Chat

The day had been like any other, with students attending classes and people going about their lives in Thimoria. But then, an uneasy stillness crept across the land, making everyone pause as if they could feel a shift in the very air.

Was it an unpleasant feeling or was it something more? Most of the people were confused about what they were feeling. It is as if they were getting chills like a wind swept pass through them

In her office, Principal Eldra closed the book she had been reading mid-sentence, her sharp green eyes darting to the window. She placed the tome down and strode across the room, parting the curtains to gaze at the horizon.

"I know this feeling!" she murmured, her heart pounding as though anticipating a thunderstorm that wasn't there. "He is coming. I can feel it in my body. This is the same chills, same feeling,"

Meanwhile, in the training yard, Mesuna halted mid-swing, her blade still humming with energy. She stared at the ground beneath her boots as if expecting it to speak.

"This... this doesn't feel right," Mesuna muttered, her grip tightening on her weapon. But that's wasn't the end of it.

Across Thimoria, others stopped in their tracks. Vendors froze mid-sale, children playing in the streets paused their games, and even the chirping of birds seemed to hush. Then, like a whisper carried on the wind, they heard it—the voice of ZeroVeil.

"Greetings, my subscribers! Let's get started, shall we? This is your most awaited time of the day. Your favourite stream starts now"

The familiar voice sent ripples through the people, but this time, there was a stark difference. Some didn't hear it.

Confusion spread as those who no longer heard ZeroVeil's voice looked to their neighbors who heard it.

"Wait, you heard him?" a man asked his friend, who nodded, visibly shaken.

"Yes, he's speaking again. Wait, you didn't?"

Realization dawned. Those who hadn't touched the streaming crystals that ZeroVeil had "streamed" into existence were now excluded. Anger and sorrow mixed in their expressions. Some of them expected to hear it even if they didn't touch it, but they quickly understood their mistakes.

All the old crystals were no longer available for them to touch, as all of them went missing few hours after ZeroVeil said that he is going to use them for some special puposes.

"This isn't fair," someone muttered, clenching their fists. "I didn't think it was that important!"

"But I heard it back then! Why don't I hear it now?" another cried, despair lining their voice.

Back at the academy, Eldra's eyes widened as shimmering words began to appear in mid-air before her. She gasped, taking an instinctive step back.

"What kind of magic is this? This is new!" she whispered, her voice trembling with awe and a hint of fear. Even as a Warden, she had never encountered anything like it. 

She read the words carefully.

"Welcome, subscribers! Thank you for joining the future. Let me explain what's next!"

"This... is this ZeroVeil's doing? What is streamer up to now?" Eldra asked herself, her heart racing. She clenched her fists, steadying her breath. "If he's capable of this, then his power far surpasses anything I've seen. But... doesn't that mean he is a grandwarden if he can exceed all my expectations?"

Her resolve hardened. "I won't let anyone surpass my ability when it comes to magic. Let's see what this so-called new stream has to offer."

The screen crackled to life, the familiar upbeat jingle filling the air around those who could hear him.

"What's up, subscribers? It's your boy, ZeroVeil! Hope everyone's having a stellar day! If not, don't worry—I'm here to make it better with ZeroVeil's stream."

His voice was smooth and energetic, carrying an almost intoxicating charisma.

"Now, for those of you wondering what's going on, let me just say: congratulations! You've subscribed and became one of the first subscriber to this grand adventure, and from now on, you're part of the exclusive group that gets to hear my voice. Pretty cool, huh?"

Around Thimoria, people gasped.

"Exclusive?" someone muttered.

"Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. What about those who didn't subscribe? Well, let's just say they're gonna have some serious FOMO—fear of missing out—for those not in the know. But hey, that's what happens when you don't click 'accept.'"

ZeroVeil chuckled.

"But it's not as if I don't want anyone new. If there are people still wish to join this, you can touch the new crsytals I have placed. I just hope you won't make crsytals disappear like last time. I heard there are people misusing my crsytals, so I beg you not to. This is a respectable craft I'm trying to build here. No cheating!"

Eldra furrowed her brow, her gaze still locked on the glowing panel before her. She noticed new words appearing as ZeroVeil continued.

