Avery looked at the ‘dead’ dragon with unamused eyes, and the dragon’s expression stuck in an awkward grin as he failed to pull himself out of that rut that was his joke. Her mother let out a soft chuckle that finally gave Edward the proverbial bone. He looked over to her and that awkwardness to the grin was replaced with a warm smile.

“At the very least,” His deep altered dragon voice growled. “You found it funny, dear.”

Maddin cleared her throat, repressing the chuckling that wished to continue. “No, no. It wasn’t your joke. It’s that you’re obviously not good at them that made it so funny.”

“Heh,” Edward huffed with feigned indignation before his massive head turned to his daughter. “Did you enjoy your last raid, sweetie? We pulled out all the stops just for you.” He enunciated that last part as if expecting to be praised for his efforts. Avery wasn’t fooled by his showboating. She was keenly aware that it was a combined effort of the entire company, with her parents just slapping the sticker of approval on their suggestion. Not that she was complaining.

Avery was even more aware of how much work her parents had on their plates. From keeping that massive company in line and beating off the vulture legislatures from trying to ‘secure’ donations, Maddin and Edward barely had any time for her anymore. Just them being here would have been enough, let alone actually being a part of the event; and that was what made this moment so painful for the teenager.

But that would have ruined her parents’ wonderful show, so instead, she smashed those feelings back down her throat. Instead, she sighed and pretended to mull that question over with obvious disapproval.

The dragon’s bloodied face contorted before bringing it closer to his daughter’s face. Avery’s brilliantly gold eyes floated away as ‘Hmmmm’ escaped her pink lips - for the theatrics of course. It took a few moments for him to catch on and his head reared back as he clicked his tongue. He was about to let out a, probably well thought out, protest when her mother chimed in.

“Don’t pull your father’s leg so much, Honey. You know he’s bad with reading you.” This was met with agreement from Avery’s two AI followers.

It was true. Her father was very good at reading people. That was his job, dealing with the people who threatened the company and in turn, threatened his daughter. He hadn’t always been good at reading people. It’d been a self-learned skill he’d picked up very quickly and that job only shot up in difficulty when they were in cyberspace. He still couldn’t figure out when she was actually showing her true thoughts or using another one of those preset expressions Avery kept on hand.

Avery turned in protest. “He started it!”

“I did not start---” Edward began to refute that statement but was silenced by a wave of Maddin’s hand.

“Oh, don’t you start right now, Mister!” Maddin said, her voice rising enough to bring out her almost lost Irish accent. “It’s about time for the fireworks, and I’ll have you know I will be damned if we do not keep the schedule!”

The playful nature of their banter was nipped as everyone present could tell Maddin’s patience for their shenanigans had reached its limit. Not that she didn’t have a point, because she did have a point, and the schedule would move along with or without them; so if they wanted to have their grand ceremony before… Avery had to leave, they’d best get their dragon-ducks in order, as to make sure they all got the closure they were hoping to get with the ceremony.

“Yes, Mom~” Avery groaned.

“Yes, Dear,” Edward said as he returned to his large dark-elf avatar that towered over them all.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Morrigan and Fenrir both spoke up, despite not even being a part of the father-daughter shenanigans.

Maddin took a few deep breaths. “Sorry… That came out of left field, but we--”

Avery cut her off as she floated down to the ground. “No, no. We get it. We’re wasting time. There’s a show out there and we’re the hosts - good hosts don’t disappoint their guests.”

“Right,” Maddin nodded sadly. “Good hosts don’t disappoint their guests, I’m glad you remember. Now, speaking of guests, thank you for coming, Mason.”

The man in question only gave a polite nod. He could tell by how Avery gave him a distant smile that he was… Just here because her parents wanted him to be here. “How could I not have come?”

“Sorry we couldn’t get you into the hospital to… You know,” Maddin waved with her hands with apparent annoyance. “But those damn white suits wouldn’t let us clear you in, even after we threatened to fire them!”

Mason knew why but kept it to himself. It was best not to muddy the waters, not after everything. He was just happy to be here and that he could send her off, if albeit, reluctantly. Though, he also didn’t dilute himself into thinking that her parents weren’t in the know about his… Transgressions, though, they were quick enough to put it behind them. Or, maybe they just didn’t want to acknowledge it right now for the sake of their daughter.

