his shoulder into the demon's earthen grasp. He didn't bother with his weapon; it wasn't much use against that armored hide. His hands wrapped about a pair of the creature's fingers, each of which was maybe the size of his head. And he pushed back against it. Straining, screaming, pushing with all his might. Every muscle in his arms and chest burned, straining until they threatened to break.

Enos helped him hold the line.

"Nuke it!" He bellowed at the woman beside him. "Nuke it with everything you've god damn got!"

[Mcmolly]

Location: The Dungeon -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

“You know, I had a dream the other night that I was a shipwreck. The S.S. Missy, right there at the bottom of the ocean, lost in this forest of seaweed. And I was old, you know? Like, I’d been there for so long that I’ve got algae growing all over me, and mollusks on my hull. Inside me there’s this whole, complex ecosystem of coral, and anemones, and those, uhm, those spiny things. You know what I’m talking about? Spiny—sea urchins!. And all the time I had fish coming and going, big old schools of’em, every kind. Sharks, too, and octopi, and now and then a whale would drift over me and I’d hear this deep, lonely crooning that shivered the rust off me.” She took a bite of bread, then tore off a small chunk and tossed it to the ducks gathered in the river below. “But there was this huge hole blown in my side, like someone had shot me with a cannonball and I thought ’huh, that’s weird. What did that? Cause it’s a dream, right? Maybe I’m a boat with amnesia, I dunno. Anyway, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Like, clearly this is what had sunk me, don’t I have the right to know how it happened? Who’d done it? Why? Then out of nowhere this anchor drops next to me, and I see these people diving down into the seaweed. At first I was thrilled. They were gonna fish me up, and figure out what had happened to me. But then I thought about all the fish, and the mollusks, and the sea urchins. The whales. And I got really sad. And then I woke up.”

“Missy?”

“Hm?”

“You sleep too much.”

--

When the shock left her, Seele moved quickly. The options cycling in her mind where nearly too fast to grasp, the choices too varied—the consequences, too dire. A mistake here, even just a simple misjudgment, could prove fatal to any of them. The bodies were already too many. The bodies…

This was not the time for doubt. If the punishment for erring was going to be severe, then she simply refused to err. As she had chambers ago, when the announcement had been made, Seele doffed her panic, her anxiety, her fear. They were as silly and impractical to her now as her hat. She needed clarity, and focus, and to be unencumbered.

She did not think of the dead.

As the demon reared on Alja, Seele snapped her fingers and a darkly shimmering barrier coalesced around her tank. With her other hand, she took aim at the beast with her finger gun and invoked the Fivefold Path again. Anger. She didn’t know its resistances, the hit to its strength could have been negligible, but experience had taught her the value of even the most minor of buffs and debuffs.

And speaking of.

The Shackles manifested about her wrists. She’d shed the pilfered amulet back in the goblin room. Between it and Kazuki’s pleasantly catchy lyre-work, she felt perfectly healthy, and going into this she was glad to have more of that strange, arcane will to pull from. Her spell-power took a hit—a feeling she still had trouble articulating; it was somewhere between bodily exhaustion and the mental withering of inadequacy—but she ignored it and brought her fingers back up. The chains made it impossible to dual-target, so she’d have to quick-fire with just the one.

The imaginary cylinder of her finger-gun spun, clicked shut. She abandoned the Path and embraced the Thrill. Her first target was Alja again. Her thumb flexed, and she shot the icy warrior a buff to her strength, and what portion of it the Shackles weakened, Seele supplemented with her own. The feeling that left her with was much easier to describe: weak. But she didn’t need muscles right now.

Next in her sights was Leaves, who caught a minor buff to her agility. Seele kept her stat on that one, in case she needed to move and move with what little nimbleness she had. To compensate, she snapped her fingers and supplied the archer with a Shackle-diminished shield. The chains grew weaker. Seele felt her power simmering, nearing a boil.

She saw Graves rush in, arms viciously blooded, and grab the demon’s hand away from Alja. His grip held, but for how long? The look on his face was anguish and fury and relentless, suicidal determination.

Seele ripped her hands out wide and the chains shattered. Dark-bright light flared in her eyes, and she lifted one hand up against some unseen weight. Absolution. The ghostly violet mist encircled Graves’ feet, crawled up his armor and for the a single, fleeting moment, the guilt that weighed heavy on his shoulders lifted away. Strength flooded him like foreign blood, and somewhere in the furthest reaches of his mind there was a soft, unintelligible whisper. Promise me…

That done she refocused on the demon. The Broken Chains were fading from Absolution, and as the saying went: “Use it or lose it.”

She jutted a single finger out at it, evoking for a moment the very image of a spiteful witch cursing its victim. The Path was walked, there was only one way ahead. Guilt.

A wicked bolt of devilish light arced from her fingertip and struck the beast through. No damage had been done, but if it failed to resist, it would suffer the weight of all five debuffs her Path had to offer, which she hoped would be enough to help her allies get a foothold against it.

The effect of her chains vanished as quickly as the light, and a sudden, terrible sensation of brittleness washed over her. Acceptance. She nearly fell to her knees, only just managing to stay upright. Something screamed at her in her mind, she shut it out.
youpromisedyoupromisedyoupromisedyoupromisedyoupromisedyoupromisedyoupromisedyoupromisedyoupromised
Despite how shattered her own defenses were, she still felt a decent chunk of her will remaining, enough at least to press on. Good. She had a feeling this fight was going to run the wind out of them.

[Lemons]

---

Alja was still reeling from their discovery of Enos' body when the demon's glare was fixed upon her, and she froze on the spot. The way it had just...tossed Aag aside like so much trash...she wondered then, in a rare moment of total fatalism, if that was the fate that awaited them all. She would've been prepared to fall back to the party again, regroup, come up with some kind of plan for the thing, honest. But something had grabbed hold of her mind when they were just outside of the demon's chamber and wouldn't let go.

A shriek.

Luci's shriek.

Her eyes had widened fractionally for a moment. Her stomach had leapt into her throat. She'd thought her heart stopped beating. And she'd took off running, and searching.

THERE! On the other side of the chamber, she could see Luci. Just faintly--kneeling over Aaginim's broken, battered tin can of a corpse. Alja's lips parted and a faint gasp floated out.

Luci.

And following her gasp was a scream at the top of her lungs; a scream to bloody her throat; a scream to rend the world:

"LUCI!"

No response. And she was galvanized into movement, dashing straight for Luci. She didn't know what she would do. She didn't know what she could do. More than likely? Nothing. But still...the image of Luci she'd etched into her mind back at the start of this whole thing--how happy she'd looked--she fixed that in her mind. Maybe Luci would never be person again. More than likely, she'd fall into a deep depression without Aag. And she might never come out. But Alja would be damned if she let her go down that dark pit without a fight first.

She was maybe halfway, scrambling across the jagged stones of the chamber's floor, when the demon lumbered in front of her, cutting her off. Her eyes snapped open, and her throat bulged. But what emerged wasn't a shriek, like when the administrator had announced...death. It wasn't a cry, like when she'd attacked the dire bat. It wasn't a scream, as it had been just a moment ago. No. What emerged from Alja's mouth was a laugh. A curtain of red fell in front of her eyes. And her stride didn't break. Glacier Chain came off her back. She knew, in the back of her mind, that she was certainly going to die, as the demon's hand pulled back to strike her. But in that moment, with fury boiling in her blood, she didn't even care.

And then the claw, so close to her, bounced away, and Graves emerged at her side, pushing it back as she stared for just a moment. Then, the red curtains returned. A wild grin came to her, and she laughed again in the demon's face.

"Nuke it! Nuke it with everything you've god damn got!"

