The great city of Babel came into view. The towering spires of the cathedral rose on the horizon as Lukas and Kaya walked on the main road. Babel was the biggest city in Patriam and every player in GFO go through it at least once a day to buy equipment or to turn in a quest.

Lukas and Kaya started seeing other players for the first time they had been stuck in GFO. Alive ones anyway. A handful of parties could be seen slaying Level 32 Rock Golems beyond the city walls. When the other players noticed them, they showed mixed expressions. Some looked somber at the sight of them. Some waved and wore an oddly sad smile. One blonde girl in particular, hollered at them and waved her hands energetically as if she recognized them.

That’s weird. Lukas thought.

The two didn’t stop to chat with the other players, however. Babel awaited just ahead and so did answers.

As they arrived at the city gates, Lukas noticed something strange. It was locked.

“That’s different,” commented Lukas. “The gate’s usually open. Should we knock?”

But before they could, the great wooden doors slowly creaked open. A tall man with silver hair wearing full armor stood underneath the arches to greet them.

“Good day. My name is Argenti.” the armored man said in a soft voice. “You are here to see D. Correct?”

The two nodded.

“Good. That is good... Follow me,” said Argenti.

The silver-haired man walked with long confident strides. From his status bar, Lukas could see that Argenti was a level 82 Lord Knight just like his main character; Gaius. Based on his armor alone, Lukas could tell that the man was a very strong player.

“Were you waiting for us?” Lukas asked the Lord Knight.

“Waiting for you?” asked Argenti.

“You were at the gates to greet us… who are-”

“The sentries on the walls saw you approaching the city. They know newcomers when they see them. As for me, I am just here to escort you to see D. Any questions you may have you can ask him yourself.” said Argenti coldly.

Lukas could tell that the man did not want to talk so he did not press any further. He’ll just have to wait to talk to this D character.

As they walked through the streets of Babel, more and more players looked at their direction wearing the same mixed expressions they saw outside in the field.

“Why are they looking at us like that?” Lukas whispered to Kaya.

She didn’t answer.

For the first time, he noticed that Kaya had been quiet for a while now. The last time she spoke was when they saw the other players in the fields outside Babel. She had been talkative for the most part of their journey and it was odd seeing her this quiet.

“Is everything alright, Kaya?”

“Here we are,” announced Argenti before she could respond.

They had arrived at the city cathedral. The towering building made of gigantic granite blocks loomed over them. One can’t help but admire the amount of detail the creators put in this game.

“Just take a seat and D will be with you momentarily.”

Argenti left them there without another word.

Kaya walked in hurriedly and Lukas followed. He could tell something was upsetting her.

“Hey, wait-”

He caught up to her down the aisle and saw that there was an assortment of other players already seated in the church benches. Some were just starting out but most were pretty high level already. They all wore the same look of anticipation.

Kaya took a seat near the front and Lukas sat next to her. Before he could ask her what was wrong, a tall and very handsome man with sleek blonde hair and hooded scarlet eyes stepped out from behind the altar. The man looked very out of place in his immaculate white three-piece suit surrounded by people wearing robes and armor and bearing an assortment of different weaponry. He wasn’t like any of the NPCs in GFO but Lukas thought he looked very familiar somehow.

“Good day to you all.” the man said in a deep voice, smooth as velvet. “If you are seated here today then you probably know who I am.”

“Were you the one that sent the message? Are you the person called D?” asked a girl from the very front.

The handsome man smiled at her.

“I am known by many names in different lands, my lady but here I am known as Damocles, otherwise known as D.”

The girl blushed a deep red.

“Why are we here?” the boy next to her asked aggressively, standing up from his seat. His accent sounded British.

Damocles raised a perfect eyebrow.

“Well, I was under the impression that those who came wanted to talk.”

“No. I meant why are we stuck here? Why can’t we log out?” the British boy asked sounding impatient. “I’ve been here for god knows how long and-”

Damocles rolled his eyes then waved a hand to the boy and said; “Sit,”

The boy fell hard to his seat and stopped talking midsentence. It was more of a command than anything.

“What the bloody-”

“You might want to sit back down for this one. It’s going to be a long story.” Damocles said to the boy. “And I’d appreciate it if no one interrupted.”

The boy seemed to want to say a few more words but the threatening smile of Damocles kept him quiet.

“Good boy.”

Damocles scanned the faces, cleared his throat and began to tell a tale.