In which case, he’d happily tag along so long as he could send her off without too many regrets.

“You’re doing it~” Avery sang in annoyance as she watched the three of them drop their heads like she was already dead. Not that she wouldn’t be, but she actually felt offended that they’d write her off before she was. They could grieve on their own time for Pete’s sake!

“Y-Yeah,” Mason agreed and slapped on an awkward smile, forgetting that he could just use an expression to fix it.

“Yes, we still have things to do,” Edward said.

Maddin nodded, determination replaced the solemn expression that tried to make itself at home on her beautiful face. “Of course, we have to make sure it's beautiful and all! Lots of unicorns to place, so little time!”

“No unicorns!” Avery protested just as all three disappeared in a flash, leaving only their cut off laughter. She and her mother hated unicorns, but it hadn’t stopped them from sending each other unicorns or placing unicorn nick-nacks everywhere as jokes. A joke that came from when Avery had learned about unicorns before she learned about horses, which led her to actually calling horses ‘unicorns’ for a couple of years before a brave worker broke the news.

All alone, she looked up and let out a weak sigh. “Just a few more hours…” Only Morrigan and Fenrir were there to hear, and without their master noticing, they exchanged pained looks.

Avery stood at the heart of a large pergola, its hexagonal structure built from grey wood, supported by thick white marble beams. Thick mature vines had wrapped themselves around each pillar, circling around them up to the wood above before meeting at the center point. Accented by the starry night sky, palm-sized roses grew every foot or so. Their leaves were orange at the base before fading to a red as brilliant as Morrigan’s eyes. They glowed like soft candles as if trying to emulate the candle flames that’d inspired their color.

A calm, mirror surface of the water reflected their glow alongside the static stars above. A few of the flowers even grew an inch above the water’s surface, their light leeched across the surface.

The girl looked out over the valley that would now be her ceremonial grave. The mirror-like water trickled down off the tiny steps on either side of the pergola before cascading down to the valley floor. From there, it flowed peacefully across a peaceful plain that led toward the valley’s only entrance and exit. A village existed there, welcoming the few visitors that would ever visit. Populated by a unique race that would only live here. Moon Elves. As sad as it was, Avery didn’t particularly care if any lore was set but pushed by her mother, she continued her worldbuilding to the end. It’d only sully her honor as a craftswoman, or so her mother said. Nonetheless beautiful, if not hauntingly peaceful as trees only grew at the foot of the mountains that encircled them like the walls of a bowl. For the most part, the center of the valley was flat with only a few statues that marked milestones.

“It’s… Pretty depressing,” Mason called out from behind her along with the rattle of armor - causing Avery to let a tired sigh escape her. “Hey, I’m not… It’s beautiful nonetheless. Just… More empty than I’m used to you creating.” Mason appeared at her side, dressed in an elegant purple tunic, black leather pants, and his armored greaves.

Avery, on the other hand, wore nothing than a black shirt, black jeans, and black boots. It felt… Fitting with her short blue and purple hair as she watched over her… Empty valley. She turned on her heels and gestured to the small enclave that overlooked everything else. A lovely two-story villa rested against the valley wall, some odd-60 feet away. Similar roses climbed its white plaster walls and rimmed its plantation shutters. “Its not empty.”

“Moving your player house here doesn’t exactly qualify as filling up this massive zone,” Mason fired back. “I think you should at least give the zone your special touch - give it some more life, for your mother at least.”

“They said you would have access to this zone along with them,” Avery waved off his suggestion with her hand. “You could just do it yourself.”

“This zone is set to the highest administrative privilege rank, which is yours,” Mason reminded her. “Neither I, nor your parents, or anyone at the company, touch this place without completely gutting the game’s source code. Which, I might remind you, your father keeps under lock and gun.”

That made her smile slightly for a moment before Mason had to ruin it. “Maybe add some wind or more flowers?”

