n

n

nConstantin had been sent by the others since he had a good relationship with Eldrian, almost as friends, and he knew the most about magic. Thus he was the most likely to understand what Eldrian shared.

nEveryone in Miracle was irritated that Eldrian had not given them a report on the incident. They had given him nearly a full week.

n

"What do you mean?

" Eldrian feigned ignorance.

n

"You know what I mean. We gave you a few days to recover, why didn't you come to us to share what happened?

"

n

"I thought you had all the information you needed, what can I share?

" Eldrian replied, a bit of honesty in the mix.

"The plan went to ** and I tried too hard as usual.

"

n

"We still need to get your report. We only know how your body reacted, not what you went through. We also need to know how you are, if you are alright...

" Constantin paused, trying to make it clear that they were also worried about him.

nEldrian nodded and let a moment pass,

"Honestly it all happened so fast, I can't recall much. My first thoughts were just to avoid being ripped apart. When Kydone came it was just to help her.

"

nEldrian was being honest, he could not remember a thing outside of his desperation to avoid the pain from the venom at first, and saving Kydone second. Heck, he could not even remember what happened near the end, the first parts were a blur but the latter ones were just missing.

nConstantin took a moment to digest Eldrian's words. They made sense, the entire fight had not even been 15 seconds. There was no way Eldrian would recall much.

n

"Is there nothing that stood out? Something that might have caused you to over immerse?

"

nShrugging Eldrian replied,

"I wanted her to survive.

"

n

"Why? You barely know her.

"

n

"And? She was risking her life for me! How can I ignore that?

" Eldrian countered, angry at Constantin's lack of tact.

n

"What does that matter? She is just an NPC.

" Constantin was truly confused, he knew Eldrian was infatuated with one of the NPCs. That was different than caring for one he barely knew.

n

"So what if they are just NPCs? Does that mean their deaths mean nothing?

" Eldrian almost shouted his questions, thinking back to those who had died due to him.

n

"Yes. It does.

" Constantin countered, Eldrian finally unable to accept it any longer.

n

"Screw that! Their lives are more important than ours. We can be revived! They truly die!

"

n

"What?

" Constantin was shocked not so much by the words, but more by the anger in Eldrian's voice. His meaning was also clear and it was not a good mindset.

nIt was one thing if Eldrian was infatuated with a girl in the game. People often fall in love with things that do not exist. It was accepted to a certain degree, as long as it was just one or a few things. Clearly, Eldrian was moving past the acceptable mindset.

n

"They aren't real Eldrian,

" Constantin said this with as much care as he could, placing his hand on Eldrian's shoulder in a form of support.

nEldrian shrugged off the hand and took a step back,

"Who are you to decide if they are real or not!

" Fists balled, Eldrian only barely managed to keep himself in check,

"How are they different than us!? They live, they go through pain, they go through love! They remember!

"

n

"That is not what makes us real. We exist in a physical world.

" Constantin countered, trying his best to talk sense into Eldrian, who continued to make space between them and grew more furious each time Constantin tried to declare those in the simulation fake.

n

"How do you know our world is physical!

" Eldrian shouted, their argument had long since caused a scene.

"How can you say this when you have been into the simulation? When you have experienced how real everything is!

"

n

"Eldrian! Eldrian! Calm down, it just feels real.

"

n

"It... It just feels real!?

" Eldrian suddenly saw Constantin completely different, he had hoped that Constantin of all people would understand his feelings.

"It just feels real!?

" Eldrian repeated, bubbling with anger.

n

"Then what does life feel like? If it feeling real is not enough! Then what is?!

" Eldrian roared this in anger and rushed past Constantin, throwing his door closed and locking it.

nTaking deep breaths Eldrian tried to calm down, unable to do so. He hoped Constantin was like the players, keeping their distance from NPCs and telling themselves that they were just that. But from the conversation it seemed more like Constantin truly thought they weren't real. That they did not live.

nHe could not accept this.

n

"Bastard!

" Eldrian was furious that Constantin had tried to argue with him. It was one thing to not agree with him. It was another entirely to tell him he was wrong.

n

"The hell do you think life is?

