30th Year Anniversary of the Project: Zerø being published.
A small castle in front of the setting sun, with it's flags having stars as their theme of designs.
Gathered on the deck of the castle were people with forlorn faces, and tears can be seen on the faces of the others.
"So, this is it for us." Slowly, Lara, the Guild Master said as she sighed in sadness. Behind her is a white flag with one star with four rays and four small stars on it's northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast, and a halo that connects the four stars.
These four stars are the four members under her that has Epic Classes.
The Astrologer - Evich Toranz,
The Shaman - Lerika Heinz,
The Undying Saintess - Donna LeCruz,
And the Brain - Zypher Miracle.
These four are the pillars of the Caelestia Guild and was known for their titles as they are the pioneers of the guild.
"We must not falter, Lara." A man with sharp glint in his eyes and pale skin said.
He is Jayn Grek, former guild member of the Magic Night Guild. He is now the head of the Scouting and Assassination Department of the Caelestia.
His flag is black with a star and a dagger on it.
They are the deadliest assassin group, but then, they are powerless against the top guilds.
The other departments were also trying to convince Lara to not disband the clan, but then, they can't do anything.
The noise began to escalate, as suggestions were thrown, but Lara was calmly looking at them.
With tears in her eyes, she stood up and bowed in front of everyone.
"Sorry, mates. I want to do everything in my power, but it's not my life on the line. They got Laurie, and I can't help but to compromise."
Laurie, Laura's only daughter, was kidnapped by unknown people.
But they all know that the four guilds are behind it, it's just that they don't have enough evidence, and are against powers in the real world.
"Then.." the most awaited question of everyone.
"Where is Zypher?"
At the mention of his name, Lerika held Lara's shoulder as she can't stop herself from bursting into tears.
"Zypher... he.."
Broke down.
As the brain of the organization, he is the one who has the most pressure, aside from the guild master.
When Lara told him what happened, he worked his brains out to rescue Laurie and get evidences, but then, his advances was halted as his house was bombed by unknown people.
Due to fear and confusion, his brain gone haywire, and all his thoughts become clouded.
Until now, he is in his room, crying, and blaming himself for the lost of Laurie.
Everyone knows Zypher as the humorous, kind and calm one. In the real world, he may be seen as a pushover, but then, his revenge are always calculated and stings as hell.
That's why the four guilds are wary of him, but then, due to money, the four guilds found his home and decided to end their misfortunes induced by him.
"Sorry...guys..." Lara sobbed, and all of them followed her. Inside a minute, the once noisy deck became a place of mourning as the members started to curse and say their regrets.
'If only I was stronger.'
'If only we were smarter '
'If only we were richer.'
It was just a game, but for these people, it was almost half of their lives that they spent here.
Investments, sponsorships, even the banking and business, they all tried, but were suppressed by the powerful.
The door opened as a big burly man carried cases of wine.
"Old Man Brix, what's these?" The somber mood was changed into shock as the other members stared at the man Brix.
"I once watched an anime where they made a toast using wines and they became brothers, though not biological ones." He said as he distributed shotglasses and bottles to each department.
When he was finished, a lady with a scarlet hair, Pepper, wore her glasses as she flipped around pages of her notebook, and clicked her pen.
"Four cases of wine, and almost 200 shot glasses, will be noted as 'borrowed' from the inventory". She said in a monotone voice.
"My God, Pepper, we are all sad here, can you just let this one go?" Jayn said as he clicked his tongue.
"No." With a straight face, and serious tone, Pepper said as everyone stopped for a moment to see the two.
As everyone looked at her serious face, one by one, laughter came out of the crowd.
"You're so strict, Pepper. I bet you won't have a boyfriend."
"That's right, maybe show some leniency today!"
"No is no." Pepper answered that welcomed another bout of laughter.
"SERIOUSLY, YOU GUYS!" Lara shouted as she slammed her palm on the table.
This welcomed another bout of laughter, but her face softened as she looked at the happy members of Caelestia.
"Master, tell Laurie I said hi." Jayn said as he poured the drinks to the people in his department.
One by one, the department heads poured the drinks, until they all had their shot glasses.
When all else had their own glasses filled, Evich raised hers and said:
"To my eternal brothers and sisters."
Which in turn was welcomed by the others.
"To our eternal brothers and sisters!"
As they raised their glasses, Donna pulled another glass and filled it with wine.
She slammed it on the table, and vigorously shouted:
"To our brother Zypher"
Whixh welcomed laughter as Donna is a priestess with small voice, and timid nature. Shouting is not for Donna, and Donna is not for shouting.
This made her face blush, but Lara wrapped her arm around her shoulder and also shouted.
"For our brother Zypher!"
With that, they all drank their wine in one gulp, and that, was the end of Caelestia.
- - - - -
Outside the game.
Zypher, no, his real name is Zoan, a commoner who was a late player, only played after 15 years into the game. He is now 35, and all his dreams were shattered.
