With the previous interaction weighing heavy on Wyn’s mind, she reaches the logout tavern, the modern neon sign lighting her face in a blue glow. Outside the tavern, dozens of players drink from tall steins and share the stories of their adventures. Wyn hears many of them discussing the upcoming region quest, spreading the tale of goblins in the mountains to others. Word travels fast in Eden, no doubt helped by the messaging system.

  “There are so many players here!” Psai chirps.

  “More than I expected,” Wyn says, “but let’s log out. I’ve lingered long enough.”

  Wyn approaches the front door of the Logout Tavern and pulls on the handle. The door stays firmly closed, and a notification appears in front of her.

  Welcome to the Lethisburg Logout Tavern.

  Would you like to log out of Eden?

  Y / N

  Wyn selects “Y” and is surprised when another notification pops up.

  You are now in the queue to log out from this location.

  You are 42nd in the queue.

  “A queue to log out? Weird.” Wyn minimizes the window, which pulses at the base of her screen.

  “Ah! It seems more players are logging out of Eden than expected. In order to preserve your mental wellbeing, Progenitis Corporation only allows a certain number of players to log out at a time.”

  “And why would that protect our wellbeing?”

  Psai pauses for a moment before answering. “Due to the complications of time distortion, returning to the real world has historically led to adverse side effects.”

  Wyn gestures for him to continue. “Such as…”

  “I cannot provide specific details regarding the medical status of other players.”

  Wyn sighs. “Of course.”

  Wyn walks up to a colorful street vendor nearby, and uses one of the gold pieces from Lothran to buy a hearty meal of meat, vegetables, and potatoes. She plops down at a nearby picnic table and digs in, savoring every bite of the food. In the real world, her family couldn’t afford many fresh vegetables, let alone meat, often having to rely on ration packets to sustain themselves. So this meal is one of the best she’s ever had. It’s so delicious she often catches herself mid-groan, causing her face to flush.

  While she eats, she pays closer attention to the discussions of players nearby. A small group gathers around a well-armored half-giant, asking for advice on combat, while another group gossip about recent happenings in the courts. It’s all idle chatter and not very interesting, though one conversation in particular catches Wyn’s ear.

  “I hear Edelvahn got attacked,” a dwarf says in hushed tones.

  “Yeah. Some of their strongest were out investigating the new region quest, so it was a hard fight. Over a dozen players died,” a gruff human responds.

  Wyn types up a quick message in her interface and sends it, checking in to see if they’re okay. A response comes back almost immediately.

  New Message: Tilly

  Thanks for letting us know! We’re almost back at Edelvahn right now. Elara was acting weird, so that’s probably why. She was really upset when I told her the message I got from you. Looks like I’m going to have to clean the latrines again. Oh well. I hope you enjoy the real world! I’ll see you when you get back.

  Oh! Also, Froggy is doing well. Rennick has taken a weird liking to the little guy. We’ll keep him safe for you. Join us at Edelvahn when you re-log so we can work on the next part of the region quest!

  Wyn tunes back into the conversation between the dwarf and the human.

  “If it weren’t for that crazy commander guy, it would’ve been way worse. I heard he activated some sort of overpowered Smite ability. Literally burned through hundreds of goblins in a single strike.”

  “Oh, that’s a load of bullshit,” the dwarf says with a hearty laugh. “Progenitis doesn’t allow people to have overpowered abilities like that.”

  The man shrugs. “I don’t know. That’s just what I heard from a Legion friend of mine.”

  Wyn decides she’s heard enough and opens her minimized system window again to check how long she has to wait.

  You are now in the queue to log out from this location.

  You are 12th in the queue.

  Not too much longer now, thankfully. Wyn stands up to stretch her legs when a pair of notifications appear.

  Friend Request Recieved from Captain Neil Drell.

  Accept?

  Y / N

  Friend Request Received From Mirana Althezar.

  Accept?

  Y / N

  Looking around, Wyn spots the pair of approaching Gilded Legion members. They are just as Wyn remembers them from her first days inside Eden. Captain Neil Drell, with his heavy armor and enormous sword, followed closely by Mirana, the very grumpy elf. With a big goofy grin on his face, Neil gives Wyn a wave, while Mirana avoids eye contact. Wyn hesitantly returns the wave.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  The last time Wyn saw Neil, he gave helpful advice about the game and gave Wyn the distinct impression that the Gilded Legion wasn’t to be trusted. If he’s returning with the Legion’s agenda, this meeting will go south fast. Wyn gives another glance to the queue.

