《Fated Realms: A Tale of Two Siblings (Working Title)》


 Chapter 1: The Call

    Cass dreaded doing the same song and dance over and over again--dealing with family. She looked at her messages on her phone, seeing that the last time she even bothered to call her parents was almost a year ago. At the same time, she glanced at the mirror and sighed with relief.


    ¡°At least he won¡¯t ¡®see¡¯ how nervous I am. Eli promised that he¡¯d only wanted to chat,¡± thought Cass, when she noticed her pale and sallow skin that shimmered with a cold sweat. Her dark hair was a tangled mess, with split ends and randomly floating hairs. She brushed her hand through her hair, taking note that the streak of purple dyed hair still remained.


    However, she didn¡¯t know what was making her nervous; if anything, her little brother Eli was the only family that she even bothered to talk to on a monthly basis. She¡¯d always get worked up before talking to him, even though it was very predictable what he would ask. ¡°How¡¯s life?¡± or ¡°Do you wanna know about mom and dad?¡± or ¡°Have you played this new game?¡± He¡¯d try to break up the awkward silence through making small inside jokes or memes, and although it was annoying sometimes, she chuckled now and again. Of course, Cass wouldn¡¯t outright admit that it provided a small amount of comfort, but she liked to think that Eli knew¡ªwhy else would he keep up the same routine?


    She rummaged around for her headset; it couldn¡¯t be that hard since she didn¡¯t exactly have the biggest desk. Her small apartment, although not luxurious, at least afforded her all the necessities she needed. More importantly to Cass was the privacy that she had when she was alone; even for being located in a city, it was relatively quiet. Aside from the noises of a bustling cityscape, she could really be alone in her own world while she worked at a local financial firm.


    Her eyes caught a glance of that familiar glossy black surface, something that looked more like a bizarre motorcycle helmet even in the year of 2057. With the advent of VR technology, it was only a matter of time before all consumer products really took advantage of everything it offered. The latest model offered all of the previous amenities that old hardware from the several decades earlier offered, including an in-built mic, headphones, browsing and streaming through the internet, communication, and more. Of course, it could never phase out old technology completely; for instance, Cass still relied on her phone whenever she went out for groceries or attended mandatory company meetings. As it turns out, wearing a VR helmet in public was still somewhat bizarre, no matter how convenient and affordable it became.


    She placed the helmet on her head and waited in anticipation for the call from Eli to come in. Grabbing the tea she prepared earlier, she nestled into a comfortable position onto her bed that was next to her desk and took small, furtive sips from the cup. Cass felt the fabric of her hoodie rub against her, knowing that at this point it was too large for her current size, yet too old to really give up. It made her feel like she received it from a significant other, but more than likely her parents had already donated such items away, leaving only her clothes behind when she left home.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she thought, ¡°as long as I¡¯m not with them anymore, they can¡¯t control what I do.¡± Suddenly, a familiar ringing tone echoed in her ears. She put her tea down and quickly looked at the notification; sure enough, it was Eli. She accepted the call, expecting the usual ¡°Hey sis! How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°Sis, you gotta listen to me. There¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± said Eli. Cass was shocked internally¡ªwhy was his tone so different? Did his most recent girlfriend break up with him, or was he going to tell her that he was gay? Did someone die in the family? Thousands of thoughts were racing in Cass¡¯s head, but nothing really prepared her for what Eli was about to tell her.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Uh, what is it? Is something wrong?¡± said Cass, trying, but failing, to hide her anxiousness, which Eli picked up on.


    ¡°Look, if you¡¯re worried about something that¡¯s wrong, I can tell you right now that it¡¯s nothing! I guess I sounded really serious, I should¡¯ve said ¡®Hi¡¯ first, sorry¡­¡± he said sheepishly.


    ¡°Well, what is it¡ª¡° Cass said, with frustration building up inside her before she was interrupted.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m not serious though. It¡¯s about one of my friends.¡± At this point, Cass was more confused than frustrated, and conceding that she wanted to know more, decided to press on.


