THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER'S LIGHT THE OLD LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER, SILAS, SQUINTED AT THE CHURNING SEA. RAIN LASHED AGAINST THE WINDOWS OF HIS SMALL COTTAGE, MIMICKING THE TEMPEST IN HIS SOUL. FOR DECADES, HE HAD STOOD VIGIL ON THIS WINDSWEPT PROMONTORY, HIS LIFE A MONOTONOUS RHYTHM OF FOG HORNS AND FADING SHIPS. THEN, SHE HAD COME. ELARA, A YOUNG WOMAN WITH EYES THE COLOR OF THE STORMY SEA AND A LAUGH THAT COULD CHASE AWAY THE DARKEST CLOUDS. SHE HAD ARRIVED ON A BATTERED SAILBOAT, SEEKING REFUGE FROM A FIERCE SQUALL. SILAS, INITIALLY WARY OF OUTSIDERS, HAD FOUND HIMSELF DRAWN TO HER RESILIENCE, HER SPIRIT AS INDOMITABLE AS THE WAVES THAT CRASHED AGAINST THE SHORE. THEY HAD FALLEN IN LOVE, THEIR ROMANCE A BEACON OF LIGHT IN THE DESOLATE LANDSCAPE OF HIS LIFE. THEY HAD MARRIED, THEIR VOWS WHISPERED AMIDST THE ROAR OF THE SEA, A TESTAMENT TO THEIR ENDURING LOVE. BUT HAPPINESS, LIKE THE FLEETING GLIMPSE OF A DISTANT STAR, WAS SHORT-LIVED. A ROGUE WAVE, A CRUEL TWIST OF FATE, HAD C...
TO MIA MY GREATEST TEAMMATE IN THE GAME AND IN LIFE ALEX HAD ALWAYS BEEN AN INTROVERT, MORE COMFORTABLE BEHIND A SCREEN THAN IN A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE. GAMING WASN’T JUST A PASTIME IT WAS HIS ESCAPE, HIS SANCTUARY. REALM OF ETERNIA WAS HIS FAVORITE REFUGE, A WORLD WHERE HE COULD TRADE HIS MUNDANE OFFICE LIFE FOR HEROIC QUESTS AND EPIC BATTLES. IN THE GAME, ALEX WAS KNOWN AS KAEL, A BATTLE-HARDENED WARRIOR WITH A REPUTATION FOR TAKING ON CHALLENGES OTHERS AVOIDED. HE WAS CONFIDENT IN HIS VIRTUAL WORLD, BUT EVEN THERE, SOMETHING ALWAYS FELT MISSING. ONE EVENING, ALEX FOUND HIMSELF WANDERING THE LOST RUINS, A SPRAWLING DUNGEON NOTORIOUS FOR ITS COMPLEXITY AND BRUTAL ENEMIES. HE WAS CLEARING OUT MOBS OF SKELETON KNIGHTS WHEN HE NOTICED ANOTHER PLAYER NEARBY—A MAGE NAMED LYRIA. HER CHARACTER WORE FLOWING ROBES ADORNED WITH GOLD EMBROIDERY, AND SHE WIELDED A GLOWING STAFF THAT PULSED WITH ARCANE ENERGY. ALEX WATCHED AS SHE STRUGGLED TO FEND OFF A PACK OF SPECTRAL WOLVES. SHE WAS HOLDING...