The mist had thinned by the time they reached the edge of the ridge. The sun was nothing more than a pale disk behind the haze, and the trees swayed in slow motion, dripping faint light from their leaves. Kaiden crouched near a fallen trunk, wiping the blade of his scythe clean while Naō checked their cooldowns and Veyle finished going through his inventory.

  [Quest Complete: Where the Green Fails]

  [Bonus Objective: Protect Liri (Cleared)]

  [Party Status: Stable]

  Naō stretched his shoulders with a tired groan. “So… that thing we just fought, ‘Veil Hunter,’ right? Ironstride warned us about Seelie tracking penalties, but I didn’t think it would actually spawn a boss.”

  Kaiden shrugged. “Neither did I. Guess we’re past the point of easy quests.”

  Veyle huffed with his hands crossed over his chest. “Makes sense now why people call this game immersive and not for the faint of heart.”

  “You good tho, Cam?” Kaiden asked.

  “Oh, yeah. Don’t get me wrong, this was all fun, but….” Cam looked out over the fog-shrouded path ahead. “I think I’ll head for Hollowmere Crossing myself. I’m going to take things slow, besides, you guys clearly have… uh, way more things going on.”

  Naō raised an eyebrow. “You sure? That crossing’s no joke especially for a Supporter by himself. Trust me.”

  “I’ll manage.” Veyle smiled. “Besides, if I get KO’d, at least I’m getting paid for it.”

  Kaiden smirked. “Fair point. You sure you don’t want us to tag along for the first leg?”

  Veyle shook his head. “Nah. You’ve got your own mainline stuff. I’d just slow you down. But, hey, if we cross paths again, I owe you both a drink at the Solarium.”

  “Deal,” Naō said.

  Liri tilted her head with a smile. “It was nice meeting you, Veyle!”

  He nodded. “Yeah. Same to you… uh, kid? Watch these guys back for me.”

  “Okay,” Liri excitedly said, with an excited jump.

  Veyle raised a hand in a casual wave. “Catch you when you clock out, man.”

  Kaiden returned the gesture. The Botanist smiled once more and turned down the road toward Hollowmere Crossing, his silhouette fading the further he traveled.

  For a long moment, the three of them just stood there, the quiet settling in. Naō was the first to break it. “He’s pretty chill. Wouldn’t mind doing a raid with him next time.”

  Kaiden’s grin came without effort. “Yeah. For someone I met today, I wouldn’t mind partying with him again.”

  Liri hummed softly, trailing behind them as they started back toward the path out of Mycoth. “The world feels better when you find good people.”

  Kaiden couldn’t help but agreed. Though his mind went back to Hollowmere Crossing again. Belgrave, again… I wonder what that quest would have been like and… He thought for a half of a moment. If Alex ever passed through there, Hollowmere Crossing might have answers.

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  Their HUDs pinged, pulling him out of his thoughts.

  [Incoming Message: Ironstride]

  Ironstride: Why are you two all the way back in Mycoth? Thought we cleared a quest there.

  Kaiden thumbed open the chat. Helping a friend with a quest. Couldn’t leave him hanging.

  Ironstride: You really have a habit of that.

  Nyte: Wait, what I do? lol

  Mixmaster: lol. Kaiden has his own set of side quests.

  Ironstride: Welp, it’s a good thing we have plenty we haven’t done yet. Hope you two are ready to continue on?

  [Main Questline: Collapse of Day, Deliver the Unseelie Heart Shard]

  Destination: Ashglass Outpost

  “Ready to teleport?” Kaiden asked.

  “Ready.”

  [Teleport Confirmed: Ashglass Outpost]

  The scenery warped and folded into white light. They stood on familiar ground: the cracked stone plaza, the sound of wind over the watchtowers. Kaiden led, Liri close at his side, and Naō walked with hands behind his head, humming a game soundtrack under his breath.

  Ironstride stood outside the Outpost gates, leaning against the stone arch. She turned to them when they approached.

  “Took you long enough,” she said.

  Kaiden rolled his shoulders. “Hey, we’re here now. Good thing we didn’t bump into a Veil Hunter again.”

  Ironstride whistled. “Faction bosses already? That’s quick work, even for you.”

  Naō grinned. “Kaiden’s got a talent for finding trouble, I keep telling you.”

  As if make a point, he pulled open his HUD that was shared with the party:

  [Alignment Update: Unseelie Affinity]

  [Seelie Favor Reduced, Certain vendors and routes locked]

  Kaiden raised his hands. “Hey, it's not my fault the two of those groups don't like each other.”

  Liri spoke, her voice soft but clear. “The court remembers who stands with it. And so does the sun.”

  “Guess we’re standing with the shadows now, then,” Nao said.

  “And locked out of some Seelie perks for good now,” Ironstride said. She paused for a second with a shrug of her shoulders, and continued. “But nothing to do about it now. Guess we’ll just have to see what the Unseelie path offers. No game makes you pick sides this hard unless there’s a big payoff coming.”

  She knocked her knuckles lightly against her shield. “As long as it lets me hold the line better than last time, I don’t care whose court is stamping the buff.”

  Kaiden wasn't sure what she meant by ‘last time' but thought nothing more of it.

  “Oh, yeah,” Kaiden said, eyes flicking his map open again. “Have you ever been to Hollowmere Crossing?”

  Ironstride’s mouth twisted. “Visited once with a party. It’s a high-end city. Upper deck guilds, and an armful of quests that give experience for days but are hard as hell to do.”

  Naō made a face. “So… like high level content.”

  “Pretty much,” she said. “Good gear too, if you don’t mind getting jumped in alleys.”

  Kaiden tracked the distant marker, filing it away. “Veyle’s Belgrave quest sent him there. If Alex ever went there, it feels like the kind of place he’d hit.”

  Ironstride shrugged. “Most serious players do, sooner or later. It’s where routes cross.”

  They checked their gear, swapped out trinkets, and pushed through the checkpoint. The familiar ring of system sounds echoed in their HUDs as they headed toward the plaza, the low buzz of players trading.

  As they crossed the market square, Ironstride slowed to watch a crowd gathered by a faded noticeboard. An animated parchment glowed with a new system quest icon.

  She nudged Kaiden. “Take a look.” Her attention focused on the board ahead.

  Kaiden and Nao looked over with her at the board:

  [Event: Outpost Siege: Incoming Threat Detected]

  Reports suggest monsters are massing in the wilds. The Outpost's Defense rating is low. Players with high defense, attack, and skills are encouraged to report to the north gate for a briefing.

  Bonus: ‘A rare artifact rumored lost in the wilds beyond the Ashglass woods. Only those who prove themselves in defense may be found worthy.

  Ironstride studied the posting. “Now that’s the kind of challenge I’d sign up for.”

  Kaiden couldn’t be sure, but it looked like there was a gleam of sadness in her eyes. Though the look faded seconds later, as if it had never been there. The three of them pressed on, stepping into the growing crowd of players preparing for whatever the game was about to throw at them next.