Rolling across the vast sky, was a strange storm. A vortex of swirling clouds that were considered the greatest mystery of all just trailing behind the Primordial Age. This storm always followed a set route, with no deviation to it. It also never faded. Documented since the beginning of time, it was something every scholar in their youth had thought they could solve. Even with such fame among the ruling class and it's scholars, no one knew what was inside, only that, something was inside of it.

It appeared to be an overly large storm that was calm, but once you penetrated the inside... It was a raging storm that even a Demon King would mostly lose its life in. Only one person had managed to get a glimpse inside and make it tell the tale. A high-leveled Mage known as "Mythos" That was all he managed to remember. Having lost his mount and critically wounded, he died having only saying

"There's something large in there... Something grand.."

No one knew how he managed to almost make it, but many tried for years after. Some failed and returned to seek other courses of research. Others... Never returned. Until one day, the storm dispersed with a large explosion of wind.

What was left in a large opening in the sky, was a floating island.

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Many years ago,

A floating island, about the size of all of New York combined. It had the shape of a massive upside-down mountain. This island cut through the clouds like an icebreaker. To the west on this island, was a landing dock for flying mounts as well as a teleportation archway. Trailing inwards was a massive flower garden with many exotic plans and common ones. Many ponds and even a lake to the south-west of the flower gardens. From the north to the south, a mountain range hugged the eastern edge of the island. This mountain cradled a huge white-stone elven-styled city.

On this Island, under the night sky were thousands of people had gathered in the largest festival. This was the SkyGardens in the Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online Game called Fallen Kingdoms: Eos. All of them were eating and drinking while in a large flower garden with hundreds of stone planters, home to many exotic plants and common plants. Stone Golems walked around, handing out food and drink. Many string lings zig-zagged above them all from wooden posts as tables were placed next to the planters. There was plenty of music and laughter among them all.

In the center of all these festivities, was a circular black-starry night granite platform. Overlooking this festival was a lovely girl about eighteen, sitting in a throne style chair. Snow-white hair tied back, golden eyes, fair skinned and rosy cheeks. On either side of her was a man and woman in their later eyes, who looked similar to her. These were her parents. As they spoke to each other, they had somber expressions. It didn't impact the festive mood for the others as they all revealed in the mood.

Person after person came up and gave hearty speeches, tear-filled recounts and some of them downright made a fool of themselves. All of them though were welcomed with great cheers, because this festival, was a festival of life. All of them came to celebrate the woman sitting on that throne. Avery Bailey, the most beloved player. This was her final day to life. Everyone here was to celebrate her.

This was a journey that started two years ago when she was, but a fledgling teenager. Full of life and dreams. All of which was cut short the moment she had collapsed at school. For four long months, she had been in a coma fighting for her life until the doctors had been able to stabilize her in an experimental medical unit that sealed her away from the rest of the world. What happened? How did this happen? Why?

It wasn't until four months after her episode, did the answer somewhat get revealed. A very aggressive form of cancer. It was a new one, that had spread throughout her body. It was terminal. From that point on, her parents would venture to the ends of the earth to find something. Anything. To save their only child. Blood, sweat, and tears. Pray and black magic. Everything and anything. To the point of almost falling into bankruptcy. In the end, the doctors managed to get her into an experimental medical unit.

It was called the Virtual Reality Housing Medical Pod or VRHMP. It was designed to keep the body sedated while keeping the mind active in virtual reality. Thus allowing her to interact with friends and family while being locked away from the world. Thus, her never-ending life inside Virtual reality would be spent for the next two years.

On that end, Avery was actually a founding member of the game "Fallen Kingdoms: Eos" or FkE. She played religiously as she was almost the most active player in-game and on the forums. Most people would know who she was if they dedicated some time to the game. Like people invested in the game knowing who were the top ten players on the leaderboards. Avery was an unofficial mascot of the game. So when this person had disappeared for almost five months, it started a storm within the community.

