Xavier slowed the car near a dimly lit drop stop on the outskirts of the city — one of those forgotten spots where drones rarely passed and the air tasted like burnt dust. The city's red glow flickered in the rearview mirror, the flames painting the skyline like it was bleeding.

He stepped out, opened the passenger side, and gently nudged Victoria awake. She blinked in confusion, still pale, eyes darting from Xavier to the burning horizon.

"Where… are we?" she whispered.

"Far enough. A bus will arrive in about an hour," he said. His tone was calm, almost detached. "There's a shelter three blocks that way, you can wait there. I have aleady confirmed their personalities, so you don't have to worry about them harming you. Tell them you got caught in the blast. Don't mention my name. Don't mention Ethan. You'll live."

Victoria hesitated, clutching her jacket tight. "What about you?"

Xavier smirked faintly, his gaze drifting toward the orange sky. "I've got things to finish."

She looked like she wanted to say something else, but he closed the door before she could. The car's tinted glass swallowed her reflection.

Xavier turned to Viola. "Keep him alive," he said, jerking his chin toward the crate in the backseat. "No matter what. Lock him somewhere he can't scream his way out of."

Viola leaned out the window, expression twisted between irritation and disbelief. "You really trust me with that psycho?"

Xavier leaned closer, voice low, laced with steel. "No. But I trust your greed more than your fear. Happy? And if you ask me about 'trust' one more time, I will stop talking to you."

Viola exhaled sharply, then shrugged. "Fine. But you owe me one hell of a drink after this."

"Make it two," Xavier replied and gave the crate one last look before tapping the roof of the car. Viola drove off, taillights cutting through the haze until they disappeared into the smoke and night.

The world went quiet. The only thing left was the faraway sirens and the deep rumble of something still burning.

Xavier walked the rest of the way to his apartment, each step crunching over bits of falling ash that had drifted across half the city. When he reached home, the glass walls reflected the chaos — news drones circling in the sky, broadcasting live footage of his handiwork.

He threw himself on the couch, grabbed the remote, and flipped through the channels until the right one hit.

"Breaking News: Massive Explosions Rock the Astraeus Expansion District — The City Is Burning."

Reporters' voices trembled between awe and panic, and behind them, the camera showed the skeletal remains of the new district — half-built skyscrapers now bent and smoldering, metal raining like silver dust.

Xavier stared at the headline for a long second, then scoffed. "The city's burning?" He muttered, a half-smile curling his lips. "Not yet."

He tossed the remote aside and made his way to his room.

The lights dimmed automatically as he entered, the faint hum of machinery filling the space. His VR rig sat on the desk, the visor already glowing — a sign that the system was live.

Inside the game Celestial Rift, Xavier's character was auto hunting, which wasn't possible for afk players, but Reva had messed with the tech and modified it a little, which was enough to bypass that restriction.

He sat down, fingers brushing the smooth edge of the interface. The faint pulse of the system was almost like a heartbeat — synthetic and steady. He plugged in the neural cables and slipped the visor over his eyes.

The room vanished.

And then, the world shifted.

He was standing in Celestial Rift, his avatar glimmering in the dark forest under the false moonlight. His sword was moving on its own, cutting through mobs in fluid, perfect rhythm. Auto-hunting.

Xavier's avatar pulled him automatically as he muttered under his breath, "How the hell do I turn off the damn auto-hunting…"

He flicked through the system tabs, swiped the menus, even tried a few voice commands — nothing worked. The character just kept going, slashing monsters like a possessed machine.

"Great," he groaned. "Now I'm farming XP even when I don't want to."

After a few more failed attempts, he sighed and opened the system menu manually. With a few quick taps, he forced a respawn.

A flash of light swallowed the world — and then he was standing back in Eldwyn Town, the game's central hub. Cobblestone streets, market stalls, and players buzzing around like ants under a golden afternoon sky.

Right at the center, leaning by the fountain, was Oliver.

Xavier walked up with that familiar smirk on his face. "Yo. You ready to dominate the game again?"

Before Oliver could even answer, a smaller voice cut in with a burst of excitement.

"Yeah!"

Xavier turned his head and blinked. A tiny avatar — probably around level 10 — stood there bouncing in excitement, holding a basic wooden sword like it was Excalibur.

A slow grin crept onto Xavier's face. "Good. You sound more confident than half the veterans I've seen."

Oliver laughed. "He's been waiting for you to finish your hunt, man."

Jayden grinned so wide his character's eyes practically glowed. "You're Xavier! The real Xavier! I watched your raids! You're, like, the best player ever!"

Xavier laughed lightly, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, kid, you sure know how to flatter a guy." He crouched a bit to Jayden's height. "So, you ready to see how we really play?"

Jayden nodded furiously.

"Alright then," Xavier said, standing up and swiping his hand through the air. A bright glyph formed beside him, spinning and expanding into a huge winged beast — his Aetherdrake, its scales reflecting violet light. The crowd around them froze, watching in awe.

Xavier turned to Oliver. "Get on."

Oliver smirked and hopped up without hesitation. Jayden followed, eyes wide like a kid at his first amusement park ride.

Once all three were mounted, Xavier held the reins and looked back. "Alright, Jayden. You pick the first spot. Where to?"

Jayden didn't even need to think. "The new update! The Underwater City! I wanna see it!"

Xavier chuckled. "Underwater City, huh? Bold choice."

He flicked his wrist, and the beast's wings spread open, wind rushing through the plaza. As the Aetherdrake launched into the sky, the crowd below pointed and shouted — everyone watching the legendary player take flight again.

"Hold on tight!" Xavier shouted over the wind as they ascended higher and higher, breaking through the clouds.

The city below shrank into glittering dots of light, and ahead of them — past the horizon — a faint blue shimmer began to glow: the gateway to the new underwater realm.

He glanced back at the kid clinging to his arm, eyes filled with wonder. "This time, we've got a new player joining the legend."

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