After the Rift Reaver fell and the loot was divided, Kyle turned to Jasper. “I’m Kyle. This is Seraphine and Luna. Luna received a quest to find the Chosen, and Kaelith led us here. He said we’d find another in the Wild Lands.”

Jasper gave a brief nod. “Jasper.”

A moment of silence passed before a notification appeared in the menus of all six Chosen.

"I am Eidolon. Some of you know me well; others are only now becoming aware of me. A great event is approaching—I hope you are ready. Find each other quickly, and rest assured, you will not face it alone."

Nash froze mid-step, his breath catching as the words etched themselves into his mind. Eidolon contacted me directly. His pulse quickened.

Beside him, Eliath outwardly remained composed, yet a rare crack in his demeanor showed in the flicker of his eyes. Inside, however, his thoughts raced. Eidolon never speaks this directly. What’s coming?

He noticed Nash’s hesitation and asked, “You saw it too, didn’t you? The message from Eidolon?”

Nash, still processing, met his gaze before quickly sending a message to Kyle.

—

On Kyle’s side, the group was visibly shaken. Eidolon had always acted through signs, through whispers woven into quests and visions. Never like this.

Seraphine and Luna were the most affected.

For Luna, whose connection with Eidolon was still new, this was more than unexpected—it was overwhelming. She wasn’t one of the Chosen. Not yet. Then why did I hear it?

Seraphine, a Veil Breaker attuned to the Rift’s mysteries, felt something deeper shift beneath reality’s surface. She clenched her fists. The Rift is stirring.

This wasn’t just another quest. This was a warning.

—

A soft chime echoed in Kyle’s menu. A message from Nash.

I have another Chosen beside me.

Kyle’s pulse quickened as he quickly typed back.

“Does that mean you’re a Chosen too?”

“Yes, I am,” Nash confirmed.

Kyle wasted no time. “Where are you?”

“Iridiel.”

Kyle turned to the others. “We found the other two Chosen. They’re in Iridiel.”

Luna hesitated before asking, “Your friend... is he one of them?”

Kyle met her gaze and nodded. “Yeah. He is.”

The weight of his words settled over them. The Chosen were finally coming together—but for what, none of them knew.

---

Nash said, “My friend asked me earlier if I was a Chosen. At the time, I told him no. But after receiving that message from Eidolon, I think it’s safe to say I am. And since you got one too, that makes you one as well.”

He exhaled, shaking off the lingering tension. “He’s on his way to Iridiel, but until then, I want to hit level 20. Let’s move—Fiery Lions region should get me there fast.”

Eliath smirked, arms crossed. “Finally, some urgency. I was beginning to think you liked being underleveled.”

Nash shot him a dry look. “I like surviving.”

“Then you’d better keep up,” Eliath said, already turning toward the path ahead. “Fiery Wolves aren’t just stronger—they hunt in waves. If you hesitate, you’ll be overrun.”

“I won’t hesitate,” Nash said firmly.

Eliath gave him a side glance, something sharp and assessing in his gaze. Then, with a nod, he strode forward. “Good. Then let’s go.”

---

The Fiery Lions prowled in a loose formation, embers flickering along their crimson pelts. Their molten eyes locked onto Nash as he stepped forward, the heat warping the air between them.

Eliath let out a low whistle. “Three of them. They’ll strike fast—don’t let them control the fight.”

Nash nodded, his grip tightening on his blade. The beasts moved as one, their hulking forms circling, testing for weakness.

The largest lunged first, a blur of flame and muscle. Nash reacted instinctively—Veil Slip.

The world shifted. For a brief second, the battlefield was cast in muted grays, sound distant, distorted. The lion's claws passed through empty air as Nash reappeared at its flank. His blade slashed out, carving through its side—Ethereal Wounds seeping into the gash.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

The beast howled, staggering, but the second lion was already moving. A searing maw snapped at Nash’s shoulder. Too fast.

A jolt of pain. Heat licked at his skin, his body thrown backward from the impact.

He hit the ground hard, rolling to absorb the force. The third lion seized the opening, launching straight for him.

No time. No space. No escape.

Instinct flared. Something deeper—something unlocked.

The world darkened. Abyssal Step activated.

Nash stepped into the void.

The battlefield vanished. Shadows consumed him, weightless, vast, limitless. His form dissolved, slipping between reality and the unseen.

For three seconds, he wasn’t there.

The lions roared, searching for him, but he was beyond them—an echo, a ghost in the abyss.