The laugh grew louder, then abruptly cut off. Her voice radiated a cold deeper than anything she'd felt. "You got it."

A bubble of purple light wrapped around her, and at the same time, she felt her strength grow. Her muscles were reinvigorated. It felt amazing. Tundra Glass wrapped her flail, and it hummed a killing-song around her as she whirled it and struck. The THOOM reverberated through the room. Shards of broken ice, sharp as glass, sliced across her skin, but she paid them no mind. She ducked under the hand as it came back, slid underneath it, then struck again, Glacier Chain rising and falling with the force of a meteor. Another whirl and crack, and a wave of ice slashed up the demon's side. It shattered on its skin--it didn't even seem to damage it--but she laughed madly all the same, even as exhaustion began to nip at her heels. It felt good. It felt right.

Nuke it.

Leaping back, she began to spin her flail above her head. Slowly at first, then faster. And faster. And faster. Her throat swelled again, and Alja unleashed a guttural, bloody-spittled roar of pure rage as the vibrations of her flail began to split the air. It shivered, and all around her, great needles of ice began to form. And though they started small--a crown of frigid swords around her head--they soon swelled, until the air around her grew cold, filled with the chilling sound of growing ice.

One.

The crust of ice continued to grow, and her feet left the ground, suspending her in the air. She rose until she reached a height at which she could look down at the demon instead of up. Her eyes began to gleam a frigid pale blue.

Thousand.

With a blur of frantic motion, the fractured needles of ice hovering through the air suddenly solidified, arranging themselves into a dizzying array of spears that glecamed with a fragmented and terrible light. The glow in her eyes grew brighter, now; enough to notice from down on the ground as a swelling nova of icy light.

Shining.

Another blur of motion; as one, the spears pulled back, taking up position behind her. Her eyes were entirely blotted out now, and the light that they cast ricocheted among the floating shards, casting Alja in a blazing corona. Her flail still spun.

And then she dropped as though carried by a thousand pounds, slamming her flail into the stones hard enough to crack them with a sound like thunder.

TEETH.

And all at once, the spears descended.

[mickilennial]

Location: The Dungeon, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

"Priscilica, can you hear me?"

There was an aching dullness in the back of Priscilica’s head. Like the kind of thing you’d get after a bad night of drinking. She felt someone call out to her as he eyes fluttered open and found herself being stirred from her slumber.

“K-Kazuki?” She managed, weakly at first before the sound of screaming and the demon’s terrible, terrible bellowing voice.

The immediacy became clear to her as she pressed her hands against the cold stone floor, brows narrowed as she hastily spun through her spellbook. She had no time to grumble about how glad she was that they had shown up before the monster could take down more of them; no time to grumble about them being late. The pink-haired spellcaster had managed to melt off the creature’s first layer of armor after he sent Enos flying across the room.

With her energy restored, maybe just maybe, together they could put it down before it took more of her friend’s lives. Before she had passed out Enos was already dead and Aaginim had thrown himself in front of Luci when the monster honed in on her as his next target. Her eyes moved to Luci crying over her fiance’s body before she stood up alongside Kazuki as ice began to fall upon the creature.

“Go to Luci. I’m okay.” She said as she began channeling magic. “We’ve gotta put this thing down.”

Priscilica looked closer at the damage the monster was withstanding. Dark magic. High-level frost magic. Earlier with a massive fire spell. Her eyes jotted across the room as the other group piled into the room, offering their support and then it laid on Siegfried and his sister, Sif. Using a low amount of her magical energy… of her stamina, Priscilica rose two fingers to her temple with the two in clear view. Divination Magic was all utility and she didn’t use it much, but given the circumstances of the glitch apparently learning the Secret Message spell had its uses; all it required was a little bit of magic and eye contact. She told the two of them how this was their moment. How this was the group’s only chance to bring it down.

As Sif began channeling magic through her sword and Siegfried came running in with his halberd, Priscilica smiled. The appearance of the other group and her getting back to her feet had increased morale just enough to influence everyone’s fighting spirit again.

Both of Priscilica’s hands caught fire as her eyes turned crimson and orange.
-
-
-
-

Location: The Dungeon, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

“God damn you!!!!”

Her brother’s ‘warcry’ as he rushed to attack the creature unnerved her, but Sif knew this was the end of the road unless they adapted perfectly. When the creature had grabbed Aaginim and crushed him she had lost it, though she had not gone nearly catatonic like Luci had.

Not that she blamed her.

Had it been Siegfried and not Aaginim, she would’ve been devastated. Truly, she wouldn’t have known how to react. She grabbed a mana draught from her pockets and downed it as she positioned herself where she could better see the rest of the party. Alja was laughing, manic and crazed by the creature and what he had done to her friends. Or that’s the impression she got from overhearing Luci and Leaves talk about her. At the very least, mathematically speaking, she would only lose two friends today. Assuming that the numbers worked in their favor.

Alja. Benkei. Rael. Kalie. Graves. Alex.

Those were the moderate damage-doers. Seele was support like she was. Kazuki was a healer. She aimed her sword like a gun at Alja and Graves as ice began raining down upon them. Sif wasn’t a healer, but she knew a few spells that could benefit the two of them, especially as it appeared that Alja was using all of her energy to bring the creature down.

“May your energy be restored.” She muttered. “Vigorous Restoration!”

A magical ‘bullet’ shot through the two of them from Sif’s blade, restoring their stamina in an instant. Though it did nearly cause Sif to lose her footing. She had never done it on two people at once, let alone post-glitch. Enos and Priscilica had made sure she conserved her “mana” during the crawl so that she’d have her wits about her. She just wished her wits would’ve made up for something. Had Enos not pushed her out of the way she would’ve been the one thrown into a stalagmite, gasping for air. She cursed at herself; this was not the time to blame herself for tactical mistakes.

She spun her sword to a different position before slamming it down on the stone floor, the echoing ‘cling’ causing magic to surge through the floor.

“Armor of the Unseen Eye!” She called out as her hand shuffled in her pockets for another draught. As she slumped back against a wall she smiled content as two bubbles of arcane energy surrounded Graves, Siegfried, and Alja. They would be able to take a few strikes from the monster, but it wouldn’t last long. Hopefully... it'd be enough.

“You alright down there?” She heard Leaves’ shout from the platform above her.

“Y-Yep!” Sif lied as she felt the strain despite drinking her second draught in one-go. She wasn’t as experienced as everyone else and her spells were sustained spells, which in the “hacked version” of the game meant that it required her to keep her focus and stay awake. She hadn’t ever held armor of the unseen eye sustained for longer than a few minutes before nor had she ever done it on so many people. But she had to.

She had to.

[DruSM157]

Location: The Dungeon -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

This wasn’t happening. It was a-

-all a dream.

Kazuki opened his eyes to sunlight, birds and the warm rays on his face. “What’s going on?”

“Finally, he’s awake.” The snarky voice came from behind. Prisilica

“Kazuma, I was worried about you!” Kazuki smiled, kneeling down by his brother. “But it’s all okay now.”

Kazuma looked around him, and he saw everyone standing around. Aaginim and Luci, standing close to each other. Atlas, his arms crossed. Enos grinning, whilst eyeing up the various girls in the party. Leaves, Sif, Siegfried. Everyone was okay. And behind him, his party, all sitting around, eating and drinking as if they were on a picnic.

“The games moderators fixed the hack. Everyone’s okay now.” Aaginim smiled, and looked over the group. “And I’ve got to say. I’m impressed. Everyone did amazing today. I think this dungeon was a great test, and everyone passed with flying colors. Welcome to Mystic Prophecy.” Everyone cheered, and Aaginim offered Kazuma a hand to help him onto his feet. “You were a great leader.”