    ¡°Okay, go on.¡±


    ¡°One of my friends that I usually play with, you might remember him, Jake [Cass didn¡¯t remember, not that it really mattered], has been gone for weeks.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that maybe he just doesn¡¯t have internet, or broke his VR gear?¡±


    ¡°I thought the same thing, but when I tried calling him up on his phone, he didn¡¯t pick up. I just learned today that he¡¯s gone missing because I caught a snippet of news talking about a missing college kid.¡±


    Cass¡¯s stomach sunk; she remembered the only reason why her brother Eli would ever bother looking at the news was to see if school was canceled back in their suburban neighborhood whenever it snowed or flooded. She remembered the look of disappointment that his face contorted to as he realized he couldn¡¯t keep playing games; she even shared some of that sentiment. However, this was different. Even when he grew up to be old enough to vote he never bothered to look at the news anymore; the fact that he was actually looking at any news whatsoever meant that this meant something to him. Another understatement that ¡°it¡¯s nothing¡± that have piled on the thousands that he¡¯s said at this point.


    ¡°Are you okay then?¡± Cass was beginning to worry again.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m perfectly fine, but more than anything, I just want to find answers. I want to know what happened to Jake!¡± Eli was raising his voice at this point, anyone listening to him at that point could tell that he wasn¡¯t fine. Cass used to feel the same way, used to have the same passion, before it was blunted. She brushed that feeling aside, and thought more logically about it.


    ¡°Not to be rude, but why do you care so¡­vehemently, especially about Jake? Don¡¯t you have other friends? Don¡¯t you think the police will be able to find him eventually?¡±


    Silence was thick in the call. It was stifling for the siblings, as Eli struggled to explain his reasoning. Cass didn¡¯t want him to stumble back into trouble; the last time she had to deal with nothing ended happily. It seemed to last an eternity before he continued.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­not the first one.¡±


    ¡°¡­What? What do you mean, ¡®not the first one¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I mean what I said. I looked into it, there¡¯s been a series of disappearances ever since I noticed he wasn¡¯t online anymore. A lot more people I played with are disappearing. The missing persons cases are randomly scattered, and when I tried to tell the police that it¡¯s linked to the game, they just laugh it off!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense, if that¡¯s the case, why are you still here then?¡±


    Eli paused. ¡°I¡­I stopped playing when I saw that Jake went offline. I thought ¡®Well, we linked our characters together, so if he¡¯s not online, there¡¯s no point to play without him¡¯, because you know, I wanted to be respectful, not play ahead. You taught me that.¡±


    ¡°How are you so sure?¡±


    ¡°Look, I just have a gut feeling; I know that it¡¯s dumb, and I know that you might be baffled that I would even pursue this, but I just need to know this.


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°I plan on going back into the game and getting the answers I need. Are you with me?¡±

 Chapter 2: Stop Playing

    There was still silence after he asked the question. Eli was a mess, he knew it; without his girlfriend and his circle of friends, he became secluded. Even his roommate decided it would be easier to crash at another dorm until Eli ¡°gets his shit back together.¡± But he was too deep in this theory, and was letting Cass know too little. He knew that she could tell something was definitely wrong with him--they are siblings after all. However, he needed someone he could trust more than anyone else in his life right now, and knew that Cass would be willing to at least listen to the problem.


    ¡°Please...just let me think about it for a while.¡± said Cass, with a hint of disbelief in her voice. ¡°Eli, what¡¯s the name of this game?¡±


    ¡°Fated Realms, it¡¯s the most recent hyper-VR game that¡¯s come out.¡± said Eli, exasperated after his whole rant and explanation. At that point, it just crossed his mind that perhaps involving his sister in this mess wouldn¡¯t be the best of ideas, but he was running out of options.


    ¡°Oh great, so another fantasy RPG? What contrived name are they going to come up with next?¡± Cass was trying to lighten the mood by being sarcastic, but she knew that wasn¡¯t going to help. ¡°Look, like I said, I¡¯ll think about it, okay? You¡¯ll know my answer by tomorrow, I promise to call you back.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, thank you so much Cass, you have no idea how much this means to me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Really.¡±


    And like that, Cass hung up the call. Eli breathed a huge sigh of relief, knowing that he at least got a more positive answer than he expected. He pried the headgear off, rubbing his hands through his dark brown hair--it felt greasy and unkempt. Although he knew he couldn¡¯t get a haircut at this hour, he definitely knew he could at least shower.