His family disowned him when he became a player, and now, that his life is threatened, he has no family to go to. He is now wandering about, and this is the first day he went out after the traumatic experience.
Today, City L is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the game, and the new expansion pack was released: the Parasytes.
It was a pack that was said to have both Alchemy and Biochemistry Fields made, but failed due to interference of the Dark League, the main antagonist of the Project: Zero.
Up til now, only 4 of the 9 Apostles were killed, and the leader is still at large.
The lowest ranked ones were the only ones killed, and in the expansion pack, another character will replace the killed Apostle.
Suddenly, a phone call went through his phone, as he was walking.
"Zoan?" A familiar voice was heard through the call.
"Guild Ma--"
"We've got Laurie."
"That means--"
"Yes. Evich, Lerika and Donna told me that they are waiting for you at the cafe."
"Hmm." He said in acknowledgement as his tears flowed down.
"I know that you love the guild, and you love Laurie above all else, but then again, thank you for all this time, that you made Laurie happy."
"Sorr--"
"Don't be sorry, I guess Zander is so proud of you right now. I think he wants you to also take a step forward. He might be in heaven now, but we know that he loves us so much. So don't beat yourself up. The guild may be no more, but you can keep playing, but for me, I have to focus my life on Laurie from now on."
"What about our promise?"
The line got silent for a moment.
"Sorry, I have to take another route in life. That promise, maybe, I can fulfill it, but not now. I lost him, but not Laurie, especially you too. So please, stop for now."
"Noted, sister-in-law."
"Good, I'm going to hang up now. Catch you later."
"Okay."
With that, the line was cut, but Zoan's tears still flow down.
BOOM!
A sudden explosion woke up Zoan.
"That's the City Hall!"
Zoan ran as fast as he could to avoid the people that were running away.
City L's Hall is the venue for the Anniversary, and now that the venue has exploded, a stampede happened.
Many people started shouting and some others pushed others around. The state of the city is of chaos.
Amidst the turmoil happening, Zaon looked at the vicinity, and found a park nearby. It was a large park, and is a wide clearing.
As people's minds were confused, Zaon used his phone's flash light to redirect the people to the park.
By simply waving his hand while holding the phone and the flashlight facing the people, he directed their ways to the park.
"Zaon?" A female voice called his name.
"Rena?" He said as she hugged him.
Rena, a classmate in his early years of college. She was the secretary of the Student Council, and one of the top beauties of the school. She was with Jessica, the Vice President, and Leona, the Muse.
"What happened?" He asked in concern.
"It was stolen!" Leona shouted at him as she pulled him and was a bit wary of her surroundings.
"What was? Stolen? Who did--"
"Shhh!" They said as she pulled him to the park.
They walked towards the park, around the creek, as they observe the people.
"The Codex. It was stolen."
"Codex?" Zaon asked.
"The new pack? It was from an advanced AI that created the whole game." Rena said as she observed the others.
"So? Why would they steal it?" Zaon asked as he also looked for suspicious persons.
"I don't know, but the ones who stole it shouted 'For Caelestia' and they bombed the place." Jessica said as pulled Zaon back.
"They're here." She said.
"Here? I don't see any one of them." Zaon said as he looked for the members of the guild.
"No one? How'd you know?" Rena asked as she faced Zaon.
Zaon pushed her back, as he looked again at the people.
"I know every one of them." Zaon said as he took his phone.
"Wait here." He said as he walked towards the away.
He dialled a number, and then waited for an answer.
A few rings after, a voice answered.
"Zaon? I thought you were depressed?" The voice said.
"Yes, pretty much. Enough about that, where are you right now?" Zaon asked.
"Me? We just logged out of the game. We waited til Lara got Laurie from the kidnappers." Jayn answered.
"So, you're saying, that all of you guys are still in the game up until now?"
"Yes."
"Then who-- uhkk"
A sudden stab pierced his heart.
"You-uhkk"
"ZAON?!" The voice on the call shouted.
"Why?" Zaon looked at the person behind him.
Laughter followes as the person looked at him.
"Zypher, The Brain of Caelestia. One of the guys that made my career so difficult."
The person twirled another dagger in hand as it stabbed on his chest.
"WHO ARE YOU! I SWEAR TO GOD--"
CRASH!!
The person stepped on the phone, destroying it.
"HAHAHA. I thought we were friends." Zaon laughed.
"Friends? We were. Until you decided to go against us."
The person then walked towards him, and pulled an obsidian USB.
"Say, what do you think will happen to Lara and Laurie when the news spread that Zypher, the brain, is using the Codex to cheat in game?"
"You fuck--"
"No, shit." The knife was then aimed at his mouth.
"Don't worry, all will fall into place." The person said as the knife inserted in Zaon's chest was pulled out, and the USB was put inside the hole.
Zaon's pain was beyond measure, but his body is weak, and the opponent is stronger than him.
The dagger was then sent to his throat, killing him completely.
At the end of his breath, he managed to say the name of the assailant.
Rena.