The late afternoon light slowly dissolved among the colossal canopies surrounding the City of Eden. The sky shifted into shades of gold and blue, while tiny crystals of light — mana particles — drifted gently through the air like enchanted fireflies.
Ethan and Elenya walked side by side along the main road leading back to the city. The pale dust of the path shimmered in the glow of the sunset, and for a brief moment, the world felt absolutely perfect.
They had spent hours training together.
And for the first time since entering the game, Ethan felt a strange sense of normalcy. As if Elysium were not just an MMORPG, but a place where — despite everything — he could experience something very close to a real life.
In the distance, Grovefall's white towers shone like spears of light against the twilight sky.
With every step, the sounds of the forest faded, replaced by the distant echoes of conversation, hammering metal, and merchants calling out to customers. The city felt alive.
Elenya walked a few steps ahead, adjusting the bow on her back.
"We managed to train quite a bit today," she said, glancing back with a soft smile.
Ethan laughed, placing his hands behind his head.
"More than I expected. I thought I'd die long before learning anything."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You almost did." Then, in a gentler tone, she added, "But you learned fast."
He felt his face warm slightly.
"Thanks for saving my life. Again."
"Relax," she replied, looking away to hide the small smile that formed. "Even if it's a game… nobody likes dying.
And also… training alone is kind of boring."
That last comment caught Ethan off guard.
But he kept it to himself.
When they reached Grovefall's main gate, uniformed NPC guards greeted them, and the city's lighting system activated automatically — magical lanterns suspended by threads of light.
The market was crowded, even at dusk.
Stalls overflowing with colorful fruit, gleaming weapons, light armor, magical scrolls, and even spiritual pets painted a vibrant, living scene.
Players chatted, laughed, tested abilities, and celebrated small achievements.
Ethan watched it all like a child stepping into a theme park for the first time.
They approached a massive fountain where a statue of a Guardian held a mana crystal radiating blue light.
Ethan tapped the floating panel one last time.
Nothing.
No logout icon.
No hidden option.
Only system silence.
"It didn't show up for you either, right?"
Elenya crossed her arms.
"No. It just… vanished."
"Must be a bug," she added. "First day, tons of players, overloaded servers… normal stuff."
But her voice trembled just slightly.
Almost imperceptibly.
"If I were at work today," Ethan said, "this is exactly the kind of problem I'd be fixing."
Elenya looked at him with curiosity.
"You're a game dev?"
"Specialized in integration bugs and system errors. I've always worked on the technical side."
She lightly touched her chin, thoughtful.
"Interesting. I work in development too, but I'm a designer. Interfaces, environments, that sort of thing."
Ethan smiled.
"So you make the game look beautiful…"
"And I make it work."
They laughed at the same time.
A small moment of synchronicity.
Too natural.
Players passed nearby, many discussing the same issue:
"My logout disappeared!"
"It's just a bug, relax."
"First day, totally normal…"
"They'll fix it tomorrow."
"Looks like we're not the only ones," Elenya said.
"We should head to an inn," Ethan replied. "Everything should be normal by tomorrow. A bug is just a bug."
Lanterns lit up across the plaza.
The wind grew cooler.
The virtual sky displayed stars so realistic that Ethan briefly wondered whether they were generated by code… or captured from a real sky through Neuralink.
Elenya pulled her cloak closer.
"It's getting cold."
She gently touched his arm.
"Everything's going to be fine."
Her voice was calm. Soft.
And for some reason, that was enough for him to release the breath he'd been holding.
They walked together down the illuminated main street, toward the heart of the city…
Unaware that this night would be the last moment
they still believed
they were safe.
End of the chapter. Thank you for reading. See you tomorrow.