Thorin's First Thundersday of Harvestfall, 1442, Landing of Lights, city of Luminara.

Upon exiting the priest's guildhall, Liora paused and gazed at the scene with wonder.

Before her, the Landing of Lights spread in all its brilliance—a wide terrace of pale stone surrounded by three majestic edifices adorned with stained glass windows that seemed to stretch forever. Magical chimes and a distant hymn resonated throughout the landing, emphasising even further the sanctity of the place. Pilgrims knelt in rows along the balustrades and prayed, while white-robed acolytes moved gracefully among them to collect offerings.

A part of her felt foolish for being awestruck. She had spent the last few years living here, after all. She should be used to the sight.

And yet… no. That was not quite right.

Lucia had created Liora only moments ago, and while the game had filled her mind with memories of Luminara, this was the first time she was truly seeing it. Her memories felt like photographs borrowed from someone else's album—familiar enough to fool her instincts, but flat compared to the dizzying warmth of reality and the echo of temple bells rolling down the streets.

She pressed a hand against her chest, half laughing at herself. So this is what it's like, actually living here.

Mother Vervaine's words still rang in her ears as the guildhall doors closed behind her. "When you are strong enough for the journey, make your way to Zephyrdale. That is where you will find what you came here for."

Vervaine had shoved her out without ceremony after a blur of tutorial quests. In fifteen minutes she had already replaced most of her starter gear with proper vestments—a cotton-white tunic cinched with a sash, a wooden staff capped with a crystal orb, sandals that clicked faintly against the terrace stone. Level six, already. Despite the game's dopamine-inducing fanfare, new abilities, and soaring numbers, her heart struggled to keep pace with the rush.

She exhaled, tried to steady herself, and was just about to step into the bustle of the square when someone suddenly called her name.

"Liora!"

A boy's voice. Bright, warm, achingly familiar.

She turned.

The boy leaned against a sunlit gatepost as though he had been waiting all morning. Short, roughly her own height, lean, with the faint shimmer of greenish-blue scales at his temples. His horns curved elegantly, similar to fins, which then swept back, like folded wings. His smile lit his entire face, golden eyes crinkling with the easy fondness of an old friend.

"There you are," he said, pushing off the post and striding toward her. "Are you done saying all your farewells?"

For a moment, her heart stuttered. The game had filled her mind with memories of spending the last few years in Luminara. There had been nothing, however, about this boy. Yet here he was, acting as though they had known each other forever.

She studied him as he strode closer. His robes were white, ordinary enough for the Landing, but his were covered in glowing blue runes and reinforced with leather pauldrons and elbow guards. Clearly an adventurer.

When he stopped a few paces away, Liora noticed with interest the weapons he carried: a slim fencing sword at one hip, its scabbard etched with pale blue runes, and on the other, a sapphire-tipped focus shimmering faintly with frost.

Her eyes narrowed, curiosity sparking. That had to be one of the advanced classes. She knew none of the ones available at creation used such a weapon.

Just who is that boy…? Someone who knew I was about to create a priestess?

Her shoulders loosened.

Of course. This had to be one of her friends from the computer club. They knew every detail about her character creation plans—species, class, time. They probably even expected she would share some looks with Kaelyn. Of course, one of them would wait at the exit and introduce themselves to her the moment she stepped out of the guildhall.

After all, both Inkermitance and CastleOwlser had made it abundantly clear they wanted her to play with them and to join the Crowd Control guild.

Whoever this was, he was probably high enough level to unlock some fancy advanced class, had changed class to match her level, and was role-playing a "childhood friend" bit just to mess with her.

This has to be it.

Still… the way he smiled at her, like he really remembered the years they had supposedly shared, sent a strange pang through her chest.

And the strangest part was that—somehow, staring at his avatar—she felt she recognised him, too.

"Let me be the first to congratulate you on your graduation, Liora," he said, voice carrying that familiar lilt, as if he had called her name a thousand times. "So, what now? The temple won't cover room and board for you anymore. You'll need to earn money of your own. Still thinking about adventuring, like you always said?"

"I, uh…" she stammered, still wondering which of her friends was behind the charismatic dracan.

She was fairly sure this was not Inkermitance, simply from the speech pattern. Which made her best guess split between ThundaBirdBren and CastleOwlser.

The boy offered his hand with an easy grin. "How about it? If you're still game, I can show you the ropes."

She hesitated, then smirked. Fine, mystery boy. Let's see who you really are.

Liora extended her right hand, which he took gently.

"Sure, why not?" she said with a grin.

With her free hand, she flicked her fingers, pulling up the interface. Target. Invite.

She did not even notice him accepting the invitation, but his name almost immediately appeared under her own in the party members list: Rayelen Fallow, Mageblade, level 15.

Level fifteen? Guess he'll be carrying me for a while.

"Raï?" she murmured, the nickname slipping out almost too naturally, like it had always been hers to use.

His face lit up at once. "Yes, Lio?"

Her pulse jumped. Heat crept into her cheeks at the casual intimacy of it—a nickname he used like it had been theirs forever.

Alright. So now I know your name. But that still doesn't tell me which one of you nerds hides behind the VR rig.