  You are now in the queue to log out from this location.

  You are seventh in the queue.

  Even if this meeting doesn’t go well, she’ll be logged out of the game before Neil or Mirana can do anything.

  “Good to see you, Wyn!” Neil says.

  “Likewise. What do I owe the pleasure?”

  Neil flinches, picking up on Wyn’s curt and professional tone. “Nothing official, I promise. I just heard word you had gotten back into town so wanted to chat with you before they send someone else after you.”

  Wyn relaxes, though her guard stays up. “Who is ‘they’ exactly?”

  Neil rolls his eyes. “My commander. Keeps complaining that I let you go.”

  Mirana scowls. “It’s bullshit. She’s just one girl.”

  Neil chuckles, pointing his thumb at Mirana. “That about sums up my thoughts too.”

  “And why do they want me, anyway?”

  “I don’t know. They claim you’ve appropriated our supplies by not joining the legion or getting paid. I’ve never seen my commander so nervous; he’s definitely hiding something.”

  Neil lowers his voice as he continues, leaning one elbow on the back of the bench as if trying to make the conversation look casual. “I figured I’d warn you before he pulls something stupid. He keeps saying there’s a ‘protocol breach,’ but won’t tell anyone what that means. Not even senior officers.”

  Wyn frowns. “What kind of commander hides behind vague orders? I thought they’d at least have open communication between officers.”

  Mirana snorts. “Internally, they’re a nest of overstuffed pigeons. All puffed chests and flapping wings.”

  Neil shoots her a look. “Please stop insulting our employer in front of the new girl.”

  “It’s not an insult if it’s true,” Mirana mutters.

  Wyn glances at the glowing queue window as it pulses again at her side.

  You are now in the queue to log out from this location.

  You are fourth in the queue.

  “What did you come here for, really?” Wyn asks, folding her arms. “A warning? Or recruitment?”

  “Neither,” Neil says firmly. “Honestly, I just wanted to see how you were doing. Command mentioned you were involved with the goblins in the mountains. From what I heard, you handled yourself well. I’m just glad you made it out alive. You’ve made quite an impression on me and many of the locals.”

  Mirana’s lips twitch. Sighing, she says, “Same. You’ve stirred the rat’s nest. Would be a shame not to find out why.”

  Wyn softens despite herself. It’s so much easier to trust Neil’s affable grin, his open posture. “I’m okay,” she says. “Tired. Trying to get back to the real world.”

  “You picked a hell of a day to log out,” Neil says. “Server’s been slammed. Region-wide instability in the north, some guild clashes over the region quest, then the Edelvahn attack…” His expression darkens. “We were a few minutes late getting the call to reinforce.”

  “I heard players died,” Wyn says quietly.

  “Yeah,” Neil murmurs. “A lot.”

  Mirana folds her arms. “We lost two new recruits. It’s not actual death, but it’ll still rattle them. It’ll be a year in-game before they can rejoin on a new character with the time dilation.” She shakes her head before continuing. “Besides, dying in Eden is—”

  “—not just dying,” Neil finishes. “It messes with your head. Even if the system dulls the shock, you still feel something. Something cold.”

  Wyn swallows. That strange prickle at the back of her neck returns; like someone brushing cobwebs across her skin. She glances between them for a long moment before asking them, “Psai mentioned that people have gone insane playing this game. Is that really something that happens?”

  Neil and Mirana exchange a look. A long one.

  “What do you mean, Psai?” Neil asks.

  In response, Psai pops into view. “Greetings! I am Wyn’s Progenetis Systems Artificial Intelligence, or Psai. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

  Mirana’s eyes narrow, and Neil stares in disbelief. “He joined you in-game.”

  Wyn sighs. She’s only had to explain Psai a few times now, but it’s already getting old. “Yes. Psai joined me in-game. Moving on. If you could answer my question, please.”

  You are about to be logged out of Eden.

  Thank you for playing. Beginning logout timer!

  A 60-second timer counts down, and both Wyn’s body and Psai’s orb begin to slowly pulse.

  “Damnit. There’s no time, I’m about to log out,” Wyn says.