”Hey! Why don’t I get a compliment like that?” Siegfried yelled, crossing his arms. “I didn’t do too bad either!”

“You’ve got a long way to go before you can call yourself good, though,” Kazuma smirked. Seig yelled, and fussed, but everyone in the group laughed. The sun shined brightly, the wind blew a cool and calming breeze, and things were right.

Benkei opened his eyes to death. To pain. And to the anguish of his allies. Their formation broke quickly as Kazuki dashed to Prisilica’s aid. Benkei yelled, but it fell on deaf ears. Their healer was preoccupied. Graves was busy with Enos; who was dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. They were all going to die. Graves then attacked, Alja charged, Seele raged.

Aaginim was limp on the ground. Enos was impaled. Atlas was...gone. Siegfried, Sif and Leaves fought. Priscilia was alive.

But Aaginim was dead.

Enos was dead.

You will die. Not your character. Not your avatar. You will die. The words of the moderators swirled in his head.

You.

Benkei gripped his greatsword’s hilt with every ounce of strength.

Will.

He ran forward behind the group attacking. The world shook. It wasn’t from the monster. No, his own body was fighting him. His breath was labored. He struggled to keep in air. Everything was slowing down in his head.

Die.

He slammed his blade into the ground. “Earthen Sprites. Give me EVERYTHING you have." Every ounce of stamina he had, he poured into this strike. His body shook, his heart pounded. His muscles screamed in pain as he delved deep into every reserve he had.

It wouldn’t be multiple spikes. It wouldn’t be pointed at his allies. It came from beneath. From the earth and stone directly beneath the monster. A stone spire, pointed and aimed to pierce, came from beneath the boss. Benkei screamed. It was a scream of rage. It was a scream of pain. It was a scream of anguish.

This was real. And Benkei screamed because of how much it horrified him.

[Landaus Five-One]

Location: The Dungeon, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Kalie had taken Benkei’s advice to heart since it wouldn’t be honestly a good idea not to use her aoe spells. She would have to make sure there were no allies in the way to use it, though. It wouldn’t belong to finish up the dungeon since they finished up with the second last room. She agreed with Benkei and the others it wouldn’t be the time to divvying things up right now. It wasn’t the right time since they had to meet up with Aag’s group. ’ Thank god, we are close to the boss now. I do hope everyone in Aag’s group is alright.’ Kalie thought, with a slight bit of unease in her steps. She was mentally fatigued because something was gnawing on her mind. It was like, all she needed was one push over the edge, or she’ll be catatonic, but she tried to stay strong, primarily for everyone’s sakes.

It took strength to keep her smile up, which was no longer sinister anymore with all that was happening. Kalie was terrified of what everyone would find. She could hear fighting, which means the final boss is being engaged by Group A. It slightly felt as if everyone would be reunited soon. She breathed a sigh of relief, but the shock of her life happened right then and there; it was Enos’ corpse impaled on the rock formation. It completely shocked her to the core of her being, since the first one who noticed Enos’ dead, lifeless body was Benkei. ’ No. No. No. It can’t be… I should never have… I should never have… God… Damn… It… I am a fool… A big idiot… Enos… Why did you have to die? I wanted to apologize to you… for being such a bitch… and now… I can’t… apologize to you...’ Kalie thought with tears rolling down her cheeks. It took a familiar scream, which was Luci’s, for her to snap out of her state of close to utterly breaking down in tears. She had people to save but did notice Alja running directly into the room.

Kalie calmed herself down and regathered her strength to go to the boss’ room. It didn’t take too long to notice some of her teammates engaged the boss directly, Alja, Graves, and Benkei. Alja was going completely mad; with laughter, it creeped her out; she had never seen Alja do that, in all honesty. Everyone else was doing their best to defeat the boss, which she should do too. However, in the corner of her eyes, she did notice Luci and Aaginim’s body lying on the ground. It shocked her to the core, but there were more important things like defeating the stone behemoth in front of them. ’ Not him too. I wanted to be at their wedding… but, no. Why does this have to happen? God damn it...’ Kalie thought to herself. She wanted to hold herself together, but it was becoming harder and harder; her mental capacity for all this sadness was overwhelming her.

It didn’t take much, but Kalie was at her wit's end, but all she wanted to do was annihilate the boss to make sure no one else dies. She moved to touch her scythe and specifically moved her hand over the other enchantment on it, which will activate the other ability. She remembers how eerie this weapon is, but she had to say an incantation for both abilities from the Scythe. ” May the darkness shrouds me in the essence of being able to be silent and deadly.” Kalie said slightly under her breathe, but she was heavily annoyed. The Scythe’s enchantment activated when saying the words to activate it, which caused it to pulse. Anyone near her could hear an unnerving sound; as the Scythe pulses, they could hear her heartbeat echo from it. The Shroud of Darkness shrouds Kalie in impenetrable darkness, which dissipates any noise around her. It felt different from all the other times she’d used the Shroud of Darkness. She did feel safer but at the cost of hearing her heartbeat as if it’s the only thing she could hear. ’ This… is… scary. I want to help everyone.’ Kalie thought to herself.

Kalie did the only thing right with the shroud being up, which would be the need to find a way behind the monster. She also needed to make sure no one is in the course of her so she can at least use her Dark Crescent Slash. It’s the least she can do for everyone else, better the demon than anyone else. The Shroud does afford her the time to look around her surroundings to make sure she keeps out of the way of everyone. While she is trying to get behind it, all she wants is to end the creature. ’ You fucker, you are going to be paying with every single ounce of hate I have for you.’ Kalie thought with her focus specifically on the Beast itself. In this case, Kalie decided to use her Assassination Mark on the demon. An eerie aura, to all the other debuffs, that Seele cast on the terror. The aura is specifically a silverish greenish glow that pulses every so often to show it’s active. It increases the potency of attacks from the rear, which would be useful now since Sig is engaging it from the side she wants to engage. Thankfully, the Assassination Mark stays up as long as she hasn’t hit it. It did take some stamina to cast it, but it was because she wants to make sure it’s going to be crumbled.

In the back of her mind, she wondered how everyone would deal with the aftermath of what’s going on. It didn’t take her too much to notice that Atlas was no longer with Aag’s group, which was saddening. Kalie had assumed the monster in front of her, the big stone demon, had killed him. It felt like the most logical estimate for what her mind was going through.

[Hero]

---

---

Good, Priscilica was up. The possibility of victory was rising slowly but steadily, especially as the party wailed on the demon. Kazuki had to lift an arm as Alja's attack caused a whirl of snow to blow around the room. What an attack--and she wasn't the only one. There was no hesitation on anyone's end, everyone giving it all they had. Priscilica was no exception, clearly ready to back into things. She told him to go to Luci and Aaganim, though he had to admit his initial response was a grim one. No, he shouldn't give up on him yet. If there was even the slightest chance of success, then he had to take it.

"Understood," Kazuki replied, taking off into another run towards the pair. Despite the monster being occupied, it was clear that it could turn back towards him at any moment, his decision solidified as he finally reached Luci and Aaganim. "Tcetorp dna cigam ym esir!" The barrier erupted upwards around the three of them, touching over them and forming a protective dome with a beehive design that shimmered quietly in the light. He was all too aware it was going to expend his energy to keep it up, but he'd try to have it for as long as possible.

Seeing Aaganim up close was unsettling--the demon had crushed him in his hand like the metal of his armor was a tin can. He couldn't dwell on the thought for too long, immediately putting himself to work and checking Aaganim's pulse. Rapid and irregular, that wasn't a good sign. Healing Touch's glow formed on his hands and he placed them as close to his chest as he could. He didn't know what the extent of the damage was, although most of his surface wounds slowly regenerated themselves. Aaganim's breathing didn't improve, and after checking his pulse again, he realized his heartbeat was still irregular.