The Veil pulsed around him, whispering. This is what you are.

The moment stretched, and then—

He reemerged.

The lions barely had time to react. Shadow Surge.

Nash exploded from the darkness, momentum driving his blade forward. His strike landed true—burying deep into the skull of the wounded lion. The beast crumbled, fading into embers.

The second turned, but Nash was already moving. Wraith Tether.

A tendril of shadow lashed out, wrapping around the lion’s throat. The beast bucked and writhed, its energy draining as Nash pulled—his grip on the battlefield tightening.

The third beast charged, its claws igniting mid-air.

Nash didn’t move. Didn’t blink.

He had seen this attack before.

Vision activated.

The Rift’s echoes whispered to him. Step left. Counter now.

He moved with inhuman precision—sidestepping the blow, twisting with the force, and driving his blade beneath the lion’s ribs. The Veil coiled around his weapon, devouring the flame.

The final beast staggered, fell.

Silence.

Nash exhaled, the rush of battle leaving his body trembling. He flexed his fingers, remembering the abyss.

He had phased beyond reality itself.

Eliath approached, his expression unreadable. “You hesitated again.”

Nash looked at his hands, then at the fading embers of the lions. “No. I was learning.”

Eliath smirked. “Good.” He glanced toward the horizon. “Now, let’s see how fast you can master it.”

Nash turned away from the dying flames.

He had stepped into the abyss.

And now, he would learn to wield it.

---

Nash exhaled sharply, his breaths still uneven from the fight. The sting of near-misses lingered on his skin, the memory of burning claws too close for comfort. Too many close calls. He clenched his fists, steadying himself. At least it hadn’t been for nothing—his interface flickered, confirming two level-ups.

A chime echoed in his menu. Kyle.

We’re in the city. Where are you?

Nash swiped a hand across his interface, fingers still shaking from the battle. We’re coming into town now.

Eliath stretched beside him, rolling his shoulders. “You look like you’ve seen death and walked back.”

“Felt like it,” Nash admitted, forcing his muscles to relax.

Eliath smirked. “Then let’s not keep them waiting.”

With the fiery wasteland behind them and Iridiel looming in the distance, they set off toward the city—toward the other Chosens.

---

Fifteen minutes later, Nash and Eliath passed through the towering gates of Iridiel, the city's lantern-lit streets sprawling before them. Without breaking stride, Nash opened his menu and sent a quick message to Kyle.

“We’re in the city. Where are you?”

The response came almost instantly.

“Seavel Inn.”

Nash relayed the information to Eliath, who gave a short nod and led the way.

The inn was nestled along a quiet street, its warm glow spilling onto the cobblestone. As they stepped inside, Nash approached the server and gave Kyle’s name. The attendant barely hesitated before guiding them through a set of polished doors into a private room.

Inside, Kyle sat with two women and another man, all of them relaxed yet alert. The moment Nash stepped in, Kyle grinned.

“Bro, you’ve been in the game this whole time and just now decided to message me?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Some friend you are.”

Nash rolled his eyes at his best friend and asked, "Was this the reason you convinced me to try the game? Did you know the game would merge with Earth?"

Kyle leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Man, if I knew that, don’t you think I’d have warned you? Or at least pretended to be prepared?"

Nash crossed his arms, not entirely convinced. "You did push hard for me to play, though. Why?"

Kyle’s grin faltered slightly. He glanced at the others before exhaling. "I had a feeling. Weird things started happening in the game—glitches that didn’t feel like glitches. And then there was Eidolon."

Nash’s jaw tightened at the mention of the entity. "So you did suspect something."

Kyle shrugged. "Not like this. Not full-blown reality is breaking apart levels of crazy. I just knew there was something deeper in the game. And… well, I figured if anyone could handle it, it'd be you."

Eliath, silent until now, finally spoke. "That’s a lot of faith in someone who just leveled up fighting fire cats."

Kyle arched a brow. "And yet, he’s standing here, isn’t he?"

Nash shook his head, but despite himself, a small smirk tugged at his lips. "You’re an ass, you know that?"

Kyle grinned. "Yeah, but I’m your ass."

Luna, watching the exchange with an amused tilt of her head, finally interjected. "So, now that you two are done with your heartfelt reunion, what’s next?"

Seraphine, arms folded, added, "Eidolon’s message wasn’t just a warning. It was a summons. We need to figure out why."

Nash exhaled, the weight of everything pressing down on him again. "Then let’s stop wasting time and start getting answers."