" Eldrian grumbled, taking a cold shower to help cool down. When he climbed out he found that Joren was waiting at his door.

nTaking a deep breath Eldrian cursed his outburst. Suddenly afraid they would try and use this against him. Opening the door slightly Eldrian asked why he was here.

n

"You could really have chosen a better place to argue. The entire building already knows of it.

" Joren started off trying to ease the mood, Eldrian snorting in derision.

n

"Good, let them know you think of the NPCs as nothing more than that. You goddam know they are people too!

"

nJoren was shocked by the sudden outburst, angering him slightly as he felt he had done nothing wrong.

"Eldrian, you have to understand that they aren't real.

"

nNot willing to hear anymore Eldrian shut his door. Luckily due to law he could actually do this. They could only enter if there was a medical emergency. They might try to spin this as such but that would just cause this to blow up even more.

nThe building knowing about it was already more than enough. Miracle did not like things getting out without their fine-tooth combing. They would certainly try their best to keep this under wraps.

n

"Bastard. Why would you come just to say that!?

" Eldrian cursed and dived onto the chair, logging in with the hopes that the world he was more comfortable in, that the world that felt far more... Far more realistic would calm his mind.

nHis hope was correct, as soon as he found himself on Gaia everything was better. He was filled with energy, his mind worked through what had happened faster, the very air seemed to calm him.

n

"How can they say this isn't real?

" Eldrian mumbled as he picked up a handful of dirt. Feeling the texture, feeling the wetness. Feeling earth.

"How?

"

n...

nIn a densely wooded island, a bag of bones were sending out curses as a skeletal body slowly formed around a small fingerbone. A black formless mass of shadows binding the bones and bringing Xidrel back to life.

n

"Just you wait dwarf! I will get my revenge!

" The lich shouted once most of his new body had recovered.

nInstead of rushing for revenge, or rushing to his lab nearby, the lich instead cursed in anger as it discovered it had lost an entire Tier. Normally death would just weaken it to a lower Tier for a few weeks. This time the loss was permanent, the lich could feel that he was not just weakened but that his soul was damaged.

nBurning with fury the lich swore its vengeance, calming down when it felt a familiar pull at its consciousness.

"So you survived, good. We will show the dwarf yet!

"

nSoon after those words were spoken a flaming skeleton arrived, standing a few meters from the lich. Its longsword in hand, blood dripping down its length. The skeleton had killed anything that stood remotely in its path.

n

"Speak, what happened? What took you so long?

" Xidrel asked, sending its command to the skeleton and finding to its utter horror that the command was ignored.

"What? How can you?

"

n

"Y-You... You wi-will.

" The Flaming Reanimate struggled to form the words,

"You will pay!

"

nWith its shout its flames burst into the surrounding, setting the trees aflame and sending the lich into agony like it only recently experienced. Angering it all the more.

n

"How dare you!?

" The lich shouted back as it called upon its magic from its soul, which was severely lacking. Desperately it tried to regain control over its creation, a fight of mental wills ensuing between the two.

nThe burning skeleton started laughing maniacally,

"How dare we?

" It paused as it took a step forward, constantly fighting the commands from the lich.

"How dare we!?

" Its shout broke through some of the commands, its speed increasing.

n

"How dare you?!

" The burning skeleton threw back,

"How dare you!

" Upon the second shout it brought its sword towards the lich, who desperately blocked with its arms.

nIt had lost its dimensional ring, which had been on its former body. As such it had no armor, no items. Just its new host of bones, and while they had been a Tier 8 in life, the bones were not strong enough to fight the burning sword.

nIt cut through the bone with ease, the flames eating at the darkness binding the skeleton and causing the lich even more pain than before.

n

"I created you! You ungrateful bastard!

"

nThe flaming reanimate laughed maniacally hearing this,

"You killed us! You killed us! You tortured us! Althare! My love, I will bring you peace!

"

nScreaming this the flames jumped from its original form onto the lich, a battle of consciousness following. The lich in constant torture as its victims had been for days. They had grown used to the pain, it not.

nThis was its undoing.

nFlames departed the body soon after, an ethereal form of two lovers appearing in it as it sent the entire island aflame.

nTheir souls combining in the flames. A single formless flame left behind. A living flame.

nA Flaming Soul was born.

n