Kazuki didn't understand, Healing Touch was more effective than any other spells he had. So far it had also brought everyone up to normal, so why wasn't Aaganim improving? He was missing something but he didn't know what, the rules of the game had changed so much that he wasn't sure what he could do anymore. Maybe he wasn't as effective as he thought he was--his best skills were music based and his combat skills left much to be desired. But Rael had definitely suffered a few broken bones before and he was able to heal her, so what was different this time?

His answer came as he checked Aaganim's pulse once again, his magic fading from his hands immediately after. Can't very well heal a corpse no matter how much magic he had. He stared down at Aaganim, deaf and blind to the rest of the room. It had been stupid to maintain that shred of optimism--he knew the second they stepped in that Aaganim was a goner.

Slowly looking up at Luci, he almost couldn't bare the shame. But even in his failure he had to come to terms with the truth: "There's nothing I can do anymore. He's dead."

---

---

[mickilennial]

Location: The Dungeon, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

I know you hate right turns.

The sentence echoed in Annalise’s head.

It had done so since she had heard them; seen them. It was a dumb joke Dorian had said as they entered the dungeon together. It was a decision that had cost them three lives. Yet, there was a stirring storm of emotions beginning to settle in the back of the blonde-haired woman’s mind. Benkei had ushered his group through the entire rightmost section of the dungeon with no casualties. What would’ve happened if she had tasked them to go left? If she never had this habit for getting lost? Why did he deserve to die? Why did Benkei get to live? It wasn't fair.

She bit her lip. Had she called off the dungeon in spite of the engagement he would still be with her. Atlas wouldn’t have had his head crushed by an ogre’s club. Enos wouldn’t have been impaled on a stalagmite. It was her fault they went into the dungeon unprepared. It was her fault they didn’t call off the raid. It was her fault that he rushed in front of her to save her from being eviscerated by the demon before her. She had frozen up for the first time in the game and it cost her everything.

Not even Kazuki’s frantic rush to her side to heal her fiancé could save him. She knew that he was gone as soon as she heard the snap. But her heart… her heart held out in desperation. The way healing now worked based on her observations in Enos healing Siegfried became pretty clear. It was a painful thing, your bones snapping back in place as your flesh became one. But Kazuki’s healing abilities were either not advanced enough or he was seconds too late. It did not stop the words he said to her from hurting any less.

"There's nothing I can do anymore. He's dead."

The green-eyed Canadian looked to the Japanese man before her with tears in her eyes and a look of utter devastation.

“You should’ve been here. All of you.” She said without hesitation, “We needed you sooner. You failed us. You failed him.”

It wasn’t a fair statement. Leaves and Priscilica would likely not have agreed with her saying it. But it felt good to say it as she grabbed Kazuki by his shoulders.

“I’ll never forgive you.”

[HokumPocus]

Location: The Dungeon -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

"Mmphf."

Alex wiped his face in a sloppy series of movements that only seemed to make things worse, mixing the blood that congealed on his sleeves with hot tears and snot that ran wild. The fury that radiated through his body was overwhelming, to the point he was sure it was the angriest he'd been in his life. It was the type of anger that caused a crash of involuntary physical reactions with it, the kind that would have left him shaking had it not been for the single, unified desire between every thought in his mind to hurt what was causing it.

It was enormous, large on a scale you'd only see towering over silhouettes of adult men in diagrams, or museum skeletons that were stories high. He realized he'd never taken Pariah's threats seriously before it became a true struggle of life and death. That thing was terrifying, gigantic on a level he had never truly comprehended prior to that point. It was the sort of monster that would terrorize a child in a nightmare, the sort where if they tried to run away, they'd find their movement sluggish, as if suspended in thick liquid, unable to do anything but close their eyes until the pain stopped.

Another charged arrow struck the shoulder of that abomination and seemed to have barely scratched the surface. It made Alex remember the nightmares he once had as a child, ones where he tried so hard to fight back, only to fail. He suppressed those thoughts just as he suppressed his entire body lashing out. Not for accuracy, as that demon's size had made that of little concern, but for himself. He had to brace himself for his newest plan, the one rational thought among a new and animalistic state of mind that had overtaken him in combat once more. There were two sides, one he was in and one he wasn't. Both sides would try as hard as possible to kill the other. His mind didn't repeat that thought but rather embodied it, overpowering any negative emotion besides the anger that steadied every nerve in his body.

An arrow began to form in his fingertips. The others were working faster than him, taking bigger risks. As a ranged attacker he could use that to his benefit. Keeping the arrow drawn, he let it swell further and further, to an almost blinding shade of emerald green. He just had to ignore the thoughts of watching his the others get mutilated in front of him one by one. His role was to provide as much damage as possible, and he had been granted precious time to do just that with no immediate danger.

"Kill or be killed," he muttered, voice barely audible. Was he responding to something another person had shouted out, or addressing one of the dozens of horrible thoughts that swarmed his mind? He didn't know. As he uttered the words a trickle of saliva dripped and mingled with blood that wasn't his around his chin. The emerald light made every streak and stain on his face glow in an almost sinister light.

The arrow had swelled so far it was crackling now, enveloping his entire body in light. He'd never done this before, he realized. There was always some other threat that needed to be taken care of, or some tank that had neglected to guard him for long enough. But he wasn't afraid about it. His feelings were different, ones that radiated with the light surrounding him. They were dreamlike, almost. Ones that yearned to kill the bad monster.

His body crashed from the recoil and energy expenditure as he set the arrow streaking like a meteor. Although he didn't see the blast, he heard it, giving him the strength to get back up. He was going to do it again, no matter how many times it would take.

[Supermaxx]

Location: The Dungeon, -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Hell rained from on high. Magic flung from all corners of the room, detonating against the monstrosity's chest like a series of atom bombs. Boom, boom, boom. A fireball the size of semi-truck. A giant, crescent-shaped slash that consumed all light. Arrows that hit like cruise missiles. An earthen cleaver, aimed to split the demon in half. A curse so foul it crumbled even rock. And a thousand frozen teeth delivered from the sky like judgement from God.

Snow fell all around Graves. It gathered in fine piles 'round him, stained red. Every breath was a labor. Every attempt to push himself back to his feet ended in him collapsing back to his knees. It was all he could do to keep the darkness from closing around his vision. Pain wracked every inch of his body, digging its cruel fingers into every nerve it could find. Needling him. Prodding. Searching for that place to destroy him completely-- that spot it could carve into to keep him down.

That was a fools' errand.

"Hell of a haymaker you got there." He sucked in a breath, leaning his weight against Alja's. She was nearly as beaten up his him, though little of it showed; all the damage she'd done was on the inside. But it was worth it. God damn had it been worth it. Arnaakus s was stumbling, now. Its armor cracked, its will to fight diminished. Everyone still standing was wailing on it with all they had left.

He wrapped a hand 'round her bicep best he could, pulling up on it. "How 'bout we kill this thing n' go get that drink you talked about, huh?" He sniffled. The bloody gauntlet wrapped around his hand shifted, shrank, tightened. Part of it folded away into his pores and flowed into his bloodstream, granting new life to a battered body. Bits of ice were pushed out of his back by regrown skin and muscle. She had a hell of a haymaker, for sure. "Up we go. Together."

More of the gauntlet broke off, flowing up around his shoulders and down his other hand-- restoring Alja as best it could. Fatigue wasn't something he could fix; not as well as Sif could. But he hoped what he knew of restoration magic could get one'a their best and brightest back on her big, ugly feet so they could finish this monster the fuck off.

