“So, you’re coming, right?” Emma leaned over the table, her straight auburn hair nearly dipping into Rayna’s instant ramen.

Rayna shoved Emma back to her side of the table with a look of playful disgust. “Personal bubble.”

The convenience store was empty except for the clerk who was too busy watching something on his phone to pay attention to what two foreigners were doing in the dining section of the store. That was why Rayna usually picked this one; it was quiet, and no one bothered her.

“But are you coming?” Emma repeated, shattering Rayna’s illusion of peace.

Rayna sighed. “Isn’t this new game only open to people who have played Ember Online?” she asked. “What good would going to the opening event be? I won’t even be able to play along without the chip.”

The chip, or the Ember Industries chip, was the newest advancement in gaming technology. A computer chip that was implanted directly into one’s brain and simulated an augmented reality gaming experience.

It was as controversial as it was popular.

“I bet they’ll have some AR glasses or something that you can use to play along,” Emma said. “Aaannnd once you see how fun it is, you’ll see that Ember is totally worth the risk.” Emma wiggled her eyebrows, still trying to coax Rayna into getting the chip even after six months of staunch refusal.

“Or some poor player’s head will explode, and I’ll be proved right,” Rayna said, taking another bite of her ramen.

Emma rolled her eyes. “Ember Online has been out for a year, and the beta testing lasted three years before that with no problems. When are you going to admit that it’s safe and come over with me to the dark side?” A playful grin spread across her face as she repeated one of her favorite jokes.

“When the light side runs out of cookies,” Rayna said, playing along with the reference. “Seriously, Emma, do you really think a brain chip isn’t going to have lasting effects? We could get twenty years down the line and all the players have turned into vegetables.”

The safety of the chip was highly debated. Some seemed to think it was fine, and others were deep diving into the science to try to find anything that they could use to ban the technology. Despite being best friends since they were little, Rayna and Emma had found themselves on opposite sides of the debate.

Rayna didn’t think brain surgery—even if it was only a five minute procedure—was an acceptable risk just to play a game, Emma argued that it was the next step in human evolution.

She was joking… at least, Rayna was pretty sure she was joking…

“Just come this once,” Emma begged, holding up her index finger in front of Rayna. “The new game is supposed to be just like Ember Online but it’s fully VR. They came up with deep dive technology and everyone at that opening is going to be witnessing history!”

Rayna finished off her ramen and sighed. “If I come, will it get you off my back?”

Emma squealed. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” She bounced up and down in her seat. “I promise, if you come today, I won’t say another word about Ember Online or the chip for at least three—no, six months!” Emma’s look turned mischievous. “Unless, of course, you decide to join. Because I will be helping you build your character.”

Her tone had taken on a smug edge, and it was obvious that she assumed that getting Rayna to the opening would be enough to convince her to join.

Rayna couldn’t help grinning, despite her annoyance. Emma was a handful, but her friendship was well worth it. Who else would drag Rayna to parties and events if not for the bubbly extrovert that had her best interests at heart?

“Come on!” Emma grabbed Rayna’s arm and pulled her toward the door, throwing away her ramen container on the way.

“What? Now?” Rayna asked, panic replacing the warm feeling from a moment before. “Isn’t the opening an hour or two away?”

“Yeah, but the event is in Seoul and even if we take a taxi, we’re going to be cutting it close. It took longer to convince you than I thought it would.”

They flagged down a taxi and hopped inside before Rayna had time to adjust to the sudden change.

“You have your wallet, don’t you?” Emma asked.

“I’m paying for the taxi?” Rayna asked incredulously.

“I’ll pay you back,” Emma promised. “I got excited and forgot to bring my card.”

Rayna sighed, watching the number on the screen tick upward at a steady rate. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”

But despite the steadily growing anxiety and dread, Rayna had to admit she was getting excited. She wasn’t much of a gamer, but Emma had described the world of Ember to Rayna in great detail to try and convince her to join. According to her, it was filled with detailed environments like lush forests and sprawling deserts. This had been tempered by the limitations of AR, but a full deep dive setup where the player can freely walk around in the world? That could be amazing.

