Back in-game, Kyle sought solace in his celestial garden. The Rift Unseen quest had drained him mentally and emotionally, and he needed space to process what he had seen. The garden, with its soft glow and the hum of life blooming under his care, offered him peace. Rows of radiant plants stretched before him, their ethereal light casting faint constellations onto the garden walls.
He knelt beside a patch of soil, his hands gently coaxing a Starseed from the ground. The small, luminous plant pulsed faintly in his palm, its energy soothing his frayed nerves. Despite his unease, the act of nurturing life grounded him, the steady rhythm of planting and cultivating filling the silence.
Kyle began experimenting with Stellar Grafting, carefully merging two Cosmic Blooms in the hopes of creating a hybrid with increased potency. The faint glow of his crafting tools danced in the air as he worked, but even his usual enthusiasm for discovery felt muted. His mind kept wandering back to the Rift’s vision, the Merge, and the weight of Kaelith’s cryptic words.
----------------------------------------
The Skills of a Celestial Botanist
Starseed Cultivation: Kyle harvested luminous seeds, their restorative glow faint but reassuring. He set them aside, knowing they could be the difference between life and death for his allies.
Astral Soil Alchemy: He sprinkled glittering soil around the roots of his plants, watching as their growth accelerated before his eyes, their colors deepening into richer shades.
Pollination Mastery: With careful precision, he ensured his garden flourished, coaxing even rare blooms to thrive with his practiced hand.
The garden thrummed with life, but the serenity couldn’t quell the storm brewing within him.
----------------------------------------
Kyle was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice Luna’s approach. She leaned against a tree at the garden’s edge, watching him for a full thirty minutes before clearing her throat. The sound startled him, and he looked up, his expression distant.
“You’ve been at this for a while,” Luna said, stepping closer. “I figured I’d find you here. It’s where you go when something’s weighing on you.”
Kyle managed a small smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You know me too well.”
“What’s going on, Kyle?” Luna asked, her gaze sharp but not unkind. She gestured to the plants. “Don’t tell me you’ve got Rift-level thoughts while you’re grafting Starseeds.”
Kyle sighed, standing and dusting off his hands. “It’s… complicated. The Rift Unseen quest wasn’t just another challenge, Luna. I saw things. Visions of the Merge. It wasn’t just about fighting monsters or collecting fragments. It was…” He trailed off, searching for the right words. “It was like the Rift was testing me, forcing me to see what could happen if we fail.”
Luna frowned, her expression darkening. “So it’s true. Something is happening in Eidolon.”
Kyle looked at her sharply. “You’ve noticed something too?”
She nodded. “I got a quest. Something unusual.” She hesitated, then opened her menu, summoning the quest notification for Kyle to see.
----------------------------------------
Quest Notification:Title: The Call of the Chosen
Objective: Choose an ally to assist you in bringing all the Chosen together.
Reward: Selection as a Chosen.
----------------------------------------
Kyle’s eyes widened as he read it. “A quest… to find the Chosen? Does that mean you’ll become one of us?”
“That’s what it says.” Luna crossed her arms, her tone thoughtful. “And it seems to confirm what you’ve been dealing with. I figured I’d come to you first, given your connection to the Rift quest. If you’ve already been marked, then it makes sense to start with you.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
She didn’t add what she was thinking—that maybe, for the first time in Eidolon, she’d be part of something truly extraordinary, something bigger than the grind.
Kyle rubbed the back of his neck, his thoughts swirling. “It’s not just me, Luna. There are six of us. I’ve met no one else so far, but I was told our paths would cross eventually.” He met her gaze, his tone grave. “If you’re going to take this quest, it won’t be easy. The Rift doesn’t play fair.”
Luna smirked faintly, her eyes glinting with determination. “I wouldn’t expect it to. But we don’t exactly have a choice, do we?” The quest intrigued her. Eidolon rarely handed players something this unique, and Luna couldn’t resist the chance to step beyond the usual grind. Answers, mysteries, and a place among the Chosen—it was too enticing to ignore.