“Why?” Avery shot back with venom in her voice. “I can’t remember how the wind feels. I don’t remember what roses or anything smelt like. I don’t even remember how my mother felt when she hugged me. There’s no point to put any of that in---”

“I’m sorry,” Mason cut her off without looking at her. His jaw was clenched as he continued to stare out over the valley, both to avoid her scathing gaze and his guilt. “I know its a selfish request, but please. Please bring more life to this place…”

Avery glared at him, neither wanting to accommodate him and wanting to take that request and hit the ground running. These two conflicting feelings waged war in her heart when he spoke up again. “At the very least,” Mason continued. “Just pretty up the outside for your parents, there’s an hour left till the ceremony. Give them something to remember… It’s all they’ll have when its done.”

The reminder that her time was limited, set a numbing feeling throughout her feeling. Chilling her teeth. It was a horrible feeling that tore her apart, and sadly, was one of the few emotions that actually give her any real feeling anymore. Guilt.

Mason could only lament on his failures, remembering how beautiful her imagination was when this world was created. Such beautiful landscapes that made it the premium digital location for hangouts. Several years later, that creativity turned dark and even began to ebb away into the void as she lost hope in life. A once beautiful angel, reduced to this small figure beside him. As selfish as his request was, he wanted to see her blossom just one last time.

Avery’s head bent slightly down before she left the pergola. Her silent feet carried her across a simple stone walkway across the tranquil lake that surrounded the structure to the lawn beyond. Mason followed as she led the way towards the house when he tried to take her mind off her impending termination of life. “Did your dad agree to let you cut the mountain in half?”

“Better to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?” Avery said, though obviously hinting to his transgression. Mason could only cringe at the question and decided it would be best to just let her initiate the conversations. That was before she flashed him the first warm smile he’d seen on her in weeks. It melted his heart. “Sorry.”

“You… I…” He was lost for words. He expected neither, though he hoped for it.

“I don’t want to go on like this. It’s tiring to keep being mad at you,” Avery said before she stepped onto the lush grass. “I’ll change up the layout.”

Instead of heading towards the house, she changed her direction, and towards the valley, stepping over the lake without disturbing it. Mason tried to follow after her, but he fell into the water. He went face-first into the water. Avery had just revoked some of his permissions in this zone and he totally accepted that if it meant she felt better.

A large oak tree, nearly a quarter of the massive mountain’s height, loomed over the elven village that surrounded it. White orbs floated throughout the air, hovering 20ft off the ground and the people that walked on it. Elves, Dwarves, Beastmen, Humans, Halflings, and Orcs all mingled freely among the village as several bands played around it. NPCs mingled among the Players, though, they only offered simple greetings due to the massive hardware demands the zone needed.

Tall mountains encompassed the village, surrounded by a tranquil lake that over a dozen players were wrestling and fishing in. Beyond the lake, was the pergola where even more players gathered. Going further down, the once grave-like plains were replaced with a lightly forested valley that was dotted with Moon Elf abodes and trails. Beautiful statues that depicted several of the more memorial events in the game, all of which were scattered throughout the game world, had been worked into the environment to complete a beautiful valley garden.

Iron Golems walked the trails, offering coupons to redeem free in-real-life food and beverages to be delivered for the players. All of which would become valid tomorrow, after the event, as not to take away from the numbers. It was apparent how much Edward and Maddin Bailey were spending to send their daughter out with a bang. Most of them would have shown up regardless, just to see the end of this game world. It still helped bolster the number of players attending regardless.

“The Festival of Life” Was the title of the event. Treasure hunts, trivia games, and other fun activities were to be had throughout the valley, each offering exclusive rewards like achievements and, or desperately sought out items that were one-offs during the beginning years.

Despite not being universally known, or liked, Avery became a name on most of the players’ lips. Good or bad. And as an administrator, she happily handed out punishments today. Dealing with thousands of people and their stupid attitudes. Generally of the happy obnoxious sort, the kind found freely in any online game community. But there were the ones that got banned instantly…

“Must be nice to have rich fucking parents.” An orc complained as he sat at one of the main tables that were placed beside the river below the pergola.

“Yeah,” Another orc said. “Must be nice to have people head over heels for the vegetable.”

