1

January 13th, 2073

Will Harris stepped through the portal that led to the beginning of the earth realm. It was nightfall. He had expected that. As he scanned the grassy field before him, a cold wind passed through the gaps in his plate armor. The RayStrike CEO had decided to transfer as a human warrior, taking a pass on the other race choices. He preferred to engage with game worlds as close to the human experience as possible.

The darkened sky was vibrant with deep indigo colors and the grass swayed like silver hair against the wind. The saturated hues were one reason he wanted to experience the Epiphany realms. Most modern-day MMORPGs were designed with muted palettes. Will wasn’t a fan of that trend. He liked how the colors, even at night, popped.

Staring at the moon, he wondered whether he should turn around and spend the night in the portal room. It made sense. Out here in the darkened field, he was in uncharted territory and would have to find a place to camp.

But you only have the weekend, he thought.

That was true. The men who had smuggled him into the banned world had insisted on the return time, warning of the mutation effects that would set in after long stays in the corrupted quantum world. Will thought that was nonsense. Many of his associates — colleagues in the defense contracting business — had spent extended periods in Epiphany before it was shut down and they were just fine.

Will barged forward, leaving the luminescent green portal behind him. Through the darkness, he could see the marsh and the forest ahead of him. You’re making a mistake, his mind urged. Will shook off the thought and pushed on, picking up speed. His boots started sloshing through increasingly muddy terrain. He descended a slope toward a marsh. I need to make good time if I want to make it to th—

Something clanked off of his shield. Will screeched to an abrupt stop. Wide-eyed, he looked around. He couldn’t see anything in the tall grass. The reeds swayed with the wind and produced a thin, sifting sound.

He gazed down at the object that had rattled off his clipeus shield. Laying in the grass was a long, wooden spear. Thank god I went in as a human warrior, he thought, knowing it had been the only class selection that came equipped with a shield.

He heard a rustle and looked up. Four goblins stood six feet away. The small creatures didn’t make a sound, but their pale gray eyes regarded him with deadly malevolence. His Creature Description details appeared.

GRASS GOBLIN (Level 2)

HP: 59

MP: 0

STRENGTH: 4

CONSTITUTION: 5

DEXTERITY: 5

INTELLIGENCE: 1

WISDOM: 10

XP: 19

DESCRIPTION: C9 Failed research experiment.

The goblins leaped at him simultaneously. He batted two away with his shield. Another landed on his chest, clinging to his armor. Will managed to stay upright. The goblin swung a primitive bone knife toward his neck. He blocked the attack with his left arm as he drove his gladius sword into the creature’s ribcage.

The goblin sagged, then fell off his body. A notification appeared in Will’s field of vision, but he ignored it.

Before the he could get his bearings, intense pain slammed through his left thigh as his skin dampened with his own blood. He looked down. Another bone knife was buried into his quadriceps below the bottom edge of his plate armor. The drooling goblin that had planted it there gazed up at him. It ran its tongue over the blood on his leg.

Will stumbled backward, but the second attacking goblin latched onto his ankle and drove its jagged teeth through his skin. Crying out, Will swung his sword at the monster, slicing through the muscle on its shoulder. The goblin didn’t even react to the injury. Instead, it ground deeper, sawing its teeth against the bone of his ankle. Will screamed. He fell to the ground as his sword bounced from his hand.

The small goblin quickly positioned itself onto his chest, splattering red-stained drool onto his face. It pulled a bone hatchet from its belt and swung for his head. Will blocked the attack and looked around desperately for the sword.

It was eight feet away, too far to reach.

The monster leaned down and bit into his right ear. Will screamed again. He reached for his ear, and warm blood pooled into the palm of his hand. The goblin rose with a piece of his ear clasped between its broken teeth. It looked at him and spoke through the bloody meat. “Ffffffra un bah tak a tik ree oon puh tock!” it snarled victoriously. The creature gripped its bone axe with both arms and raised it above its head, looking to finish him.

In desperation, Will reached down and pulled the bone knife from his leg, crying out painfully as the dull serrations scraped against his flesh. He plunged the blade into the goblin’s neck and felt its body go limp. The monster slumped onto the grass, convulsing as blood gushed from its neck.

