As Lucas passed through the veil of darkness that shrouded the interior of the Alchemist Guild, he felt the hairs on his neck stand on end and his stomach twist. Halted at the foyer, Lucas's eyes widened as he took in the reception area of the guild. From the outside, the building had been large—bigger than it needed to be, sure, but it was at least in line with the other guilds around it.
What he had stepped into was something else entirely. The chamber before him was vast—impossibly so. A high, vaulted ceiling stretched upwards like the inside of a cathedral, disappearing into a soft amber mist and sea of spectral motes. The walls curved away in smooth arcs of alabaster stone veined with shimmering runes, each pulsing as if a beating heart. There was no question in Lucas's mind that this was a feat of incredible magic.
"Lucas."
The guild before him was so intricate that for the first time since he entered Dustspire, Lucas actually focused wholly on its details. As his eyes began to trace the mosaic etched into the very floor he stood upon, he saw a dainty hand wave in front of his face. "Hello? Earth to Lucas?" Evelyn's voice finally seemed to reach his ears and he slowly turned to look at his girlfriend—his eyes lagging behind as he spotted the scant few alchemical formulas he knew on the tiled ground.
"Sorry, I… didn't quite expect this level of detail. It—" He gestured to a wrought-iron staircase off to the left then to the floating orbs of light, "—makes it hard to believe this isn't real." More than that, Lucas felt something in his gut that told him Dustspire was different. "That, my dear guest. Is because this is, in fact, the prime materia. No illusions here!" Both Lucas and Evelyn snapped towards the newcomer they had not previously noticed.
The voice drifted over from a man who stood behind a semicircular desk carved from a darkened wood. One which had a surface inlaid with a spiraling array of glyphs that changed when Lucas stopped focusing on it. The man was tall and reed-thin, with the kind of posture that suggested he spent most of his life hunched over a tome or a laboratory table.
His bone white hair looked like it had been frozen in time during a particularly large gust of wind. His eyes, one deep green as an emerald and the other a telescopic monocle that looked like it had been fused to his socket, stood out the most. In contrast, his attire was quite simple—an oddly modern looking white lab coat. He looked human, but Lucas was unsure just how many races could pass for such.
The man's voice, like polished obsidian—smooth, cold, and clear—continued, "Allow me to welcome you both, to the Alchemist Guild. I, Quintrell, am at your service! I do not believe either of you have graced our meager halls before. What can I do for you today?" Lucas felt a hand wrapped around his own, and he stepped closer; Evelyn keeping abreast.
Evelyn, ever the social butterfly, flashed a radiant smile, "Thank you for the warm greeting, Quintrell! My partner and I were quite interested in testing to become an Apprentice Alchemist." Quintrell nodded, and reached down. The sound of a drawer sliding open sounded and without looking, the clerk retrieved something. "It warms my heart that young scions such as yourselves would allow Everhollow's Alchemist Guild to administer your first trial. It has been quite some time since we've hosted newcomers who know of our exclusive entrance."
Lucas tilted his head, then looked around in surprise as he finally realized the clerk had said 'Everhollow' and not 'Arvedell.'
Evelyn enjoyed watching as Lucas's expression continued to shift as he realised they were no longer in Arvedell. While he never was a man of many words, she had been around him long enough that she could tell what he was thinking most of the time from his expression and body language alone. When she had first seen him today she could tell that the reason for his distance had been more than simply 'getting in his own head.'
From their hug, she could feel the tension. In the almost two decades she had known Lucas, he had never before been so distracted. Even in Dustspire—a game that checked every box her boyfriend had when it came to his interests and hobbies—he did not seem to take things in farther than skin-deep.
It worried her greatly that something was troubling him so thoroughly; so she resolved herself to help him. She knew that in time, he would share his troubles with her, and until then she would be by his side offering her support. Quickly, Evelyn rationalized that if she led Lucas headfirst into wonder after wonder he might pull himself out of the fog that kept him from enjoying Dustspire.
The easiest way she could think of doing so had been to take him here, to the first Alchemist Guild—located in Eveternavale's capital Everhollow.
I'll have to thank Old Froggy later for sharing this shortcut.
Thankfully, it seemed to do the trick, as temporary as it might be. Evelyn watched as the last remnants of tension were replaced with excitement, and the resting scowl transformed into a look of wonder. Lucas snapped his head in her direction, "Was that a portal we stepped through?"
