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All good things must come to an end.

That's the saying, but Goren and Asriel didn't want that to happen this time. They had spent several years maxing out their characters in the DMMORPG known as YGGDRASIL ONLINE, primarily as members of another guild, but maxing them out regardless. They had made some great memories playing the game together.

Goren Aggoth, real name James Moore, always had a fascination for demons despite having been raised a Christian (nowadays, he no longer considered himself a believer, but rather something of an agnostic). It wasn't a hardcore obsession; he liked demon characters in fiction. It was only natural for him to play as a demon in YGGDRASIL. The character he created was an Arch-Devil and Demon Lord. He gave his avatar red skin, a classic color scheme. A head of spiky black hair and golden horns adorning his forehead. Red eyes to compliment his red skin, and long pointy ears with silver earrings to match his pointed demon tail. Finally, his avatar had red leathery wings he could extend and retract at will. A perpetually sour expression adorned his avatar's face, something he accidentally gave it, but it eventually grew on him. It made him look intimidating; at least, that's what Goren always thought. A black loincloth with a golden hem adorned his waist, and a purple bathrobe with a golden hem adorned his torso. He wore no other clothes outside of battle.

Goren's character build was that of a warrior mage hyrbid, whose job classes consisted entirely of warrior classes that allowed the use of armor while also granting the ability to use spells and spell-like skills. His full build is as follows: Imp (10 levels), Greater Devil (5 levels), Arch-Devil (5 levels), Cursed Knight (15 levels), Dark Knight (15 levels), Eldritch Knight (10 levels), Knight of Múspelheim (10 levels), Spellsword (10 levels), Unholy Knight (10 levels), and Unholy Lord (5 levels). The reason he chose such a build for himself is because he wanted to be able to deal damage physically, deal damage magically, heal himself and his allies, and summon creatures during battle. He might not be the best at everything, but so long as he is decent at most things, he's satisfied.

Demon Lord, a rare racial class, is one that he had unlocked after completing the event known as the 'Heir to the Demon Lord', which involved slaying several high-level demons in a demonic gladiatorial arena in Muspelheim. According to lore found from books dropped in the arena, it was customary to have potential heirs fight to the death for the title. After slaying all of the competitors, Goren and the rest of the guild, Voidstar, healed-up and made their way over to the throne room located inside the arena, where they had to fight the Demon Lord to take his place. This Demon Lord, not to be confused with the Lords of the Seven Deadly Sins, was a high-level boss that had to be defeated by at least twenty people. After a grueling fight that had resulted in the guild expending the majority of their MP and skills, they walked over the vanished corpse of the defeated Demon Lord and completed the event by making contact with the throne.

Goren, as one of only five demon Players in the guild, was able to unlock the Demon Lord racial class. It gave the user several skills, such as Armageddon - Evil (as a skill that didn't require mana), Demonic Blessing (allows the user to sense nearby demons), Demonic Strengthening (all summoned demons are stronger than the originals), Demonic Lieutenant (can use EXP to summon level 90 demons), Infernal Authority (makes demons obey the user's every command and removes the berserk state that demons normally have, making them much easier to control in battle), Touch of the Demon Lord - Anchor Demon (can use EXP to make a summoned demon permanent, up to 5 summons in total), and Touch of the Demon Lord - Corruption (can forcibly transform into a loyal demon 6 times per day). In addition, it also strengthened the skills and abilities of the Arch-Devil racial class.

Asriel Zabkiel, real name Alexander Davis, on the other hand, was fascinated with angels despite being an atheist. The character he created was a Seraph. He gave his avatar fair skin and golden eyes that could emit white light at will. A head of long white hair hanging freely outside combat is styled like a Viking's when going into battle. A white halo hovered above his head, providing him with protection from attacks from those with evil karma. His neutral expression gives off an aura of gentleness, but not overly so. He wore a plain white shirt, baggy sweatpants, and sneakers for his usual attire. It didn't fit the setting of YGGDRASIL that well, but Asriel didn't care. He wore what he would have wanted to wear if he was his character, which Goren couldn't argue with. Finally, his avatar had white feathery wings he could extend and retract at will. The feathers of his wings had black tips, giving him a slightly corrupted vibe.