"Now, let's talk about the fun stuff! Introducing: chat. Yes, my dear subscribers, you can now talk to me directly through this nifty little feature. Just think your message, and bam—it'll pop up for me to read. Just think of it as a feature that will allow you to communicate with me."

Everyone gasped hearing this surprising information. Not only they could hear his voice, but now they could build a conversation with him. 

"This is..." Many of them had grins on their faces, as they got a chance to interact with their favourite streamer.

After a few seconds, the first message appeared, the words glowing softly on the panel.

SssexyPrincipal: Hello, ZeroVeil! First message from me. Is this how I do it?

Eldra's cheeks burned as she realized she'd accidentally sent the message while experimenting with the feature. Not only that she used such an embarrassing name to send it. She had nothing but regert.

ZeroVeil chuckled.

"Well, well, well, look at that! Our first message comes from... uh... 'SssexyPrincipal.' Wow, what a name! Props to you for claiming that title. I know anyone who use that name must be a beautiful person. So I got my first message from this person and I am really happy about it. Keep sending messages so we could build a good stream."

Eldra's face turned beet red, and she tried to maintain her composure. "What am I doing?" she muttered, a bead of sweat running down her temple. But hearing her new obsession calling her beautiful, Eldra couldn't help but grin.

All across Thimoria, people were scrambling to figure out the new feature.

"How do I type? Is it like speaking?"

"No, you just think it, idiot!"

Another message popped up.

GlamorousPrincess: ZeroVeil! Can you tell us about your future plans? How are you doing all this?

ZeroVeil nodded enthusiastically.

"Ah, great question from 'GlamorousPrincess'! Yes, I've got some big plans, chat. First, we're rolling out more features—alerts, community events, maybe even some exclusive streams for top-tier subscribers. Stay tuned for details. It was not easy to build method to chat with my people, but I'm slowly working on the other features I want to put out."

More messages flooded the screen, the chat feature catching on quickly.

ShyElf19: This is amazing, but it feels so strange... How does this work? LIke what's the magic behind this?

ZeroVeil leaned closer as if peering directly at the chatter.

"Ah, 'ShyElf19,' don't stress about it. Just think of it as magic you don't need to understand—just enjoy the ride! But if you are truly curious about it. Why don't you find out about it yourself."

Eldra watched in fascination, still flustered but increasingly intrigued. Her earlier embarrassment faded as more questions filled the chat.

EmberKnight: What's the purpose of all this? Are you trying to rule us? Or do something evil?

ZeroVeil smirked.

"Oh, 'EmberKnight,' going straight for the big questions, huh? Nah, ruling sounds like too much paperwork. I'm here to entertain, educate, and maybe shake things up a bit. Trust me, you'll love it. I don't really care about annoying things."

SilverHeart: What if someone abuses this chat magic? Can it be used against us?

ZeroVeil's expression turned serious for a moment.

"'SilverHeart,' good question. There's always a risk with power, isn't there? But I've built safeguards. Plus, let's be real—if anyone tries, they'll have to get through me first. Spoiler alert: they won't."

The chat continued to buzz, and Eldra found herself laughing, questioning, and wondering alongside everyone else. ZeroVeil had a way of making the impossible feel thrillingly real, and she couldn't wait to see where this ride would lead.

On the other side, all over Thimoria, people were reacting to the stream in a mixture of excitement, awe, and confusion.

In the academy, students were either freaking out or laughing at the absurdity of the chat names popping up.

Back in her office, Eldra couldn't help but smile faintly as ZeroVeil continued his lively banter with the subscribers.

"Alright, everyone, this was a blast, but we're just getting started. Remember, this is only the beginning of something incredible. Stay subscribed, and I promise, you won't regret it. Looks like my time is over, but I will soon stream again. Streamer out!"

With that, the stream ended, leaving those who had heard it buzzing with excitement and curiosity.

Eldra leaned back in her chair, her mind racing.

"ZeroVeil..." she whispered. "Just what are you trying to achieve?"

She couldn't help but glance at the lingering words on the panel.

SssexyPrincipal: Goodbye for now, ZeroVeil. Looking forward to the next stream.

Eldra's face turned crimson again, and she quickly dismissed the panel with a wave of her hand.