  “Look,” Neil says, dropping all pretense of casual banter. “Whatever you do when you get back, just be careful. If you feel sick or foggy, if time seems off, or you get sleep disturbances, don’t ignore it. People think the tech is magical, but it’s not. It’s wires and neurolinks and haptic pulses. And Progenitis will downplay everything if it keeps people playing.”

  Mirana watches Wyn closely, like she’s studying her for cracks. “You’re not like other newbies. You pick up too much. Most of the higher-ups hate that.”

  “That,” Neil adds, “and you met Lothran. He keeps tabs on anyone who’s… interesting.”

  Wyn flinches a little. “Why would Lothran care about me? I’ve barely done anything.”

  Mirana exhales, long and slow. “From what I’ve seen? It’s never about what you’ve done. It’s about what they think you might do.”

  Neil opens his interface and flicks something toward her. Another friend request, this one a simple pop-up.

  Message from Captain Neil Drell:

  If something happens, or if you need help, contact me. Things aren’t right in Eden.

  Wyn hesitates. She considers disregarding the message, but his expression isn’t smug or agenda-driven. Wyn spots genuine concern written plainly across his kind face. Whatever is going on in Eden, Wyn needs all the friends she can get. Too many details feel out of place, too many questions are left unanswered, and it seems Progenitis and the game itself don’t want their players to find out.

  “I’ll message you when I get back.”

  5

  4

  3

  2

  1

  Thank you for playing Eden. We hope to see you again soon!

  The Progenitis Corporation — “Where Tomorrow Becomes Real?”

  Wyn’s eyes open to the inside of her Eden System helmet, the eye screens dark and inactive. Her conversation with Neil and Mirana left her feeling uneasy, and even now, anxiety worms its way through her bones. She takes a breath, calming her roiling nerves. Breathing deeply, fear subsides, replaced by an easier level of worry.

  Now, how to get the strange suit off of her body? For the hundredth time, she wishes she had taken the time to read the thick manual included in the packaging. Feeling around the helmet in total darkness, Wyn doesn’t feel any buttons or levers to release the helmet from her head.

  “Just get off of my head,” Wyn groans.

  “You will find the—” Psai starts to say.

  “AH!” Wyn screams, not expecting the AI in the real world. “Why are you here?”

  “My apologies for startling you, Wyn. I am native to your Eden System and therefore am able to communicate with you through it at any time.”

  Wyn slows her breathes, willing her heart to relax despite the shock of a sudden Psai.

  “One of these days I’m going to stop being surprised by you.”

  “I will venture to be less surmising!”

  Wyn rolls her eyes. “Whatever you say, Mister Orb.”

  “I am not ‘Mister Orb’ I am Psai, your Progenitis System Artificial Intelligence.”

  Ignoring him, Wyn reaches to the base of her skull, and finds the smallest indent of a button and presses it. The helmet unlatches, and the skintight bodysuit balloons out, returning to its original size. Wyn takes off the helmet and sets it to her side before folding her bodysuit and placing it on the bedside table.

  Wyn frowns at her dreary room. Compared to the bright colors of Eden, her real-world room feels incredibly dull. In Eden, Wyn can morph reality and do incredible things with magic, but here she’s just another girl stuck in one of the poorest areas on earth.

  But at least now through Eden, Wyn has a chance to help her family out of poverty. To someday take them away from the dreaded Gray Zones. But only time will tell if those plans come to fruition.

  A knock on the door. “You all right in there?”

  Mom’s voice is tinged with exhaustion and concern in equal measure, likely having just returned from a hard shift. She undoubtedly heard Wyn’s scream. Wyn smiles wide and reaches for the door, having thrown on a basic t-shirt and pants. The door flies open, and Wyn nearly tackles her mom in a hug.

  She lets out a joyful “oof” from the impact, bracing herself on the wall.

  “Oh goodness. What’s this for?”

  “I missed you!”

  “I saw you literally yesterday.”

  “Details,” Wyn says, pulling her mom even tighter. “Time is different in Eden. It might’ve been a day for you, but it’s been over a week for me.”

  Mom pulls away from the hug, giving Wyn a confused look. “That makes… no sense.”

  “We have a lot to talk about. Come on. I’ll cook.”

  Fatigue deepens the shadows under Mom’s eyes, but she still trails after Wyn, eager for the rare comfort of a meal she didn’t have to cook.