In the end, no one could find out. Of all the players, only three of them knew her in real life. To which neither of them had spoken about it. It wasn't until after that time frame did she reappear, but.. different. The once happy-go-lucky girl had become a recluse. After not speaking to any other players for a week, she left a single thread on the forums. A post detailing the situation that had happened, how she was told she would die in a couple of years and a single wish...

A wish to enjoy her final days with everyone whom she played with over the course of the years on this game. A wish to spend her final days laughing and smiling. Of course, Avery herself was oblivious to the amount of fame she had on the platform. It wasn't until she posted that did it blow up in her face. Everyone from people she hadn't spoken with for years to even new players had come to her. All of them willing to try and answer her wish. At this moment, the one and only event that ever mattered in a game was created

"System Announcement: [ Avery's Star] event has started. All previous events will become active as soon as one is completed. End-game will be available after the last event is completed."

In the end, they managed to complete all of those events. Avery reached the apex of the game along with other players during that time. The game developers even released new content such as player homes, guild bases and floating Islands that could double as both. With everyone's help, Avery managed to complete different homes, bases, and even the largest floating Island in the game, SkyGardens. A memento to be left in her wake what she called it.

Slowly throughout this period of time. They laughed and cried. Many of them reminisced of their journeys in-game, no tale was too small nor too large in Avery's eyes. She was happy that so many people hold a special place in their heart, even if was for something small. Slowly, days turned to months and months turned into years. Avery had told them all the most hard-breaking of news on a beautiful, spring morning.

"They told me that in a few weeks... I would start to go through organs failures one by one until one of them killed me. They also gave me an option to be put down, like when you put down your old dog... I took it. In two weeks, I'll finally be ending our adventure. So let us go out with a bang.."

Avery sat on her throne in mithril-plate armor that had was rather feminine with a large paw print on the chest. She wore it nicely as she gave her greetings to the last person to come toast her. Above her head was a timer, a timer counting down to the moment she would die. Overlooking people drinking, laughing and fighting. It was like some old outdoor bar filled with ruffians, but it brought a smile to her face. As people were swept up in the mood of the festival, the timer was left with only thirty seconds.

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A large bell rung out, quieting the festival goers. Only then did their expressions begin to tighten. It was the moment they are were waiting for and dreaded. All of the GMs stood up with one of them stepping forward.

"I know we have fulfilled Avery's dying wish now, down to the last letter, but we the Game Masters will not tolerate such a farewell. This is going to be a Warriors send off. A goodbye fit for a god!"

With that, light particles quickly gathered and formed a staff in his hand. He slammed the butt of this staff onto the platform and the night grew brighter as thousands of stars streaked across the sky as the timer hit zero. The crowd that had once been quiet had started to become loud with cries, many crying out farewells while others stayed silent.

Suddenly, stars began to streak across the sky. Thousands of them as every let out surprised voices. A truly befitting night sky for her.

"Thank you, everyone, for granting me this.."

The woman, Avery, who had been quiet the entire time had finally spoken up, tires streamed down her eyes as she could feel her mind starting to fade away until a man sitting at the table directly in front of her, her closest friend slammed the table.

"Fuck this Avery! Stand your ass up and go out like a warrior! With a smile and laughing in the face of death!"

He stood up from the table, pulling out a blue sword from its sheath and pointed it towards the sky, letting out a mighty battle-cry. Stomping his foot like a war drum. At first, people were shocked. After a few moments though, one by one. They all joined in. Staffs, wands, and daggers; Warhammers, glaves, and spears; Short swords, long swords, and everything in-between. One by one, weapons were pointed to the sky as if challenging death itself as the battle cries reached the heavens. It was the game's custom to do before a raid...

"Avery, you damned girl! Go on and raid the next boss for us! Don't worry, we'll all be right behind you, hahaha!"

