KIERAN
Shadowmoor lived up to its name.
The moment we crossed into the region the world changed. Volcanic heat gave way to damp cold that seeped into bones. Fog rolled across stagnant pools of water that smelled like rot and chemicals. Twisted trees grew at wrong angles, their bark covered in pale fungi that glowed faintly in the gloom.
"Cheerful place." I kept my voice low. "Really welcoming."
"Stay alert." Thalia had her hand on her broken sword despite it being useless. "Shadowborn territory means necromancers and dark magic. They do not take kindly to outsiders."
A notification appeared in my vision.
"Reputation with Shadowborn Cult: +25 (Friendly). Demon affinity grants bonus standing."
"Actually they might like me." I showed Thalia the message. "First advantage to being a demon I've found."
She did not look pleased. "That should concern you, not comfort you."
Hm.
Spectral lights drifted through the fog. Will o wisps according to their nameplates. They did not attack, just watched us pass with curiosity that felt too intelligent for basic environmental hazards. This world kept proving to me how different it is from other game worlds.
Astra's voice whispered in my head. "The code here is different. Corrupted but deliberately so. Someone has been modifying Shadowmoor's base programming."
"Can you tell who?" I whispered back.
"Negative. The changes are old and so has been embedded in the world's foundation. Whoever did this had access during the initial development."
My father had worked on Elarion. The timeline matched. I did not want to think about what that might mean.
Buildings emerged from the fog. Whisperfen Village according to the zone marker. A settlement of crooked structures built from dark wood and stone. Shadowborn NPCs moved between buildings, their robes marked with symbols I was starting to recognize. The same interlocking circles from my invitation email.
"There." Thalia pointed to a commotion near what looked like a merchant stall.
A man was arguing with a hooded cultist. The man was pale with dark hair streaked with white. His eyes were an unnatural violet color that glowed faintly in the dim light. He wore black robes covered in silver embroidery that formed patterns too complex to follow and he was a necromancer based on the skull-topped staff leaning against the stall.
"I am telling you, resurrection magic is theoretically possible." His voice had the accent of an educated NPC but still sarcastic in a way. "The fundamental nature of consciousness suggests—"
"Heresy!" The cultist merchant slammed his fist on the counter. "Only the Rogue Celestial transcends death! No mortal may pierce that veil!"
"The Rogue Celestial was mortal before ascending. Therefore the precedent exists for—"
"Blasphemy! Guards!"
Two Shadowborn guards started toward them. The pale man sighed and raised his hands in surrender.
I stepped forward before thinking it through. "Hey, easy. He's just asking theoretical questions. No harm in academic debate, right?"
The guards and merchant turned to stare at me. Then they saw my demon horns and their hostile expressions shifted to something like respect.
"A demon speaks for the heretic?" The merchant frowned but did not call for violence.
"I speak for reasonable conversation. He's not threatening anyone. Just talking about magic theory. Isn't that what Shadowborn do? Study forbidden knowledge?"
The pale man looked at me with surprise and amusement. The merchant grumbled but waved the guards away.
"The demon has point. Fine. Take your heretic and go before I change my mind."
I grabbed the pale man's arm and pulled him away from the stall. Thalia followed, looking like she wanted to object but staying quiet.
When we were clear of the crowd the man turned to me with a grin.
"Well that was unexpected. A demon playing diplomat. You must be new to the class." He extended his hand. "Lucien Ashford. Necromancer, scholar, and apparently heretic according to the locals."
I shook his hand. "Kieran. This is Thalia."
"Charming." Lucien's eyes lingered on my horns and glowing eyes. "You're a player, yes? Not an NPC demon? The way you intervened suggests higher reasoning than most demon class entities exhibit."
How did he… I shook that away because at this point it was the least weird thing that had happened since I got here.
"Most demon class entities are frothing mad because they're being hunted and killed constantly. I'm just barely holding it together."
He laughed. "Honesty. How refreshing. And you, my elven friend, you have the look of someone who disapproves of necromancy on principle."
Thalia's expression was cold. "Death magic is an abomination. You traffic with forces that should remain undisturbed."
"So judgmental. I like you already." Lucien retrieved his staff. "But I assure you my interests are purely academic and desperately personal."
"Personal how?" I asked.
His smile faltered. "I'm searching for a way to resurrect my sister. Elara. She died two years ago from an illness that should have been treatable but we could not afford the experimental medication. I've spent every day since studying death magic, consciousness theory, anything that might bring her back."
The pain in his voice was real. Raw. I knew that sound. I had made it myself when talking about my father.
"I joined the Elarion beta because I thought maybe, just maybe, if consciousness can be digitized and transferred, then death is not truly final. If this game can trap souls, perhaps it can restore them too."
Oh, so he wasn't an NPC? I wasn't sure since he was yet to specify.
"That's insane." Thalia said it without malice. "Death is sacred and natural. Trying to reverse it will only bring corruption."
"Then I will be corrupted. But I will have my sister back." Lucien turned to me. "You understand, don't you? You have that same look. You've lost someone and that someone you would do anything to find."
I thought about my father again, the symbols and the blood and ten years of nightmares.
"Yeah. I understand."
Astra's voice whispered urgently in my head. "Kieran, his physiological data shows extreme stress responses when discussing his sister. Obsession markers are dangerously elevated. Recommend caution."
I ignored her warning.
"We could use a mage." I looked at Thalia. "Someone who knows Shadowmoor and can help us investigate the anomalies."
"Anomalies?" Lucien's interest showed all over his face. "What kind of anomalies?"
"We found strange symbols in the code which are possible connections to a conspiracy. We're trying to figure out why we're all trapped here."
"And you think Shadowmoor holds answers?"
"We know it does."
Lucien studied us both. "Alright. I'll help you investigate. In exchange you help me gather materials for my resurrection research. Mutually beneficial arrangement."
"No." Thalia crossed her arms. "I will not assist in necromantic experiments."
"You don't have to assist. Just don't actively sabotage. Can you manage that level of tolerance?"
She glared but said nothing. I took that as agreement.
"Welcome to the team." I shook Lucien's hand again. "Try not to raise any dead bodies around Thalia. She gets stabby."
"Noted."
A quest notification appeared.
"NEW QUEST: Soul Fragments of the Marsh. Collect 10 Soul Fragments from the Whispering Marsh. Reward: 5000 XP, Soul Gem (Greater), Reputation with Shadowborn Cult."
"There's our starting point." Lucien gestured toward the marsh beyond the village. "Shall we?"
As we prepared to leave, Lucien moved closer and examined me with uncomfortable intensity. His violet eyes seemed to pierce through me.
"Your corruption level is higher than most demons survive at your level. Interesting. Very interesting."
He pulled out a leather journal and started making notes. I caught a glimpse of the pages before he noticed me looking. Complex diagrams showing consciousness transfer theories. Chemical formulas. And written over and over in increasingly frantic handwriting: Elara, Elara, Elara.
At the bottom of one page, circled multiple times: "Runic Core—location: Iron Spire Vault. Necessary for consciousness restoration."
Lucien snapped the journal shut and smiled. "Shall we?"
My suspicion spiked but I said nothing. We needed information and allies. If Lucien had his own agenda, I would deal with it when the time came.
We headed toward the marsh as fog closed in around us.