The Days seemed to blur for Shyri after Kalem’s passing, the weight of grief pressing down on her every step. She no longer found herself drawn to the world of gaming, a place that had once felt like an escape. The vivid adventures, the missions, the rush of combat—it all seemed so distant now, like it belonged to someone else. Instead, Shyri spent her time going through the motions, attending her classes, eating whatever food Kame made for her, and retreating back to her bed. Sleep was an elusive comfort, her mind too restless with the memories of Kalem, and even when sleep did find her, it was full of nightmares—visions of the ocean, the raft, the fire.
Her apartment felt emptier than ever, a hollow echo of a place once filled with laughter, plans, and ambition. Kame was always there for her, offering silent support, making sure Shyri ate, and sometimes staying up late just to keep her company when she couldn't bear to be alone. The sorrow was palpable, but Kame never pushed her to talk. She understood that words couldn’t fix what Shyri was feeling. Instead, she simply stayed close, offering the quiet companionship that Shyri had come to rely on.
News of Kalem’s death spread quickly through the school. The entire campus seemed to be in an uproar for the week after the funeral, the students, the professors, everyone feeling the loss. Kalem had been well-known on campus, his charm and confidence drawing attention wherever he went. And though he had his circles of friends, it was clear to anyone who paid attention that he had been a force for good in many people's lives. His sudden death felt like a harsh, cruel twist of fate, and the ripple effect was felt throughout the university.
At first, Shyri didn’t know how to respond to the influx of attention from her peers. Some of the students who had been distant or even cruel to her before, now softened when they saw her in the hallways. They were more careful with their words, offering small, awkward gestures of sympathy. Even the girls who had once interrogated her, the ones who had made her life more difficult with their gossip and subtle jabs, now approached her with a gentler tone.
One of them, the blonde who had always seemed to be the ringleader, came up to Shyri one afternoon outside the campus library. She didn’t make a scene, no dramatic words or gestures, just a simple, quiet approach. "Shyri..." she said softly, almost unsure of how to speak. "I’m so sorry about Kalem. I can’t imagine what you’re going through."
Before Shyri could react, the girl reached out and pulled her into a gentle hug. It wasn’t the kind of hug Shyri had expected—no insincerity or force behind it, but simply the embrace of someone who understood the weight of loss. After a long moment, the girl pulled back, her expression earnest and sincere. "If you ever need someone to talk to or just someone to be there... we’re here."
For a brief second, Shyri just stared, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Grief, of course, but also a surprise—these girls, who had been so hostile before, now offering her warmth, their presence a small but meaningful gesture. It was odd, and she couldn’t fully wrap her mind around it, but she nodded and gave them a small, almost imperceptible smile.
Weeks passed, and more people came to offer their condolences—some out of genuine care, others just following the crowds, but it didn’t matter. Shyri couldn’t find it in herself to be angry or resentful. The pain of Kalem’s loss had stripped away all the smaller worries, leaving her only with the deep, aching void inside. The whispers, the awkward glances, the sudden kindness from strangers—it was all just noise. She wasn’t ready to face the world, and yet, the world kept pulling her forward, making her deal with the reality of Kalem’s death.
Even Kame noticed it—how Shyri had become quieter, more withdrawn, as if she were retreating into herself more and more. Yet, Kame still kept her distance, never pushing, always there when needed.
For the first time in weeks, Shyri woke up with a goal. She didn’t know what it was yet, but she could feel it stirring deep inside her—a desire, a need to do something, anything, that would give her back a sense of purpose. But for now, she didn’t know what that was. She hadn’t logged into the game for what felt like forever, and she didn’t even want to. Kalem’s death had made everything that once felt important feel trivial, almost childish. How could she go back to the world she had once embraced when the real world was so full of pain?
As the weeks turned into months, Shyri’s mourning process became more internal, harder for others to understand. But she did what she had to do—attend her classes, go through the motions, and endure the endless well-meaning people who tried to offer her comfort. She wasn’t ready for any of it, but deep down, she knew one thing: she wasn’t alone. And maybe, just maybe, that small thought was enough to keep her going.
The afternoon sun was starting to fade as the soft light filtered into the room, casting a warm glow over the apartment. The sound of the door opening broke the stillness, followed by the light tap of footsteps. Kame walked in, carrying her bag over her shoulder and a light breeze trailing in behind her. She glanced at Shyri, who was still lying in bed, curled up under the covers, her eyes distant, lost in her thoughts.
