CHAPTER 2

The moon hung high over the pixelated sky, casting a pale glow across the misty landscape of Eternal Realms. Crickets chirped in the background ambience, and faint, magical wind stirred the silver trees of the Dark Forest. Amid the glowing mushrooms and twisted roots, two figures stood side by side: a sleek rogue-mage in shimmering armor and a sword-wielding warrior queen with crimson plating.

Starlight and DarkEmpress—the game’s most unexpectedly dynamic duo.

DarkEmpress: Ready?

Starlight: Always. You bring the blades, I’ll bring the brains.

DarkEmpress: Bold of you to assume I don’t have both.

Starlight: Hehehe

It was their usual rhythm—light sarcasm, playful jabs, and effortless teamwork. To the rest of the server, they were legends. For nearly a year, they’d raided together, explored hidden zones, and survived every boss fight that made lesser players rage-quit.

Tonight’s quest was a big one: retrieve the Moonfang Relic, a mythical item guarded by cursed beasts, traps, and—according to rumors—a dragon that could wipe entire parties in seconds.They entered the forest, weaving through gnarled trees and glowing mushrooms. The mist thickened. Shadows flickered.

And then—an ambush. Goblins sprang from the underbrush, screeching in surround-sound.

Starlight:" Welp. That’s not friendly."

DarkEmpress:" Time to dance. I’ll tank. You blast."

Starlight:" Music to my mana bar."

Spells flew. Daggers shimmered. DarkEmpress charged into the swarm while Starlight zipped around casting freeze spells and launching shadow bolts. It was like watching a ballet made of fire and steel.They cleared the enemies in record time

[You have cleared Wave 3/5]

As they looted the goblins’ glowing remains, Starlight typed:

“Okay but like… that dodge? 10/10. No notes.”

“I accept compliments in the form of healing potions lolol”Sophia's fingers slid across the keyboard typing instantly

Alex and Sophia laughed behind the screen

The deeper they moved into the forest, the more twisted the terrain became. The trees grew unnaturally tall, casting jagged shadows under the moonlight. Purple fog clung to the ground. And then came the roar.

A hideous spider the size of a car dropped from the treetops, all glowing red eyes and twitching legs.

Starlight swore.“Nope. Nope nope nope.”

“Man up, Starlight. It’s just a spider.”Sophia was non chalant

“It’s bigger than my living room!”Starlight was about to cry dramatically

“Then you really need a new apartment."

Starlight snickered at Darkempress's remarks which he always loved but the spider didn't wait for their flirting to end

The spider lunged. DarkEmpress rolled right, Starlight fired a lightning blast, and the screen lit up with sparks and legs flying. The battle was frantic, full of crit damage numbers and the screen glowed with a text:

[You have defeated the Forest Widow].

[Legendary drop received: Widow’s Veil.]

Their avatars did a high five running towards their next destination. At last, they reached the Temple of Moonfang.A golden dragon emerges from the shadows with red glowing eyes , its wings spread across the chamber like banners of flame, and its roar shook the digital ground beneath them.

Starlight zipped through fireballs like a caffeine-fueled squirrel, shouting spell combos while DarkEmpress darted in and out, aiming for the weak spots. Their timing was flawless, like they’d done this for years.

Critical Hit!

Final blow dealt.

The dragon collapsed in a heap of smoke and light. The screen flashed:

[Quest Complete: Moonfang Relic Obtained]

“Phew.” Alex leaned back, heart still racing. “Remind me to add ‘dragon slayer’ to my profile bio.”

Sophia giggled to herself and typed :“Only if you include ‘arachnophobe’ right after it.”

A smile spread across Alex's face.Starlight and DarkEmpress stood victorious, claiming the legendary artifact and basking in the glow of their triumph.

Their avatars now sat on the edge of the temple ruins, bathed in soft moonlight. A gentle digital breeze blew through the grass as glowing fireflies hovered nearby.

Neither of them spoke for a minute. It was that comfortable silence. The kind that didn’t need filling.

Then, DarkEmpress said softly, “You know… sometimes I think I have more fun here than in real life.”

Alex blinked. “Yeah... same. It’s weird, right?”

“Not really.” Her demeanour was warm and quieter. “People expect stuff from you out there. Grades. Popularity. Perfect answers. But in here… you just get to be you.”

That hit Alex harder than he expected.

“I like being this version of me,” he admitted. “And I like you. I mean—working with you. Fighting stuff with you. You’re… you’re cool.”

She chuckled. “Smooth, Starlight. Very smooth.”

He laughed, scratching the back of his neck even though no one could see him. “Okay, okay. But really. I don’t know who you are, Empress. But I like that I don’t know. Makes this feel... realer somehow.”

Sophia stared at the screen, heart doing a little tap-dance. She didn’t know his name. She didn’t know his face. And yet… this stranger was the best part of her day.

“We’re friends, right?” she typed.

" We’re the best duo this game has ever seen!,” he replied.

“So yeah. I’d say that counts.”

“Cool.”

“Cool.”

Another pause.

“Same time tomorrow?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

They logged off—screens dark, hearts strangely full.

Neither knew that tomorrow, at school, they’d pass each other in the hallway again. Another sarcastic quip. Another eye-roll.

Totally unaware that DarkEmpress and Starlight had just fallen a little bit harder—for the person they thought annoyed them most...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***