"Let's do this." She tightened her grip on her staff and tilted her chin up, trying to sound relaxed. "Why don't you lead the way?"

Her eyes drifted down despite herself, drawn to the faint shimmer of scales covering the hand that held her own.

"Sure! Follow me. How about we start with Tidebreaker Watch? The wardens there are always happy for the help. It's in the Silvergale Strands, just outside the city. Great place to learn the trade."

"Okay." She nodded, and they set off, Liora a step behind.

Rayelen never let go of her hand and matched her pace as they left the Landing of Lights, slipping seamlessly into a familiar rhythm, as if they had walked together hundreds of times before. Together they crossed the white-marble causeway that linked the cathedral square to the rest of Luminara.

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The city opened up in a sweep of colour and sound. Banners of deep blue and crimson hung from arched bridges, snapping in the salt-laden breeze that funnelled up from the ocean cliffs below. The air was thick with the aromas of roasting chestnuts, saffron-spiced rice, and honey-drizzled pastries sold by the bazaar's hawkers. Voices rose in a dozen accents, bargaining over jewels, spices, and enchanted charms.

Liora's senses reeled, and she caught herself smiling, dizzy with the sheer density of it all.

Sure, I've been here before—Liora has, at least—but the memories don't do it justice. Being here in person, really here, really hits differently.

Rayelen glanced sidelong at her, amusement curling at the corners of his mouth. "You always stare at the food stalls. Some things will never change."

She huffed a laugh, deciding not to argue. Sure. We'll pretend that's the case.

They pressed through the bustle toward the city gate, where the silver-inlaid portcullis marked the road to the Silvergale Strand. Even above the noise of the market, the sea made itself known—the low, endless thunder of waves against the cliffs, the tang of brine carried on every gust. Far below, gulls wheeled and cried.

It was overwhelming and beautiful, and for a while she let herself enjoy it, let Raï's quiet familiarity smooth over the sharp edges of her doubt.

Then, her interface notified her about a direct message from outside the game. She willed it open.

"Inkermitance: hey! what's ur char name? i'll send the guild invite."

Liora startled, then hastily mentally replied.

"Lampriday: It's Liora Mariposa."

Almost instantly, a window popped open: "Inkerra Myntace has invited you to join her guild, Crowd Control. Accept/Decline."

She accepted with a flick of her fingers, and the guild's welcome message flashed across her vision.

"Welcome to Crowd Control, the guild for the University of Portland's computer club's students. Home to those responsible for making Kaelyn into a worldwide phenomenon. Mea culpa."

Liora frowned at the last part and sighed.

At least they admit it.

She opened the roster. A neat column of names unfurled, each with a personal note linking the avatar to its owner.

Moments later, a system message appeared. "Inkerra Myntace has edited your personal note to 'Lampriday'"

Liora quickly scanned the list—far longer than she had expected—and found her friends easily.

Inkerra Myntace (Inkermitance), Wind sylvani Brute, level 35, FrostSpire.

Castovar Ulserin (CastleOwlser), Northerner homini Dark Knight, level 24, Umbraholme.

Brennar Thundral (ThundaBirdBren), Sovereign dracan Mage, level 40, Luminara.

She smiled despite herself. Unlike hers, those notes felt almost superfluous. They had picked lore-friendly names that transparently echoed their internet monikers.

I suppose they're not as committed as Raï is about staying in character.

When she realised that, her amusement suddenly faltered.

She scrolled through the list a second time. Then a third to make sure.

No Rayelen Fallow.

Her stomach dropped. Both CasO and Bren were already online, clear as day—playing other characters.

Slowly, Liora's gaze centred on the dracan boy. Rayelen walked beside her, fencing sword catching the sun, smile as guileless as ever.

If you're not in the guild… then who are you? And how do you know me?

Her interface blinked again with private messages.

"Inkerra Myntace: accepted! nice"

"Castovar Ulserin: Hey Lamp, need any help with your levelling? Kermit or I can tank for you, and Bren can bring out mad damage."

"Brennar Thundral: I'm in town too, and I can teleport people over. If you want to catch up to Kaelyn quick, we can head to grind duties in Silvergale as a group."

Liora's eyes darted to Raï. They were already headed toward the same place.

"Liora Mariposa: Actually, we're already headed out that way. Halfway through the market now, in fact. The camp's at Tidebreaker Watch, right?"

"Inkerra Myntace: lol look at u knowing things already"

"Castovar Ulserin: Try to make sure to enjoy the view on the way there, yeah? The game's graphics and environments are gorgeous."

"Brennar Thundral: Wait, 'We'? Who's with you?"

Liora hesitated, then replied with trepidation:

"Liora Mariposa: I'm with a certain Rayelen Fallow. Level fifteen mageblade. Does anyone know who that is? He's not in the guild, but he recognised me…"

There was a pause—long enough for her to notice as Raï met her eyes, still smiling like he belonged there.

"Inkerra Myntace: who?"

"Castovar Ulserin: ???"

"Brennar Thundral: I have no idea who that is. But it could be anyone from our university friend group who listened in on our chat earlier. Not everyone's guilded."