“Maybe we should--” A human, with a mischievous smile, was about to suggest something when all three of them disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Avery, who sat on a stone dais at the foot of the massive tree that sat where her villa once stood, continued to smile. She hadn’t known about the smack-talking trolls until the administrator log appeared in her chatbox. It told her the bans had taken place and why they did, alongside the administrator who did so. ‘Morrigan’.

Like a vengeful ghost, the woman appeared on cue to her right. “People have no respect. They know what the occasion is and they still run their pea-brain mouths.” The dragon hissed the words as her red eyes scanned the crowd. Today, her hair had been tied up in a beautiful bun that allowed Avery to appreciate just how carefully her avatar had been created. Not that she held feelings for her AIs, just that… Morrigan was a beautiful woman - or avatar… Thing.

It was obvious to her that being in the game world was beginning to mess with what was considered socially acceptable and what wasn't in her head. It came with being stuck in the game world so long that the AIs and the Players were about the same, except the AIs didn’t cheat on you.

Avery cleared that thought from her mind and leaned back into the large ornate wood chair her father used for kings in the game. Her golden cat eyes scanned the crowd as she toyed with hair. Morrigan watched with a tender expression as Avery did so, though, not without gaining a disapproving look from Fenrir as he appeared on the other side of their master.

Despite them both being Artificially Intelligent Programs, Fenrir somehow had taken on the wise and conservative personality that often helped his master through problems. Morrigan had taken on the reckless and sultry personality of… Well… That could be left without saying, though both of them were - hopefully - equally loved by their master. It was hard sometimes, even for advanced programs such as themselves to tell. Avery was a wildcard due to everything that went on with her.

Though, Fenrir beat Morrigan in the hierarchy. He was the first AI developed to keep tabs on Avery’s mental wellbeing. For the longest time, he could not speak and could not interact with her. He was linked directly to the hospital and under her father’s control. So, in a sense, he was Avery’s jailer. At first, Avery hadn’t taken kindly to it until a year later when Fenrir was finally given a body and a voice with a personality that grew with him. Eventually, Morrigan had come into the picture to be her friend, the two eventually fell into Avery’s control once her father had been lectured on teenage freedom.

Since both the AIs were technically still welfare programs, they both detected the dark turn in their master’s mind.

Avery’s thoughts glided over the crowd, wondering who actually cared about her and he was pretending. How many of these people were just giving their condolences to her parents, who stood in the pergola. How many would forget she ever existed next month? She was not their friend nor family. She was just some girl trapped in a game that gave them amusement for a few hours. Oddly enough… It made her yearn for Mason’s presence.

And as if on cue, Mason leaned over from the chair he was sitting in on her left. “You could at least pretend you’re having fun.”

“What do you mean?” The dark expression that’d plastered itself to the girl’s face fall away as she looked over to the man. “I am?”

“Totally not,” Mason gave a weary smile. “Your thoughts are written on your face again.”

“Fuck,” Avery sighed and fixed a polite smile on her face with a quick thought.

“Too late,” Mason chuckled. “Momma bird is flying over to save you.”

When Maddin arrived though, she said something that chilled both their hearts. “Its time.” Her voice was distant, and her avatar’s face displayed the neutral emote. She’d hardened herself for what was to come…

“A-Ah,” Avery acknowledged her mother’s words before glancing at her HUD’s time. Indeed, it was ten minutes before the scheduled… Departing. Not even a second later, a voice whispered into her ear, one she recognized as her doctor’s voice. Its time, Ms. Bailey.

Mason looked at both of them. “W-W-Wait, it can’t be time yet! We still…” His voice trailed off after he confirmed the time. It was 10 minutes to 9 pm. The scheduled injection. Which meant they had five minutes to get through the theatrics all things considered. His lips pursed as he grappled with the realization. The time had flown too fast, much too fast. He’d planned so much more. An apology. A dance and maybe one last kiss… There was so much more he wanted to do… And he knew it would never happen. Even he knew there wouldn’t have been time for all of that…

The world did not stop in the virtual world…

Edward appeared next to Maddin. That famous PR smile plastered on the avatar, though that didn’t stop the shaking of his hands. VR could only hide so much when one had such powerful emotions like Edward was displaying right now. “Let us wrap this up… So we can say goodbye in peace…”

Of course. Was the unanimous thought of them all.