“Hey,” Kame said gently, stepping closer to the bed and giving Shyri a soft smile. “How are you feeling?”
Shyri barely moved, her gaze blank as she stared at the ceiling, the weight of the past few months still pressing heavily on her. Kame sat down on the edge of the bed, her expression softening with concern. “I know it's been tough," she began, her voice soothing. "But… there’s something I think you really need to see. Alesia and I—well, mostly Alesia—have a gift for you. I really think it’ll help you feel a little better.”
Shyri didn't react right away, the words floating around her, but she didn’t have the energy to care. Still, the mention of a gift—something from Alesia—caught her attention, if only slightly. Her brow furrowed in curiosity, but she didn’t move from her spot.
“A gift?” Shyri’s voice was low, almost unreadable.
Kame nodded enthusiastically, a small spark of hope in her eyes. “Yes. Alesia’s been working on something special for you, and she’s really excited for you to see it. It’s… it’s something that might help you take your mind off things."
The words "take your mind off things" were all it took to stir something in Shyri, though she still couldn’t bring herself to sit up or move.
Kame watched her closely, then gave her a little nudge. “Come on, Shyri. You’ve been in here for weeks upon weeks now. It’s Friday, and we’ve got some time. Just log on for a little bit and I promise, you’ll want to see what we have for you."
Shyri’s eyes flickered over to Kame, a spark of reluctant curiosity in her gaze. "What is it?"
“Come on,” Kame urged with a gentle laugh, “you’ll see. You just need to log on and trust me. Alesia's been working her magic.”
Shyri hesitated for a moment longer, her thoughts a whirlwind of grief, yet she could feel the pull to at least get up, to see what Alesia had planned. With a slow breath, she finally nodded, rolling out from under the blankets, her body stiff from days of lying in bed.
Kame smiled at her, the relief evident in her eyes. “That’s the spirit! Come on, let’s get you set up.”
Shyri followed Kame to the living room, where the VR headset sat waiting. The apartment felt quieter than usual, but the thought of something new, something to focus on, nudged her forward.
Once she was seated, Kame handed her the headset, her fingers gently brushing Shyri’s hand as she did. "You ready?" Kame asked, her voice light and full of encouragement.
Shyri sighed and nodded, placing the headset over her head. She didn’t know what Alesia had prepared, but she was curious. For the first time in a long while, she felt a small spark of something—perhaps the tiniest hint of hope.
As she adjusted her position and activated the game, the familiar interface of New Life Online materialized before her.
Suddenly, the familiar chime of an incoming message pinged through her system, catching her attention. A new notification popped up: Alesia has sent you a gift.
Shyri blinked, the surprise evident on her face. She clicked the message, and as the screen loaded, a small box appeared in front of her with a glowing light around it.
Kame, who had teleported to her watched eagerly from the sidelines, grinned. “There it is. Open it.”
With a soft click, the box opened, revealing a small glowing necklace as Shyri inspected it. The description said Kalem’s Soul- use this soul to acquire the player Kalem’s skills for them to be a part of you forever.
For Shyri, from Alesia & Kame.
Shyri stared down at the glowing necklace in her hands, something incredible happened. The faint shimmer of light around the necklace intensified, almost as if it was pulsing with life, and for a brief moment, she felt a warm presence—something that reminded her of Kalem. Her heart skipped a beat, her throat tightening as she squeezed the gift even tighter.
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It was as if he was there, inside the necklace, reaching out to her, a fragment of him trying to remain by her side. She could almost hear his voice, feel his laughter in the air around her, the memory of his presence clinging to the very essence of the gift.
Kame, watching Shyri closely, smiled softly but stayed silent, understanding the weight of the moment.
Just as Shyri was about to say something, Alesia appeared next to Kame, her eyes filled with empathy but also a quiet strength. She approached Shyri gently, not wanting to startle her, but knowing this was something that had to be explained.
"Shyri," Alesia began, her voice soothing but serious. "That necklace... It’s not just a gift. It’s an extension of Kalem, of who he was. It’s a way to keep a piece of him alive inside you."
Shyri’s grip tightened around the necklace as Alesia continued, "This item will let you learn Kalem’s light-based skills, the ones he mastered over time. You’ll be able to tap into the same abilities that he used... You’ll never be alone in that regard. In the game, you’ll feel his presence when you need it most."
Her words were comforting, but as Alesia spoke, something about the necklace didn’t feel entirely right. It wasn’t just a gift—it was a binding force, something that would change her in ways she hadn’t anticipated.