“No, we don’t,” Kyle admitted, the weight of the truth settling over him. “If you’re going to be one of the Chosen, we’ll need to stay close. Whatever’s coming… it’s going to change everything.”
Luna nodded, her expression unreadable. “Then let’s make sure we’re ready.”
----------------------------------------
As Luna left to prepare, Kyle stood in his garden a moment longer, staring at the softly glowing plants swaying in an unseen breeze. A faint vibration rippled through the air, as though the Rift itself was aware of their conversation, its presence pressing faintly against the edges of reality. The stars on the plants seemed to dim momentarily before brightening again, a subtle reminder of the balance teetering on the brink.
Kyle exhaled and opened his inventory, preparing for whatever came next. The Rift’s challenges weren’t over, and now Luna was stepping onto the same precarious path. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Eidolon was leading them all toward something far bigger than they could imagine.
In the shadows of the Rift, something stirred, waiting for its moment to move.
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
As Kyle tended to his garden, the thought of Nash surfaced unbidden in his mind. The fragments of the Rift quest, the cryptic warnings, and now Luna’s involvement—all of it painted a picture of something far greater than any of them. And if he’d learned anything from Eidolon’s strange intelligence, it was that nothing was ever random.
"Could Nash be one of them? Kyle wiped his hands on his tunic, hesitating above the menu. Nash had joined Eidolon because of him, and if the Rift had marked him too... Kyle exhaled, pushing doubt aside, and composed the message.”
----------------------------------------
Kyle: Hey, do you have any ongoing quest that is related to a Rift or Eidolon mystery?
Nash’s reply came quickly: I completed one part of it, but for me to continue, I have to reach level 20. I’m at level 5 right now.
Kyle frowned. Nash was still a low-level player, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be one of the Chosen. Myself and a friend will help you level up, Kyle offered, but Nash’s response was immediate.
No. I want to do it myself. What’s up?
Kyle hesitated, choosing his words carefully. I’ve been marked as one of the Chosen of Eidolon. I’m not entirely sure what it means yet, but it’s tied to the game’s changes. A friend of mine has a quest to find all the Chosen. I had a hunch you might be one—or will become one.
Nash’s reply was measured, as always: Right now, I’m not one. If I do become a Chosen, I’ll let you know.
Kyle exhaled and smiled faintly. Thanks, man. Appreciate it.
----------------------------------------
When Luna returned to the garden, Kyle filled her in on his conversation with Nash. He explained his suspicion that Nash might be one of the Chosen and how Nash’s questline seemed aligned with the patterns emerging in Eidolon.
“So, what’s the next step?” Luna asked, leaning against one of the glowing trees.
Kyle rubbed his temple. “That’s the big question, isn’t it? How do we even begin to find the other Chosen? You’ve got a quest to gather them, but where do we start?”
Luna frowned, her gaze drifting toward the garden’s shimmering canopy. The celestial plants seemed to sway slightly, as if responding to her thoughts. The soft hum of the garden, always present but subtle, grew faintly louder, resonating with an almost sentient awareness.
“Maybe Eidolon itself will guide us,” she said, her voice tinged with a mix of wonder and unease. “It seems like this whole thing is… orchestrated somehow. The Rift. The Merge. The Chosen. It’s all connected. We just need to follow the threads and see where they lead.”
Kyle’s eyes shifted to the glowing plants, their light pulsing faintly in rhythm with the garden’s hum. A shiver ran down his spine as he wondered whether Luna’s words had triggered the change—or if the garden was always listening, waiting for the right moment to reveal its secrets.
“You might be right,” he said quietly, his gaze returning to her. “But following those threads… it’s like chasing a shadow. What if the guidance we’re hoping for never comes?”
Luna tilted her head, a faint smirk curving her lips. “Then we make our own path. If Eidolon’s watching, maybe it wants to see what we’ll do next.”
The hum softened again, fading into the background as though satisfied. The plants returned to their usual rhythm, leaving an almost eerie silence in their wake. Kyle took a deep breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead.
“Let’s start pulling on those threads, then,” he said.
Together, they left the garden, the celestial flora casting long shadows behind them, as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for the next move.