Graves stuck his sword into the stone and lifted himself back to his feet. Everyone else was hitting the demon with everything they had. They were working themselves to the bone to tear off layer after layer of its arcane armor, hoping to expose whatever core lay at its center. Whatever bit kept that creature going. There had to have been something fleshy in there; the thing had eyes like anything else.

It was the only vulnerable bit that he could see, so that was where he'd be going. He hefted that great, wicked blade onto his shoulder and began his march forward. He picked up speed as he went, getting faster and faster as he grew closer. The other front liners would ensure the center held-- they had to, or every single one of them was going to die. Most of them had lives to go back to. Most of them couldn't risk losing it all in a hellish place like this.

Rock climbing wasn't something Andrew did a lot of back on the other side. Once or twice he'd gone with his older brothers, only to get humiliated each time; he wasn't strong enough to pull his weight up like they could. Wasn't dexterous enough to leap like a fucking frog up a vertical cliff.

Graves bounded up Benkei's pillar with one hand behind his back.

Fatigue and pain tore at his fingers but he kept holding on, forcing himself to climb. He planted his foot in the pillar just as he reached its apex and leapt up toward Arnaakus. His fingers brushed stone yet they found no purchase. Panic filled his chest. He dropped his sword, flinging his other hand 'round to grasp the beast's leg. There he dangled precariously, blood pounding in his ears. This was maybe the stupidest thing he'd ever done. He swung up, grabbing onto the torso, and continued to climb.

Something was screaming at him from down below. What they were saying was lost on him; lost in that pounding headache and the screeching in his inner ear. Something deep in his center kept him pressing ahead, despite it all.

Climbing wasn't the hard part. There were plenty of handholds on its body- plenty of sharp, craggy bits to stick himself to. The hard part was holding on for dear life as the titan flung itself around in the midst of battle. It was like they'd taken the rock climbing wall, put it on wheels, and shoved it down a hill. That wasn't even to mention the thing clawing at him all the while. Tearing, snapping, trying to get a grasp on him. Graves shrunk as best he could, pressing ahead.

Graves scrambled up its back. He climbed, dodging past another claw. Just the wind of it swinging by his head was damn near enough to send him tumbling off. He gripped his handholds all the tighter, pushing on until he reached its head. A hand went to his belt. Shaking, terrified. He could see his sword laying on the ground far too many feet below. Heights. Fuck.

The only weapon he could find was a glass bottle full of odd colored liquid. One of the potion he'd snagged from Rael. It'd have to do. He broke the thing in his hand and reached up over Arnaakus's head, shoving a bunch of glass into its eye with all the strength he could muster. The demon let out a roar to shake the world and finally got a hold of him. It pulled Graves off its back and began to squeeze his tiny, fleshy body.

[mickilennial]

Location: The Dungeon, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

“Are you actually scared?”

“No. Not really.”

“You’re some kind of monster aren’t you?

“I—”

“Raaaaaghhhhhh!”

Rael frowned as she dodged underneath a falling piece of debris, rolling forward as she looked up at the creature before her.

Everyone was fighting. Giving everything they had. Kazuki had gathered Priscilica to her feet who had started to channel her fire magic at the earthen demon. Glaciers fell from the air as another mound of the demon’s ‘armor’ fell to the stone floor. Siegfried had taken up the flank, prying off armor from the things legs. Kalie and Alex’s strikes were causing havoc, but most of all one lone lunatic decided to go for the obvious weak points. One idiot who had dropped his sword.

The red-haired girl nearly gasped as Graves found himself in a similar situation to Aaginim. Within that heartless demon’s fingers.

However, unlike Aaginim Graves’ had Sif’s magic to protect him from being crushed in an instant, though Rael knew it wouldn’t hold for long. She thought about how it would feel to lose someone on her watch like Luci and the others had. She had promised Kalie that she wouldn’t let her die. She didn’t have any strong connection to anybody in the raid. She didn’t have a sibling. She didn’t have a strong friendship or crush. She didn’t even have much more than a begrudging respect. Yet she still had made a promise, an oath; and for some reason that meant something to her.

She held her spear back, channeling her enhancement and lightning magic in unison. The demon was stumbling and in pain, so she’d have one shot at pulling off a last-ditch effort. It was here that she understood what her target was as she pressed her feet back against the stone as the cracking of the barrier around Graves could be audibly heard.

“Sif! Seele!” She called out as a boom of thunder cracked underneath her legs and she was sent flying like a bullet toward the demons other eye.

She had no time to communicate. All she could do is they would give her one last buff as she made for the demon’s eye as her body became absolutely surrounded in the crackling of lightning and wind. Everything became dull and numb, the world blurred as the sound of thunder cracked in the room like a loud ‘crack’ as she struck the eye as hard and as fast as humanly possible.

The monster screamed. Rael landed on the other side of the room, soaked in the demon’s blood. The only thing remaining of the creatures eye being that of a giant surging hole.

She looked back as the thing began to wobble. It was going to fall. Did she kill it? Probably not, but between her and the others they had enough damage to drop it. As she darted out of the path of its now-falling body, Rael’s mind had buried all of her doubts and anxieties. It was like charging the bat but way more euphoric. As the loud thud of the demon meeting stone, growling in horrible pain could be heard Rael took a breath as she turned as Kalie and the others made sure to finish it off. This wasn’t Rael’s moment, but at the very least she cleared the way for someone else’s.

“Tch.” She managed, spitting the demon’s blood as she moved over to where Graves had landed.

His barrier had held, but only long enough to break on the impact of his fall. Lucky.

She looked at him curiously with a dead expression as she was covered with the demon’s blood. She didn’t comment on his hail mary nor did she reflect why she had the urgency to save him. The loud digging sound of Kalie’s scythe meeting the demon’s head didn’t even make her flinch.

Arnaakus would be dead soon.

She couldn’t wait to get out of this damn dungeon.

[Landaus Five-One]

Location: The Dungeon, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

All that was going through Kalie’s head was finishing the demon that would what all the others would want. It was pure and unadulterated anger, sadness, pains in her heart with this dungeon bringing back up. She couldn’t go back to the bewilderment of roleplaying, not after all this pain and torment she went through in this dungeon. There was a pang of guilt in her chest that she will never see happiness or even apologize. However, she had a job to complete, and that was finishing off the monster that took Enos, Aaginim, and Atlas away from them. ” I hate you for all the people you took out, Demon.” Kalie spoke, slightly enraged at the monster. It was the only thing she could say, and she was barely thinking because of all the grief in her chest.

Kalie knew there was only one way to end this, and that would be her single target finishing move, Consuming Shadows. It specifically requires her to be in this position, where she digs into the neck of a monster with her Scythe. ” May the Consuming Darkness end your existence in one display of vengeance.” Kalie said with a smile. The spell activates and quickly starts changing the Scythe’s size to the same extent that the Dark Crescent Slash’s enchantment does. The blade is now pure obsidian, and the weapon's cutting power has become much more potent. In one swift motion, her edge is imbued with the ability to cut into a strong hide or made up of a pure primordial element. She cut the head off the demon completely, but then she felt everything leave her as if all her strength left her. It was emotionally a triumph, but her entire body kind of fell over completely out of stamina and had a smile on her face.

It was one of the few things Kalie felt accomplished finishing the demon off, but now she was in her dream world while lying there sleeping. It was a long journey, but thankfully the battle to leave the dungeon was done. ’ Sister, are you proud of me?’ Kalie thought to herself.

