The Stubborn Light of a Dying Flame

The man waited for everyone to gather round, smiling benevolently as if he wasn’t a lunatic that had just paralyzed them all to get them to shut up.

“As I mentioned at initialization,” he said once everyone was listening. “I am the Artificer Eldar Cremble, but most refer to me as the System Administrator. You may have noticed that the people here are not the same people that you were with at initiation. That is because we have attempted to group you based on your country of origin, rather than your physical location at the time of initiation. Hopefully, we managed to get it close enough, but for those of you who don’t speak the same language as the rest of the group, fear not, the Universal Translation feature is automatic. Simply join the conversation whenever you are ready.

“You are here because my world is in dire need of assistance. Since the dawn of creation, Ember has been full of dangerous creatures, from the simple Forest Gecko to the rampaging Leviathan. They enter our world through dimensional cracks that we call Dungeons. Throughout most of history, we have been able to rebuff these attacks and keep the monster population low enough that our world was relatively safe to live in. Then one day, something changed. Monsters spilled forth from the Dungeons in unprecedented numbers, overrunning towns and ending countless lives in the blink of an eye.

“This was when Eldar Cremble, my creator and namesake, came up with the idea of finding help in the wider universe. I seek out and train new talents from distant worlds to help us fight the constant threat that plagues us. In return, the heroes of these various worlds are given power and wealth beyond their wildest dreams.”

“And what if we don’t want it?” Kennith asked angrily. “You tricked us into coming here and now you’re trying to play it off as some sort of grand opportunity?”

Eldar tilted his head at Kennith. “I told you everything that you needed to know during the System Preview. And at the time of initiation were you not given the chance to leave? I believe I made it clear that I would not take any who were unwilling.”

Silence descended on the room. It was true that they had technically been warned. Every single one of them had been offered the chance to walk away before they were teleported to Ember. Some even took the opportunity and escaped.

“It was supposed to be a game,” Emma said. “You used the same welcome speech in Ember Online. Was the game just a trap to lure us here?”

“As you should already know, Ember Online was a test,” Eldar replied. “The rules of the game are identical to the laws of the System. It is essential that new initiates are first tested to ensure they will adapt well to the challenges they will face on Ember. Everyone in this room distinguished themselves on that simulated battlefield. In fact, you are one of the most promising groups of candidates we have ever had.” He glanced at Rayna. “And one even came without ever having set foot in Ember, which shows great compassion that we hope will serve her well in this world.”

“And what if we don’t want to fight?” someone else asked. “You’re just going to force us?”

Eldar turned to her, shaking his head slightly. “Of course not! Not everyone is made for the battlefield. There are many non-combat Classes to choose from once you reach the First Ascension at Level 25. The aim of the System is not to throw people at the monsters unprepared like a glorified meat shield. We only wish to save our planet from the overwhelming might of the encroaching hordes. Many great initiates have made a name for themselves as Master Blacksmiths or Artificers. But even the simple Farmer Class holds merit when used for the common good.”

Most of the players had lost their anger, some of them turning to curiosity or even excitement as they listened to the Administrator’s explanation.

“What about our families?” a young woman asked. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, her curly red hair cut to shoulder length. “I have children, a husband, are you just telling me to forget about them?”

“I’m afraid that returning to Earth so soon is impossible. Inter-planetary teleportation takes massive amounts of energy,” Eldar said. “I cannot return you to your world, nor can I bring others here, even if I wanted to. Once you decided to fight for Ember, there was no turning back.”

Several players started shouting again, the mention of their families reigniting their anger, but silence returned when everyone who had shown any sign of aggression were once again paralyzed.

There was nothing they could do. How were they supposed to fight this when the System clearly had complete control over them? They were puppets to his whims.

Rayna looked at Emma who looked as upset as the others, though she had the good sense not to yell at the man who could kill her with a thought.

“I’m never going to see Lilly again,” she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks. “Or my mom. I’ll just have vanished into thin air. What if they think I ran away? Or worse, what if they think I’m dead?”

Rayna took Emma’s hand and squeezed it tight. “We’re going to find a way home,” she said resolutely. “I promise. Until then, we need to stay strong and look out for each other, okay?”

Emma looked down at Rayna, giving her a watery smile. “Did you really get yourself stuck here just for me?”

Rayna sniffed. “We’ve been friends since kindergarten. There’s no ‘just’ about this.” She drew in a shaky breath. “And unfortunately, yes, I seem to have run head first into a war for your dumb butt, so you better not go falling apart on me.”

Emma laughed, wiping the tears of her cheeks. “The same goes for you.”

Eldar turned to them with a smile that made Rayna want to throw another shoe at him. “Now that is the determination I like to see from new initiates! The two of you will get far in this world, I don’t doubt it.”

“Go choke on a cactus,” Rayna snapped.

The Administrator looked startled, frowning for a moment before fixing his face back into an excited smile. “Now, before I send you all to the tutorial, I think you could use a good night’s rest after the day’s excitement. I won’t appear to you like this in the future, but we will meet again through the System prompts. Be sure to listen well to your Tutorial Leaders and don’t do anything reckless. There are no revives or extra lives in the real world.