“Millennia ago, my kind was born in the complete absence of life and light in the void you humans call space. None of us knew where we came from or who or what created us but soon enough, we started to fill the void with creations of our own. But as eons passed, a divide began to form between my people. One side sought to create other forms of life. Protect it. Nurture it. Let it thrive and share our domain with other living beings… The other side, however, was selfish and only wanted to preserve our power. Keep our domain pure. They wanted the universe all to ourselves… and so, the usual result of differing ideas came to being; war...”

The players inside the room started exchanging questioning looks.

“I know, I know… It sounds weird, but trust me, it’s about to get a whole lot weirder,” said Damocles with a playful smile.

“Rivers of celestial essence had been shed for centuries as the fight between light and darkness became more and more violent. Every time celestial beings clash, it is the mortals who suffer. Plagues, the shattering of the earth, walls of water that blot out the sun and wipes out an entire civilization… all of them aftermaths of our battles. So many lives, so many souls wasted....”

Damocles stared absently at the painted ceiling of the cathedral. It was a portrait of angels fighting demons.

“I was the youngest of my brood and the only one left as far as I know. I was tasked with slaying one of the remaining Dark Ones. Being very ambitious and hotblooded, I went after him as soon as I can, not knowing how powerful my foe truly was. Centuries I have trained and prepared, but not against the likes of what I faced… I found him near your planet. Our battles resulted in calamity after calamity. Wars have been fought between your race with us as generals… Some of them I won and some I lost. But the true casualty was taken by your kind...” Damocles gestured to all that were seated.

“So I thought ‘no more’... my powers grow weaker with each clash and every time we do my hands are drenched in mortal blood… I used what remained of my powers to trap the Dark One in an artificial world of my own creation so that no other being would be collateral to our conflict… But as weak as I was, I needed some help. That’s where you come in…” he gestured again to the listening audience.

“I needed an army to fight along my side. The world that you see around you now is, in fact, a cage. I have made it so that this cage was somewhat familiar to all of you and it seemed that in the last decade, the only place you humans wanted to be was this artificial world of Patriam. It actually amuses me to no end knowing that my kind gave you the world you live in and your race managed to create an even better one.”

Damocles chuckled before continuing,

“In order to defeat the Dark One, I have concealed his essence in the monsters that roam Patriam. I have invoked an ancient decree that allows anyone who slays a monster to gain the essence within. What you perceive as exp points are actually celestial power being bestowed upon you.”

The last statement prompted murmuring from the listeners but no one interrupted.

“As my conscripted army, you have but one task; kill monsters. With each monster slain, you get stronger and the Dark One gets weaker. You do quests and I will reward you myself. With your help, I have time to regain my powers and one day, when I am ready, I will finish that bastard myself... Any questions?” D finished confidently.

Several hands shot up. Damocles let out a sigh of disappointment.

“Yes… you with the annoying face,” he said, pointing to the British boy upfront.

“Are you mad?!” the boy asked almost laughing. “This is a bunch of horseshit!... celestial beings? Essences?... This is one of those reality prank shows, isn’t it? With the hidden cameras… and who are you really? The host?”

Several of the people raising their hands uttered their agreement. D palmed his forehead.

“There are always idiots in every batch…” he muttered. “Look, haven’t you noticed that this place no longer follows the rules of your world, nor the game for that matter.”

The players exchanged looks. Lukas remembered bleeding and Gavin’s party in the Longhill caves.

“For example, have any of you felt hunger? When was the last time any of you ate?” asked Damocles.

Lukas thought that was an odd question at first then it dawned on him. He hadn’t eaten breakfast before logging in. He must be starving in the real world by now. He had been playing for hours…. or has it been a day?

How long have I been here?

“Let me answer the question for you…” continued Damocles. “None of you thought of food until I brought it up.”

The room was silent.

“That’s because my power alone sustains you in this world. All your needs are met. None of you will feel hunger ever again… You will bleed and feel pain now when you get injured or get tired when you exert yourselves too much. That was never part of the game now was it?... that’s because all of this is real... do you believe me now, annoying boy?”

“The name is Toby!” the British boy replied, irritated.

“Whatever,” Damocles said indifferently waving his hands.

Lukas’ head was spinning. He had too many questions but couldn’t quite find the right words to form them.

A tall boy with dark skin wearing long purple robes stood up.

“How is it you have brought us here?” the boy said in a strange halting accent. “Why us? What made you choose us of all people?”

And there it was. It was as if the boy had plucked the question from Lukas’ mouth.

“Well, I have to confess that that is a very delicate question your posing there, young man,” warned Damocles. “But I can sense that some of you already know the answer to that. Including you, my boy.”