They arrived at the venue a little over an hour later and Rayna grimaced as she handed over seventy bucks to the driver. Korean won was a little over a thousand won per dollar, but she had given up doing math in her head and just considered them equal for everyday purposes. Which meant she had just spent almost sixty ramen’s worth of cash on a single taxi ride.

Emma dragged Rayna to the back of the line, bouncing on the balls of her feet impatiently as she looked around.

“Do you have the tickets?” Rayna asked, frowning at the venue. It looked like a large warehouse, which seemed pretty low budget for the world’s fastest growing online game. “And are you sure we’re in the right place?”

“We don’t need tickets. The locations were sent as an in-game invitation,” Emma said. “Even though they were leaked, no one can seem to remember where they are except for those of us who were invited.” Pride shone on Emma’s features. “My invitation said it was for distinguishing myself in the world of Ember Online.”

“Well, you have been a top ranker for over six months,” Rayna pointed out. “It’s hardly surprising. Wait, if this thing was invite only, why am I here?”

“You’re my plus one. Just play along, okay?”

Rayna was starting to get a bad feeling about this that had nothing to do with her anxiety. Did it not strike anyone else as concerning that the chip was messing with their memories? Because that was Rayna’s first thought upon hearing that the leaks had been unsuccessful. As they neared the guard, only worry for her friend kept Rayna going. If this was some sort of trap, she wasn’t letting Emma spring it without backup.

“Usernames,” the guard at the entrance asked mechanically.

“DawnRising and Lillith,” Emma said without missing a beat.

The guard opened the gate for them without further questioning.

Emma pulled Rayna through and toward the entrance.

“Who is Lillith?” Rayna hissed when they were out of earshot of the guard.

“It’s Lilly,” Emma said, naming her younger sister. “She couldn’t come, so I asked if I could use her username.”

“So, I’m not supposed to be here,” Rayna said. “Emma, come on, can’t you see this whole event is sketchy? We should go.”

“It’s fine,” Emma said dismissively. “And the invitations are just about head count. Each location had five hundred slots, so you’re just filling the slot of someone who couldn’t come.”

Rayna sighed. “Fine, but I’m extending the gag order to a year.”

“Done. Now come on, we’re going to miss the keynote speech!”

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

The inside of the warehouse was exactly what one would imagine, minus the boxes. It had been cleared of all the wares, leaving a large empty room with light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. The other players all stood around, talking excitedly about their theories for the new game. There seemed to be a good mix of Koreans and foreigners in the warehouse and Rayna was just glad that she wouldn’t have to flex her language muscles today.

“I bet this is actually a limited beta test,” someone said. “And we’re going to get to be the first to deep dive!”

“No way! Deep dive technology would take years of planning and permits. They couldn’t keep that under wraps. This is probably just a fancy way of pitching new and improved AR systems.”

“No, it was confirmed that the new game is VR. They just wanted to make sure their top players got the first slots.”

“And I suppose you would put yourself in that category?”

“I may not have been a ranker, but I was one of the best assassins in the game. No one saw me coming which is why no one knows who I am.”

Rayna covered a snort with a cough, drawing a dirty look from the player.

“And what’s your username?” he asked. “I bet you were in the last slot and just got the invite through dumb luck.”

“This is Lilith,” Emma said sweetly. “Of the RemEmber guild.”

The man looked doubtful. “Come on, everyone knows the RemEmber guild is based in the US.”

“Most of our members are, but Lillith and I moved here before the game even came out.”

The man’s eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. “Then are you…?”

“DawnRising,” she said. “Guild Leader. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re meeting up with some of our other members.”

Emma led Rayna away from the flabbergasted group.

“We’re meeting your friends?” Rayna asked in surprise. “Aren’t they all in the US?”

“Yes, but those couch potatoes don’t know that.” Emma grinned. “And my guild and I have a bit of a reputation.”

Rayna snorted. “I’ll say. What the heck did you all do in there?”

“Just being awesome,” Emma said. “Ember Online heavily penalizes player on player violence, so we focused on the monsters instead. We cleared three whole zones in the past year. It’s how we made it so high up on the leader board. Every single one of my guild mates got an invite to the opening.”