“Good luck players, and welcome once more to the world of Ember.”

Everyone in the room started to glow, just as they had when they were teleported out of the warehouse. Rayna panicked for a second, thinking she was being left behind again, but her skin was glowing along with the rest of them.

“Wait, what about my—”

The world went white for a split second, then she was standing with Emma in a medium sized bedroom.

“—race,” Rayna finished.

Emma grimaced. “Sorry, I don’t think he has any intention of fixing that.”

Rayna took a deep breath, trying to cool her temper. She was not normally this reactive, but this ridiculous situation was trying her patience.

She distracted herself by exploring the room. There were two beds, placed against opposite walls. They weren’t luxurious, but they were clean and neat, each fitted with light grey bedding that was smooth to the touch. Next to each bed was a bookshelf that was already filled with books and on the other side, a chest full of clothes.

A prompt appeared on Rayna’s screen.

New Player Welcome Package

A Complete History of Ember: Volume I-X

Basic Spell-Casting: Volumes I and II

Basic Weapon Handling and Care: Volumes I and II

Basic Herbalism: Volume I

The Basics of Healing: Volume I

.

.

.

The list went on for some time. There were nearly fifty books on it, and at the end it had a simple question.

Would you like to move these items to your Inventory?

Rayna accepted the prompt out of curiosity and all of the books on the shelf disappeared. When she opened the chest, a similar prompt appeared detailing the different clothing and supplies that had been provided and she stowed those in her Inventory after changing out of her bloodstained dress. Thankfully, all of the clothes seemed made to her exact measurements.

Emma had just finished stowing her own items before coming over to sit on Rayna’s bed.

“Looks like we’re roomies again,” she said, laying down. “We haven’t shared a room since college.”

Rayna laid down next to her, staring at the swirling pattern on the ceiling. “What do we do now?”

“Besides sleep?” Emma asked with a yawn. “We could discuss Class strategies. You picked Warrior, right? Was that an actual decision or did you panic?”

Rayna grimaced. “I panicked. The System only gave me thirty seconds to decide.”

“Ugh, stingy.” Emma sighed. “Well, like the System Administrator said, you can change your Class at Level 25. Your choices will vary based on the things you do or the things that you’re good at.” Emma looked at Rayna with a crease between her brows. “I’m not sure if your new race plays into that. Have you checked your race info yet?”

“Race info?” Rayna asked, sitting up.

Emma nodded, sitting up as well. “Just focus on your race and it will give you a pop-up with more information. Here…” She focused on the spot in front of her and a screen appeared between them with information about humans.

Race: Human

Average Lifespan: 85 years

Base Stats

Str: 10

Dex: 15

End: 45

Vit: 50

Int: 15

Wis: 5

Luck: 10

Humans are a race that specializes in Endurance. They are sturdier than most races and well equipped to fully recover from most non-lethal injuries. For weaknesses, they are on the slower side and their bodies are not naturally good at filtering magic, thus they are best suited to warrior-type Classes.

Race Traits

High natural regeneration

High adaptability

Low magical aptitude

“How did you do that?” Rayna asked, pulling up her screen.

“Show you the info?” Emma guessed. “Just focus on what you want to show and who you want to show it to. The System is pretty intuitive once you get the hang of it.”

Rayna pulled up her race description and shared it with Emma.

Race: Lerian

Average Lifespan: 200 years

Base Stats

Str: 0

Dex: 45

End: 5

Vit: 120

Int: 40

Wis: 40

Luck: 0

Lerians are a nimble race that specializes in magic. They have naturally high Wisdom, giving them a higher Mana pool to start and while their Endurance is low, they Dexterity and Vitality help to shore up any weaknesses caused by their lack of natural defense. Lerians are best suited to magical craftsman Classes that utilize their Dexterity, Wisdom and Intelligence.

Race Traits

Immunity to the status effects Poison, Paralysis and Confusion

High magical aptitude

Long lifespan

Low natural regeneration

Rayna stared at the average lifespan with wide eyes. “Two hundred years?” she exclaimed. “It’s joking, right? Or is that a typo?”

Emma shook her head. “Actually, that explains the high natural Vitality. And the lack of Endurance explains your brush with death earlier. The lower your Endurance, the faster you lose HP when you’re hurt.”

“What do my stats actually do?” Rayna asked, staring at the list of numbers as if they might explain themselves. She had played a few games, but she wasn’t even sure what half of the abbreviations were supposed to stand for. Most of the gaming lingo Rayna knew, she had learned from Emma. Why couldn’t they just spell out the words like a normal person?

“Each stat corresponds to a different aspect of gameplay,” Emma said, pointing at Rayna’s screen.

“Strength is just what it sounds like; it makes you physically stronger. It also buffs the damage of physical attacks like punches and kicks, and weapon damage, like swords and spears; anything that isn’t magic.”