“Please. Tell us.” the dark-skinned boy asked humbly bowing his head. “I want to hear it from you.”

Damocles sighed heavily.

“If you are not brave enough to say it, my dear boy… then perhaps you are not ready to accept it as an answer.”

The dark-skinned boy looked as if he wanted to say something but then sat back down instead and hung his head looking morose.

Damocles shook his head in disappointment.

“Really? No one is willing to say it?... Come on!” he encouraged. “To anyone brave enough to tell me the answer, I’ll give you a reward.” declared the self-proclaimed celestial. “You owe it to yourself and to others to accept the truth of your situation.”

Lukas was absolutely clueless. The boy that asked the question seems to know the answer but was reluctant to say it for some reason. The best explanation Lukas was hoping to find by coming here was that all of this was a bug brought on by the new patch… or the Neuro-pill he’d taken was expired and had some adverse effects on his brain or a combination of both. The last thing he expected was to be told a story of celestial beings at war with each other and somehow he was now part of it.

“Anyone?.... No one?... Come on, it’s free stuff.” said Damocles temptingly.

Lukas saw a sharp movement in the periphery of his vision that made him turn. To his surprise, Kaya was standing up.

“Kaya?...”

There were tears rolling down her cheek.

Damocles’ eyes snapped in her direction and all heads turned to her.

“Yes, pretty girl?” asked Damocles. “Do you want to share your thoughts?”

Kaya took in a deep breath. She looked to be steeling herself for something.

“We’re dead... Aren’t we?” Kaya said in a trembling voice. “We’re here because we’re dead.”

Damocles flashed a sad smile of adoration.

“You’re a brave one, aren’t you?” he said, wagging a finger at Kaya. “Not just pretty I see… brave as well... Yes, as tragic as it may be, you are correct.”

A second of silence followed, then a general noise of panic erupted from the room. Players started protesting loudly and even cursing. Some directed at Damocles and some were even at Kaya. A girl from the back row started sobbing.

“Calm down. Calm down… I know some of you are upset… It’s too much to take in.” said Damocles. “I wanted the bad news to come from one of you but it appears it wasn’t easier to hear now, was it? But that is the pure and simple truth I’m afraid.”

What the fuck is going on?! This piece of information just wouldn’t or didn’t want to sink into Lukas.

I’m dead? How is that possible?

“You lie!” a man shouted as he stepped into the aisle.

“I beg your pardon?” said Damocles sounding offended.

“You lie!” repeated the man. “This joke has gone too far! Let us out! Now!” he demanded, pulling out his longsword.

That, it turns out, was a big mistake.

Damocles’ scarlet eyes widened and his nostrils flared. With a snap of his fingers, the man in the aisle stood there holding nothing as his sword turned to ash.

“How dare you show your steel to me,” said the celestial in indignation, punctuating every word. He took a step forward, towering over the man.

“This is the thanks I get for giving you all a second chance? You’d be gone if it weren’t for me! Poof! Vanished into oblivion.” He looked around the room. “You think you didn’t come here out of your own volition? You are here because you died and found your former lives wanting…you thought of yourselves worthless, burdens, a waste of space, not even a blip in the flow of the cosmos… If you doubt your current predicament then let me enlighten you all...”

Damocles snapped his fingers once more and in an instant, the space in front of each person in the room was filled with moving images. Lukas saw the floating images display people collapsing, car crashes, people in hospital beds, and operation rooms. He looked in front of him and saw a pale boy in a wheelchair sitting in front of a laptop in a dark familiar-looking place. It was him in his room.

No...

It was like a grainy video recording shot in the third person. It showed him getting into bed and taking the Neuro-pill. The video, for lack of a better term, next cut to Lukas’ mother entering his room. She was shaking him, gently at first then with more urgency. The Lukas in the bed did not stir.

No!

His mother started looking panicked and picked up a phone at the bedside table. After the phone call, she started crying over his unmoving form.

This can’t be. The doctors had given him a few more years to live. It appears they were wrong.

As quickly as they appeared, the images vanished into thin air. There was a dreadful silence in the room.

“You wouldn’t be here if you were satisfied with how you lived,” said Damocles with a bit of spite.

I’m dead? That’s it? Seventeen years and most of it spent in hospitals. That’s all I get? What about mom?... I didn’t even get to say goodbye...

“Then...then does that mean you’re God?” asked Kaya.

“Well, I’ve been called a god before… small letter g” replied D without missing a beat. His voice back to being calm.

No. This is unfair. There’s gotta be a way back… Lukas thought as he looked at the celestial.