---

In the dreamworld, Dawn was sitting on her bed in her room all the way back to her parents' home. It was a quaint little home with her mother and father walking in and out until her sister walked in. Susan had a smile on her face to see Kalie back at home. ” Aww, why are you back at home, Dawn? I thought you were too busy at University to visit us.” Susan said. She had genuine compassion in her voice.

Dawn looked at her sister and put her hand over her chest, and sighed. ” Because I wanted to be, Susan. I missed you. Everything is terrifying without my older sister backing me up...” Dawn said seriously. She was worried for her sister, and everyone’s okay, always being the kind and helpful she is. It was an odd feeling will her sister say the words she had always wanted to hear but haven’t since all the time, not in her dreams. Not even realizing she is in a dream world right now.

Susan walked up to Dawn and gave her a tight hug. ” Little sister, you are sweet and kind, but you should be taking care of yourself more than worrying about others. As well, I love you.” Susan said. She smiled at her little sister, and then, the entire dreamworld stopped suddenly, making someone realize it was only a dream.

It didn’t take too long to realize one small problem in the dream world; Dawn realized it was a dream world. She knew what this Susan would say while the real Susan is cruel, a bitch, and never cared for her one bit. ” No. No… I want the kind and gentle older sister and not what she actually is. All the cruelty, bitchy, and never caring… Susan… No.” Dawn said. She was too much in tears to even try to hold them since it's not like her actual sister would be this nice.

---

In terms, if anyone was close enough to Kalie, they could hear her talk in her sleep by saying someone’s name. The name she spoke was her sister’s name, Susan. As well, Kalie had tears going from her sleeping body to down to the ground she fell on. She had never once ever reconnected with her sister after all the abuse she got from Susan. It hurt the most of all, even though there was much more trauma from her waiting. However, she was still sleeping but not in the right mind to speak, in tears because of something that happened in her childhood. If it weren’t for wanting vengeance, she would’ve killed the demon much slower and more painfully than a quick clean kill.

[Hero]

---

---

"You failed."

"You failure! You let us all down!"

“We needed you sooner. You failed us. You failed him.”

This must have been what they called an 'out-of-body' experience. He was pretty sure the demon could turn around and lop an arm off and he wouldn't have noticed or felt it. For him everything had stopped as all he could focus on was the woman in front of him, her accusation bringing up a myriad of memories and emotions he had locked away. Funny how the mind worked that way; all it took was the right combination of words to pierce through the wall people set up and delve deep into the shambled remains of regrets and 'what could have been's. Just a few words to make the heart race, to stir up panic, to bring down the full force of the reality of the situation.

“I’ll never forgive you.”

Luci looked like she was ready to shove him into the path of the demon out of hatred, and he had to admit, if that was her intention then he wouldn't stop her. It was easier to blame the closest person than accept what had happened. Maybe he should have tried to comfort her or explain he had been doomed before they got there--in the back of his mind, he wondered why their group had decided to take on the demon without waiting for them. But even he recognized that that would cause more problems.

Kazuki honestly had nothing he could say to remedy this because she was right. He failed. Kazuma had consistently insisted that he stop fooling around more times than he could count, reminding him that he had a job and that people were relying on him. But all Kazuki wanted to do was indulge himself a little, to use the dream-like land and time to get to do what he loved most without his father or teachers watching over and scrutinizing his every move. Except if he had actually applied himself and actually tried in his role, maybe he could have saved Aaganim.

Even while those thoughts ran through his head, however, all he could do was stare at the woman that had grabbed him. He could have at least tried to look sorry, but his expression was blank as always. Maybe it veered a little into shocked territory, but otherwise he was his usual self. He had failed and it had cost someone their lover. And of course there was the very bitter reality that even if he was around, he still would have failed. He wasn't as good a healer as Enos, he never would have been able to save anyone. They had gotten there by pure luck.

The noise of a battle ending seemed to resume time for Kazuki, but even then he never took his eyes off Luci. Even with all the rationale in the world, he couldn't blame her for her words. The barrier surrounding them slowly descended, fading away and putting them back on the field. The dismissal was unwilling--his concentration was lost and at this point whatever magic he had was probably dwindling. Of course, the barrier was the furthest thing from his mind.

After what felt like an eternity, Kazuki opened his mouth to respond, but ended up only letting out a weary sigh. Nothing he could say would sound genuine and not like an excuse. If it made her feel better and kept her going, then it was all he could offer. "So be it," He muttered. "I failed. Hate me all you'd like." It was hard to ignore the lump in his throat, but it was all he had.

---

---

[Mcmolly]

Location: The Dungeon -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

It was over.

It didn’t feel like it was over, and in all honesty, expecting the boss’s death to mean the dungeon was done trying to murder them seemed outright silly considering things were all around generally fricked right now. Who was to say for certain the glitch hadn’t just stuffed the place full of giant rock demons? Who was to say there wasn’t another small army of gnolls or goblins waiting for them at the exit? Who was to say there was even an exit at all?

Only one way to find out, she supposed.

The dust was settling, and Seele felt a withering inside her at the thought of what came next. This was usually her favorite part of every dungeon. The boss was dead, the party would gather and gradually log out or leave, and Seele would wait until she was the only one left, in case any of her team had questions about the encounters, or strategies, or simply wanted to talk. She’d loved the talking. Many hours had been spent just sitting around the boss rooms, swapping stories and making friends until the server would boot them out to reset the instance. There wouldn’t be any of that today. There might not be any of that ever again.

People were injured, but most, she gleaned, were merely exhausted. There wasn’t much she could do for either aside from offer kind words and smiles. Those would come, but later, once they were out and at least safer than they were right now. She’d make them dinner, it would be bad. In a few days, or weeks, someone might even smile and mean it again. For now, they still had work to do.
It's...cold...
Seele thought of the dead.

On her way towards the room’s entrance, Seele tossed Rael the Amulet of Adala with a grateful nod. It had been useful in the in-betweens, but she was all too glad to separate herself from the playstyle an artifact like that would engender. If having more reserves to help the others meant taking a little risk, she’d take a little risk. The lot of them had done such a phenomenal job protecting her and Kazuki anyway; she almost felt guilty for how little injury she’d sustained, but she wouldn’t spurn the effort her new friends had shown. She was so proud of them all.

Finally, Seele came to stand before the body of a man she did not know, and would now never know. Enos's eyes were wide, empty. Shock had softened the pain from his face, left him looking tired and, she thought, worried. She felt the urge to console him anyway, to tell his body that the fight was over, in the hopes that his spirit would rest easy. But she knew better. Instead, she closed his eyes, and noticed his hands were clutched in a death-grip. Gently as she could, she pulled his fingers open to reveal the copper key inside. An artifact? Or just a keepsake? She pocketed the little curio and made a note to hand it over to one of the remaining members of his guild once…once all this was done.

With a flick, Seele buffed her own strength and pulled Enos off of the stalagmite. It was hardly necessary. He was a healer, and thus already predisposed to lighter garments, but besides that he was also just light. Lighter, in fact, than someone his size ought to have been. His skin was too pale for how soon-ago he’d passed, almost to the point of exsanguination. Indeed, as she carried his body back into the room, there seemed to be hardly any blood left to stain her with. She put the unsettling implications of his condition aside. She’d still need a wash.

With as much care as she could, Seele set Enos’s body down by Aaginim, she hoped with enough space to be considerate. Another of their group was missing, but she guessed their body was either too far back to retrieve now, or was in too poor of condition. Someone would say a prayer for them later, and at the very least, Aaginim and Enos could be buried with some ceremony.

She noticed Kazuki then for what felt like the first time since the battle had started. Luci had him by the arms with a grip like Enos, and the look in her eyes…You are sinking.