    Steam rose from the water bursting from the shower head as Eli simply in the shower to cleanse himself. He started to think about how did he end up in this mess, this pit of connections that seemed too ridiculous, yet too logical at the same time. In the past 4 weeks, missing persons cases had a marginal increase over the world, something that Eli painstakingly combed over with whatever relevant data he could get from the news, an activity that he grew to accustomed to. At first, he justified it as a school project to his friends, but they eventually realized that it was more than that. When he began to connect that the disappearances correlated with the game Fated Realms, he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it.


    Eli winced, thinking about how this ¡°little¡± project of his consumed him, how the police rejected the mere notion of a video-game having such a international ripple. He teared up when he relived the horrid pleas of his girlfriend when he said that he wasn¡¯t giving up on this apparent problem, and how he might even abandon his hopes of becoming a musician.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lily...you have to understand...I hope you understand,¡± muttered Eli, trying to suppress his sadness. He knew that she wouldn¡¯t though, because she never really dabbled in video-games, much less VR. Her down-to-earth personality and sincerity in the real world was why he loved her so much; it kept him tethered in the real world, to their world.


    VR technology started slowly--it was first offering a visual interface, a way for consumers to immerse themselves even more. But that wasn¡¯t enough; countless innovations, like smell, hearing, touch, taste, and a myriad of other senses were constantly being added. All headsets became far too bloated, too heavy, and more inaccessable to the masses; Eli remembered the first time that he and Cass got their headsets about 10 years ago at Christmas that they looked utterly silly. Big, black, and bulky; the only way someone could tell it wasn¡¯t just elaborate helmets was the lighting indicators on the side, and even then, it still looked cumbersome.


    It all changed when neurotechnology interface was patented by a conglomerate of several international corporations in the year 2050, and officially announcing a new tech corporation simply known as ¡°VR Entertainment¡±. Eli still heard the echoes of his high school friends, saying that it was the end for their old headsets. He didn¡¯t completely understand how it worked, but basically by accessing the mind directly, the VR gear could be reduced in size and weight nearly tenfold; truly, an incredible feat. Gone were the days of having restricted smells or smudged internal screens; now, a user only had to place the helmet securely on their head, and information was beamed directly into their minds, creating a world of infinite possibilities and user-freedom.


    The first reported case of a coma due to overusage of the new VR headgear happened not even 2 years after the initial release. The details are fuzzy today, possibly due to the huge pull that VR Entertainment could afford with all the international governments, or because Eli was focusing on other things at that time.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, the games¡­¡¯So realistic, you¡¯ll never want to leave!¡¯¡± though Eli. That was the bottomline of every game that came out for the new VR; the problem was that couldn¡¯t be any truer. He clutched his head in disgust as to how he almost got sucked in when he played his first game, how he was a terrible family member and brother...but practically escaped because of his sister.


    ¡°Cass¡­¡±


    That name meant so much to him, but because the distance didn¡¯t help at all, nor did his ability to repay debts. He desperately didn¡¯t want to drag Cass into this, not after everything, but he secretly hoped in the bottom of his heart that playing Fated Realms could rekindle some kind of familial bond. A lofty dream, to be sure, but he hoped anyways.


    Finishing his shower up, he gazed at the bathroom mirror and notice how his fit physique was starting wear down; his veins were darker, his skin stretched, and how underneath his eyes were huge, dark bags. Without another word, he dressed himself in some underwear and collapsed into bed. He dreamt of a simpler time, sleeping more soundly than he has in a long time.


    ¡°Stop playing around, Eli!¡± shouted Cass, after the most recent of pranks played by him. They would end up laughing it off whenever she would retort with a joke to take Eli down a peg. Mere toddlers at the time, even if they were 6 years apart; a time both of them wished they could relive, even if they didn¡¯t know that¡¯s what they desired at the time.