“So, if I throw a shoe at the Administrator’s head, having higher Strength will make it hurt more,” Rayna said.

“Precisely,” Emma said with an approving nod. “Dexterity is about speed and control. Not only does it make you run faster and dodge attacks quicker, it makes your hands steadier and helps with hand-eye coordination. You can think of it like this: you need high Dexterity for a track race, but also for a complicated surgery.

“Endurance is your defense and regeneration. The higher your Endurance is, the harder it will be for someone to hurt you, and when you do get hurt, you will heal up faster, too.

“Vitality increases your Health pool and extends your lifespan. It seemed like a useless feature in a game that progressed in real time, but it might be something worth paying attention to here.

“Intelligence decreases skill cooldowns and increases spell damage.”

“Wait, what’s the difference between spells and skills?” Rayna had noticed that she had one of each: her Basic Heal spell and her Rage skill. She didn’t like the sound of the second one. “Do we get an actual description for them or am I just supposed to guess what they do?”

“Focus on the spell or skill that you want to know more about, and a screen will pop up just like with the race information.”

Rayna tried it out.

(Spell) Basic Heal — heal small injuries such as scrapes and bruises with one cast, or larger injuries such as stab wounds with multiple casts. The number of casts required to fully heal a wound depends on the severity of the injury and the Vitality of the subject.

Cost: 10 MP

HP Regeneration: 100/cast

(Skill) Rage — Enhance all stats temporarily.

Stat Increase: +10%

Duration: 1 minute

Cooldown: 10 minutes

“Spells need MP to cast, but they don’t have a cooldown,” Emma explained. “Conversely, skills don’t have an MP cost, but you have to wait until the cooldown ends to use them again. Most Classes have a combination of spells and skills. Also, skills can only be used on yourself while spells can be cast on others unless the description says otherwise.”

“Got it, so Intelligence buffs your spells and lets you use your skills more frequently.”

Emma nodded. “As for Wisdom, it increases your MP pool and decreases the cost of certain spells.

“Finally, when you kill monsters or open chests, the items you get are based on a percentage chance, your Luck boosts the drop rate for rarer items.” She laid back down on the bed and closed her eyes. “That’s the basics, anyway. They’ll probably explain more in the tutorial tomorrow.”

“You’re really going to sleep at a time like this?” Rayna asked in disbelief.

“Well, one of us has to be alert tomorrow. If you want to keep watch like we’re camping in the middle of the woods, be my guest, but I’m exhausted.”

Rayna sighed and crawled under the covers next to Emma, not bothering to tell her to go back to her own bed. She didn’t like sleeping in new places and Emma was a comforting presence in an otherwise unfamiliar world.

“Don’t worry too much about all of this,” Emma said, her eyes still closed. “We just need to survive long enough to figure out a way home. We’ll be fine if we stick together.”

Rayna nodded, closing her eyes. Despite her confusing day and the worries of the uncertain future that lay ahead, Rayna drifted off to sleep just moments after her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Emma listened to the soft snoring that filled the room as Rayna fell asleep. She had forced herself to stay strong for the sake of her friend, but as soon as she no longer had to pretend, tears spilled down her cheeks. Emma pressed a fist to her mouth to muffle the sound as the room blurred around her.

This was all her fault.

Rayna hadn’t wanted to go to the opening. She had warned Emma that it seemed sketchy. She had even begged Emma to leave when the Administrator gave them a chance to run. Emma had been so excited to show Rayna how cool Ember Online was—how safe the Ember Industries chip was—that she had walked both of them into a trap.

And instead of making her escape, like any sensible person would, Rayna had walked right into that trap with her.

Emma closed her eyes, fear roiling around in her stomach. She knew better than anyone how dangerous this world was. She had died countless times in her quest to grow stronger in Ember Online. Her strength was a sham born of unlimited second chances.

That was all gone now. They only had one shot at this. There was no resurrection or necromancy in the world of Ember. If they died, it was over.

Emma had almost lost Rayna before the tutorial even began. One bite was all it had taken to bring her sizable HP pool to zero. What kind of monster would put her in such a frail body? Was it revenge? He had made her out to be some special volunteer that showed the promise of the future.

Rage flooded her as she thought about the System Administrator. How dare he steal their future from them? How dare he meddle in the lives of Emma and her friends? She knew for a fact that some of her old guild mates had planned to go to the opening. If Emma hadn’t begged for her spot, Lilly would have been there.

Emma opened her eyes, bringing up her Character Sheet. It was unremarkable really, a basic Level 1 Healer that had yet to complete the tutorial. The only thing that set her sheet apart was an unassuming quest that had appeared moments after Rayna had hugged her in the lobby.

Plus one — You brought an uninvited guest to the initiation without prior approval. This person is of great importance to the world of Ember. Keep her safe and help her grow.

Duration: unlimited

Reward: Teleportation back to Earth for you and anyone else from your planet who wishes to return

Penalty For Failure: The continued existence of the System and the eventual fall of Ember