Max felt some of the tension in his chest ease. "Everyone else seems fine just treating NPCs like quest dispensers."
"Most people are different than we are. Or they haven't had an experience intense enough to break through that mental barrier." Velara's tone shifted, becoming gentler. "Listen, you've been grinding hard since the game launched. Maybe you need a break from the game."
"I'm still on the expedition. Still have content to explore."
"After the expedition then. When you get back." She hesitated. "Actually, fuck it. Let's do something in the real world. When you finish this and get back to Tokyo, let's meet up. Not at a facility or guild function—just hang out. Like normal people. Get food, walk around the city."
"You want to hang out? With me?"
"Why is that surprising? You're interesting, Max." Her voice took on a teasing edge. "Plus, my dad keeps asking about you after the ATH meeting. He liked you, which means I have to study you properly."
Max found himself smiling.
"Seriously though. When you get back, message me. We'll do something normal and human. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Now get some sleep. Process this, grieve if you need to, but don't let it consume you."
"When did you become so wise?"
"I've always been wise. You're just noticing now." She paused. "You're going to be okay, Max. I promise."
"Thanks, Vel."
"Anytime."
After they hung up, Max finally felt calm enough to sleep. He set his phone aside, lay down, and closed his eyes.
This time, when he dreamed, it wasn't of Thomas dying. It was Velara's voice, steady and reassuring, reminding him he wasn't alone.
**
AETHERIA ONLINE – The Iron Frontier, Base Camp
December 12th, 2025 – 11:23 AM (Real World)
Max logged back in feeling more centered. Velara was right—he'd been pushing too hard. The expedition had two more days. He would explore, discover what he could, and then take a real break.
The base camp was quieter without the Clearwaters.
He checked the expedition map. Most of the nearby areas had been explored by other expedition members, but there was one location that caught his attention: marked as [ANCIENT OBSERVATORY – UNEXPLORED], about two hours northeast of camp.
Perfect. Max wanted distance from the camp. Solo exploration in ancient ruins sounded exactly right.
He stocked up on potions, checked his gear, summoned Night, and set out.
The Ancient Observatory—Two Hours Later
The ruins were unlike anything Max had seen in Aetheria.
Where most structures in the game had some aesthetic design—gothic castles, Asian-inspired temples, high-fantasy architecture—this place was alien. The stones were the wrong color, a sort of deep purple-black that seemed to absorb light. The geometry was off, with angles that didn't quite make sense, doorways that were too tall and narrow, and stairs that spiraled in directions that hurt to look at.
[ENTERING: THE ANCIENT OBSERVATORY]
[WARNING: Unknown hazards detected]
[Recommended Party Size: Unknown]
[Recommended Level: Unknown]
The lack of information was unusual. Most dungeons had clearly defined parameters. This one was listed as genuinely unknown.
Max proceeded cautiously. The entrance was a massive archway covered in symbols that might have been writing or might have been decorative.
Inside, the structure was a maze. Corridors branched in multiple directions, some leading to chambers with strange astronomical equipment—massive telescopes made of that same purple-black stone, star charts carved into walls showing constellations Max didn't recognize, and complex mechanisms of unknown purpose.
And most importantly traps. Everywhere.
The first one nearly killed him. A pressure plate triggered spears that shot from the walls. Max only survived because Night's combat instincts sensed the danger a split second before activation, giving him time to Shadow Step away.
[Spike Trap Avoided]
The second trap was magical—Max crossed an invisible threshold and was immediately hit with a paralysis effect. He stood frozen for five seconds, completely vulnerable, before the effect wore off. Thankfully, no monsters appeared during those five seconds.
The third trap was floor tiles that collapsed into spike pits. The fourth was poison gas that filled an entire chamber. The fifth was beams of energy that tracked movement.
After three hours of careful navigation, disarming traps, and solving puzzles involving those strange mechanisms, Max reached what seemed to be the deepest level of the observatory.
It was a circular chamber, maybe fifty feet in diameter, with a domed ceiling. In the center of the room, on a pedestal of the purple-black stone, sat an orb.
It was about the size of a basketball, perfectly spherical, and seemed to be made of solidified darkness. Not black paint or dark stone, but actual darkness given form, swirling slowly within its boundaries.
[??? ORB – UNIQUE ARTIFACT]
[WARNING: Unknown effects]
Max approached carefully, checking for traps, for wards, for any indication this was dangerous.
Nothing. The pedestal seemed safe.
The orb just sat there, radiating an aura that was simultaneously ominous and magnetic.
Night stood beside him, its blue flame eyes fixed on the orb. Through their bond, Max felt the shadow warrior's uncertainty—it didn't sense danger exactly, but something about the artifact made it uneasy.
"What are you?" Max muttered, reaching out slowly.
His fingers touched the orb's surface.
And the world exploded into darkness.
Max gasped as reality dissolved. The chamber vanished. The floor disappeared beneath his feet. He was falling—no, floating—in absolute void. No up, no down. Just infinite darkness in every direction.
Panic seized him. He tried to activate Shadow Step, but the skill didn't respond. Tried to check his interface, but no menus appeared. Tried to log out, but the command didn't work.
He was trapped.
"Night!" Max called out, his voice sounding muffled and strange in the void. "NIGHT!"
No response. Their bond felt distant, muted, like trying to hear something from underwater.
Then, ahead of him a light appeared.