Max's eyes snapped open.
He wasn't in his apartment anymore.
He stood in an infinite space of swirling galaxies and stars. No floor, yet he wasn't falling. No walls, yet the space felt contained. Around him, millions of translucent figures materialized—other players, loading in simultaneously.
A voice echoed in that space:
"Welcome, Traveler, to the threshold of Aetheria."
The silhouettes around him began to solidify, taking form as the character creation process engaged. Max looked down at his own body—still translucent, waiting.
A massive interface materialized before him, floating in the cosmic void:
[CHARACTER CREATION]
Name: _____
Race: [Human] [Elf] [Draconian] [Voidborn] [Other – 47 races available]
Class: [???]
Appearance Customization: [Available]
[WARNING: Character appearance will default to neural scan of player unless manually adjusted.]
Max reached out, and his finger passed through the holographic interface. But his intention registered. The menu responded to his thoughts.
[Name]: Max Thorne
He kept it simple. In games, your reputation mattered more than a fancy name.
[Race]: He hesitated.
The forums had been debating optimal race choices for months. Each race had unique stat and hidden abilities. But there was one race that had only been revealed in the final pre-launch announcement: Voidborn.
The description was cryptic:
"Born from the spaces between stars. Natural affinity for forbidden magic. Corruption resistance +50%, Corruption gain +200%. Starting zone: The Fractured Abyss."
That corruption stat was a double-edged sword. High corruption opened new skill trees but locked out certain questlines and could turn NPCs hostile. It was a risk.
Max selected Voidborn.
His translucent form shifted. His skin darkened to a deep charcoal gray, and faint violet veins appeared under his arms. His eyes—when a mirror appeared before him—were entirely black with purple pupils.
He looked like something that had crawled out of a nightmare. Perfect.
[Class]: This was the critical choice. Max pulled up the full list, scanning through options. Warrior, Mage, Ranger—he dismissed the basics immediately. His eyes locked onto Soulbinder.
"Unique class. Forge soul contracts with other beings—monsters, or spirits. Gain abilities based on bonds formed. Power scales with number and strength of contracts. Warning: Breaking a soul contract inflicts severe penalties."
The class had virtually no information. No leaked builds. No beta tester guides. It was a blank slate.
Max grinned and selected it.
[SOULBINDER SELECTED]
[UNIQUE CLASS DETECTED]
[HIDDEN QUESTLINE UNLOCKED: "CHAINS OF ETERNITY"]
[WARNING: This class path contains mature themes and high-difficulty content. Proceed?]
"Yes," Max said aloud. His voice sounded strange here—clearer, more real than his actual voice.
[CONFIRMED]
The interface dissolved. The cosmic void began to collapse, and the millions of player around him dispersed like dandelion seeds on the wind, each vanishing to their chosen starting zones.
The voice returned:
"Your path is set, Max Thorne. May your bonds be strong, and your will unbreakable. Welcome... to Aetheria."
Reality shattered like glass.
[LOADING ZONE: THE FRACTURED ABYSS]
[PLAYER COUNT IN ZONE: 47,293]
Max's senses exploded back.
Sound first—wind howling through canyons. Then smell— air and something metallic. Touch—rough ground beneath his boots. Sight—
He gasped.
He stood on a flat mountain of cracked obsidian, surrounded by uneven towers of crystal that glowed with purple light. The sky was wrong—three moons hung at different angles, one crimson, one silver, one black.
And in the distance, impossibly huge mountain floated upside-down, its peak pointing toward the ground.
[WELCOME TO THE FRACTURED ABYSS]
A status window appeared in the corner of his vision:
[MAX THORNE – Level 1 Soulbinder]
[HP: 100/100]
[MP: 150/150]
[Stamina: 100/100]
[Stats]:
STR: 8 | AGI: 12 | INT: 15 | VIT: 10 | LUK: 7
[Corruption: 0/100]
[Skills]:
[Soul Contract - Rank F] – Form a binding contract with a spirits
[Soul Sight - Rank F] – Perceive the spiritual essence of beings
[Basic Combat] – Unarmed and weapon proficiency
[Equipment]:
Starter Clothing (Voidborn) – Defense +2
Rusty Shortsword – Attack +5
Max looked down at his hands—really looked. He could see the texture of his skin, the faint shimmer of the purple veins. He flexed his fingers. The sensation was perfect. Indistinguishable from reality.
Around him, other players were materializing. Voidborn like himself, but also a few Draconian warriors with scales and horns, and what looked like a crystalline Golem character.
The zone chat exploded:
[Zone: Fractured Abyss]
DarkEdge99: HOLY SHIT THIS IS INSANE
VoidQueen: anyone else starting here? group up?
Xerathis: the graphics arent graphics this is REAL
MaxThorne: First time in Abyss. Soulbinder class. Anyone know where starter quests are?
A reply came almost instantly:
SilverFox: Check your quest log dumbass. Tutorial should auto-start.
Max mentally pulled up his quest interface. Sure enough:
[QUEST: THE FIRST CONTRACT]
Difficulty: E
Description: The path of a Soulbinder begins with understanding. Seek out the Spirit Monolith in the Valley of Whispers and form your first contract.
Reward: Spirit Companion, Skill Upgrade, 500 EXP
Failure: None
A golden arrow appeared at the edge of his vision, pointing toward a canyon to the east. The game's navigation system.
Max took his first step forward—and nearly stumbled. The sensation of movement was so real that his brain had to refocus. He walked experimentally, then jogged. The breeze fell on his face. His muscles felt the exertion.
"This is unbelievable," he whispered.
He ran toward the canyon, and as he moved, he noticed other players doing the same. Some were following quest markers. Others were already fighting the local mobs—small creatures that looked like floating eyes with tentacles, labeled [Void Watcher – Level 2].
A player—a massive Draconian warrior with crimson scales—was locked in combat with three Watchers at once, his great sword cleaving through them with brutally. Their health bars dropped rapidly.
Max kept running. Combat could wait. He needed to understand his class first.