    Eli was lifted back to reality, shattering that magical moment, when he woke up in the afternoon with Cass calling him. He nearly skipped a beat when he also glanced at the 2 other missing calls from her, and rushed to pick up his phone.

 Chapter 3: A New Realm

    ¡°He probably overslept. Again.¡± murmured Cass, under her breath. She patiently awaited Eli to pick up the phone after the second call she placed, not wanting to cause too much of a commotion in the morning. Truth is, she couldn¡¯t get that much sleep last night; it had been almost 3 years since she even touched a VRMMO. Although the last game she played,Mythical Legions, only had simple UI, limited combat, a lack of ¡°human movement¡±, those weren¡¯t the features either sibling were looking for. Instead, Cass distinctly remembered why she played to begin with: to escape into fantasy. It might not look like real life, but the control and freedom to make her character however she wished was simply liberating.


    She remembered solo-questing in the dilapidated dungeons as a knight, feeling a sense of accomplishment whenever she beat her previous clearing record and getting loot. The old cobbled fortresses, filled with all sorts of creepy monsters and dark passageways, were always as exciting as the last. She could always relive having fun when it came to questing with her brother and other party members; it reminded her of the past, when there was more time and happiness in her life. Cass smiled as she caught herself reminiscing; she grabbed her headset and decided to give VRMMOs another chance as she purchased Fated Realms.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be different this time; I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± thought Cass. As she took her headset off, she jumped when her phone abruptly rang. When she picked it up, she couldn¡¯t even get a word in before Eli started speaking.


    ¡°Hey sis, I¡¯m really sorry for picking up after I missed 2 calls. Didja make up your mind?¡± asked Eli. Cass could hear him shuffling out of bed based on the sounds of tossed covers and pillows.


    ¡°Yeah. I think I¡¯m ready to jump into Fated Realms.¡±


    ¡°Really? I mean, you didn¡¯t have to¡­¡± said Eli, sheepishly.


    ¡°Hahaha,¡± laughed Cass, ¡°you don¡¯t have to be so apologetic; how could I say no?¡±


    ¡°Well, do you wanna play right now? I can show you around the game, we can both make new characters!¡± chimed Eli, nearly shouting with excitement.


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s a weekend anyways. Do I need to create an account first?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯ll just gather your profile information stored in your VR headset, it¡¯s as simple as just entering the game.¡±


    ¡°Sooo, do we spawn in the same area?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Go ahead and start up, I¡¯ll see you there; I gotta take care of some things.¡± replied Eli, as he hung up, displeasing Cass as she wished that she could¡¯ve gotten a few more questions in before their conversation ended. However, that wouldn¡¯t deter her from putting the headset on and getting comfortable.


    As soon as the game started up, it asked the normal questions to verify the user, such as ¡°Are you Cassandra Whitaker?¡± or ¡°Is this your first VRMMO?¡±. However, the last question disturbed Cass.


    ¡°Would you like your in-game avatar to resemble your real life profile?¡±


    Cass paused. She didn¡¯t know what to feel as her blood rushed and sweat formed; would she really feel comfortable playing the game as herself? She used to marvel at that idea back in Mythical Legions, but ever since, she had reservations about playing as herself.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°...Yes.¡± replied Cass. A reluctant answer to be sure, but she knew in her heart that she could handle the stress.


    Suddenly, a rainbow of colors flooded her mind, followed by a cascade of more concrete shapes, objects, faces, and more. A harmonious orchestra that impossible encompassed all sorts of imaginable noises sounded along the enormous visual display. Cass was in awe over how much was truly being streamed to her mind in a matter of seconds, for it seemed as though it was endless in content, uncontained by any form. Even Mythical Legions couldn¡¯t measure up to 1% of what she was witnessing, and this was considering that there wasn¡¯t even form to the game yet.


    The darkness hit Cass as fast as the information stream appeared to her. She froze. Did something go awry? Perhaps she didn¡¯t actually start the game up properly, or even worse, her VR headset broke with. She was proven wrong when she tried to open her eyes; she felt nauseous, but then regained clarity as she saw where she was.