Quintrell straightened slightly as he placed two documents on the counter. "Nothing quite that mundane, sir. What brought you to us today was an artifact—one created by the great Archibald the Enchanter." The man seemed to take pride in that particular fact as he animatedly waved two pens before setting them down parallel to the documents. "Now if you both could please fill out this form." He pointed as he spoke, "Boxes one, three, seven, nine, and sign 16 after you have read our brief disclaimer."
Having already done it once before, Evelyn gently palmed the pen and thumbed the cap. It softly clattered on the wooden counter and with a small habitual spin, she had the pen settled nicely in her grip. Skimming over the contents once to ensure nothing had changed, Evelyn finalized her signature.
Lucas softly tapped the counter with his right hand as he twirled the pen between the fingers of his left, his eyes flitting across the page over and over again. The pen stopped spinning and her boyfriend looked up at the clerk, "I have some concerns about section five, 'Clause of Reconstitution. In the unlikely event of bodily obliteration, the Guild reserves the right to attempt reconstitution at its discretion. Success is not guaranteed, and memory integrity may be compromised.'"
He tapped the pen on the counter five times as emphasis, "Specifically, the 'bodily obliteration' and 'Success is not guaranteed' bit." Amusement danced across Quintrell's face, as if he was never tired of getting asked this question over and over. Evelyn had in fact witnessed many of her former guildmates ask similar questions.
"Unfortunately for those less mentally inclined, Alchemy is an exact science. Sometimes we have an applicant who uses one or 20 too many drops of basilisk urine in their fertility potions causing an interesting spectacle that involves accidentally summoning an elder Wyrm during a brief mating season." Quintrell waved his hand dismissively, "It's only happened four times in my tenure. I can assure you, not officially of course, that you will be fine. So long as you make no mistakes."
Evelyn raised her hand to cover her mouth as she tried to stifle her laughter. Lucas's brows were furrowed and his right eye twitched, "Right… And the last part?" He sounded pained, and Evelyn felt heat rise to her cheeks as she struggled to contain herself. Without missing a beat, the clerk turned it around on her boyfriend, "Well you try ensuring you got every every bit of an applicant scrapped off a dragon in heat. I will not suffer that again."
Lucas scratched the back of his head and muttered, "Fuck it." After penning his signature, he slid the completed form towards Quintrell who collected the two sheets of paper and deposited them back into the drawer he originally retrieved them from. With his knee, he slid it shut and motioned for the couple to follow as he walked out from behind the counter. "Sir Zariah, Lady Vaelith, if you would please follow me to the testing room."
Evelyn gave her boyfriend a reassuring pat on the shoulder before holding out her hand. Once he took it, she led him after Quintrell. The clerk walked with his hands behind his back, and at a pace that was slow enough for Lucas to once again get lost in the formulas that decorated the floor. Together, they approached the wrought-iron staircase and descended towards the testing room.
Known to the initiated, the Verdant Crucible Chamber was a vast circular space that could only exist thanks to the spatial enchantments woven into the very foundation of the guildhall. Alchemical workstations followed along the circular room and each was equipped with floating lights, an adjustable flame, and an expanded drawer that contained just about every instrument or container someone would need. In the center was a dias that projected an image of the guild's greenhouse.
As they stood firmly within the domain of the testing room, Evelyn breathed in the faint scent of herbs, reagents and ash. Quintrell moved farther into the room and stood in front of the dais, "Welcome to the Verdant Crucible Chamber, where we separate the alchemists from the chaff. Please pick a station." Lucas and Evelyn both chose the station closest to them and once they stood behind it Quintrell continued, "Before we can change the world, we must understand it. Thus the first part of our trial is one of knowledge. On both of your stations you will find embedded ruby. Upon placing your hand on it, you will be placed under an illusion. To break free, all you need to do is find and consume an ingredient that can grant you truesight."
Evelyn glanced over at Lucas and could tell he wanted to ask what would happen if they failed, but thought better of it. The tension in him seemed to return as she watched him take a deep breath and touch the ruby.
After his finger brushed against the gem, a bright light stole Lucas's vision. He rapidly began to blink and slowly the spots faded from view. Gone was the testing room, and in its place a gargantuan table.
What is it with this place and large spaces?
Covering the surface of the table were herbs and other ingredients an alchemist would use to craft potions. Lucas—thanks to his months of study and practice—recognized most. Unfortunately there were many ingredients that looked to be duplicates. Anyone who aimed to complete the trail quickly would certainly fail. He couldn't afford to unless he wanted to waste time remaking his character to avoid the wait he would have to endure if he failed.
