The sun had long since set by the time Max rode his ten-speed bike down the narrow ramp leading out of the Class-Tech parking garage. Flickering yellow lights lined the street outside the office building, but it was the giant blue sign spelling “CT” at the top of the tower that lit up the sky like a second moon.

Blue light fell over everything, even washing out the pale flicker of the streetlamps. A few cars exited the parking garage - fellow late workers - and drove past Max as they hurried back to their lives.

They’ll be back here tomorrow, thought max. Just like me.

They’d sleep and work only to repeat it again, they had nothing to break up the monotony of their boring lives. Only the company mattered, only Class-Tech. But not for Max, at least not since last week when a package had arrived on his doorstep in a white, carboard box. There had been no return address, just a small drawing of a door in the upper left-hand corner, a symbol often found in the letters Max’s grandfather sent from his ‘expeditions.’

When he opened the box … well Max couldn’t wait to get home and try it again. He began to peddle his bike down the long narrow road, appropriately named Class-Tech Avenue. Max smiled as he charged past the green and white street sign, peddling just a bit faster than an average office worker should have been capable of.

Max slowed down as he started to catch up to one of the cars that had passed him earlier. He had to be careful. It wasn’t exactly illegal to have an unregistered class, but it would raise a lot of questions Max wasn’t comfortable answering.

A quick flash of light was followed by the crackle of thunder. The sky seemed to open as rain fell in thick sheets. Max could barely see through the torrent. He began looking around for shelter before spotting an old bus stop with a closed roof.

“Just my luck,” Max sighed.

He pulled off his soaked work shirt, revealing the equally wet t-shirt beneath. He rolled up the blue button-up and shoved it into his backpack before sitting down on the wooden bench. He’d just have to wait out the storm. How long could it last?

Max reached into his bag and took out a set of earphones before plugging them into his phone. He fell back onto the bench, scrolling through songs before finally selecting one that was loud and energetic enough to keep him awake. Max waited, but the rain grew only heavier and the crash of thunder grew more frequent. Looking up at the clock on his phone Max sighed, 10:47.

No, there was no way he was spending the whole night here. He was finishing that level even if he had to stay up all night. He’d pulled all-nighters before, in fact, a stat point spent in Might had made them a tiny bit easier. A few energy drinks and he’d be good to go.

Max grabbed his bike and pushed it out of the enclosed bus stop. The rain was heavy and cold and he was occasionally forced to stop so he could wade through knee-high puddles. He was shivering and soggy by the time he made it to the bridge leading out of the city. Fifteen minutes, even in this weather, and he should be home.

Plenty of time to get in one more go …

A bright white flash nearly blinded Max, and he shielded his eyes with an outstretched arm. What kind of storm is this? Max thought.

He looked over to the bridge where the glow was continuing to grow brighter … until it suddenly stopped. A shockwave pushed Max backward, nearly causing him to fall. His bike was ripped from his hands and sent tumbling behind him.

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“What the …” Max said. He watched his bike land in a deep puddle before he turned his eyes back to the bridge.

Steam was pouring upwards as rain fell onto the cracked pavement. At the center of the branching network of fissures was a deep crater, glowing red around the edges. Long tendrils of white cloth spread out from the depression in a perfect circle. Max heard something begin to move in the rubble, and the white cloth spun and pulled inward.

“Hello?” Max said, as he slowly started walking toward the edge of the crater. “Is someone there? Are you hurt?”

A girl. She turned and looked up at Max from her position at the center of debris. A white shawl covered most of her face, leaving only two fierce eyes visible. They were dark and beautiful, and when they landed on Max he lost himself in their depths.

Not a girl, a woman.

“I can help —” Max began to say, as he reached his hand out to help her up.

A curved sword appeared in the woman's hand. She thrust forward and began to spin. Her dress twirled and spread out from her like the petals of a white lily. She rose up into the air like the morning sun. Ribbons of white cloth rained down over the cracked pavement as Max looked up in amazement.

“You’re a —” Max said.

“Run, you idiot.”

The mysterious woman landed next to Max, now wearing nothing but a skintight black jumpsuit. It was armored in strategic places, but it still left so little to the imagination that Max couldn’t help himself as his eyes drifted downward. Before Max could finish his inspection she was already running.

“Wait!” He yelled while chasing after her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Run!” she answered without turning back.

Before he realized it, Max was running at full speed, without worrying to hold back. Shit, he thought, I can’t let myself get caught keeping up with a classer. He began to fall back but the woman reached out and grabbed him by the hand.

“Look,” she said, “I’m not going to let you die for something that is my fault. When they get here, just stay behind me and run when I say.”

“When who—”

“Them,” she came to a stop and pointed in front of her where three brilliant orbs of white energy were beginning to form. Max looked away for a moment as the orbs grew brighter before exploding into a wave of light and kinetic force.

Three men and a woman appeared where the orbs had been. Each wore utilitarian looking uniforms that were lightly armored and vaguely military, but that had no identifying marks. Classers.

“Is that a …” Max said. “That’s a Quad.”

“Yes, but they’re after me. If you don’t interfere … well, they’ll still probably kill you. Good news is that you’ll be an afterthought. I’ll deal with them and buy you some time to escape.”

“No way,” Max shook his head. “I still don’t know what’s going on, but I’m not leaving you alone if these guys are after you. Quad or not.”

“Suit yourself,” the woman smiled and held her sword above her head.

She shimmered for a moment before her blade lengthened and became wider. Around her formed a suit of polished armor, much like that of a medieval knight. The metal was almost pure white and was adorned with gold plating and expensive jewels.

This is no ordinary classer, Max thought. Even still, there was no way she could take on a Quad by herself.

“Eve,” Max reached into a pocket and grasped the command orb. “Re-Spec: Might.”

“Re-Spec successful,” said Eve, “All points allocated to Might; user is granted the Warrior role for the next 45 minutes, 27 seconds.”

Max felt his muscles grow and strengthen. The wet t-shirt that clung to his chest and stomach grew taught and threatened to break. At the same time, Max felt sluggish and it became difficult to think of anything but battle.

The mysterious girl looked at Max with a raised eyebrow but said nothing before she charged toward the Quad that was also beginning to move forward.

The female member of the Quad was dressed in a flowing gown and held a long staff with a blazing azure gem affixed to one end. As she ran, arrows of blue light shot from her staff. Dozens of them were cutting through the rain, aiming directly for the mysterious woman in the white armor.

Max roared, drawing eyes toward him. Damn, not smart. He couldn’t help but respond, his body launching forward before his mind could react.

“I told you to run!” The mystery woman yelled as she effortlessly batted away countless magical arrows. “I don’t need the help of some single-digit classer fresh off his first delve!”

“I am running!” Max yelled right before colliding with the startled girl. He grabbed her in his arms and leaped. They sailed over the railing and began to plunge towards the dark water beneath the bridge.

“What are you doing —”

“Saving your life,” Max said.

“Eve! Activate Fade.”

“Fade Initializing: Commencing in 3 … 2 …”

Everything became cold and black as they sank beneath the waves.