Aether

I remember the darkness. I remember dying. 'Beep…Beep…Beep.' I heard in the distance, echoing throughout the cavernous purgatory I was standing in. My chest hurt; my ribcage ached. I felt dissociated from my body, my head was foggy. “We’re losing her! You have to upload now.” A voice shouted, it echoed in my head and I covered my ears to shut out the sharp noise. I floated, listening to the steady sound in the background. The beeping was getting more erratic, it was an alarm siren blaring in my head. “Please don’t go, don’t leave me!” A little girl cried. My heart wrenched, I screamed out in frustration, running blindly around through the darkness. “Emily?” I shouted --------------------------------------------------------------- Fayre has been struggling since her parents died to parent her younger sister, Emily. In order to make ends meet, Fayre accepts a deal with a large entertainment company, Hyperion Studios, that her body will be donated to science upon her death. When Fayre meets an untimely accident and dies, her consciousness is uploaded into the virtual world Aether. Trapped inside this world filled with monsters, demons, and magic, that is being live streamed to the masses, Fayre is desperate to get back to her sister in the real world. Stranded in a battle royale armed only with a large black sword, Fayre learns that the only way through the game is to play it – and survive. As she survives bloodbath after bloodbath, she meets other trapped souls, criminals who have been entered into the games, and the ultra wealthy beta-players. The mysterious game masters have promised freedom or life to one who can beat the game, but all have perished in their attempts to make their way through the treacherous landscapes and beat the high-powered bosses that wait at each level. Fayre explores this game world around her, the new companions and quests that await, and she must ask herself: can she survive? Will she be able to save those she loves, and herself?