The statue sat heavy in Elias's hands. His fingers trembled as he traced the intricate carvings and symbols etched into its stone surface. His attention fixed on one detail—the Devourer's mark. It didn't belong here, but there it was.
Elias set the statue on the kitchen counter, pressing the heel of his hand to his forehead. His thoughts raced, tripping over one another in a desperate attempt to explain it away.
Maybe someone broke in. Maybe Markus is screwing with me. Or it's just some elaborate prank… right?
But deep down, Elias knew none of those explanations fit. The statue wasn't just a coincidence—it was a warning, though he couldn't say from what or from whom. And worse, something in the air around him felt... different, as if the world had subtly shifted—like a puzzle with one piece out of place, though he couldn't tell which.
He needed answers. And fast.
Elias reached for his phone, scrolling to the names that mattered. He paused when Ava's name glowed on the screen. What would she think of this whole situation? She'd told him recently that she felt like he was slipping away from her. And now, her words might just ring true.
He shook his head, dispelling any thought of involving her in what he was doing. He scrolled past her name and called Markus.
His brother answered on the second ring, voice bright and chipper, like he was already on his second coffee of the day. "Hey, bro! What's up?"
Elias's heart raced, the words caught in his throat. But he forced them out. "Something weird happened," he began, pacing the length of his apartment. He hesitated, unsure how much to reveal.
"There was a… statue," he started slowly. "It just showed up in my apartment. I didn't put it there. It has these weird drawings—symbols I saw in the game."
Markus was quiet for a moment, and Elias could practically hear him processing. "Wait… Someone broke into your place and left a statue?"
"I don't know," Elias said, frustration bubbling beneath his words. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."
Markus's tone shifted—more serious now. "Okay, hold on. You're sure nothing else is missing? Could've been a break-in. People do weird stuff sometimes."
Elias exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I checked. Nothing's gone. Just the statue."
"Fucking hell, Elias…" Markus said. "Report it to the police. I'm coming over now."
Then he hung up.
Elias threw his phone on the bed and groaned. He knew his brother was being practical, but it wasn't what he needed. The statue felt too specific, too tied to the game to be some random break-in.
As Elias stewed, his phone buzzed again. He glanced at the notification from ChatterSync and saw the name.
Artemis: Got a sec tomorrow? We need to talk. IRL.
The grin disappeared as soon as he saw the last three letters of the message. Elias stared at the screen, his stomach twisting with uncertainty. They'd known each other for years in Celestian Requiem, but meeting in real life? That went against internet protection 101. He typed a response, hesitating before hitting send.
WardensBlade: What's up?
Her reply was immediate.
Artemis: I found something at work. It matches the stuff in the game. I need to show you.
The feeling from the statue washed over him with a boiling finality—this was more than just a game. Something real was happening. His heart raced, but in the mirror, he saw something surprising. He was smiling, ear to ear, as if this were the happiest moment of his life.
Ava's words echoed in his mind. Codes and art.
Maybe it had been that before, but now… now, it was reality.
He chuckled as he stared back at the message. Meeting Artemis made sense—she was the only person who seemed to understand the weirdness. But the thought of meeting her, of crossing the boundary between the game and the real world, sent a flicker of anxiety through him. Not because he had some strange notion of separating the game from reality, but because of the discovery of the real person behind the avatar.
Then his phone buzzed again.
Ava: Dinner tomorrow? My treat.
Elias froze. After their conversation, nothing had really changed. But this message was clear. She was trying to close the distance between them, even if only for a moment.
He was torn between two worlds. But his mind was set.
He typed out a reply to Ava: Can't tomorrow. Got something going on.
Her response was a thumbs-up emoji, but he could feel the sting of her disappointment.
I'll deal with that later.
He turned back to Artemis's message. Yeah. Let's meet.
They arranged a time and place—an unassuming coffee shop in the heart of the city. When Elias arrived, he spotted her immediately. Artemis, in real life, looked as composed and confident as her avatar: short black hair that brushed her jawline, sharp eyes behind thin-framed glasses, and a sense of quiet intensity that made it hard to tell if she was amused or planning something dangerous.
She looked up from her coffee and smiled. "WardensBlade, right?"
"Yeah," he chuckled, sliding into the seat across from her. "But IRL, please call me Elias."
Meeting someone from the game felt surreal, but something about her felt familiar, like they'd known each other far longer than just online chats.
"I get it, I get it," she chuckled. "IRL, I'm Naomi."
Naomi's voice was smooth and practiced. "Thanks for coming, by the way."
"Yeah, well… I figured it was important."
Naomi nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. "I didn't want to say too much over chat, because… you know, security." She opened her bag and pulled out a small folder. "Please, take a look at this."
Elias leaned forward as she slid the folder across the table. Inside were photos of strange carvings—symbols and patterns etched into metal surfaces. One of them was identical to the mark from the statue.
His heart skipped a beat.
"This is from your work?" he asked, glancing up. "What do you do anyway?"
"I'm an archeologist," she replied with an amused smile. "Didn't I tell you? This is a dig we're working on in the heart of South America. For a while, we were wondering what these symbols were all about. Even our philologist couldn't make sense of it. But thanks to what we saw yesterday, we're closer to an answer. He was over the moon."
Elias felt the ground tilt beneath him. "You're saying… what? That the creature...whatever it is, existed in ancient times?"
Naomi tapped her finger against the folder. "Possibly. But what we know for sure is that someone in Celestian Requiem knows about these symbols and their connection to the dig we discovered. Maybe it's the devs? Or maybe even the creator himself."
A chill ran down Elias's spine—but it wasn't out of fear. It was excitement.
Then, the café's atmosphere shifted. A familiar sensation, the same as in the crypt. Naomi's face paled, and Elias noticed a man at a nearby table glancing at them, his gaze sharp and unsettling. Elias shifted in his seat, instinctively moving his hand to his phone.
"Someone's watching us," he whispered.
Naomi glanced toward the man without turning her head. "I noticed."
The man stood and casually approached. Elias tensed, his mind racing.
The man smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "How are you doing, brats?"
"Asmodeus…" Elias said, standing abruptly. "I thought you were giving us time to run."
"Calm down. I'm just here to greet you. In person this time." Asmodeus chuckled darkly. "I'm assuming you got my gift?"
Elias narrowed his eyes. "The statue… it was from you?"
"Think of it as a neighborly gesture." He laid his palm on the table, and a layer of frost crept across its surface. "After all…" he paused, savoring their fear, "I'll be descending soon."
Just then, Elias's phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number: Why are you entertaining him? Leave. Now.
Elias's heart pounded. He showed Naomi the message, and she nodded, her expression calm but alert. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Naomi's arm, and they slipped out of the café into the cold city air.
"It's nice to see you, brats!" Asmodeus's cackle echoed after them. "Looking forward to more of your terrified faces."
They didn't stop until they were blocks away, breathless and wide-eyed.
"Who sent that message?" Naomi asked, her voice low.
Elias checked his phone again, but the message was gone.
"No idea," he muttered, pulse racing. But deep down, he had a feeling he knew.
Lucius.
The next message buzzed.
Follow my instructions and head to the place I'll show you.