Shyri looked up, meeting Alesia’s eyes, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean by light skills? Will it change me?"
Alesia nodded slowly, her expression becoming more serious. "It’s not just about learning Kalem’s skills, Shyri. This necklace will bond with you. It will strip away your elemental magic—the fire, water, wind, and earth powers you’ve honed over time. All of it will be gone."
The weight of those words hit Shyri like a wave. She had come to rely so much on her varied elemental abilities, the flexibility they gave her, the balance they offered. The thought of losing them felt like she was being cut off from a part of herself. But... then she looked down at the necklace again, feeling the presence of Kalem still within it.
"The only magic you’ll be able to wield," Alesia continued gently, "is darkness and light. It’ll be like you and Kalem are tied together, like he’s always there beside you, guiding you, even if he can’t physically be with you anymore."
Shyri’s heart ached as she processed the implications. She would lose everything that made her who she was in terms of elemental mastery, but... Kalem would always be a part of her.
Her gaze flickered between the necklace and Alesia. "Will it be worth it?" she asked quietly, the uncertainty creeping into her voice.
Alesia knelt beside her, her expression full of understanding. "That’s something only you can decide. But remember... you don’t have to give up who you are to honor Kalem. You will forget how to use your base elemental magic, but this will give you a new power, a new way of being. It’s a gift, but also a responsibility."
Kame, standing behind her, stepped forward and placed a hand on Shyri’s shoulder. "Whatever you choose, we’re here for you, Shyri. You don’t have to make this decision alone."
The air seemed to grow still as Shyri sat there, holding the necklace in her hand, contemplating what she was about to give up. Kalem’s light magic, his essence, had always been a part of him. But this... this was a chance to keep him with her, to always have a piece of him by her side.
Shyri closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath. She was no longer the same person she was before Kalem’s passing. The world had changed, and so had she. This was a chance to evolve, to hold onto the love and the memory of the one she had lost.
With a quiet sigh, Shyri opened her eyes and, with a final look at Kame and Alesia, nodded. "I’ll do it. I’ll learn his light skills. I can’t let him go. I won’t forget who I was, but I’ll carry him with me."
Alesia smiled softly, proud of her friend’s decision. "You’re strong, Shyri."
Shyri closed her hand around the necklace, feeling its warmth spread through her.
As Shyri held the necklace tightly in her hand, she hesitated for only a moment before slipping it around her neck. The cold touch of the necklace sent a shiver down her spine, but it was more than just the temperature—there was a deeper resonance, like a heartbeat that wasn’t her own, a pulse that thrummed in time with Kalem’s memory.
Her HUD blinked softly, and a pop-up notification appeared in front of her:
Would you like the necklace to fuse with you?
Her hand hovered over the choice, but in her heart, she already knew the answer. There was no going back now, no point in hesitation. Shyri pressed Yes without looking back.
In an instant, a blinding light exploded around her, wrapping her body in a cocoon of radiant energy. The necklace began to glow brilliantly, and from the ground below, Shyri’s familiar dark aura began to stir. It crawled up her legs like living shadows, tendrils of darkness swirling upward, consuming the light in a spiraling dance of power.
The two forces—light and darkness—met just above her waist, where they intertwined like serpents coiling around one another, battling for dominance but also merging, forming something new, something entirely unique.
The cocoon of light pulsed as it engulfed her, its radiance pushing outward, but the shadowy aura pushed back, pulling it closer, tighter. Shyri’s eyes were closed, her face calm, but beneath the surface, her mind raced with conflicting sensations. The warmth of Kalem’s light and the cold, familiar embrace of her own darkness fought against one another, but in that battle, they began to harmonize.
Her body felt weightless, suspended in the swirling energy. Every inch of her skin tingled with a mixture of power and pain, like she was being remade from the inside out.
The dark aura, once menacing and chaotic, began to smooth, taking on a more refined shape, controlled but still potent. Meanwhile, the light cocoon shimmered, its intensity growing dimmer as it was consumed by the shadows, until they were no longer two separate forces, but one cohesive, balanced energy that surrounded her.
As the fusion reached its peak, a brilliant flash of light and shadow erupted, filling the room with a blinding glow before quickly dissipating. Shyri opened her eyes slowly, her body bathed in the soft afterglow of the fusion. The necklace had vanished—absorbed into her, leaving only a faint shimmer on her skin where it once rested.
