Chapter 11: Signature

The world shifted on its axis, Rylan felt like he was sinking into the earth as he read the greyed out text over and over again.

It can't be.

It couldn't be.

Rylan's brain switched gears and went into immediate problem solving mode. They couldn't log out. But why? he had checked it on their way here and it showed that they could, So why did that suddenly change. Neither of them had received a welcome notification which meant that they were still here as intruders.

He racked his brain for anything out of place that had happened, Then he remembered, the continuous line of mountains had reminded him of the shadow wall that led into the border, If the shadows were the gate to the border then the mountains were probably the gate to whatever was to come. A theory formed.

“We're too deep into the border to leave.” He murmured quietly.

“What?” Maerik asked.

“We need to go back to where we crashed.” Rylan said louder, Vrey’s eyes twitched but he didn't move, Rylan noticed but wrote it off.

Maerik didn't question him, he trusted Rylan completely so immediately Rylan made the proposal of what they should do he was on board.

“You two are forgetting about one important thing.” Vrey interjected quietly, his tone cutting through Rylan's thoughts. “They're still beast out there.”

For a second, The existence of beast had skipped his mind. If he and Maerik went down alone he seriously doubted their chances of survival and with their log out status the way it was death might mean death.

“You escorting us will be too much too ask.” Rylan stated but phrased it as a question, hoping Vrey would shake his head and offer but he didn't, Instead he just shifted slightly but maintained his position. Rylan understood, he wouldn't risk his life for people he had just met either, Vrey might be strong but they didn't know or understand the limitations of his strength and with the amount of lurking beast he could sense, staying put was the best option—But—that came with an even greater risk, they weren't stuck yet but who was to say that was a permanent state of being, They needed to leave before fates hand decided to play a card against them.

Rylan figured that they didn't need to get back to where they had crashed, just to the last point where logging out had been an option and that was just a few minutes from the cave, They could make it if they were fast enough, He prayed they were fast enough.

Leaving was a gamble but staying would make a probability certain.

He took in a breath to calm his frantic nerves and walked to the entry of the cave. The cold breeze blew through his hair as he stared down the slope of the terrain, His eyes couldn't see them but he could feel the presence of the countless beast hiding, waiting for them to step out of the cave.

Maerik stepped to his side and let out a breath. “We're really doing this?” He asked with a nervous smile curving his lips, Rylan nodded, his eyes fixed on the road ahead of them. “You know it bothers me.” Maerik said.

Rylan raised a brow at his sudden words. “What?”

“It bothers me how we just accepted it. How we just accepted that the world we once knew was about to be erased.”

“We don't know that yet.”

“Let's not lie to ourselves Rylan, we're both smarter than that.” The way he spoke had an element that made it clear why so many people followed him, it was more than just skill, it was his ability to garner admiration. “This is probably bigger than were even imagining it to be and this is most likely just the beginning.” He let out a sigh then turned to face Vrey. “Thank you.” He said. “You didn't have to help us but you did and for that we are grateful, I'll do everything in my power and I promise, I'll get you out of here.” He swore, Rylan nodded in agreement but Vrey kept his head down and didn't respond.

They adjusted into running stances and were about to move when Rylan felt a hand wrap around his wrist, He turned and saw Vrey holding him back.

“Don't leave.” He urged with a tender tone that sent shivers running through Rylan, he tugged to release himself but Vrey added just a little more power and tightened his grip.

It hurt but Rylan was focused on something else, he could feel it, their contact gave him deeper access into Vrey’s energy, He could feel the structure and something was off.

Since he had been able to sense energy he had noticed that players had a certain type of energy that was completely different from that of beasts, The energy players possessed was the same but there was something that differentiated one players energy from another, like a signature each one unique and discernable with enough focus but Vrey was different there was more than one unique signature, they were three, One was his but the remaining two belonged to——

“What did you do?” Rylan asked, his eyes wide and filled with horror.

“What?” Maerik asked, confusion filling his voice.

“Opps, I fucked up.” Vrey said with a voice so unsettling that it felt like someone completely different had taken his place, he released Rylan and took a graceful step back. He stared at his palms and began to talk to himself “I shouldn't have touched him but oh well.”

“WHAT DID YOU DO!!” Rylan demanded, his voice reverberating through the walls of the cave. Wrath etched across his face as power stired wildly within him.

A chuckle escaped Vrey that only worsened Maerik's confusion as he stared between the both of them.

Vrey covered his face with his palm and spread two fingers so his bright Violet eyes s

howed as he said the words.

“I—killed—them.”