    In front of her stood a whole crowd of people in the thousands, gathering in front of a massive white crystal located at the center. It was suspended in 3 silvers rings, inscribed with runes, and chains binding the whole structure together. The floor was made of tiles of smooth, polished stone that had streaks of white and black marbling, and the walls made of a rich wood circled the magical centerpiece, with lanterns lighting up the space farther from the circle. Cass followed the arches that connected each wall and got a perspective of how truly massive the crystal was when she noted that the tip extended past the roof of the building, requiring an open skylight to house it without obstruction.


    Cass looked down at herself and saw that she was clothed in some basic robes and felt the smooth cloth rub against her skin. She was naked except for this robe, and noticed that her current body looked much like hers. As she explored and felt around her virtual body, she wondered if she was doing the same actions in real life; it truly felt like she was caressing herself. Pushing up the sleeves a little, she noticed that although she retained her pale skin, there were no blemishes from the scars of the past.


    ¡°I guess this is still a game after all¡­¡± thought Cass, taking a moment to mull over what that meant. Finally, she gazed at the crystal...it drew her to inspect it, to touch it. The urge was overwhelming, as though she was compelled to do so. The noise of the crowd, which was what Cass assumed were other players, quickly drowned out as she went ever closer. Voices became incredibly muddled, until it faded to a low buzz. An ethereal voice filled her head¡­


    ¡°Come closer child...I can grant your inner desire for adventure¡­¡±


    Cass froze as she realized that she was being talked to by the crystal itself. Was she dreaming? VRMMOs were never this immersive, or was this truly Fated Realms? Regardless, she decided to be polite; it wasn¡¯t everyday that someone could talk to a magical entity.


    ¡°What...is your name?¡±


    ¡°I have gone by many names throughout millennia...but this land and its inhabitants have known me as Theron.¡±


    ¡°What are you?¡± asked Cass. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit silly for asking this question; how could a being such as this explain what it was?


    ¡°I am a being that has been contained in this crystal for an untold time...serving as a tether for this realm and its beings. I am a guardian whose essence was preserved...and split into 7 fragments so that others can harness my power for themselves.¡±


    Cass ruminated over the implications of having other realms to explore; the possibility that they were somehow being sustained by the other fragments of this entity enthralled her.


    ¡°What can you do for me?¡± asked Cass. She was bubbling with anticipation...everything about Fated Realms felt so real to her so far. It took constant reminders for her to remember that it was just a game, but she couldn¡¯t lie to herself that she was immersed.


    ¡°Tell me child...what do you seek to do on your adventures¡­¡±


    ¡°...I want to protect.¡± said Cass, with a conviction in her voice, knowing in her heart that her sense of wonder was revived. Abruptly, a brilliant ray of white light started to emanate from Cass¡¯s chest, blinding her vision.


    ¡°Your wish is granted. Welcome to this new realm¡­¡±

 Chapter 4: The Town Archives

    ¡°Cass? Cass!? Sis, where are you?¡± yelled Eli. He was already outside the spawn that contained Theron; since he already made 2 other characters beforehand, he was able to expedite the process of character creation and take his choice of weapon and stats instead of taking a developer preset or talking to Theron in the beginning. Although he knew that he didn¡¯t have to always be restricted to any weapon forever, it doesn¡¯t hurt to get a small start into a preferred role.


    A simple visual UI window popped up showing a Social tab that included current parties, guilds, friends, and chat; even though Eli knew that he could simply bring it up in his mind, he always preferred the more interactive method of doing so.


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see...Cass is definitely online. Huh, I didn¡¯t know that Fated Realms already linked my real life social contacts to the game, but I guess that¡¯s convenient¡­¡± thought Eli, ¡°Now, I just need to find her. Hopefully she¡¯s not too far. Can I set a custom marker towards her?¡±


    Suddenly, a prompt popped into Eli¡¯s mind asking if he wanted to enable markers, stating that he can disable other forms of UI later. Without a second thought, he decided to say yes and instantly a marker in the shape of a crystal appeared in his field of vision. It was a translucent blue color, indicating that it was different from regular quest markers that were yellow.