Her HUD blinked again, showing a new notification:
Kalem’s Soul has fused with you. You have unlocked Light Elemental skills. All other elemental abilities have been disabled. Current abilities: Light and Darkness Magic.
She stood there, feeling the raw energy coursing through her veins. The overwhelming power of the moment left her breathless, her heart pounding in her chest. She was different now, something new.
The shadows around her feet rippled, but now there was a glimmer of light within them. Shyri clenched her fists, feeling the surge of power, and the deep connection to the soul of the person she loved.
Shyri extended her arms, the power of the fusion coursed through her, and her armor began to shift in response to her newly balanced energy. The dark, sleek metal that once adorned her form rippled like liquid, its surface warping and twisting as streaks of pale light emerged, creating intricate patterns that danced across the armor.
Her chest plate, once dominated by obsidian black, now glowed with lines of silver and gold, tracing delicate designs that resembled wings unfurling from her heart. The darkness still clung to the edges, forming sharp, jagged accents that gave her a menacing yet regal look. It was as if her armor had been torn between two worlds—shadow and radiance, strength and grace—now harmonized into one cohesive form.
Her gauntlets shimmered as the deep black morphed into a mixture of dark gray and luminous white, the fingers tipped with sharp, iridescent claws that pulsed faintly with energy. The shadowy tendrils that had once wrapped around her wrists now intertwined with the light, coiling together like vines growing in perfect sync, neither force overpowering the other.
As her legs shifted, the armored greaves adapted to the fusion as well. The shadows hugged her calves tightly, but gleaming silver feathers etched along the sides, moving as if alive, adding a sense of weightless grace to her steps. Around her waist, a belt formed of interlocking dark and light links, symbolic of the union between the two opposing forces within her.
Even her cloak had transformed, now composed of a material that shimmered with an ethereal glow at the edges. It still retained its inky black hue, but the light within it gave the fabric a ghostly, otherworldly appearance. When she moved, the cloak seemed to ripple like the night sky being pierced by the first rays of dawn.
Her newly formed helm was perhaps the most striking change. A crown-like structure, with beams of light arcing over the top, creating the illusion of a halo of dark light sat upon her head like a mix of shadow and luminescence.
Shyri's entire presence had shifted—she embodied both death and rebirth, light and dark. Her armor was no longer a reflection of her singular nature but of her duality, the ultimate fusion of Kalem’s light and her own darkness. She felt the power surging beneath the metal and leather, a constant reminder of the bond she now carried within her.
She looked down at herself, flexing her fingers and feeling the energy in every part of her being. The powerful fusion of light and darkness surge within her, her armor glowing faintly from the interplay of the two energies. Her eyes shimmered with renewed life, her aura balanced yet commanding. Without hesitation, she turned to Kame and Alesia, pulling them both into a tight embrace.
“Thank you,” Shyri whispered, her voice soft yet filled with emotion. “I don’t think I could’ve made it through without you two.”
Kame grinned, her arms wrapping around Shyri. "We’re here for you, always," she said, her usual playful tone taking on a deeper sincerity.
Alesia, standing close, smiled with a mixture of pride and relief. She returned the hug with warmth, her usual reserved demeanor melting away for a moment. “We knew you needed this. And now… you're stronger than ever.”
Shyri took a deep breath and pulled back slightly, looking between the two of them, her violet eyes shining with newfound energy. “I feel... alive again. Like I could play for days without stopping,” she said, a bright smile spreading across her face. “It’s like Kalem is with me, every part of him, and I’m not just back—I’m stronger.”
Her smile turned mischievous as her gaze became sharper, more determined. “And now, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to FireGuard. I’m going to take it over and rule it.”
Kame’s eyes widened, her lips curling into a smirk. "You? Ruling FireGuard? Oh, this is going to be fun."
Alesia raised an eyebrow, but a playful smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Are you going in alone or will you need our clan with you?," she said with a chuckle.
Shyri reached back feeling the hilt of trinity "I can handle them on my own but once i've taken over then I will make Iron’s Hand my personal city guard and that can be your main headquarters, together we'll crush anyone in our way.”
Alesia smiled as she sent word to her clan to meet up and surround the city before nightfall “alright the message is sent and we will be waiting for when you take the throne then”
“My best friend, a queen, I feel like a proud mother” Kame smirked as it turned into a large smile.
The three of them stood there, Shyri's grin widened as she looked into the distance, already plotting her rise to power.