Asriel's character build was also that of a warrior mage hybrid, but focused more on magic than physical combat. His full build is as follows: Angel (10 levels), Principality (5 levels), Dominion (5 levels), Seraph (5 levels), Armored Mage (15 levels), Cleric (15 levels), Disciple of Disaster (5 levels), High Cleric (10 levels), Priest (10 levels), Sorcerer (15 levels), and War Priest (5 levels). The reason he chose such a build is because he wanted to use attack physically when his MP was low, use arcane and divine spells, wear armor, and summon creatures in battle. Like Goren, he might not be the best at everything, but he's decent at most things.

Seraph, also a rare racial class, is one that he unlocked after completing the event known as the 'Trouble in Paradise' event with the aforementioned guild. The group traveled to Asgard, where they found a Gate that would only appeared if the surroundings in a thirty-meter radius were set ablaze by unholy spells. A previous group had done so and the Gate was still present when they had arrived, not to complete the quest originally, but because they were farming monsters for loot drops. Checking out the Gate came to a vote: The 'Yays' were the majority. And so, the entire guild was off to explore the place that the Gate led to. It was only after entering the dungeon (one that was not possible to claim as a guild base) known as the Garden of Eden did they realize that they had come across a secret event, 'Trouble in Paradise'. They made it their mission to complete this event and reap the spoils of their victory, which they did in the end. The previous group that had opened the Gate were wiped out, they did not have enough members to defeat the boss, a Fallen Angel that had made it its life goal to destroy Asgard once it had destroyed the Garden of Eden.

With this Fallen Angel defeated, the group grabbed its loot, and Asriel as the only Angel Player in the guild, unlocked the Seraph racial class. It gave the user the following skills: Armageddon - Good (as a skill that didn't require mana), Angelic Blessing (allows the user to sense nearby angels), Angelic Strengthening (all summoned angels are stronger than the originals), Angelic Lieutenant (can use EXP to summon level 90 angels), Light of the Seraph - Exorcism (can undo the effects of any negative status effect or skill (such as Level Drain) or choose to deal massive damage to those with negative karma instead), and Light of the Seraph - Holy Burst (can create a burst of holy energy that damages every enemy in a 100-meter radius circle).

Goren and Asriel had been best friends in the real world since elementary school. Upon graduation, they had given each other their contact information and had kept in touch online. Goren went to work at the same place his parents worked at, a chemical plant. He spent several years there, watching and learning and doing. He tried his best daily, but it was never enough for his boss. Goren had to endure the same grueling work schedule his parents had to; his young age was not something his employer was concerned about.

One day, his parents came down with a terrible cough and chest pains they could not rid themselves of. They took their only day off that month to be seen by a doctor to discover the source of their illness, and the answer was grim.

They had lung cancer.

The news had, understandably, shaken the three of them. They could not afford lung replacement. Neither could they afford a long-term supply of medication. So, they were forced to endure the pain until the day they died. They tried to keep their only child, Goren, in high spirits. They did not want him to drown in despair. They spent as much time together as they could to make as many happy memories as they could so he could have some to remember them by.

Goren tried to find the silver lining in this. He tried to keep his faith in the God he was raised to believe in. He tried to keep his heart open to interact with others. But it became more and more challenging to do so. Goren and his parents kept on going to work for the boss, who did not care about them in the place that gave them the illness. It was all they could do. Rent had to be paid, after all.

It kept on going until the day Goren found the lifeless bodies of his parents on the workplace floor. It was the day a part of him had died along with them. Goren ran over to them and held them in his arms as tears flowed underneath his gas mask. He tried to get somebody to call the paramedics but was told to return to work. When he asked them what they were going to do with his deceased parents, they told him that it wasn't his business.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

His boss once again told him to get back to work. The seething contempt he had for his boss was overwhelming. His boss had the other employees close off the room their bodies were located in to make sure that nobody would touch them. Goren had to spend the rest of the day working, his desire to hold their bodies once more growing stronger by the minute.

By the time the workday was over and he went to the room their bodies were in, he found it open and unlocked, and their bodies were nowhere to be found. When he asked around, the others told him that the paramedics had come by just over an hour ago and had taken them to the morgue. He was heartbroken. He could not afford a funeral service. He could not afford to bury them. He did not know where they were taken. He would never see them again.