“But that’s beside the point. Facing your mortality can be difficult but I assure you you’ll get over it eventually. Everyone does… I suggest taking a few days to absorb it, then you can carry on living the new life I gave you.”

“What’s in it for us?” Lukas found himself asking. He didn’t remember standing up. What am I doing?!....

Damocles looked at him, perplexed. “I beg your pardon?”

“We can die here too… for real. So why would we risk our lives to fight for you? What do we get in return?” What am I saying? Stop talking!

To Lukas’ surprise, Damocles started to chuckle.

“You’re a feisty one aren’t you?... Greedy… a second life not good enough I see. Well, Lukas, for your information I am the only one standing between all of you and the Dark One by providing safe havens in towns and cities across Patriam… now if the Dark One’s forces get too strong, they’ll get past my protection. If that happens, there’s no safe place left to go, won’t there? Let’s see if you don’t fight then.”

“Then why not give us the strength to fight now? Level us all up.” Lukas asked. I’m really pushing my luck here.

“My power might be vast but it’s not infinite,” said Damocles through gritted teeth. “Those who slay monsters and complete quests will get more celestial essence… In short, those who work hard get stronger… Much like your old lives really. That is what you get in return, Lukas. You get to live a new exciting life and get a taste of true power. You can even walk again. Isn’t that reward enough?”

Okay. He answered your questions. He’s getting annoyed so stop talking. Now.

“No,” Lukas replied. Fuck.

Damocles was taken aback. His handsome face showed shock but then split into a wide smile.

“The balls on this one… and what would you consider as a fitting reward you spoiled little brat?”

Lukas sighed in relief and took a deep breath. What he was about to ask might be too much.

“You brought us into this world. That probably means you have the power to bring us back to the old one.”

“Well, yes. That’s true but I don’t have enough power to-”

“What if we slay the Dark One for you?” interrupted Lukas. “What if we kill him so you don’t have to and you instead reserve your power to bring us back?”

Damocles seemed to think this proposal over for he did not respond immediately.

“Okay, first; never interrupt me when I am speaking… second; tempting offer, but you mortals are simply not strong enough.”

“I’ve slain Dark Lord Obsidius before. I know how to beat him.” declared Lukas. There was a general sound of amazement in the room. Slaying Obsidius was no easy feat.

Damocles smiled.

“But that was a game, my dear boy. As my message said, this is your new reality. The Dark One is more than just codes and numbers.”

“We can do it,” said Lukas confidently. He forced his face into a determined mask in order not to show any trace of doubt.

The celestial took a few steps to observed him more closely.

“You’re one of those stubborn ones, aren’t you?... The ones who secretly think the whole world revolves around them...Huh… but I see the conviction in your eyes, Lukas Crow. You mean what you say. No one ever had the audacity to ask such a thing from me before.”

Lukas did not reply. He only met Damocles eye to eye.

Have I gone too far?

“Very well. You have yourself a deal. If any of you slay the Dark One, then all of you get to go home.” Damocles held out a hand.

Lukas grasped it firmly and shook hands with a god.

“Deal,” he said.

At the agreement, a new quest showed in every player’s HUD, bordered in gold.

The Deal

[Objective: Slay Dark Lord Obsidius.]

“I expect great things from you, Lukas Crow,” said Damocles as he let go of the handshake.

The celestial then turned to Kaya.

“Ow, before I forget, here…” he tossed a gold coin in her direction. Kaya caught it absent-mindedly with her hands.

“That’s your reward, pretty girl. It’s a calling card if you need help. One time use only, so use it wisely.”

Damocles turned to the room in general.

“Now go. All of you. We’re done here.” The celestial walked away and slid through the altar as if it wasn’t even there.

Several conversations started at once among the players.

Lukas turned to Kaya and saw she was still standing and staring at the golden coin. Her eyes were red from tears.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She pocketed the coin and shook her head.

“I’m dead, Lukas.”

Lukas did not know what to say to that. He’s dead himself. They were in a room filled with dead people, in fact. All of this was too much in such a short period of time.

He placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

“We have a way back,” he said. “That’s something, isn’t it?”

She looked up at him.

“Can we really do it?” she asked. “Can you really kill the Dark One?”

Lukas thought about the last time he faced Obsidius. It took him months to gather the essential gear for the raid and it took a year and a hundred failed attempts before his party finally did it. He had died a hundred deaths in the attempt and now he looked to complete the task without dying once.

He met Kaya’s gaze.

“Yes. We can do it.”