Liora tilted her head at this.

"Liora Mariposa: Well, whoever he is, he's right here with me, says we should hit Tidebreaker Watch together…"

"Inkerra Myntace: is he planning to duo with u?"

"Brennar Thundral: Mageblade's a pseudo-tank. With her heals, they could do it."

"Castovar Ulserin: Can you take a screenshot? I'll see what I can find out about him."

Her fingers twitched, but she did not activate the capture command. Something about the idea of photographing Raï felt… intrusive.

Beside her, he chuckled softly, as though overhearing a private joke. "You seem distracted. Cuprum shard for your thoughts?"

She swallowed, forcing a thin smile. "It's nothing. Just… multitasking," she said, lowering her voice.

He smiled warmly at her, then focused on helping her navigate the sinuous and rocky path down to the rocky shore.

"Liora Mariposa: He seems friendly enough…"

"Inkerra Myntace: Lamp, r u sure?"

"Castovar Ulserin: Seriously. Pretty sketch he was waiting at the guildhall."

"Brennar Thundral: Agreed. Maybe he's some creeper trying to get closer to you or Kaelyn IRL. Be careful."

Liora frowned and examined Raï once more. He walked with an easy stride, every bit the longtime friend he pretended to be.

But not only that, he always appeared to predict exactly where she would step next, when she would next reach for his hand for assistance. As if they had rehearsed these steps a thousand times.

She absolutely could not find any trace of deception in his body language. Quite the opposite, actually.

But that was part of what made her uneasy. She clearly had her reservations and scrutinised him for any sign of ill-intent. Meanwhile, he showed no signs of being insulted or slighted, nor did he acknowledge her close examination.

"Inkerra Myntace: look, just… be careful, okay?"

"Castovar Ulserin: Until one of us catches up to you, keep updating us. Every 5 minutes. Think of it like when we make you text us on dates."

"Brennar Thundral: Yeah. Check in on the regular. If he gets weird, bail. Let us know."

Her lips twisted.

Dates? Really? You're comparing him to some rando sliding into my DMs?

Despite her reservations, she instinctively came to his defence.

"Liora Mariposa: I'm fine. He feels… safe? Familiar, even. Trust me, I'd know if he were a weirdo."

"Inkerra Myntace: famous last words."

"Castovar Ulserin: Just humour us, Lamp. Keep updating us."

"Brennar Thundral: I'll find you at Tidebreaker Watch as quick as I can."

"Liora Mariposa: Yeah. Will do."

When they both finally reached the bottom of the path, Liora let go of Raï's hand and took a long, deep breath.

Down here, the salty smell of the sea breeze was even more intense than up in the city, a scent more familiar to Liora than Lucia. For one, this was the smell of her adoptive home. For the other, the smell of occasional beach holidays. Neither of them had strong associations with the sea, but both appeared to think fondly of it.

The dracan turned around to face her and grinned, his fins almost flapping like wings in an adorable display. "This is the farthest you've been from the city since you moved in, isn't it? So, how does it feel?" he asked.

"How does what feel?"

"Freedom. Your first step away from the city, away from the temple. Past, family, obligations—none of that matters anymore. You're an adventurer now. You can do whatever you want."

Liora bit her lip. Raï was right—she was technically free to do whatever she wanted now. An entire world of possibilities stretched before her.

But she came here for a reason. Anyone who had been reading her chat with the computer club would have known about her mission to connect with her sibling.

She frowned at Raï. What was he doing? Was he trying to tempt her away from her investigation? Or did he not know about her purpose here?

"No, I'm not free." She shook her head. "I can't—"

"—Sure you can," he interrupted. "I won't pry or ask you for specifics. But whatever you think you have to do—whatever obligation, destiny or duty you feel you have to follow—you are free to choose to ignore it."

She noticed that Raï never mentioned Kaelyn, and his choice of words carefully avoided revealing anything incriminating. She would have to be careful with how she replied, too, so that she did not let anything slip.

"You're right that I could," she said. "But I won't. I have to get stronger. Fast."

"Well… I can help with that part," he said, putting one hand over the hilt of his sword. He looked down at it fondly before he looked up at her again. "I wasn't idle, you know. I didn't just wait for you to graduate."

There it was again. This implication he had known her for a long time. That he had waited for her for far longer than it took to create a character and leave the tutorial area.

Or, it could simply just be his way of justifying his higher level and class by weaving a backstory element.

"Let's go to the Tidebreaker Watch place, then? I'm sure you can introduce me to all the important people and get us some work?"

"Mm-hmm! Can do!" He nodded, turned around, and picked up the pace. "Follow me then, my little lioness."

"Hey!" she said, running after him. "I'm no shorter than you are, short stuff!"

"True, but you're still short for a felinae. I happen to be tall for a dracan!"

"Yeah? I might not be done growing yet!"

He tilted his head, raising one finger to his chin. "Huh. I guess that's something to look forward to, then."

Liora nearly burst out laughing, but held back. The exchange had felt so normal. Once again, like they had rehearsed it a million times before.

But her smile faded quickly.

Just who are you, Raï?

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