Suddenly, Leila fell to the ground and began to shake. Edward's eyes were still focused on the notification message before he noticed her, but Ikarus immediately flew down and landed by Leila's side.
︽
In the presence of an Ascended player, The Forgetful One has remembered her identity as a fellow Dragonkin
She is Ascending
︾
"I didn't mean to do that," Edward muttered. He knew her abilities might have allowed her to copy his own, but Edward expected the process to be more difficult and time-consuming. Had he known being close to her would've set off her Origin, he would've backed away as fast as possible. Now, however, it was too late. The damage had been done and Leila became a Dragonkin. Edward looked at Leila and Ikarus, unsure of what path to choose.
Should he help her and explain the situation or run away as fast as possible? He knew his abilities were top-notch compared to other Origins, so he was hoping to have a monopoly on them for as long as possible. He didn't have any responsibility to help Leila, even if he had inadvertently changed her Origin. He couldn't be blamed if he decided to walk away, right?
As he looked at her face, however, Edward felt a strange urge to help her. A sensation of kinship emerged and forced him to consider the first option. He looked back to the notification and sighed.
'Fellow Dragonkin.'
Edward stepped forward and crouched to Leila's side. Ikarus stood vigilantly nearby, somehow already recognizing the significance of Leila's new identity. Still, there wasn't much Ikarus could do for her at the current moment. Her body was shaking badly— like she was having a medical episode. Leila's eyes were rolled into her head and her skin was becoming more pale with every second.
'This is what must've happened to me after I collapsed in the dungeon,' Edward realized, 'She'll wake up soon, but she'll be very weak when she does so. I need to get her somewhere safe.' He picked up Leila's body and clung her tight— to prevent her from slipping out of his arms. Ikarus climbed back onto his shoulder, satisfied with his master's actions.
The rest of the players surrounding him had already run away— the few who couldn't had already fainted— which left Edward alone. He opened his chat boxes and scrolled to his purchased map of Pathe. He noticed the existence of an Inn not far from where he currently was, so he decided to go there to keep Leila safe.
As he traveled down the street, some of the players had hidden in nearby alleyways. The brave ones popped their heads into the open and gazed upon Edward's figure. A few of them even appraised him and gasped in shock as they viewed his username. Within an hour, half of the city was talking about the mysterious new player with a pet monster.
Edward's legend had begun.
When Leila finally opened her eyes, she found herself facing the ceiling of an unfamiliar room. Yet her concerns weren't found in her location or situation, for her body was drowning in pain. As soon as she awoke, Leila immediately began to groan and wince. She tried to move her body but found her muscles aching all over. Her lungs felt empty and burned when she tried to fill them. Her throat was the most sore of all— like her neck had been replaced by an entirely new copy. This was the worst pain she had ever felt— or at least close to it.
Edward was sitting near the bed, a book in his hand. It had been two hours since he brought Leila to the inn's room. He had been spending that time reading— first through the game forums until he got bored— then finally through the inn's library. Edward wasn't sure how Leila would've reacted if she woke up with a dragon staring down at her, so he chose to let Ikarus play for a little bit. He must've been high in the skies by now as he enjoyed the city's selection of bird cuisine.
When Leila finally awoke, Edward was immediately alerted by her groan of pain. He closed his book and turned to look at her. Leila immediately noticed the stranger, though he still wore the mask so she couldn't see his face.
"Water?" Edward suggested. He picked up the glass by his side— he had prepared it in advance— and stood up from his chair. Leila looked at him, shocked and confused, and tried to back away by pushing on her bedsheets. Her arms were too weak to even move, however, so she didn't get far, "I know what kind of pain you're in, as I went through the same thing. Water will help, here."
After a moment, Edward finally managed to give Leila the glass. Although she needed help drinking from it, Leila continued to watch Edward for any sudden movements.
"I hope it helps. When I was in your situation, I drank water in the real world," Edward smiled. He put the empty glass on the nightstand and sat back down in his chair. After a moment, Leila's eyes widened, and she began to move her arms. Edward smiled as he witnessed her recover— though not for her.
'This confirms the status effects our avatar suffers from transfers to the real world,' Edward realized, 'I'll have to make sure I log off when my avatar is completely healthy.'
"Who are you? I can't see your name," Leila asked as her right eye flashed green. She just appraised him, probably hoping to learn his name and gain an edge over the tense conversation. However, when she saw that he had a title, the guard she held against Edward only grew stronger. Edward smiled, then appraised her, as well.
︽
The Forgotten Flame
Lvl 1
Dragonkin
︾
"I can't see yours, either," Edward smiled. He didn't fail to notice her new title or her changed Origin, but he didn't remind her about them. It was possible she didn't entirely understand what had happened, "But you can call me Edward. Leila, what do you remember last?"
Leila stared at him for a moment, confused, then her eyes widened in recognition.
"You're the one that saved me from Dan. When he cut my leg off, I thought he would end up killing me. I thought I would lose everything I had on me," Leila gasped. Her shoulders dropped, now more relaxed, "How did you do that? Everything is so fuzzy, but… I remember the flames. Something was in the air, hovering with massive wings."
"You must be remembering Ikarus, my pet dragon," Edward nodded. Leila cocked her head, now confused, "He's not here right now. He tends to scare whoever looks at him, so I sent him away. He'll be back soon."
"A pet? There are pets?" Leila asked excitedly. Edward nodded, then turned back to Leila.
"Leila, where did you get your Amnesiac Origin? Is that why Dan Butler tried to kill you? Because you stole it?" Edward asked.
"Yes," Leila answered, though her face looked frustrated as she replied, "I thought it would be a new weapon or a set of armor. The damn thing reset my level when I touched it. Not to mention, it removed all of my skills and stats— even my thief Origin!"
"Well, considering what you got in exchange, I would say such a cost was worth it," Edward smiled, "Open your status. I hope you'll be happy with it."