“He probably overslept. Again.” murmured Cass, under her breath. She patiently awaited Eli to pick up the phone after the second call she placed, not wanting to cause too much of a commotion in the morning. Truth is, she couldn’t get that much sleep last night; it had been almost 3 years since she even touched a VRMMO. Although the last game she played, Mythical Legions, only had simple UI, limited combat, a lack of “human movement”, those weren’t the features either sibling were looking for. Instead, Cass distinctly remembered why she played to begin with: to escape into fantasy. It might not look like real life, but the control and freedom to make her character however she wished was simply liberating.
She remembered solo-questing in the dilapidated dungeons as a knight, feeling a sense of accomplishment whenever she beat her previous clearing record and getting loot. The old cobbled fortresses, filled with all sorts of creepy monsters and dark passageways, were always as exciting as the last. She could always relive having fun when it came to questing with her brother and other party members; it reminded her of the past, when there was more time and happiness in her life. Cass smiled as she caught herself reminiscing; she grabbed her headset and decided to give VRMMOs another chance as she purchased Fated Realms.
“It’ll be different this time; I’ll make sure of it.” thought Cass. As she took her headset off, she jumped when her phone abruptly rang. When she picked it up, she couldn’t even get a word in before Eli started speaking.
“Hey sis, I’m really sorry for picking up after I missed 2 calls. Didja make up your mind?” asked Eli. Cass could hear him shuffling out of bed based on the sounds of tossed covers and pillows.
“Yeah. I think I’m ready to jump into Fated Realms.”
“Really? I mean, you didn’t have to…” said Eli, sheepishly.
“Hahaha,” laughed Cass, “you don’t have to be so apologetic; how could I say no?”
“Well, do you wanna play right now? I can show you around the game, we can both make new characters!” chimed Eli, nearly shouting with excitement.
“Sure, it’s a weekend anyways. Do I need to create an account first?”
“No, it’ll just gather your profile information stored in your VR headset, it’s as simple as just entering the game.”
“Sooo, do we spawn in the same area?”
“Yeah! Go ahead and start up, I’ll see you there; I gotta take care of some things.” replied Eli, as he hung up, displeasing Cass as she wished that she could’ve gotten a few more questions in before their conversation ended. However, that wouldn’t deter her from putting the headset on and getting comfortable.
As soon as the game started up, it asked the normal questions to verify the user, such as “Are you Cassandra Whitaker?” or “Is this your first VRMMO?”. However, the last question disturbed Cass.
“Would you like your in-game avatar to resemble your real life profile?”
Cass paused. She didn’t know what to feel as her blood rushed and sweat formed; would she really feel comfortable playing the game as herself? She used to marvel at that idea back in Mythical Legions, but ever since, she had reservations about playing as herself.
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“...Yes.” replied Cass. A reluctant answer to be sure, but she knew in her heart that she could handle the stress.
Suddenly, a rainbow of colors flooded her mind, followed by a cascade of more concrete shapes, objects, faces, and more. A harmonious orchestra that impossible encompassed all sorts of imaginable noises sounded along the enormous visual display. Cass was in awe over how much was truly being streamed to her mind in a matter of seconds, for it seemed as though it was endless in content, uncontained by any form. Even Mythical Legions couldn’t measure up to 1% of what she was witnessing, and this was considering that there wasn’t even form to the game yet.
The darkness hit Cass as fast as the information stream appeared to her. She froze. Did something go awry? Perhaps she didn’t actually start the game up properly, or even worse, her VR headset broke with. She was proven wrong when she tried to open her eyes; she felt nauseous, but then regained clarity as she saw where she was.
In front of her stood a whole crowd of people in the thousands, gathering in front of a massive white crystal located at the center. It was suspended in 3 silvers rings, inscribed with runes, and chains binding the whole structure together. The floor was made of tiles of smooth, polished stone that had streaks of white and black marbling, and the walls made of a rich wood circled the magical centerpiece, with lanterns lighting up the space farther from the circle. Cass followed the arches that connected each wall and got a perspective of how truly massive the crystal was when she noted that the tip extended past the roof of the building, requiring an open skylight to house it without obstruction.
Cass looked down at herself and saw that she was clothed in some basic robes and felt the smooth cloth rub against her skin. She was naked except for this robe, and noticed that her current body looked much like hers. As she explored and felt around her virtual body, she wondered if she was doing the same actions in real life; it truly felt like she was caressing herself. Pushing up the sleeves a little, she noticed that although she retained her pale skin, there were no blemishes from the scars of the past.
“I guess this is still a game after all…” thought Cass, taking a moment to mull over what that meant. Finally, she gazed at the crystal...it drew her to inspect it, to touch it. The urge was overwhelming, as though she was compelled to do so. The noise of the crowd, which was what Cass assumed were other players, quickly drowned out as she went ever closer. Voices became incredibly muddled, until it faded to a low buzz. An ethereal voice filled her head…
“Come closer child...I can grant your inner desire for adventure…”
Cass froze as she realized that she was being talked to by the crystal itself. Was she dreaming? VRMMOs were never this immersive, or was this truly Fated Realms? Regardless, she decided to be polite; it wasn’t everyday that someone could talk to a magical entity.
“What...is your name?”
“I have gone by many names throughout millennia...but this land and its inhabitants have known me as Theron.”
“What are you?” asked Cass. She couldn’t help but feel a bit silly for asking this question; how could a being such as this explain what it was?
“I am a being that has been contained in this crystal for an untold time...serving as a tether for this realm and its beings. I am a guardian whose essence was preserved...and split into 7 fragments so that others can harness my power for themselves.”
Cass ruminated over the implications of having other realms to explore; the possibility that they were somehow being sustained by the other fragments of this entity enthralled her.
“What can you do for me?” asked Cass. She was bubbling with anticipation...everything about Fated Realms felt so real to her so far. It took constant reminders for her to remember that it was just a game, but she couldn’t lie to herself that she was immersed.
“Tell me child...what do you seek to do on your adventures…”
“...I want to protect.” said Cass, with a conviction in her voice, knowing in her heart that her sense of wonder was revived. Abruptly, a brilliant ray of white light started to emanate from Cass’s chest, blinding her vision.
“Your wish is granted. Welcome to this new realm…”