Will turned his head, trying to locate the other two goblins. It appeared they were gone. He took a breath and sat up, leaning against his right arm. “Maybe they’ve retreated,” he whispered. He gazed down at the vanquished goblin. The outer rim of his ear was still gripped between the monster’s teeth.

“I feel like Evander Holyfield,” he sighed, glancing at his stats.

Will (Level 2)

RACE: Human

CLASS: Warrior

HP: 28/42

HPR: .56

MP: 39

MPR: 1.08

STRENGTH: 18

CONSTITUTION: 26

DEXTERITY: 22

INTELLIGENCE: 45

WISDOM: 50

ENDURANCE: 26

XP: 38

He cast Basic Heal three times before he attempted to stand up, leaning to his right side. He scanned the field again. Still, no sign of the goblins.

Will turned south and faced the green portal, which shimmered like a beacon in the dark landscape. “Fuck it,” he muttered. “I’ll rest there for the night and head out in the morning.” He shook his head. “I have to be nuts to try this in the dark.”

Continuing to cast healing spells, he hobbled toward the portal. In pain and disappointed that his adventure was going to be postponed, Will trudged forward, missing two pale eyes that watched him from the tall grass just a few feet away.

2

From the grass, the goblin jumped onto Will’s back, and he stumbled forward. The creature’s short arm swung across the front of his body, brandishing another bone knife. The blade, illuminated by the portal’s green glow, slide over his neck but broke off against the rim of his metal armor. The broken edge scraped across his neck, drawing blood, but the attack wasn’t as lethal as it could have been.

Will intentionally flipped over, landing on his back, and breaking the goblin’s grip. He rolled away, stood up, and faced the goblin. It was getting back up. He slashed his sword across the monster’s abdomen. The goblin howled and curled inward as blood and digested food squirted from its ruptured intestines.

Will touched the skin on his neck to determine how bad the damage was and flinched painfully. As he drew his fingers away, he saw they were smeared with blood. He looked down at the injured goblin.

“Goddammit, you couldn’t just let me go back to the portal,” Will growled. He swung his sword across the goblin’s neck, opening a deep gash, and left the creature there to die.

3

Will shivered as he staggered back into the warm confines of the portal room. As he cast more healing spells, he walked through to the landing zone toward the black TV screen that hung on one wall.

“Is anyone there?” he called out. “Noel? Jake?”

The screen remained dark.

He wasn’t surprised. Jake had told Will that he would be on his own and not to expect them until the end of the weekend. It was just as well. Despite the attack and his injuries, he wasn’t sure he wanted to give up now. Nevertheless, his initial foray into the fabled Epiphany realms had almost gotten him killed.

“I’ll rest here for the night,” he sighed. “Get off to a better start first thing in the morning.”

His wounds were closing as his skin and tissue healed, but he was still in a lot of pain. He glanced around the room, looking for anything he could use as bedding. Shields, armor, and rudimentary swords hung on a wall. He recognized four sets of jack of plates armor hanging in one section. They were entry-level armor for mages. More importantly, they were constructed from a rough canvas. He grabbed the four sets and rolled one up to use as a pillow.

Will laid down in a corner to conserve his heat and placed the remaining armor over his body. The units were small and would not provide much warmth. “Beggars can’t be choosers,” he muttered as he closed his eyes, hoping for a peaceful night.

4

He awoke sometime later, refreshed but weary from the attacks. He got up, stepped through the portal a second time, wondering if it was still nightfall. He was greeted with a welcoming sight. The sun was rising on the eastern horizon. The cold wind was gone, and the air smelled fresh.

“At least I’ve got the entire day ahead of me now,” he said, trying to convince himself to continue with the adventure. A part of him wanted to stay at the landing zone where he would be safe, but he knew this was his only chance to experience Epiphany.

“Jake is my only contact. If I don’t do this now, I’ll never get the chance again,” he whispered. And he was right. Jake – the disgruntled former Cloud Nine employee – had his money and would likely not take the risk of smuggling him in again.

Will gazed at the eastern and western horizons, where the realm’s borders reflected the terrain like an elongated mirror. It gave the territory an expansive feel. He scanned the landscape for more goblins, but aside from the corpse at his feet, the field looked peaceful, almost inviting.

“Okay, you can go,” he said to himself, “but be careful.”