Focus, Lucas.
He was getting distracted too often. A clap echoed out as Lucas slapped his cheeks, "Truesight, truesight, truesight." Lucas began to walk along the table, his eyes intently scanning everything on the table as he mentally identified everything he could remember. When he eyed a flower with black petals and silver vein-like lines he picked it up and continued down the table.
By the time he reached the end, he had gathered five similar flowers. "Which one of you is the Eyebright Bloom?" One by one, Lucas sniffed each flower. The first held the faint scent of copper, electing him to discard it. The rest smelled like mint with an undertone of lavender, requiring Lucas to search for more details to differentiate the four.
"One, two, three, four-" Lucas began to count the amount of petals on each flower, and when he found one that did not have five, he dropped them on the ground. Now left with two, Lucas tapped his foot as he dug deeper into his mental catalog. "Eye..bright…bloom. When it blooms…" Recalling that the key was in the name, Lucas cupped his hands around each flower and sure enough, one softly glowed.
Slowly, Lucas raised the remaining flower to his mouth and opened wide. He closed his eyes as he bit down and prepared for the worst. "I had higher hopes, Sir Zariah." Lucas opened his eyes to a frowning Quintrell. His heart sank and he let out a heavy breath. "Honestly, it shan't have taken you more than a single breath to identify the correct flower, but a success your attempt still was."
Lucas felt heat rise in his chest and he bit his lip, his eyes narrowing at Quintrell who simply smiled in response. "Your partner has already completed the remaining parts of the trial and is waiting for you upstairs." The man moved away from the dias and towards Lucas's workstation, he gestured down and Lucas noticed the materials for the next part were already neatly placed before him.
"It is not enough to simply know. One must do. Prove to me that you can brew a Clarity Draught. Do know, a few of your materials will do you more harm than good." With that said, Quintrell retreated towards the dias and left Lucas alone with his thoughts. Just like the outrageous lines in front of the Alchemist Guild in Arvedell, Lucas had never seen a single mention of a Clarity Draught needing to be crafted for the Apprentice Alchemist trial.
The inconsistencies in what he thought he knew gnawed at his insides. If he had marched forward as he had originally planned without Evelyn, he most likely would have never made it inside even a single branch of the Alchemist Guild. In hours, his girlfriend had done more for him than he had done for her in months. If he failed here, he would be throwing all of that away.
He shook his head, and tried to center himself. Large breath in, hold, exhale. While he did not study or practice how to make a Clarity Draught, he did know how to make a potion a player had created to replace their ADHD medication. Coincedently, he recognized most of the same ingredients that potion would need.
Liquid Meth required gold gossamer extract, crushed frost mint, ground sunrose petals, distilled rainwater from a spring storm, ground silverleaf bark and a drop of focused intent.
Looking at what he had available to him, Lucas was able to find everything except gold gossamer extract, leading him to believe one of the other ingredients could potentially be used to make the Clarity Draught. As he picked through what remained he recalled Quintrell had said, 'Alchemy is an exact science.'
I'm going to fail. And Quintrell will have to scrape me off a Wym.
As thoughts threatened to overwhelm him, Lucas began to tap his fingers on the counter. He looked down and noted that there were enough materials to brew two potions. Upon realizing there were extras, Lucas remembered an old game—something rim—where ingredient effects were discovered by eating them.
Well, at least if this kills me I won't have to waste time deleting my character.
Without hesitation, Lucas began to eat the spare materials one by one, pausing between each to try and determine the effects he was subjecting himself to.
Almost two hours had passed since Lucas had begun the trial for becoming an Apprentice Alchemist. In that time, Evelyn had logged off, done a few chores and eaten an early lunch. When she had first left her Astral Dive pod and went to check the notifications on her holo-phone, she had mentally prepared herself for the flood of messages she would have received from her guild. Instead of the texts from her friends, she had an email from the corporation that supposedly sponsored the guild. Which was news to her.
Aetherion Dynamics Entertainment Division
Corporate Sponsor of Guild X-199: Emberwake Accord
4th Spire Plaza, Sector 7-C, New Liora Meganet
To: Evelyn Park
Username: @Snowraith
Subject: Contract Violation – Character Deletion During Dungeon Instance
Date: [06.12.2085]
Reference ID: AX-99-GV-2025-1347
Dear Evelyn,
We hope this message finds you well.