On the other hand, Asriel lived with his parents until he was 16 when they kicked him out. They could no longer afford to have their only child live with them, so they forced him to move out. This would have normally been the end for him, as those who had nowhere to go were doomed to die, succumbing to the horrible reality that is life in the year 2138. Acid rain, polluted water, and smog so thick that it blotted out the sun and the night sky, meant that life outdoors was impossible without a full-body protective suit and gas mask.

His previous job as a retail worker wasn't enough to pay his bills, so Asriel had to join the military to make ends meet. He had tried to get jobs elsewhere, but none of them would take him. He spent five years as part of the Marines, during which he was deployed to Europe. He participated in several battles defending the arcologies of Spain, getting promotions one after the other until he attained the rank of Sergeant.

When he completed his five-year stint in Europe, he returned to the Capital Union of America, where he became Sergeant of a squad of National Guardsmen. One day, he was deployed with his squad to put down a rebellion in the Capital state of Pennsylvania. Their orders were to locate and kill the leader of the rebels. They managed to break through the rebel force and broke down the door of the rebel leader's home, finding his wife and daughter present. Upon verifying their identities, he and his squad were ordered to execute them to put pressure on the rebel leader.

Asriel refused to comply and gave counter-orders to the squad to hold their fire. This angered the Captain, who said that this was not only insubordination but treason. He told Asriel that if he did not back down and do as he said, he would be shot. Not wanting to back down, Asriel punched the Captain out cold. The others did not shoot Asriel, as they had come to see him as a friend, so they arrested him instead of killing him.

After his arrest, he was put on trial. They brought in his squad mates to shed light on what happened. Unfortunately, they gave statements saying that he crossed the line when he assaulted their Captain, that there was a better way to handle the situation. This left a bitter taste in Asriel's mouth, feeling betrayed by the people who agreed with him but were now throwing him under the bus, likely because they were pressured to by the government.

Fortunately for Asriel, the whole ordeal would have put the government in a bad light, so they dropped the charges of treason and insubordination. But they couldn't let him go unpunished. So they gave him an honorable discharge, and he returned to New York City. But he did not have an actual home to return to. So, he had to work as a security guard at one of the significant megacorporations in the city. He lived in corporate housing for some time before his best friend, Goren, messaged him.

Asriel had told Goren of his situation after leaving the military, and Goren had the idea to invite Asriel over to live with him as a roommate. Asriel wasn't sure at first; he had lost trust in people after his parents kicked him out to free up money for themselves. He didn't want the same to happen again, even if it was his best friend offering him a place to live. After thinking about it and Goren' numerous promises that he wouldn't kick him out or mistreat him, Asriel accepted his offer and moved in.

Living together had its ups and downs. The two of them had to adjust to the presence of the other living in such proximity. They had to learn how to live with each of their quirks and not annoy each other with things like not putting the dishes away after every meal. But they also had learned to rely on each other, build trust, and finally coexist in the same apartment.

Things were going well for them. Goren and Asriel could now alleviate each other's loneliness, a feeling living alone often gives. They could vent to each other, play games together, and strengthen their bond better than they ever could before. It's how the two of them got into YGGDRASIL ONLINE. Goren told Asriel about it after hearing about it from one of his coworkers, and the two of them bought the cheapest starter pack they could afford. And they couldn't get enough of it. They eventually joined the guild known as Voidstar, a casual roleplay guild that wasn't counted among the top 100 guilds of the game. It was a guild one would join if they had nowhere else to go and only desired casual roleplay. Goren and Asriel had spent most of their total playtime in that guild, and it was when they were members of that guild that they reached level 100 as Players. During their tenure in this guild, they had participated in Voidstar's quest to clear the dungeon known as the Palace of Demeter, a dungeon located in Alfheim and camouflaged by the thick forest it was buried deep inside. The guild master of Voidstar hoped to make the Palace of Demeter the headquarters of the guild.