He turned around and passed through the portal one more time to collect the mage armor he had used for bedding. It might come in handy, he thought as he deposited the items into his inventory, then ventured out into the earth realm once again.

5

As the sun warmed his skin, Will was reinvigorated. He picked up his pace as he plowed through the field toward the marsh. He passed the goblin corpses and shook his head, realizing how stupid he had been to venture out at night, even with the time constraints.

He felt more confident as he waded into the waist-high waters of the marsh. He tried to move quickly, eager to make it to the dry land of the forest just ahead. As he navigated through the murky water, he glanced down and was startled to see a large shape move under the surface just five feet away. A moment later, a tentacle rose from the water and reached for him.

Will blurted out a startled, “Uh!” and dove to his left side, drenching his body. His Creature Description details appeared.

SILICATE (Level 1)

HP: 33

MP: 0

STRENGTH: 7

CONSTITUTION: 3

DEXTERITY: 1

INTELLIGENCE: 1

WISDOM: 3

XP: 9

DESCRIPTION: C9 Failed research experiment.

The creature moved slowly toward him. Will rushed through the water with his boots sinking into the mud, slowing him down, but he stayed ahead of the silicate. He started giggling hysterically as he sloshed out of the marsh and climbed up onto the clearing. “Meep, meep!” he shouted, imitating the Coyote-Road Runner episodes he had seen as a boy.

He fell onto the grass, laughing and clutching at his sides. He rolled over to face the marsh, wary of the advancing predator. The silicate’s black tentacle swept across the water’s surface like a waving hand, but the creature didn’t advance past the marsh.

“Well, hello there, good buddy,” he crooned in a southern drawl, and that got him roaring again. He curled inward as he laughed wildly into the dew-dampened grass.

“Man, what have I been smoking?” he yelled.

His face was turning red, but the hysteria was subsiding. Will was grateful for that. His stomach was aching. He shook his head and staggered to a standing position. With muddy water dripping from his armor, he turned and faced the forest. Yellow sunlight dappled through the enormous trees, but the woods seemed to go on forever.

Aware that his time was short, Will marched through the forest, hoping to reach the Earth tower before evening.

6

By midday, his energy and humor had waned and his fatigue had caught up with him. As he lumbered through the forest, his pace slowed. It disappointed him that there wasn’t more to see. Outside of the goblins and the silicate, he saw nothing but run-of-the-mill Earth animals.

“Why would they start a game like this?” he grumbled. “Is this supposed to be some rite of passage?” Will shook his head and continued past the redwood trees. As the sun rose in the sky, the temperature became sweltering. His armor had dried, but his underwear and boots were soaked, making his trek a miserable experience.

“Maybe I should turn around now,” he muttered. “What’s the point of hiking through a forest like this? I could do this back home.” But he knew he wanted to keep going, hoping that his perseverance would pay off. He was sure that, at some stage, he would come across a “wow” moment.

Still, the hours ebbed by, and his mood sank. His skin glistened with sweat and was covered with dirt. By the time the sun started dipping below the tree line, chilling the air, he wondered if he’d have to make camp in the woods. He loathed that possibility. Camping alone at night in the middle of the forest would be dangerous.

“I might have to climb a tree,” he whispered to the darkening gloom. He glanced up at the trees, then noticed a rock face on the western side of the forest. Will quickened his pace, eager to see more. As he drew near, he discovered a cave gouged within the ridges of the stone wall.

In the twilight, Will stopped for a moment, smiling at his good fortune. Then he rushed toward the opening and saw the light at the bottom of the cavern beckoning him.

7

Like the recruits would experience days later, the glow worms that illuminated the base of the cavern enthralled Will. Thousands of worms flickered their soft light against the cave walls and the pool of water below.

“Okay, that’s one ‘wow’ moment, at least,” he said and took a deep breath. His body still felt exhausted, but the spectacle invigorated his mind. After the hot day in the forest, the cool air of the cave refreshed him. He sat on a stone ridge above the pool and pulled off his mud-caked boots. He dipped his legs into the water and groaned with pleasure.

Will slid into the pool, then washed his boots and his armor. He rubbed the dirt and sweat from his skin. “This is nice,” he whispered to no one in particular. Still, he felt disappointed and ripped off. He’d expected more from his journey into the realms. He had spent a good portion of his vast wealth to plan for this trip into Epiphany16.