Quietly, she came over to them and placed a hand on the healer’s shoulder. “Kazuki, sweetheart, we should…help the others.”

[mickilennial]

Location: The Dungeon, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Priscilica sighed.

She sighed not out of relief or exhaustion, but out of pain. In a perfect world they would not have lost anyone, but as things were turning out the hack was making Aetheria seem more like the real world with every passing second. Loss. Unexpected pain. Consequences to foolhardy actions. Had the game not been hacked Enos, Atlas, and Aaginim would have risen to their feet as Kalie swung her scythe down upon the demon, ending its life. There were no celebrations or jeers. There was just this awkward, uneasy silence. Luci had gripped Kazuki by the collar when he failed to save Aaginim and it was only with the appearance of Seele where she let go as the bard moved away from her. Soon enough Leaves joined the pink-haired mage's side as Sif and Siegfried held their bearings on their side of the room.

The current guild leader of Mystic Prophecy was in shambles.

Luci began crying more, head buried in Aaginim’s chest. She screamed that it wasn’t fair in her grief. Unfairly she demanded to know why he had to die and why not someone else. It did not take long for Leaves to leave her side and go off to Luci's; to hold Luci in her grief as Priscilica met back up with Kazuki and Seele.

“Thank you for trying. We’d all be... gone without you.” She said as she looked back at the body of Enos.

Things would never be the same.

As she said her thanks she moved past the demon’s body and to the final sealed door, her hand moving across the ancient console beside it as it began to glow with magical inscriptions and runic writing. The loud sound of giant gears turning filled the empty room as the door began to reveal itself, opening before her.

Priscilica had done dozens upon dozens of dungeons and for once she had a sense of relief following the “glitch”. It was the same end room of a dungeon with a giant glowing orb at the end. Using her magic she touched the orb and the sound of the magic in the dungeon shutting down became apparent. Disabling every trap and halting the dangers of it being active. God knows she didn’t want more demons being spawned. An army of those things marching in the wilds toward Thorinn? She dreaded the thought. The amount of players they’d kill drew a chill to her spine.

The exit to the dungeon was ahead. She clicked a lever, opening a wall that somehow led back to the entrance. She looked left and right; the corridors that they each had taken. Straight ahead was the entrance.

The way was clear now.

[Supermaxx]

Location: The Dungeon, -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

The void embraced him. It came rushing in like a flood, drowning everything else out: drowning the pain, the weariness, the dull taste of regret. There was a gentleness to it. A quiet sort of reassurance in the emptiness of it all. It reminded him of being tucked in at night and drifting off into sleep without dream. This time, though, there'd be no waking from it.

Then somebody kicked him.

Graves's eyes jolted open as the world came rushing in. Every sound, every smell, every dull ache battered against his senses in his sudden, violent return to the land of the living. Rael was standing over him, covered in the black-as-night blood of the titan. Graves sat up, glancing about the room. There the demon lay in the center of it all, its head lopped clean from its shoulders. It took a moment for him to process that the thing was gone and, yet, he wasn't.

The work was done yet he remained. He remained when other, more worthy men had not. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. Bitter as old steel.

"Thanks." He muttered to her after a moment's silence, still laying in the dirt. She'd put herself in a hell of a lot of danger to pull him outta that one. Thrown herself right in the enemy's face and just narrowly dragged them both to safety. If she'd been even a little bit slower they both might've been laid to rest by Enos and Aaginim. Graves had gotten angry with her earlier for doing the same thing he had- for all but throwing her life away to kill some stupid bat.

She was staring at him, her expression empty. He stared back.

It was a stupid thing he'd done. He told himself he was just trying to finish the fight. Told himself it had to happen to get them all outta there before somebody else lost their life. He'd made a promise to himself to keep these shmucks alive, after all. That was why he'd done it: To keep a promise. To protect people.

'Anna always said you were a terrible liar.'

He sat up, let his his arms lay against his knees and his head rest on top of them. "Didn't think I'd leave this room." It left his mouth before he could think better of it. His voice was hoarse, broken.

"I'unno what I'm going to do when I wake up." Graves blinked a couple of times to get somethin' outta his eye.

He watched Priscilica open up the exit, but he didn't move to follow her out.

He was afraid of what was on the other side.

[DruSM157]

Location: The Dungeon -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

The way out was clear. “We should…” Benkei heaved, kneeling over his sword. His spell had taken a lot out of him, but even worse was the mental strain of everything he’d seen. It was too much. He could barely stay standing. “They don’t deserve to stay in this horrible place.” He meant the fallen. The dead. The people they’d lost.

All the hopes, the dreams, everything they hoped to share.

And then his heart erupted in pain. His lungs screamed out. Benkei grasped his chest, heaving and wheezing as the world spun. He fell to his knees. His vision shifted into darkness. He couldn’t see. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t do anything as the world began to cover into darkness. The darkness of his failure. He’d been too slow, too weak, not good enough. And now three people were dead.

“Kazuma!”

Static.

“Hey, Benkei, what do you think of this dungeon?” Aaginim was pouring over a map, whilst other members of the guild went about their day. But over the few months he’d been admitted into Mystic Prophecy, Benkei had proven that he deserved his place at the table. He’d been a reliable member, and had become a good friend with the other players.

He belonged, for the first time in his life.

“Hey, I heard your brother has another concert tomorrow at Toraenis. We should all show up and support him.”

“I don’t know if he even needs our support anymore. He’s one of the most popular in-game musicians now. He might be worth more than the entire guild.”

The two laughed. “Hey, Benkei, I was wondering…”

“What’s up?”

“Well, you know...the big day for Luci and me is coming up.”

“It’s exciting! I wish Kazuki and I could make it, but we’ll attend virtually!”

“Yeah. With the honeymoon and things, I won’t be on much. Priscilica will be leading of course, but we’ll need someone to be a leader in the dungeons, someone to look after the other players. You’re the guy I can trust with that.”

“You’re joking right? I’m the new guy!”

“And you’re a good player. Everyone agrees. People thought you were going to be a stuck-up punk when we invited you, but as we got to know you, we all learned you were a good dude. I don’t think anyone is against the idea.”

“Aag, I-”

Static.

“Come on! Let me open it!”

“Not yet. We need to wait for Sif to disable the trap.”

“But it could be some sweet loot!”

“Just wait!”

Siegfried did not wait. The floor around the chest began to spin, and suddenly a torrent of flame erupted around Benkei and Siegfried. Siegfried screamed and ran around the room, causing the blaze to expand more. “Aaahhh! Hot hot hot hot!” As Sif chased him with a bucket of water.

Atlas just stood staring at the group, shaking his head quietly.

Static

“C’mon Benkei! It’s a hot springs! You’re Japanese! You know all about them!”

“I grew up in Tokyo. I’ve never even been to a hot springs.”

“But the ladies!” Enos poked at the younger boy. “All the ladies soaking their gorgeous bodies in warm wat-”

“Please stop.”

“What, are you interested in guys?”

“No, it’s not that! I’ve...never had any girls interested in me.”

“What? There’s tons of young girls that are interested in you. Do you need your old pal Enos to hook you up?”

“I’d rather not.”

Static.

“Aaginim and I just got the results today and we wanted to share it with you guys. We’re having a girl!” Everyone in the guild hall shouted and cheered. They wanted to know the name, the date, all the details. New life. Something beautiful.

Static.

“You can call me Kazuma. That’s my real name.”

“And your brother’s name is Kazuki? That’s a little too close!”

“It’s okay. Our parents weren’t the best.”

“You shouldn’t let your parents make you feel bad.” The girl smiled at him and poked him square in the chest. “You are you. And you’re great the way you are.”

Static.