Rayna wasn’t sure if clearing a zone was impressive, but Emma at least thought it was and the game developers must have, too, if they invited her whole guild to their top-secret-might-be-a-trap game opening.

“Greetings players!” A man said from a raised platform at the front of the room.

Rayna frowned. Had that been there a second ago?

The man was short, and his scruffy white curls almost reflected the light of the warehouse fixtures. He wore fantasy-esque clothing consisting of a brown tunic, dark brown trousers and a hooded travel cloak.

“I am the Artificer Eldar Cremble, and you all know why we’re here today. You are the best and brightest that Earth has to offer, and I thank you for lending me your strength.”

Several of the gamers cheered, but they were shushed by those near them as the man kept speaking.

“The challenge ahead is not to be taken lightly. My world is dying. The monsters grow more aggressive by the day, and I don’t have the power to stop this alone. I would like to give you all one last chance to walk away. I do not take unwilling initiates. Know that the journey ahead will be difficult and many will die along the way, but though the risks are great, so too are the rewards.”

“We should go,” Rayna whispered, grabbing Emma’s arm. “Something isn’t right about this.”

Emma shook her head. “It’s just flavor text. He’s setting up the new game.”

Rayna wasn’t so sure. If this was just an act, the man could have won an Oscar. He looked tired and worn, the circles under his eyes almost as dark as Emma’s hair.

One player raised his hand and Eldar Cremble nodded at him.

“I would like to opt out,” he said. “Will it affect my chance to participate later on?”

The Artificer nodded. “There will only be one chance. Anyone who leaves today will not be able to continue to the world of Ember.”

A buzz of mumbled conversations filled the room.

Rayna fidgeted. “I’m telling you, I don’t like this.”

A crease appeared between Emma’s brows.

“It’s a little odd, but didn’t you hear what he said? There won’t be another chance to play. I don’t want to miss out just because I got cold feet.”

“That’s not how games work,” Rayna hissed. “It will open to the public sooner or later. Let’s just go.”

Emma shook her head. “You can go,” she said, pushing Rayna gently toward the door. “I’m going to stay, but I don’t mind. This isn’t what I was expecting, and I don’t think it will do anything to convince you to join.” She gave a sardonic smile. “Just my luck, you join the one event that comes with a creepy game master.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you,” Rayna said, locking her elbow in Emma’s. “We both go, or we both stay.”

“You sure?” Emma sounded hopeful.

Rayna sighed. “If this guy starts anything, I got your back.”

Emma laughed, giving Rayna a sideways hug before turning back to the stage.

In the end, only three people left. The rest looked nervous, but they were unwilling to pass up what might be the biggest gaming advancement of the 21st Century.

“It warms my heart to see so many people willing to come to our aid. It has been a long and dark time, and I hope to someday see the light at the end of the tunnel. You will now be transported to the tutorial, where you will be given a chance to adjust to integration and grow stronger before you join the fight. Good luck players.”

The man vanished, along with the stage. Rayna took a step back. “What—?”

But before she could finish her question, everyone in the room began to glow.

“This is so cool!” someone yelled. “The effects team went all out for this.”

“Emma, what’s going on?” Rayna seemed to be the only one concerned.

“Sorry, you probably can’t see it. We’re being teleported, but they must have ramped up the effects budget because the details are—” she stopped, noticing Rayna’s expression. “What’s wrong?”

“I can see it too,” Rayna said. “I don’t have the chip. Why can I see it too?”

Rayna was the only one in the room who wasn’t glowing.

Emma opened her mouth to answer before she disappeared, along with the rest of the players.

“Emma!” Rayna shouted, panic in her voice. “Oh Shit! Shit, shit, shit!”

She looked around wildly, not sure what to do.

“Bring them back!” she shouted to the empty warehouse. “Elbor or Eldear or whatever your name is, bring them back now!”

She was too afraid to feel stupid. How could almost five hundred people just up and vanish? There were no piles of dust on the ground, so they couldn’t have disintegrated. They were just… gone.