It has come to our attention that on June 12th, 2085 during an active dungeon run, you initiated a permanent deletion of your player-character, Snowraith, while occupying a key role in the party formation for Guild X-199: Emberwake Accord, a corporate-sponsored entity under contract with Aetherion Dynamics.
Per the Participant Compliance Agreement (Clause 7-B), all contracted or sponsored players agree upon guild entry to maintain active character continuity through the remainder of their duration in Dustspire. Early withdrawal by deletion is considered a Tier II Violation—Character Destruction During Dustspire Lifecycle. After internal log review and consultation with Aevum Technologies's automated conflict logs for their digital property 'Dustspire,' we have confirmed no external coercion or technical anomaly.
Penalty Enforcement:
As a result of this violation, the following measures will be implemented:
48-hour suspension from Dustspire-related activities
Demerit flag on your profile, viewable by future sponsor partners for 60 years.
Guild standing penalty: Emberwake Accord will receive a compensation equal to 3% of the current yearly estimated earnings.
We acknowledge that mental fatigue, emotional strain, or spontaneous decisions can occur in high-stress scenarios. However, deletion during synchronized content significantly impacts not only cooperative experience but also corporate analytics and sponsorship models. As such, we request a short written response (250 words or less) explaining your choice and a formal apology to each member of Emberwake Accord.
Should you wish to appeal this determination, a formal arbitration form is available via your Player Portal under Disputes & Disciplinary Review.
We value your contributions to the company via the game 'Dustspire' and sincerely hope to see your return—under your new avatar, or otherwise—once the suspension has elapsed.
With regards,
Anari Vexholm
Lead Coordinator, Competitive Sponsorship Oversight
Aetherion Dynamics – Reality Beyond Real
Attached to the email was also an invoice for 141,602.47 credits. The farther Evelyn got into her reading of the email the angrier she had felt. Enough that she wrote them a lengthy response and CC'd her father and his team of lawyers.
To: Sponsorship Relations Department, Aetherion Dynamics
CC: Elijah Park (Head of R&D, MedTech), MedTech Legal Division
Subject: Re: Contract Violation – Character Deletion During Dungeon Instance
To whom it may concern,
I am writing in direct response to your recent correspondence dated [06.12.2085], in which you claim I violated a contract by deleting my character mid-dungeon, allegedly incurring a penalty on the Emberwake Accord's standing with your corporation, Aetherion Dynamics.
Let me be unequivocally clear: at no point was I informed, explicitly or implicitly, that joining the Emberwake Accord meant I was entering into a legal or financial agreement with any external corporate sponsor. I was never presented with a contract, a terms of service addendum, or any onboarding materials that detailed the nature of this sponsorship or the liabilities involved.
As such, any attempt to levy penalties against me personally—financial or reputational—is not only baseless, but potentially actionable under digital contract transparency statutes. If Aetherion Dynamics, or any affiliated parties, continue to pursue this matter, I will have no choice but to take formal legal action.
I have CC'd my father, Dr. Elijah Park, Head of R&D at MedTech, as well as his in-house legal team. They are now fully apprised of this situation and will be monitoring all future correspondence.
Let this serve as formal notice that I will not be accepting any penalties, nor will I engage further unless addressed through proper legal channels.
Sincerely,
Evelyn Park
She had also attempted to contact her friends in the guild, but none of her messages on any platform would reach them. "Really? Over me leaving to play with my boyfriend?!" She had shouted before screaming into her pillow. It was not her best moment, but she had just lost all of the friends she had made in Emberwake Accord over the year she had spent playing Dustspire.
Did she regret what she did?
I could have chosen a better moment.
If her friendship with her guildies had meant so little to them that they would choose to block her on every platform, then they did not deserve her attention. It was not like she only interacted with the people in her guild.
Oh! I should tell Sarah and Tyler that Lucas is playing. I'm sure they'd want to see him.
Before today, Lucas had been offline for months and even before then the only time he came online was to spend time with Evelyn. She had not even been able to see Lucas in person—or anyone other than her family for that matter—since the Crash.
As Evelyn waited in the lobby of the Alchemist Guild, she remembered laying eyes on Lucas for the first time in a while just hours prior. Even in this game, he smelled the same. When she had jumped into his embrace, the scent of his mother's homemade fabric softener hit her. She missed that smell. A smile etched itself on her face as she imagined all of the things she would do with Lucas now that he was playing. Lost in her thoughts, she was off in her own world until she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.
Slowly, Evelyn spun around, and furrowed her brows as she was unable to see who tried to get her attention.
