"Sentence you and your family to death—by fire!" Marcus Cretan's voice rang out, sharp and unyielding.
"Burn them!" The command came without hesitation.
"Burn them!"
A frail old woman took up the cry, her voice cracking with age but charged with conviction.
"Burn them!" Another voice followed, hesitant at first, then growing stronger.
"Burn them!" The chant spread, swelling into a fevered rhythm as the soldiers worked swiftly, stacking dry firewood beneath the condemned family. Marcus Cretan raised his hand, and the flames leaped to life, licking hungrily toward the trio bound above them
"Please spare us, Lord Marcus Cretan! We are innocent!" The boy's voice trembled, desperation breaking through his tears.
In the crowd, the old woman sneered, leaning on her cane. "The son of a snake is a snake. Show no mercy!"
Angelachiara turned to her son, her voice calm despite the growing inferno. "It's alright, my darling. We'll be in heaven soon. Just close your eyes."
The fire grew, the heat becoming unbearable. The crowd watched, their expressions ranging from exhilaration to unease. But just as the flames reached their peak, an extraordinary phenomenon occurred.
A radiant light emerged from the heart of the pyre, blinding in its intensity. The flames recoiled as if repelled by the sheer power emanating from within. Then, rising from the ashes, a golden phoenix took form. Its majestic wings shimmered with fiery hues, its cry piercing the heavens like a clarion call.
"Look!" a man shouted, pointing with trembling hands.
The crowd recoiled in terror. "I told you they were witches!" screamed another.
"Kill it before it grows!" a witch-hunter bellowed, her voice commanding. The woman wore a black cloak adorned with silver runes and carried a crossbow with intricate carvings on its stock, loaded with a steel-tipped bolt.
The soldiers quickly drew their weapons—daggers and short swords glinting in the light of the phoenix's aura. But before they could act, a volley of arrows sliced through the air. Six soldiers fell, clutching at their wounds as blood pooled on the ground.
A young woman astride a white horse burst into the square. She wore a tailored leather tunic reinforced with steel plates, her black hair cascading down her back in a single braid. Her belt was lined with throwing knives, and she carried a sleek bow, its string taut and ready.
"Another witch!" someone shouted, but the woman paid no heed. Steering her horse with precision, she leaned down and scooped up the phoenix. In a flash, she was galloping away, the mob scrambling to follow.
The woman, known as Cipher, navigated the winding streets of Dradoma with ease, her horse's hooves thumping against the cobblestones. Behind her, the soldiers and villagers gave chase, their torches casting long shadows against the ancient stone walls.
Cipher reached the edge of the city, where a concealed airship awaited her. Cipher guided her horse alongside the airship, leaped aboard with the phoenix in her arms, and set the ship to autopilot.
As the airship ascended, Marcus Cretan watched from his horse. "Let her go," he said, his voice heavy with resignation. "She's beyond our reach now."
Cipher, now safe aboard the airship, cradled the phoenix, its golden feathers warm to the touch. But her relief was short-lived. Alarms began to blare, and the vessel shuddered violently. Flames erupted around her, yet she remained unharmed.
Before she could comprehend what was happening, the airship exploded in a brilliant burst of light.
Cipher opened her eyes to find herself back in the virtual gaming interface, in a ten-by-ten-meter square translucent room.
"Wow, that was close!" Cipher exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mixture of adrenaline and disbelief. She glanced at her hands, still shaking slightly, as memories of the intense mission surged through her mind.
To Cipher, the simulated flames, the explosions, the phoenix—it all felt so real. "Everything I did there came so naturally." "I can't believe I'm still alive," she muttered, her tone a blend of awe and exhaustion.
A figure materialized before her, interrupting her train of thought. Melody the AI, the holographic guide of the game, appeared in a burst of shimmering blue light. Melody was an ethereal figure, humanoid yet otherworldly, with translucent skin that seemed to house galaxies within. Her voice was calm yet carried an edge of authority.
"Welcome back, Cipher," she said, her tone measured. "Congratulations on successfully completing your first mission in the Level One, Teleportation Gaming Interface."
Cipher blinked, her mind still caught between reality and the vivid simulation she had just escaped. "Thanks..." she managed, her voice trailing off as she took in Melody's presence. The guide was both fascinating and slightly intimidating, an enigma that Cipher couldn't quite decipher.
Melody, the AI, continued, her voice resonating throughout space. "Check your profile to view the rewards you've achieved during your mission. Some rewards may require activation codes, which can be retrieved from your storage space. Once again, congratulations."
With that, Melody's holographic form began to disintegrate, her body dissolving into a cascade of light particles that rejoined the ambient glow of the interface. Cipher was left alone, standing in the pulsating holographic environment. The silence that followed felt deafening.
As she stared at the glowing icons in front of her, Cipher's excitement began to wane. Her thoughts turned to the mission—the people she had interacted with, the challenges she had faced, and, most importantly, the participants who had been with her.
She couldn't shake the gnawing worry about their fates. Had they all truly perished on Mars? The realism of the game made the thought unsettling.
Before she allowed herself to get lost in speculation, Cipher decided to reach out. Opening the holographic DM interface, she began composing a message to Sara, one of her teammates. A glowing keyboard appeared before her, and she typed quickly, her fingers moving with purpose.
"Hello Sara,
How are you holding up? I wanted to inform you that I managed to complete the previous mission we went on. If you get my message, please don't hesitate to communicate with me. I would like to know how all other team members are doing. If there is anything I can help with, please feel free to contact me.
Yours friendliness,
Cipher."
With a final glance at her message, Cipher sent it. The DM interface dissolved into the ambient glow, and Cipher breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, it felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She stretched her arms, the tension in her muscles easing slightly as she prepared to explore her rewards.
But just as she reached toward her profile interface, an automated voice interrupted her. The tone was soft but carried an undeniable finality. "Cipher, you have been requested from the outside world. See you next time when you log in."
Cipher's heart sank. She wanted to protest, to argue that she needed more time in the game, but the voice had already made its decision. In an instant, the holographic world around her dissolved into darkness. The vivid colors and intricate patterns faded into nothingness, replaced by the sterile white light of reality.
She blinked several times, her eyes adjusting to the brightness. As her vision cleared, she realized she was lying on a hospital bed. The hum of medical equipment filled the room, a stark contrast to the ethereal ambiance of the gaming interface. Her body felt heavy, as though she had been submerged in water for hours.
Rosemary Graciano's hands trembled as she held onto the edges of Cynthia's hospital bed. Her eyes searched her daughter's face, desperate for a flicker of recognition.
Rosemary Graciano's voice wavered. "Hello, Cynthia…"
Silence.
She swallowed. "Do you recognize us? It's me, your mother. This is your dad. This is Doctor Sandy."
Another pause.
"Can you remember any of us?"