A loud gong rang throughout the valley, drawing all the players’ attention as the hosts ordered themselves to wrap up the celebrations. All the NPCs took a knee, with a lot of players following suit. If they didn’t know what was happening then, they got the gist of it now.

“Hear ye’, hear ye’!” Avery’s angelic voice rang out as NPCs took their scripted positions. Moon Elves appeared in force, standing on the cliffs behind the tree and on the rooftops of the villa-like homes that overlooked the dais. All of them watched as Avery’s magnificent white feathery wings unfurled. “Today marks the end of our journeys and adventures. You’ve brought peace to Endria, and though the heavens have been lost, you all will carry heaven’s peace wherever you go. All you brave adventurers, warriors, and knights, have brought an end to the scourge that had plagued our plane for a millennium!”

Along with the players, the NPCs roared, and so Avery continued. “I, Avery the Hearth Mother, congratulate all who fought to make this all happen. You earn my, and the souls who call Endria their home, heartfelt gratitude. Without you, this plane may have long ago fallen to the darkness all souls face, but like any darkness, Light chases it out; and chase it out you all did.”

More cheers erupted as players began to stomp their feet and banged their weapons. The sounds filled the air before it was quieted by the girl. “While you have fought long and bled much, you all cannot stay here. For your bravery, and your kindness is needed elsewhere the darkness begins to fester. On the wings of the Valkyries, you will ride, onward to hunt the darkness to the end of time and gain eternal glory!”

The atmosphere had finally infected everyone present, with help from the hundreds of NPCs, all the players roared their battle cries and raised their weapons.

“And now I speak to you, as Avery, daughter of Edward and Maddin Bailey.” Avery’s tone became solemn, despite how riled she got the players. The tone was not lost on them as it took them a minute to settle down from their joy. “I hate to end on a down note, but I… I felt I needed to say it. I hadn’t planned to add this last part. When I was writing that speech…”

She trailed off, staring over the intense stares she was getting, only to be encouraged by Mason and Fenrir to continue. “When I wrote that speech, I never intended to say anything personal today and let you all ride it out in a blaze, but I felt it would have been… Bad. So, I will speak from the heart today.”

Her parents looked at her in confusion, clearly left out of the loop, and tried to speak to her. Fenrir, Morrigan, and Mason all prevented them from doing so to which Morrigan whispered something into Maddin’s ear before they stepped back. They didn’t look happy about it but they didn’t try and intervene as leaves began to fall from the massive tree, which caught everyone else off guard.

Avery continued. “Each of you knows how this world came to be, and why it came to be. That has always been out in the open. What hasn’t been out in the open, was how much you all being here meant for me. Being trapped in this world, never to feel the warmth of the sun on my face again. Or feel the warmth of my parent’s hugs. To never smell the fresh wind. To never laugh in person with friends, or mourn with them.”

The crowd felt deathly silent now as no one dared to interrupt this because this was real now. It was not some scripted speech, because Avery let her true feelings seep onto her face as she spoke. “But each of you being here kept me going. Reminding me that I and my family were not alone in this cruel world. All these years, you guys have been my support, and at times, my only reason to live. And now that my life is coming to an end, I felt you all deserved to know that. Know how much it meant to me that you explored my world, lived in it - laughing, crying, and or at times, cursing it, alongside me.”

Avery looked over the crowd as they seemed flustered at her words, a lot of them looking to each other. A lot of them looked lost for words and a few looked to their friends for help. So, she did the only thing she could think of and bowed her head deeply to the crowd.

“Thank you for existing in my world!” Avery bellowed.

No one moved even as she stood back up. For a good several moments, no one said anything until Mason climbed on top of the table, weapon in hand, and screamed. “For glory! For Pride! All hail the Gods!”

No one moved but the man was unperturbed as he shouted again. “For Glory!”

Players finally joined in, feeling what he was doing, and raised their weapons as well. “For glory!” They chanted.

“For glory!” Mason chanted again, over and over. One after another, players joined in before the entire crowd reverberated one message in unison. “For Glory! For Pride!”