The war cries became even louder than before. Avery's parents who were also shocked joined into the shouting. They helped Avery stand from the throne and pull out a long double-edged sword that was silver and blue. The sword of Gaia, the sword of the game's last boss. The Demon King. And with the help of her parents, raised it towards the sky as her body slowly became weaker.

"Everyone... Thank you... I'll be going ahead now. Don't make me wait too long though or I'll take all the loot, haha! You guys, make sure to level up some more, I can't be the only one to be doing all the damage!"

With these final words, the crowd went silent. Avery's mind began to darken, her arm began to slowly lower the raised sword before it eventually lost grip of it. As the sword clattered on the granite platform, so too did her body slump over. Her parents caught her body and slowly laid her down.

Then another battle cry rang out from her friend...

"To Victory, Avery!"

The crowds sprung to life again, yelling out that battle cry. Letting our their emotions so that the heavens would think twice before slighting her in the next life. That cry was the last thing she heard as a grin spread softly across her face, ear to ear. Her body slowly began limp and her parents disappeared to deal with the aftermath in the hospital. Then three beings appeared next to her. Her NPC followers.

They lifted her up with magic as her body levitated three feet above the ground and they began to walk towards the large city to the east. One by one, the players began to kneel as she passed by. This percussion continued past the large white-stoned walls of the city. Even NPCs were out in the street Kneeling. This continued on until they reached her player-castle up at the highest part of the city.

Back in the gardens, a large star fell on the now empty platform. A blindingly came out for a split second before it disappeared and in its wake, was a large white-wood tree. stood almost twenty stories tall, with dark blue leaves and faintly glowing flowers. It was a Divine cherry blossom tree. At the base of the tree, there was a statue of Avery, in her final moment of glory enshrined. Then a prompted came out for everyone.

[Avery's star has fallen. Even the gods mourn her passing. In the spot she took her last breath, they leave behind the Divine Primordial Cherry Blossom tree. A shrine has been erected in her exact spot, showing her final glory.]

[Avery's Star: Fallen titled given to all players]

[SkyGarden's city, Heart's Rest, closes it's doors to all, but her followers. From this day on, only legacy guild members and Avery's NPCs will have access. The Gardens will now become a public area for high-level players. Low-Level players may access this place for certain quests only and during events.]

[Global GM-M: Goodnight Avery, may more victories come your way in the next life...]

With this, her festival ended, leaving behind a shrine to her celebrating her life in-game forever. As a valiant warrior, with the love of the gods. One by one, players left the island and the stone golems cleaned up the mess and fixed the gardens. From the gardens to the city, not a player was left. Their hearts were wounded so they left to catch their breath...

An eerie silence took the island as darkness began to engulf the island, the NPCs in the city looked up with worried hearts. Something they never felt before, like a fog clearing away. They began to feel things, think things. they didn't bother to question why this was happening, only worried about the darkness that washed over their beautiful island...

Ξ

Unbeknownst to the GameMasters, their scripting ended with them only taking her to her castle and nothing else. Strangely, they too began to fell a sense like the wool over their eyes was pooled away. They looked with pain expressions at their former master. Her beautiful face looked like it normally did. Even still, they had all their memories from before till now. They knew she was gone. They didn't know what to do as their world was torn apart.

Two men and a single woman grieved silently, unsure of what to do. The city below stirred with fear and uncertainty, but they didn't care. Their one and only master had passed. They thought. 'Maybe this world should crumble too...' as they wept. For who knows how long they grieved. It only stopped until an unknown figure stepped out of the darkness did they all stand at attention, ready to pull out their weapons.

"I did not come to fight young ones... I came with to offer a solution regarding your master.."

It was on that day, a God descended to answer their prayers. Looking back, it may of been a Devil, but to them. It only mattered most if their master came back to them. This was their final thoughts as they heard the solution, quickly acting upon it. The God only looked out over the city with a faint smile, but it was like a smiling devil.

On this day, Avery's soul was snatched away from heaven...

[Mutliple titles granted]

[God Jen'Kuo has granted you a second wind.]