However, when he and the others saw that the dungeon only provided 700 levels, below the 1,000 levels their current guild base provided, they abandoned their course of action and decided to leave it alone. At that moment, Goren and Asriel asked if they could claim the dungeon. The others were indifferent. The guild master said they could if they genuinely wanted to, but they would first need to leave Voidstar to claim it. Goren and Asriel thought it over and agreed. After saying their goodbyes, taking all their stuff out of Voidstar's headquarters, and making preparations, they officially left Voidstar to establish Chiaroscuro. It was a small guild composed only of the two of them. They didn't try to compete with the other guilds over territory or settlements, as was expected to do. They just sat in their guild base and did their own thing, occasionally going out to complete events and quests.

The name Chiaroscuro was chosen because of what it represented. It was an Italian term meaning light-dark. It was perfect for what the two wanted: James' character, Goren, the Demon, symbolizing darkness, and Alexander's character, Asriel, the Angel, representing light. The two spent the remainder of their time in the game, customizing their guild base, its floors, and the NPCs that populate them. It was a first-time experience for the two of them. Neither was permitted to make any NPCs in Voidstar or their own Areas. They could only claim one room each and customize them however they wished, but not much else. Now, however, they could do whatever they wanted within the halls of their guild base.

And now here they were, sitting atop their thrones, waiting for the servers to shut down.

"Those were the days," said Asriel.

"I still can't believe they disbanded Voidstar last week. I thought they'd keep their guild around until the end.”

"I guess there weren't enough people left to run the guild. That must be why they gave us their World Item," said Goren, clutching it in his virtual hands.

Not only did the guildmaster of Voidstar give them his guild’s World Item before disbanding it, but he also transferred all of the guild’s stockpiles of prismatic ores, data crystals, gold, and other items that would no longer be needed. It was quite the gift, even if ultimately it was for nothing. Goren used some of the prismatic ores to upgrade his personal armor, Ephesians 1:21, and his favorite weapon, the Blade of Lethargy, to Divine-class. Asriel did the same with his armor and favorite weapon.

"What was it called again?" Asked Asriel, reclining more into his throne.

"The Skin of Gaia," replied Goren, looking it over.

It was a real-time map that showed the entirety of the Nine Worlds of the World Tree. At least the parts that players had explored up until now. Much of the map was still hidden by the fog of war. Additionally, only one of the Nine Worlds could be viewed at a time.

It showed everything of interest: resource deposits, bosses and mini-bosses, settlements, dungeons, biomes, hills, mountains, etc. It was a helpful item.

"How did they get their hands on this thing?" Asked Asriel.

"I think they found it after somebody dropped it from a mountain. Not sure why, just that they were in the area when it fell right next to them," Goren said, looking closer at the World Item.

"That guy must be the angriest person in YGGDRASIL," laughed Asriel. "Imagine losing a World Item like that!"

Goren chuckled, "Yeah, I'd delete my account at that point."

The two chuckled some more, their avatars' eyes overlooking the throne room.

Goren' throne was stone and colored black and red. Asriel's throne was stone as well, but colored white and gold.

Goren sighed.

"What are we going to do after the servers shut down?" He asked.

"Uh, we could play Quasar?" Suggested Asriel.

"That game is way too complicated! Every fuckin' month, they release a boatload of new features that make it too difficult to learn the ropes!" Yelled Goren, pounding his virtual fist onto the hand rest of his throne. It did zero damage.

"Whoa, easy there," said Asriel. "I didn't mean to make you upset."

Goren facepalmed.

"Right, sorry," he took some deep breaths. The flow of air into and out of his lungs sent him into a coughing fit. He could taste blood.

"Hey, it's fine. You're not the only one who will miss this game, you know," said Asriel, putting his hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"It's just… I wish this game weren't going to be shut down this soon. What will I do for the next two months? Sit around, waiting to die?" Goren's hands clenched once more into fists.

Asriel nodded. "Yeah, I wish this wasn't happening. Especially to you, Goren." He gave his best friend's shoulder a firm squeeze.

Goren nodded, coughing a bit. "Me too. Thanks." He handed the Skin of Gaia to Asriel.

"Let's take one final tour of Demeter, hm? We should say goodbye to everything," he said as he got up from his throne.

"Sure, let's do so," replied Asriel.