Elias and Naomi slipped into the crowded street, the rush of people around them easing their racing hearts, though it did little to lighten the weight pressing down on Elias's chest. He felt it—a heavy, watchful presence just beyond his sight.
"Where do we go?" Naomi whispered, startling him out of his thoughts.
He scanned the crowd, hating the uncertainty of it all. But Lucius's instructions had been clear. Follow him.
His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out, heart pounding. A message from Lucius:
Turn left at the corner. Don't stop moving.
"This way," Elias said, guiding Naomi around the corner and into the winding backstreets of the city. The bustling energy faded into the quiet hum of an empty alley, where each footstep felt too loud, every shadow too deep.
"Where are we going, Elias?" Naomi asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
He shook his head. "I don't know."
At the end of the alley, a golden-lit entrance loomed. Elegant letters above it spelled out: The Celestial.
"That's… probably it," Elias murmured, leading Naomi toward it.
"You sure about this?" she asked, glancing back over her shoulder.
"No," he admitted. "But with a name like 'Celestial'…"
Inside, they stepped into another world. The air was cool and fragrant, rich with jasmine and sandalwood, while chandeliers sparkled overhead, casting soft, golden light across plush carpets and gleaming marble.
The concierge greeted them with a bright smile. "Ah, Mr. WardensBlade. Ms. Artemis. Welcome to The Celestial. Your suite is ready."
Elias froze. The name—WardensBlade. How did they know?
He shared a glance with Naomi, who looked equally unsettled, but the concierge's smile didn't waver.
"This way, please," he said, gesturing to a grand staircase.
Elias followed, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. Everything was too perfect. Too… prepared.
Naomi leaned closer, her voice low. "Feels like they were expecting us."
"Yeah," Elias muttered, glancing at her. "But somehow, it feels… different."
They climbed the sweeping staircase to the presidential suite, and when the door swung open, Elias found himself in a room bathed in soft, golden light. The suite was enormous, filled with plush, silk-upholstered furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, and a dining table laden with steaming dishes. On a nearby stand, clothes in their exact sizes waited, as though plucked from their own closets.
"This is… surreal," Naomi whispered, her gaze sweeping over the room.
Elias stood frozen at the entrance, his mind whirling. How do they know what we'd need? He glanced toward the balcony, half-expecting to see someone watching from the shadows, but the city below looked ordinary, untouched.
Another message buzzed in his hand. Rest for a bit. I'll meet you shortly.
The knot in Elias's stomach tightened. A meeting with Lucius? The very idea felt impossible. How could an NPC in a game meet him in real life? Yet here he was, guiding him. So maybe…
Naomi looked at him, concern flickering in her eyes. "You okay?"
"Yeah… I think. Lucius said he's coming to meet us."
Before either of them could say more, a knock echoed through the room.
Elias exchanged a glance with Naomi. "Is that… him?"
She shrugged. "I don't know."
He approached the door cautiously, cracking it open—then froze as his eyes widened.
Ava stood on the other side, her arms folded, her expression somewhere between curiosity and concern. "Hey, Eli, can we talk?"
On instinct, Elias shut the door immediately.
"Eli?" Ava's muffled voice called through the door. "Why'd you close the door?"
Naomi raised a brow. "Who was that?"
Elias's mind whirled with too many questions to voice, but he managed to get one out. "A-Ava… What are you doing here?"
Naomi grinned knowingly. "Your girlfriend?" she teased, drawing out the word.
"I… I was having a dinner meeting downstairs with a client," Ava's voice came through the door. "I saw you and thought I'd say hi and introduce myself. But… maybe it was a bad idea."
The words struck him like a hammer. Ava and Naomi here, together? His brain scrambled for a response, but Naomi was quicker—she opened the door with a calm smile.
"You're such a wimp outside the game, Elias," she said, greeting Ava with a polite smile. "Hello, are you Elias's friend?"
Ava froze slightly, then held out a hand, her composure returning. "Yes, I'm Ava Martinez."
"Naomi Faraday," she replied, taking Ava's hand and, to Elias's horror, leading her into the suite.
Elias shut the door behind them, his heart hammering. "Naomi!" he hissed.
"What?" Naomi said innocently. "She's your friend, right? Better she's here with us than out there on her own, isn't it?"
"It's… fine," Ava said, glancing around awkwardly. "I didn't want to intrude…"
Naomi raised her hands, her voice calm. "Hey now, it's not what you think. We're… dealing with something serious."
Ava coughed, regaining her voice. "Serious? Like… kids?"
Elias buried his face in his hands, barely holding back a groan. "No, not that kind of serious."
Naomi laughed and pulled Ava into a quick hug. "Elias, she's adorable. Now can you please explain the situation to her?"
But before he could, the room's atmosphere shifted. The shadows along the walls thickened, like ink swirling in water. A figure appeared in the doorway—a man in a crisp black suit, his presence so sharp it seemed to pull the air toward him.
Elias's stomach dropped. He recognized the face—a face that shouldn't exist here.
"Lucius?" Elias asked, his heart skipping a beat.
Lucius smiled, and this time, it wasn't the cryptic smile of an NPC. It was calm, deliberate, deeply human.
"It's good to see you all together," Lucius said, his voice smooth as silk. His gaze swept over them, unreadable. "I believe we have much to discuss."
Ava glanced at him, her confusion evident. "Umm… who is this?"
Elias opened his mouth to explain, but Lucius spoke first. "You know me as Lucius in the game," he said, glancing at Elias. "But some know me by another name—GodGamer, the creator of Celestian Requiem."
Elias felt his world tilt. The weight of Lucius's words crashed down, scattering every sense of reality.
Naomi went pale beside him, her mind racing. "You're… the creator?"
Lucius nodded, a gleam of amusement in his eyes. "And the game you've been playing is about to change—rather, it already has."
The room seemed to bend under his words, reality warping around the edges.
"The Devourers have set their eyes on your world," Lucius continued, his voice soft but firm. "You've met one of their generals. As you've seen, they're beings of beauty with the sting of darkness."
Elias's mind spun, and the pieces snapped together, forming a picture more terrifying than he'd ever imagined.