Chapter 1

Kazue was late. He was supposed to get off work at 11 pm but there was an influx of customers and he was held back. It was now 11:45 and he was sitting on a bus, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently on the ground. He had to get back before 12 or he wouldn't be able to meet his brother one last time on Nazarick. He wouldn't be able to meet his creations in Tyrathar.

Tyrathar was a place of his own creation where the npcs he made roamed. Everything from wolves to dragons and elves, Tyrathar was much like Nazarick except it was all his. Kazue would be mad and disappointed in himself if he couldn't make it home in time to say goodbye to his creations.

When the bus pulled to a stop, Kazue grabbed his bag and bolted off the bus. He turned a corner fast and collided into a large body.

He groaned and grabbed his head, which had smacked painfully into the ground, "Sorry about that," he said raising his eyes. They widened when they locked on the gleaming silver knife in the hand of the other person.

Before he could speak another word, the person drew back the knife and stabbed him in various parts of his chest. He screamed in agony, the wounds feeling like fire in his body. Kazue fell to the ground, blood pooling underneath him.

His assailant leaned down and drew the mask he was wearing down to reveal common brown hair and eyes and a sneering face. "Remember me, Kyrax?" Actually he didn't, but he couldn't say that right now. "I was part of the 1,500 that raided Nazarick!" Ah yes, that group of fools, "I told you I would make you pay!" he laughed viciously, sheathing the knife and turning to walk away from his body.

Seriously? He was about to die because he defended his guild from a bunch of nobodies? This world was messed up. Kazue reached his arm slowly to furrow in his bag, careful not to bump anything lest white-hot pain shoot through his body.

He shakily brought out his dive piece and smiled grimly, perhaps he'd get to say goodbye to his brother before he died. He must be worried. It was generally frowned upon to use dive technology when not in one's house, but he was dying. He honestly couldn't care less.

Kazue clumsily attatched the headpiece and dove into Yggdrasil. When he opened his eyes, he was in Tyrathar and he breathed a sigh of relief as the pain disappeared. He pulled up a clock and frowned in disappointment and grief. 23:58. Two more minutes. There was no way he'd be able to travel to Nazarick in that amount of time.

It was frustrating but if he couldn't visit his brother, he would visit the npcs one last time. He headed out of the luxurious room he had spawned in, two guards in resplendent armor stood watch at his door. As he passed, they saluted, slamming their fists onto their chest and falling into line behind him.

His avatar, Kyrax, was a towering ice-blue dragon with gleaming red eyes. He had two folded wings on his back and a tail that was swishing behind him. He had blood-red plate armor on and an obsidian cloak, with a broadsword sheathed between his wings.

This was his favored form, though he could become a human and a full dragon, he preferred this mix of the two. Kyrax shoved the two great doors of the throne room open and strode inside. Inside, he saw two of his npcs.

A pitch black dragon and a starry-blue wolf, on the left and right of the throne. Avirus and Fenrir. Kyrax strode to his throne, turning smoothly and collapsing onto the throne. It was made of obsidian, a roaring dragon head carved at the top and two extended wings at the side. There were gold highlights and red rubies for the eyes.

Kyrax's eyes roamed the room, landing on Avirus, then moving to Fenrir, before he pulled up the clock. He sighed, closing his eyes. 23:59:39. He would miss this game. He would miss his brother. He would miss the time he spent in this game with his brother. He would miss Tyrathar and all his creations in Tyrathar. He would miss Yggdrasil. He would miss life.

Kyrax opened his eyes to watch the countdown, dread, sadness, grief, all welling up in his chest.

23:59:57

23:59:58

23:59:59

00:00:00

00:00:01

00:00:02

00:00:03

Kyrax's eyes opened. They widened and he leapt to his feet, "What the fuck!?" he roared.