Huh, maybe I imagined it.
Once again, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Much quicker this time, she turned—only to come face to face with an empty lobby. "Hello? Anyone there?" She looked around and frowned.
This is totally how people die in horror movies.
Her ears twitched as she picked up the faint sound of footsteps—thanks to her improved hearing her elven ears provided. Focusing on that sound she listened as something or someone walked around her in slow circles.
"I can hear you walking, you know." Evelyn stated, her tone even. Three paces from her, the air rippled and revealed a purple-skinned dwarf. The man was squat, with broad shoulders twice her width, a braided black beard streaked with silver, and bright red handprint stamped on his bald head. He licked his lips and Evelyn shivered; a chill climbing up her spine.
"Not oft'n we 'ave a tree 'ugger in 'ere." The duergar began to pick at his teeth with a dagger and finishing with a sucking sound once he finished. "Ye should come 'round more oft'n. Khorvek Blackvein 'ere'll take real good care o' ye, he will." Evelyn took a step backwards towards the staircase, but Khorvek pursued.
"Jus' finished brewin' meself a mighty fine vintage, I did. We oughta share a glass—put some hair on yer chin!" He reached into a pouch on his hip, right next to an enchanted axe, and made to pull something out. Footsteps, reverberating off the metal stairs, prompted Evelyn to move closer. By the time she reached the stairs, she felt her tension bleed away as she saw Quintrell.
Not far behind him was Lucas—who for some reason looked like he had been set on fire. She quickly ran to her boyfriend, when he saw the fright on her face his expression hardened and his eyes settled on Khorvek. Quintrell's smooth voice cut through the tension, "Ah. Hello there, Khorvek. I see you are once again—one way or another—terrorizing my guests." The clerk took a step between Lucas and Khorvek, "I'm going to have to ask you to stop. This is your second infraction. Do. Not. Have a third. Begon from our presence before I call the Radiant Guard."
Khorvek snarled, "Tsk. Watch yerself, Quintrell. Homunculi don't last long once their master's magic runs dry, they don't." The duergar removed his hand from the pouch on his hip and showed his open palm. Then, air around him began to warp and he faded from view. Once he was gone, Lucas stepped around to face Quintrell; with Evelyn still firmly in his embrace.
"What was that?" Her boyfriend's tone was even, but she could feel the heat radiating from his body. Quintrell let out a sigh, "An unfortunate event, one in which Lady Evelyn will be compensated for. The duergar's name is Khorvek Blackvein, a Grandmaster Alchemist from the Obsidian Dominion."
"This day has been a roller coaster so far hasn't it, dummy?" Evelyn hugged Lucas tight and whispered into his ear. He nodded slowly before addressing Quintrell, "What sort of compensation will Vaelith be receiving? I hope it's enough to offset the target painted on our backs now."
For the first time, Quintrell seemed to take a moment before he responded, "She will be well compensated, you as well sir. I believe his reason for targeting Lady Vaelith to be his grudge against my creator. Through no fault of your own you both will have to bear the consequence of being acquainted with someone as lowly as I." He bowed deeply, "I sincerely apologize for any harm—past, present, or future—that may come from our brief association."
Lucas stood still, flustered and clearly not having expected such a response. Evelyn pulled her head from her boyfriend's chest and looked at Quintrell, "Please, raise your head. There is no way you could have known this would happen."
Thankfully, the man relented and stood facing her, "Thank you for your understanding, but it doesn't change what happened. I know the material could never replace the immaterial, but I hope these will suffice as compensation." Quintrell reached into his lab coat and retrieved two coins. He held one in each hand, offering them to Evelyn and Lucas.
Lucas looked at Evelyn, searching her eyes and when she gave him a soft nod they both reached out and took a coin. Evelyn's more experienced eye was able to discern that the coin she held in her hand was crafted from moon silver; its surface shimmering with a bluish glow. One side bore a crescent moon etched with runes, serene and ancient. The other showed a swirling globe of liquid metal, orbited by uneven rings and distorted droplets as if suspended in space. It pulsed faintly, hinting at its magical nature.
"What..is it?" Lucas hesitantly asked, unsure if he was supposed to recognize it. Evelyn shrugged, and seeing how neither knew the answer, Quintrell enlightened them, "That is essentially an I-Owe-You from THE Archibald the Enchanter. Each good for one artifact."
"You mean the guy who made the door?" Lucas cocked his head and asked at the same time she shouted, "An ARTIFACT!?"