[LOCATION UPDATE: Arkhari Wastes – Western Border]

  [PRIMARY QUEST: "Desert Drip and Digital Doom"]

  [OBJECTIVE: Continue Binary Fragment Search Without Drawing UNKNOWN’s Attention]

  The desert wind howled like a dying machine.

  Grains of burnt-orange sand whipped past my face, biting into my cheeks as the sky above shifted between a sun-bleached yellow and the faint static glitch of corrupted textures. It was barely noon, and the heat was already enough to make my status bar shimmer like a mirage.

  We were far from Phoenix Ascendant territory now. No more reinforced bunkers or guild hall feasts. No more Kaelion’s speeches or Lyra’s piercing suspicion. Just us. Our party. My people.

  And this time, we weren’t running blind.

  I pulled the hood of my light desert cloak tighter around my face and adjusted the Hydra Fang, now strapped at my hip. It pulsed faintly, adapting to the dry climate as part of its passive enchantment. A far cry from how it used to g in swamp terrain. Nice little update from Mika, I had to admit.

  Mika.

  One of the actual devs.

  Still hard to believe the girl in the oversized b coat and twin tails was a literal architect of the Eidon Nexus. But after our conversation—our deal—things had changed.

  My css had changed.

  [CLASS: Succubus Demon Lord (Stabilized)]

  [STATUS: Code Patched | Mod Interference: Suppressed | UNKNOWN Detection: Masked]

  I had access to entirely new abilities now. No longer raw, chaotic power exploding at the worst times. I could feel the structure behind it—the elegance. Mika said my new subcss was “a symbiotic rogue-caster hybrid,” whatever that meant. All I knew was, I didn’t feel like a bug anymore.

  I felt... dangerous.

  “Don’t get lost in thought,” Devon called ahead, his greatsword resting across his back. “We’re coming up on the ridge.”

  “I wasn’t,” I lied smoothly, catching up to him.

  Behind us, the rest of the group trudged through the sand, the dunes shifting beneath their boots. Selene was calm and focused, her movements fluid despite the terrain. Mason was swatting at something buzzing around his head, grumbling about sand getting into his hammer handle. Fi was teasing him mercilessly, of course.

  And Ethan… was quiet.

  He hadn’t said much since the st boss raid. Not after what happened in the real world. But his presence lingered near mine like a ghost—never far, never intrusive. I could feel his eyes on me sometimes, like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how.

  Same, buddy.

  I tightened my grip on my dagger, pushing those thoughts aside.

  “Look sharp,” Devon muttered. “Something’s off.”

  The sand ahead rippled.

  Then it moved.

  [ALERT: New Encounter – Sandbyte Devourer]

  [Type: Glitch-Afflicted Mob | Css: Subterranean Predator | Threat Level: High]

  [HP: 18,000]

  “Oh for the love of—” I didn’t finish.

  The ground exploded beneath us as a massive centipede-like creature burst from the dune, its body made of twisting metal and cracked sandstone. Its mandibles shrieked open like broken steel traps, bck glitching eyes flickering red.

  “Formation Alpha!” Devon barked.

  We moved instantly. Selene zipped forward, already cloaked in shadow, her dual daggers fshing like ghost-fire. Fi dashed right with her twin bdes drawn, Mason barreled left with his hammer glowing, and I—

  I dropped low, palm out.

  [NEW ABILITY: Shadebind Trap – Sets a demonic glyph that snares enemies when triggered.]

  “Gotcha,” I hissed, flinging the trap just under the creature’s gaping maw.

  The glyph ignited as the creature lunged—and for a second, the entire screen rippled.

  [TRIGGERED: Glitch Patch Radius Active – Local corruption suppressed]

  The glitching around the creature’s edges stabilized slightly. Not a full cleanse like before, but enough to make it vulnerable.

  “Now, Ethan!” I shouted.

  He appeared from behind me, already mid-air with dual daggers.

  [Ability: Phantom Surge – Consecutive air attacks with critical bleed]

  He struck like lightning, bdes carving along the creature’s spine in a streak of glitch sparks and pixeted blood.

  Devon came in next, smming his sword down.

  [Ability: Iron Rend – Heavy two-handed ssh, increased damage to corrupted enemies]

  The creature shrieked, rearing back—

  And Mason leapt from the side, hammer overhead.

  “Y’all always forget the finisher,” he grinned.

  [Ability: Earthbreaker Crash – Area of Effect: Medium | Status Inflict: Cripple (40%)]

  BOOM.

  The creature’s torso twisted sideways under the blow, half its carapace shattered. I sprinted up its side, dagger glowing violet, and triggered my finisher.

  [Ultimate Ability: Kiss of the Abyss – Executes low HP enemies with demonic backsh]

  I stabbed down.

  The world fshed.

  [SANDBYTE DEVOURER – DEFEATED]

  [XP Gained: 14,500]

  [Loot: Glitch Fragments (3), Gold x500, Ancient Map Scrap x1]

  [Party Level Increase – Kiera is now Level 26]

  I exhaled and rolled off its back as it began dissolving into dust and static.

  “Well,” Selene said as she sheathed her daggers, “that was disgusting.”