“I think you’re pretty cool, Kazuma.”

Static.

“I can trust you Kazuma.”

Static.

”You’re my friend, Kazuma.”

Static.

“You’re a reliable guy, Kazuma.”

Static.

“Thanks for helping me out, Kazuma.”

Static

“I guess you’re okay, Kazuma.”

Static.

“I’m proud you’re my brother.”

Static.

“Okay guys, gather around!” It was funny to see them all in normal clothes. No one was decked out in armor, no one was carrying weapons. How could they? This was the first time they’d all met up in real life. They’d all chatted and made plans, and finally they’d saved up money, used vacation time and wheeled and dealed so that Mystic Prophecy could all come together for real.

They’d settled on holding it in New York; it helped the non-American members to fly in to an international airport. Kazuma and Kazuki had been excited to see America for the first time; and it was an even more important day for Kazuki. He’d been asked to interview with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. This would be his big break. Kazuma knew it. His brother was incredible at the piano, and this would be the final leap to free them from their parents. Maybe with time, Kazuma could join his brother in America. Here, he could start over, free from all the stresses of his life in Japan.

“It is really pretty here, isn’t it?” The feminine voice came from behind them as they left the landing platform. Rael had traveled with them; she looked like her in-game self, only dressed more like a college girl her age, and with glasses. She matched the brother’s looks of wonderment, when suddenly they heard a voice.

“Over here you guys!” Alja stood among the crowd, waving excitedly for them to join her. “The rest of the guild is waiting for you slowpokes!”

They all took a cab; one of those big yellow New York taxi cabs that were in every movie about America. They drove around the city, taking pictures with their phones, excitedly chatting with each other about their trips. Everything was exciting. As the latecomers arrived, Leaves smiled and beckoned them over. "We've been waiting for you guys!" She said, rushing over to give Alja a hug.

They arrived at Central Park to find the guild all talking near a large fountain. Aaginim waved them over, wearing a colorful tropical shirt. The outfit contrasted with his cool and kind exterior, but Kazuma liked it. He was truly embracing being a father. Luci stood by a stroller with a baby nestled inside. Her hair was tied up and she wore a knit sweater. And Kazuma could see how different she’d become after marrying Aag. Her smile was so warm and vibrant. Prisilica was busy talking to Luci, laughing and smiling. Seele was carrying a picnic basket in her arms, looking bashful. Enos was busy hitting on women in the park, and getting slapped. All with a happy face. Alex sat on the stones of the fountain, smiling at the others, looking distinguished and handsome in a suit. Everyone was there, smiling and happy.

As they approached, a figure grabbed Kazuma, getting him in a headlock. “Did you think I’d pass up a chance to get one up on you, punk?” Siegfried said, laughing as Sif smacked her brother with a rolled up paper. They all laughed.

“Everyone, let’s get together for a photo!” Priscilica called the group over.

Each of them knelt in close with one another, basking in each other’s company. The guild began as players working together to clear content, but now they’d all grown as friends.

As family.

As they all gathered around, looking at the photo, Kazuma knew this was something he would frame. He would place it somewhere that he could gaze at it every day, and enjoy looking at the people he loved with all of his heart.

It was the final good dream Kazuma had.

[mickilennial]

Location: The Dungeon, The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

“If we wake up.”

Rael sighed as she cracked her neck. She was sore and tired, but not absolutely exhausted. Kalie had exerted all of her energy to bring down the demon; Benkei was having a panic attack. She was certain the rest of the group would rejuvenate them soon enough.

“We’re stuck here.” Hanako said in the annals of her head. “What if the hack gets worse? What if they can’t fix it?”

The thought was something Rael thought about as she leaned against one of the room’s walls to brace herself. Her eyes moved to Priscilica as the large doors to the control room opened and the pink-haired spellcaster wandered inside. She was glad there was no more surprises, but even Rael was on edge. Part of her was disappointed that the battle was over but that was a part of her that was in opposition to her body and her mind. Hanako, Rael... and whoever she was now. She supposed the way she thought and acted was divorced between the two, like an amalgamation. There was no real reason to roleplay in the new landscape of the world and it was a world she was going to have to get used to.

“You’re thinking it, too, aren’t you?” She said as people rushed to Benkei's aid, “How this could be it.”

She crossed her arms after she leaned her spear against the wall.

There was an aching part of her mind. Why wasn’t she scared? Why did she want to keep fighting? What was wrong with her? It ate at her like an acid, though she did not show this anxiety as she did so. But this time it wasn't out of keeping up the appearance of looking cool; this time it was out of numbness.

[Hero]

---

---

Priscilica was too kind--he hadn't done anything special that anyone else couldn't have accomplished. Anyone else could've given her a draught. If anything he was the least effective in the last fight, he didn't even contribute to killing the boss. And the one thing he could do, he failed at. Nonetheless it'd be pointless and rude to say otherwise, and Kazuki only offered the girl a nod of acknowledgment, watching her as she walked off. He couldn't quite look Seele in the eye, instead choosing to walk past her as he unhooked his lyre. The familiar, ear-scratching grind of the door let him now that the dungeon was officially over.

Starting up the familiar-sounding song, Kazuki let his body go on autopilot, staring at nothing in particular. It was easy to let the notes carry him away to anywhere else, but the sound of Luci's sobs made sure to root him to the dungeon's room. He could feel the pull of his magic already; he must have used up more magic than he thought. He figured he may as well get everyone up as best he could so they could make it back to town in one piece, albeit a quick look around let him know that exhaustion was just as common as injuries. That would be the second thing he would look into, there was probably a spell out there that could help with that. He'd be more effective next time. He'd succeed next time. Failure was no longer--

The sound of metal hitting the ground caused Kazuki to stop as he whirled around to the source. For a split second he thought that even the dungeon's end had changed and something else was coming, but instead he was greeted with the sight of Kazuma on his knees. Had he been hurt worse than he thought? But the way he grasped at his chest set off every single alarm in his head. Kazuki didn't even realize he had dropped his lyre when he ran over, kneeling down next to him.

"Kazuma!" Kazuki called out his name, louder than he meant but stern as he held his hand. "Kazuma, breathe, I'm right here with you! You're okay now, just breathe!"

---

---

[Supermaxx]

Location: The Dungeon, -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

“You’re thinking it, too, aren’t you? How this could be it.”

It had crossed his mind more than a few times. If the glitch was easily fixed they never would've heard about it. Nobody in their right mind would admit the players couldn't be logged out and that they were at risk of death unless there wasn't an alternative. The situation in the real world must've been untenable. It was the only thing that made sense. So what then? What were the chances they were stuck in Pariah for days, or weeks? What if they were stuck in here for the rest of their miserable lives? Graves should've been frightened by the thought, but instead all he felt was...

"They don't deserve it." He breathed, watching Benkei hit the floor. A panic attack. He'd seen 'em before. He remembered one night William came home with eight different drugs in his system and spent hours freaking the fuck out. It hurt to watch- just like this did- but there was nothing he could do. Nothing he could do but ride it out.

"They have somethin' to go back to." Graves sniffled, wiping his nose. "People. Lives. I-I mean, Aags and Luci were gonna be together for Christ's sake. They had so much. So much ahead of 'em."

He felt like a monster for laughing after everything that'd happened. After all that was still happening. There wasn't an ounce of joy in the sound; just pained, angry resentment."What- what the fuck did I have, y'know? Without this stupid game I might as well be..."

Graves never finished the thought. He climbed back to his feet, and shook it all off. Took all that shit he'd been moments from letting fall out into the world for the first time in his life and put it back where it belonged. There was still work to be done. Still bodies to be buried. They could deal with what came next later.