    ¡°Woah, it actually gives me approximate directions like a normal quest? Well, I¡¯d better get going, I don¡¯t want to waste any more time.¡± thought Eli. He observed his surroundings and felt at home; no matter how many times he saw the starting area outside of the spawn, he was always enthralled by the amazing visuals. It was akin to something like the garden of Eden, with elegant arches that held lanterns powered by magical white crystals, quartered off gardens with beautiful birch trees and silver benches to let players sit underneath the shade and enjoy the scent of flowers and fresh grass year-round, and light grey brick pathways that lead to the other hubs near Theron, such as the marketplace, sea ports, city square, the Crystal Inn, the crafting district, and combat district. Eli reminisced over the first time he made his character; he spent an entire afternoon in the real world exploring everything. Fated Realms went even further than other VRMMO¡¯s by simulating all the senses. The salty air near the ports, the cozy heat and smell of the dining hall at Crystal Inn, the sound of metal hitting metal at the blacksmith, the brilliant and blinding sun, shimmering stars and magnificent moon at night: he truly felt at home in a game more than in real life.


    Of course, Eli knew that his recollection of these areas were vague and nostalgic at best, but every player knew that for as long as anyone could remember in the game, the city, or realm, was known as Theron, named after the crystal. Even the NPCs don¡¯t remember a time before Theron; as far as everyone was concerned, no matter how they were created in this world, Theron was always a permanent fixture.


    ¡°The old man stuck in the crystal doesn¡¯t lie...this city always feels alive because of him.¡± noted Eli. He walked past several players that were wearing a variety of clothing, such as silk robes, hardened leather, steel plate, and of course weapons such as staves, swords, shields, knuckles, and more. Eli wasn¡¯t entirely sure how many weapons there were in the game, but he certainly knew what he had picked: a bow, a long-sword, and a small kite shield, each with the attached moniker of ¡°Beginner¡±. He heard the distinct clinking of chainmail as he moved, feeling grateful that his leather boots and light pauldrons were well fitted and comfortable. Underneath he wore a simple pair of rudimentary cotton underwear, and on top of that was some regular slacks and a coarse green collared shirt. As he approached city square, he was starting to feel the heat of the afternoon sun and decided to roll up his sleeves when he noticed that his marker was pointed directly to the city archives.


    ¡°You¡¯re still trying to study even in a video game? C¡¯mon¡­¡± thought Eli, unable hide his smirk; he was glad that some things didn¡¯t really change. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll surprise her with a hug...now that I think about it, this will be the closest thing we¡¯ve really had to a hug in over a year.¡± He made a beeline towards the ornate double doors of the archives, but as soon as he reached the front steps, the quest marker dissipated.


    ¡°Damn it, I guess I¡¯m gonna have to look for her without the extra help.¡± He looked up and down the doors and admired the intricate pattern. The color of the wood was a rich dark brown, with a white birch inset, shaped to resemble Theron itself in the center of both doors, parting when someone opened them. Another inset made of white birch also circled around, with 7 points all set apart representing the different attributes in the game and were symbolically represented by the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Eli spent a few more seconds inspecting the double doors, and then pushed them aside and saw what seemed to be endless rows of shelves filled with books. In front of him was what seemed to be an NPC serving as the archivist sitting behind a desk; she seemed to be a stereotypical old lady in her 60s, wearing a red cardigan, a pair of gold horn-rimmed glasses, and a black dress. The only things that could be heard were the sounds of flipping pages and clicking heels as she tapped her feet waiting for someone to approach her...or make a mistake.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Hey, have you se--¡± blurted out Eli, before he was cut off.


    ¡°Shhhh!¡± screeched the archivist. ¡°Please keep your noise to a minimum. What are you doing here for, shouldn¡¯t a man like you be out adventuring?¡± At this point, she quieted down and started to whisper, but Eli could still sense the death stare towards him.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± whispered Eli, feeling bad that he forgot that the archives were the equivalent of a library, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He desperately didn¡¯t want to anger her anymore.