  “But effective,” Devon added, nudging the map scrap with his boot. “Think this leads to the next fragment?”

  “Maybe,” I said, kneeling beside it. “But it’s not just about fragments anymore.”

  I looked to the horizon. The heat shimmered over the dunes, and in the far distance, something massive rose from the sand. A tower? A ruin? Or another forgotten vault of broken code?

  Didn’t matter.

  We were headed there next.

  And this time, we weren’t just collecting fragments.

  We were preparing to rewrite the system.

  ?????°???°?????

  [LOCATION: Duskwind Outpost – Arkhari Bordernds]

  Deserts weren’t supposed to have breezes that smelled like grilled meat and spice-soaked rice bowls.

  But Duskwind Outpost proved otherwise.

  Nestled at the edge of a craggy canyon just before the dunes really went full Mad Max, the outpost looked like a mix of Middle Eastern bazaars and post-apocalyptic guild hubs. Stone archways lined the market square. Fabric canopies in colors so vibrant they glitched slightly in the heat fpped above worn cobblestone walkways. There was even a floating NPC band pying some off-beat desert synth theme, like someone hacked together “Final Fantasy meets Lo-Fi Caravan Beats.”

  [New Area Discovered: Duskwind Outpost]

  [Rest Bonus Unlocked – 15% XP Boost (12 Hours)]

  [Town Buff: Heat Resistance +1 | Glitch Detection - Temporarily Disabled]

  I pulled back my hood and let the breeze touch my skin. The heat was still sharp, but here, it didn’t feel cruel. It felt earned. Like reaching a checkpoint after a raid and being rewarded with ambience.

  “Weirdly charming,” Selene said, eyeing the mismatched nterns dangling from merchant stalls. “Also, I swear that lizard just winked at me.”

  I gnced over to see a cactus-lizard hybrid pet blinking one oversized eye. “Probably just bugged. Or flirting.”

  “Same thing, really.”

  Mason stretched with a groan behind us. “Alright, first person to find food that doesn’t make me vomit gets a bonus buff called Eternal Gratitude.”

  “Too bad that’s not real,” Fi snorted, then pointed at a nearby grill cart. “Ooh, that smells amazing—Kiera, let’s go!”

  Before I could respond, she looped her arm through mine and dragged me away, giggling.

  “Wait—” I looked back at Devon, who gave me a little wave and a half-smile before turning toward the local bcksmith with Selene.

  And Ethan?

  He lingered at the edge of the pza, hands in his pockets. Watching.

  Always watching.

  I smiled at him briefly—just enough to say you’re okay—before Fi yanked me into a flurry of spice, chatter, and NPC bartering.

  [Vendor: Chef Sal'Zhan – “Meat You at Sundown”]

  [Desert Skewer – Heals 100 LP over 10 seconds | Buff: +3% Crit for 30 minutes]

  [Cactus Cider – Restores 10% stamina instantly | Chance of intoxication: 15%]

  We ate on stone steps beneath a faded banner that read Wastend Welcomes You! and watched the virtual sunset glitch just slightly as it fell behind the jagged peaks. Fi leaned into me, half-full skewer in one hand.

  “So,” she said, in between bites. “You gonna talk to Ethan before we head to the next quest or keep pretending you haven’t noticed he’s got the heart-eyes emoji glued to his HUD?”

  I froze with my own skewer halfway to my lips. “He doesn’t. And also... we’re just friends.”

  “Girl,” Fi drawled, poking my thigh with the stick, “I don’t make out with my friends.”

  My cheeks burned, and I swatted her stick away. “It wasn’t—! That was—! That’s not the point!”

  “Rex, I’m not judging,” she said, her voice softer now. “Just saying. Don’t ignore it if it’s real. Even if it’s complicated. Especially if it’s complicated.”

  She smiled, that same tender look she gave Mason when he wasn’t looking.

  “Speaking of which... he’s been acting cute tely.”

  “Lately?” I raised an eyebrow.

  “I mean, cuter,” she admitted, ughing. “We’ve been talking. About maybe... I dunno. After high school. Stuff. Real life stuff.”

  My heart softened. “Fi...”

  “Don’t,” she said, putting her hand over mine. “I’m okay. Just—promise me we’ll keep having moments like this.”

  “I promise,” I said.

  Later, we returned at the outpost’s inn—a two-story sandstone building called “The Dusty Pillow.” The walls of The Dusty Pillow were a dusty tan, lit by flickering orange nterns that gave everything a warm, rustic glow.

  From the second-floor balcony, you could see the full spread of Duskwind’s canyons under starlight. I leaned on the wooden railing, sipping from a cactus cider I probably shouldn’t have accepted from Mason.

  The taste was… weird. Like jape?o soda.

  Footsteps padded up behind me. I already knew who they belonged to before I turned around.

  Selene stood beside me, her arms folded, eyes on the sky.

  "You’re not the only one who likes the quiet,” she said softly. “It’s nice. Being out of combat for five seconds.”

  "Feels rare tely," I murmured, tucking a loose curl behind my ear.

  She gnced sideways. "You’re thinking again. The kind of thinking that leads to drama.”