“If you’re not going to give them back, at least take me, too!” Rayna snapped.

“You want to come to Ember?”

Rayna whirled around, taking a step back from the man. He was looking up at her, his expression a mix of curiosity and hope.

Rayna tried to look intimidating, but she stuttered, ruining the effect. “W-where did you take them?”

“To the tutorial,” the man said. “Why didn’t you go?”

Rayna frowned. “I don’t know, you tell me, you’re the one making people disappear!”

The man’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t have a marker… how did you get in?”

Rayna swallowed. “A friend brought me.” She wasn’t going to back down. She would call the police if she had to. This man would give her Emma back or there would be hell to pay.

“And you want to go to Ember?” the man confirmed again.

“I want you to give me Emma back,” Rayna snapped.

“That’s not possible. Initiates can only travel one way.”

What was that supposed to mean? That Emma was stuck who knows where with a psychopathic game master? Or were they actually on another planet?

“I cannot read your mind without the marker,” the man said. “You have to tell me what you want. I will not take an unwilling initiate.”

Rayna made a split second decision that she would probably come to regret. “Send me wherever you sent Emma. I want to go.”

If they were together, they had a better chance of figuring out a way to get back.

The man nodded. “I will send you to Ember. Hold still.”

He reached up and tapped Rayna on the forehead and she stiffened, her vision darkening at the edges. The last thing she felt was her body falling sideways as she blacked out.

* * *

Lilly stared at the news report, her knees pulled up to her chin. This couldn’t be happening.

“…have gone missing from all around the globe,” the news anchor said. “The opening event, thought to be the launch of the sequel to hit MMORPG Ember Online, has become the center of what is believed to be some kind of terrorist attack, resulting in the disappearance of nearly two point five million players from the United States and ten million worldwide. Ember Online developers deny any existence of such an event and are cooperating with Interpol, the FBI and other government agencies around the world to try to locate the missing players.

“Attempts to use the Ember Industries chip to locate the victims have proven unsuccessful as they appear to have all been removed from the servers at the same time. The remaining chips have been disabled remotely and the World Health Organization advises removing these chips to avoid future health complications.

“Now reporting live from one location in Seoul, South Korea is Mindy Sanchez. Mindy, are you there?”

The scene changed to a woman in her mid-thirties holding a microphone outside of a warehouse.

“Yes, Sarah, as you can see, I am standing at the scene of one of these mass kidnappings that is believed to account for about five hundred of the victims. But unlike the other warehouses that hosted the events, this site held another crime that has caused much concern regarding the fate of the missing players.

“Local English teacher and American expat Rayna Gibbs’ body was discovered alone in the warehouse at six pm this evening. The suspected cause of death is a heart attack, but investigations are still underway to determine whether Miss Gibbs’ death was due to natural causes or if there was foul play involved. What distinguishes Miss Gibbs from the other victims is the fact that she has never played Ember Online, nor did she have the Ember Industries chip implanted in her brain at the time of the incident. According to our sources, she switched places with one of the intended victims and police are speculating that she was disposed of when the perpetrators learned her true identity.

“However, no evidence has yet been uncovered in regard to Miss Gibbs. We will continue to update you all on the details of this case as they develop. Back to you, Sarah.”

“Our hearts go out to the friends and families of the victims. In other news…”

Guilt knifed through Lilly’s heart. Rayna wasn’t even supposed to be at that opening, but Emma had begged Lilly for weeks to let Rayna take her spot and she had eventually caved.

Now Rayna was dead, and Emma was missing.

Lilly’s mom sat on the other end of the couch, a tissue held to her nose as she watched the news with bloodshot eyes. She looked at Lilly and opened her arms invitingly.

Lilly scooted over and curled up next to her mother.

“We’ll find her,” her mother whispered, smoothing Lilly’s hair out of her face. “Don’t worry.”

Lilly wasn’t so sure, but she let her mother cling to her hope.

Maybe this is a nightmare, Lilly thought. Any minute, Emma will wake me up and drag me away to go hunting Swamp Badgers in the Astral Forest.

But no matter how hard she tried, Lilly couldn’t wake herself up.