    ¡°Hmph. If you must know, my name is Mrs. Kara,¡± said the archivist, ¡°and thank you for apologizing. Please remember that there are other people using this building for a variety of purpose.¡± Eli looked around, and saw that there were no other players or NPCs even using the adjacent tables next to the desk, but he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt; maybe she knew the amount of people in the archives right now. After a moment of awkward silence, Eli noticed that Mrs. Kara was already not paying attention and flipping through her book again.


    ¡°Um, Mrs. Kara?¡± asked Eli. She placed her book down gently and tilted her head to look directly at Eli. ¡°Have you seen anyone, especially a girl with some purple hair, come into the building?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± mused Mrs. Kara, ¡°I think so, but what relationship do you have with her? I don¡¯t want anyone to be hurt when the archives are in my care.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s my sister. Do you know where she went off to and maybe give me some directions to a section to the archives?¡±


    Mrs. Kara stood up and looked Eli up and down. ¡°Hmm...okay then, I believe you. She came in and politely asked to see the history section because she wanted to inquire about how Theron came to be.¡±


    ¡°Why did she do that?¡± thought Eli, but aloud.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her yourself?¡± replied Mrs. Kara, her lips forming into a slight smirk. ¡°Go towards the 2nd to last shelf on the left. If you don¡¯t see her reading something, you may have to explore a bit more.¡±


    ¡°Oh...I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you heard that,¡± confessed Eli, sounding rather sheepish and feeling his cheeks flush with crimson, ¡±but thank you for your help!¡± He began to stumble away, and regaining his composure after a couple of minutes. He followed Mrs. Kara¡¯s instructions and wondered to himself; what class would Cass be playing as?


    While there were no hard-set classes like the MMOs of olden days, there were still classes and their skills that players could progress in. Depending on how many times a player used those skills and weapons appropriate to the class, they could progress further down the class and unlock new skills, in addition to improving their proficiency in those skills. In Eli¡¯s case, he decided on playing a more agility focused class, specialized in hit-and-run tactics and finishing moves, utilizing short-swords, bows, and light to medium armor as standard equipment.


    Eli swept that out of his head, and instead focused on finding Cass. ¡°There¡¯ll be more time to explain that to her later, maybe she¡¯ll get a chance to teach me the history of Fated Realms.¡± Eli. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a relatively slender feminine figure, with dark hair having a streak of purple. However, upon closer inspection, he noticed that she was wearing plate armor with a faded luster, along with a hefty kite shield and a longsword in its scabbard resting upon a nearby bookshelf.


    ¡°That has to be Cass...she used to play the knight all the time!¡± concluded Eli. He still had the intention to surprise her, and started to crouch down, reducing his stature as if stalking prey. Cass was engrossed in the book, nearly placing her nose in the crook of the pages, and Eli knew there was no better opportunity than now. He was getting ever nearer, and with each step, his heart beat a bit faster, until he knew he could pounce on her. It was only a few more steps...until--


    ¡°Shit!¡± yelled Cass, as she felt arms surround her. Eli could feel her squirming sister and started to burst out in laughter.


    ¡°Hahaha, calm down sis, it¡¯s just me!¡± laughed Eli, unable to control his happiness to see Cass again, ¡°What, you don¡¯t like having a hug from your own brother?¡±


    ¡°Can you let go of me? We have plenty of time to hug later!¡± fumed Cass, losing her grasp on the book she was carrying before the ¡°attack¡±.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m sorry--¡± chuckled Eli, before being interrupted once more.


    ¡°You¡¯d better be!¡± roared an all too familiar voice.


    Cass and Eli froze, as they both turned to face the source of the complaint: of course, it was the archivist, Mrs. Kara.


    ¡°I told you both to please keep it down in the archives? What do you have to say for yourselves?!¡± scolded Mrs. Kara.


    Before Eli even had a chance to reply, Cass said in a very dignified and relaxed voice, ¡°I am so sorry Mrs. Kara, please forgive us. I have, however, decided on the book I wish to check out.¡±