Avery smiled, happy that this would be one of the last things she’d see, a sea of players chanting as they slowly shifted to chanting her name. She laughed and waved as her parents turned their backs to the crowd, their sobs drowned out by the ruckus they were all making. Only, the voice came back, and she knew why they were crying now.

“1 minute, Ms. Bailey.” The voice said in her ear. She didn’t let it down and sent off the players with one last word.

“Wherever you all go, and whatever trials you will face, remember,” Avery paused for a moment for effect and the crowd simmered slightly. “For Glory!” She screamed as she raised her fist and the crowd screamed it back at the top of their lungs before the crowd was drowned in a sea of blue light as they were all force-logged out.

All they would see is a black screen with another message.

[ Thank you, and sweet dreams - Avery ]

A deafening silence encompassed the valley. They all stood in the pergola, except where Avery sat in her wooden throne, mainly because it just felt… Natural. They overlooked the serene valley. NPCs stood frozen in place, their scripts halted and the decorations left up. Time had halted in the game world, with the only addition of a small holographic screen that floated before Avery.

“That was fun,” Avery muttered as she looked up to the flowers overhead. She felt like she should have been crying, or cursing. Yet, she only felt an odd peace in her heart. It was strange because she hadn’t felt at peace for a very long time, and that it would now encompass her now was an odd irony. At least, in her mind.

“It was…” Her father’s deep voice was interrupted as he suppressed something akin to a sob. “It was very fun.”

“The best party I’ve ever been too, Honey,” Her mother said, not hiding the pain in her heart and instead, wore it in her voice. “You would have thrown the best damn parties.”

“Of course,” Edward growled. “She is my daughter, and I’ll be damned if I were put to shame by some shitty slumber party!”

“I wish you could have had those…” Maddin blurted out as she gripped Avery’s hand.

“Maybe in another life,” Avery smiled up at her mother, her golden eyes glowing with a peaceful warmth that only served to break her mother’s heart more. “If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I only hope I get to be your daughter again… You know… Live a normal life with you guys… Fight, laugh... Go to the beach and be that wild child Dad said he was.”

That was the straw that broke her father’s back as he wailed, dropping beside her and gripping her other hand. “Of course! I’ll teach you to shoot guns, drive that stupid mini-coup you wanted, and I’ll buy you every fucking dog in the world, so, please… Please… Be my daughter in our next life. I won’t wish for anything else, so… Grant this old man’s wish if you can, my sweet daughter…”

Mason said nothing, opting to stay silent as Avery’s parents shoved pleads next to promises into her lap. He didn’t believe in reincarnation, nor did he believe in God. Though, at this moment, he wished there was so that this girl could get to live a better life next time.

“Mason,” Avery called out. “Come here please.” Mason flinched and came around and knelt at her feet. The confusion was on display and that made Avery’s signature mischievous smile appear which enraptured his heart.

“Closer,” She gestured for him to come closer. “I need to tell you something important.”

He nodded and got up. Edward moved aside and Mason moved around to her side. When he brought his face close, both of her hands clasped around his head and pulled him into a deep kiss. He was caught off guard and was still. The kiss, while a pleasant surprise, was cold and lacked any… Of the human touch one would expect. At that moment, he cursed the technology for not being able to grant them one warm kiss before she pushed him away slightly.

“Be a better man, okay?” Avery gave him a bright smile. “For whoever comes next,”

He wanted to tell her that there wouldn’t be another person. She was the one he wanted and no one else. Mason was about to declare that though Avery shook her head as if she knew what he was going to say. “Just promise me you’ll be a better person. “

The one thing that would haunt Mason, Edward, and Maddin forever was how peaceful she looked as they said their goodbyes. How sweetly she smiled as she pressed that button on that screen in front of her and how she closed her eyes and laid back in that chair as Morrigan and Fenrir went to one knee as her avatar slacked - with that smile still on her face…

[ New York City Bailey Center Hospital --

Date: December 23, 20XX.

Patient: Avery Bailey

Age: 17

Time of Death: 9:01 PM

Cause of Death: Doctor-Assisted Suicide. (DAS)

Notes: Patient requested procedure to be had a day before her birthday.]