  I huffed. “I’m always thinking.”

  “That’s the problem.”

  I set my drink down and leaned against the railing again. “It’s hard not to. With everything... UNKNOWN, the Fragments, the devs, Ethan, Devon. All of it.”

  "You're still figuring out what you want."

  I blinked at her. "...Am I that obvious?"

  "Only to people who love you," she replied, and I suddenly couldn’t meet her gaze.

  She reached over, brushed her hand across mine. The contact was simple, brief. But full of something deeper.

  “Whatever happens,” Selene added, “you don’t have to choose everything at once. But don’t let guilt drive your choices.”

  I nodded slowly. “I know. I just... don’t want to hurt anyone.”

  “You will,” she said, with brutal honesty and a gentle voice. “That’s part of being loved.”

  Later that night, the common room buzzed with low chatter as everyone cimed corners of the inn. Devon sat on the floor, back against the wall, reading item descriptions out loud and calling them "trash drops." Ethan was nearby, not quite joining in, not quite apart.

  Fi and Mason were curled up on one of the old couches, Fi stretched across Mason's p like a cat while he pyed with her hair absentmindedly.

  "You okay?" Mason asked when he caught me watching.

  I smiled. “Yeah.”

  He nodded. “You ever think about where this is all going? Not just the game. Us.”

  Fi perked up, smirking. “Deep thoughts from a guy who called a death worm ‘butt ugly’ today.”

  “I have yers,” Mason muttered.

  “Like a hammer onion,” Fi teased.

  They bantered, but I could see the tenderness in the way he looked at her. It was new, but it was real.

  And for a moment, I wished everything could just stay like this.

  Much ter, as people dozed off or logged out, I sat on the edge of my bedroll, staring at my inventory.

  [Fragmented Binary Code – 7/???]

  And still no idea how many remained. Still being hunted by a ghost system no one fully understood.

  The door creaked quietly.

  Ethan stepped in, not in stealth, not hiding. Just... quiet.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Didn’t log out.”

  He didn’t need to say why. I knew. The lines were getting blurred. Between the game and the world beyond. Between hearts and logic.

  “Wanna sit?” I offered, scooting to the side of the mat.

  He joined me.

  For a few minutes, we just stared at the dying embers in the firepce.

  Then he said, “I meant it, you know.”

  I turned to him. “Which part?”

  He gave me that small, tired smile. “That I’ll fight for you. However I can. Even if it’s just being your friend.”

  Something tightened in my chest.

  “I know,” I whispered. “And I’ll always be here for you, too.”

  He looked like he wanted to say more. But instead, he just leaned in—barely, just enough to brush his shoulder against mine.

  “I think you're the glitch I was always hoping to find,” he said quietly.

  I ughed under my breath, soft and fragile.

  “Flirt.”

  “Can’t help it. Even in cutscenes.”

  I bumped my shoulder into his. “You’re terrible.”

  “I know. But you’re smiling again.”

  And I was.

  ?????°???°?????

  After Ethan left—after the fire burned to its faintest glow—I stayed awake. Not because I was torn between anyone. But because I needed to breathe in silence for just a little longer. Being the center of someone’s world is a lot when you’re not even sure where yours is spinning.

  I didn’t hear the steps, but I felt the presence. Familiar. He didn’t say anything at first. He just sat on the edge of my bedroll, careful not to crowd me.

  “You still awake?” Devon asked softly.

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  “I figured,” he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. “You get that crease between your eyebrows when you’re overthinking.”

  My hand immediately went to my forehead. “I do not.”

  “Do too.”

  We sat in mutual silence for a moment, broken only by the soft wind rattling the wooden shutters. The desert outside had quieted—no mobs, no chaos, just calm code.

  “You’re doing that thing again,” he said gently.

  “What thing?”

  “Holding everyone else’s feelings like they’re more important than yours.”

  I didn’t respond. He wasn’t wrong.

  “I know I’ve been... hard on him,” Devon added, voice rougher now. “On Ethan.”

  “Yeah, maybe a lot,” I said, half teasing.

  “Yeah, well,” Devon sighed. “I don’t hate him. I just hate the idea of losing you. To anything. To anyone. Especially after we’ve come this far.”

  I turned to him.

  His eyes were darker than usual in the low light, softer too. “Devon, I’m not going anywhere.”

  He let out a breath, then reached out, his hand brushing against mine. Not grabbing. Just touching.

  “I don’t need you to promise me anything, Kiera,” he said. “Just tell me when you’re hurting. Or when you’re scared. Let me carry that with you. I’m not trying to own you. I just want to be there.”

  The way he said it—so unguarded, so him—made my chest ache in a different kind of way.

  I leaned into his shoulder, just a little.

  And he leaned back.

  “You’re still my anchor,” I said quietly.

  “And you’re still my reason to log in every day,” he murmured.

  We didn’t kiss. We didn’t need to.

  The closeness was enough.

  [BUFF GAINED: Anchor of Trust – Minor DEF & RES Boost when near Devon in Party]

  That was the st thing I remembered before finally logging out. Not the battles. Not the fragments.

  But warmth.