“All for a hike in the goddamned woods,” he sighed.

And in the morning, he would have to go back. He wished that he could have arranged more time, but Jake had been so stubborn. Will thought his sons, Ethan and Jordan. He hadn’t told them a word about this trip. Ethan would have tried to talk him out of it, and Jordan?

Well, he’s seeing a shrink in Paris, of all places.

He stepped out of the pool then unequipped his weapons and metal armor. They disappeared quietly into his virtual inventory. The cold air chilled his body and he considered getting some wood to build a fire, but his apathy got the better of him. Instead, he lay down on the flat rock surface near the pool. Within minutes, he fell into a deep sleep, his body and mind fatigued from the previous night and day’s exertion.

8

Will heard the rumbling through his dreams, but it never broke through to his consciousness.

He was too busy trying to save Jordan. They were in Nigeria, and their helicopter had just been hit by a surface-to-air missile. The strike had blown out the entire left side of the aircraft. Someone’s blood had sprayed across Will’s face. He looked around. There were mangled body parts strewn throughout the wreck.

As the chopper spun out of control and accelerated toward the rocky surface of a mountain, he saw Jordan, who was still strapped into the right side. His son was covered with kerosene fuel and engulfed in flames. “Jordan, my god!” Will cried as he bounded toward his son, landing at his feet.

Jordan remained seated as his clothes and the straps that held him burned away. “Don’t bother, Dad,” he said casually. “You were never there for me before, and you’re not here now.”

Will clutched his son’s burning legs as turbulence rocked the aircraft.

“But that’s okay; I guess I wasn’t much of a son,” Jordan continued. “I was never there for you either.” Jordan’s eyeballs ruptured from the extreme heat, but he didn’t even flinch. “But I’m here for you now, Dad.” His voice rose to a scream. “I’m here now and you have to wake up!” He grabbed his father by the neck. “Wake up, Dad! To save yourself, and to save Ethan. You have to wake the fuck up!”

The chopper crashed into the mountain, and Jordan was thrown through the gaping hole in the left side. Will slammed into the cockpit, landing hard against the splintering glass. Jordan’s right—I’m not really here, Will thought. He remembered being in Boston at a RayStrike board meeting when he’d heard about Jordan’s chopper going down. I must be dreaming, he thought. He said I have to wake up.

Will opened his eyes.

At first, he couldn’t register what he was seeing. He was still disoriented from the dream. Then his Creature Description details appeared.

!g`~!![]

HP: ###

MP: #

STRENGTH: ###

CONSTITUTION: ##

DEXTERITY: ###

INTELLIGENCE: #

WISDOM: #

XP: ###

DESCRIPTION: ^.!%__!;

The gigantic worm, which clung to the cave wall, hovered over him silently, assessing its prey. Slime dripped from the edges of its closed mouth and landed on Will’s forehead. He realized that the rumbling he had heard in his dream had been the monster bursting through an opening in the cave.

My armor and weapons, Will thought. I have to—

The monster coiled back like a snake and opened its mouth. In a brief instant, Will was hypnotized by the swirling starfield that lived inside the creature’s fleshy lips. Then the worm’s head slammed down onto him, completely swallowing his body in its glitch-infested mouth.

9

Will raised his arms defensively, flinched, and screamed, but the sound deadened immediately with no resonance or echo. He opened his eyes and saw the black, desolate universe that surrounded him. Even the bright stars were gone now.

What the hell?

As he floated vacantly in this godless abyss, Will realized he couldn’t breathe. He gasped for air.

Nothing.

He started hyperventilating. Still, no oxygen passed through to his starving lungs. He clutched at his throat as his lips froze against the cold space. As he drifted in the black, anoxic void, his chest heaved painfully and his lungs burned.

God, please…

He began losing consciousness, and, in the gathering dim of his faltering mind, he understood that he was going to die. Far below him in the endless ichor universe, he saw a singular star ascending through the darkness. The pin of light moved slowly toward him.

Will moaned as pain erupted through every molecule of his frame. His body elongated like a bizarre human version of a rubber band. As his flesh dematerialized, losing its form, he screamed but his cry and his cells were swallowed in the ceaseless void of the quantum sea.