In the year 2066, and Fully Immersive Virtual Reality became a commercially viable reality. People all over the world began using this technology for things such as Advanced Neurological Science, Creating True Artificial Intelligence, living a Second Life, School, Video Games, and a variety of other types of entertainment. Reality became naught but a hindrance to everyday life, and civilization gradually transformed into a Virtual existence.

Two years later, the fantasy-based VRMMORPG game called Valkyrie Quest came out of beta with world praise for its groundbreaking ingenuity, creativity, and revolutionary game-design. Millions of players signed up to play this hyper-realistic game with its immersive story, genius combat system, or just for the sheer size of the actual world.

For ten years, players all over the world spent their time in this game, in the world of Aeris; exploring the nine realms and their various dungeons; fighting monsters, demons, spirits, angels alike; making friends, enemies, or being a public menace in general. Aeris gave birth to many memories. Some were sweet, others bitter, all of them precious. For some people who married one of the billions of NPCs in this game, they were allowed to transfer that NPC's data to an Andriod so they can remain together in real life. It was a scandal that lasted for many years but didn't amount to anything in the end. The NPCs were so unbelievably real when they were brought to the real world. No one could tell if they were truly a machine created from data incapable of real emotions. To the players, it didn't matter. All that mattered was the one they fell in love with, the one they cherished most in the world of Aeris; came back with them to Earth when their world came to an end.

Such a controversy didn't last long, especially when several world leaders showed off their Angel, Demon, Elf, Fairy, Orc, Dragon, Kirin, Dwarf, Human companions, and thousands of other races, to the rest of the world. Imagine the Russian President revealing his affair with a Dark-Elf Priestess to everyone in the world. Scandalous!

Of course, bringing NPCs into the real world with the aid of androids weren't the only thing that happened during the final month before Valkyrie Quest closed down for good. In the game, celebrations occurred in every village, town, and city. One couldn't go anywhere without walking into a populated area in the middle of a massive party; Guild Wars, PvP Tournaments, Weddings, the final Dungeon Raids, Jolly Cooperation, and so much more happened during the final moments; Old grudges were settled, promises were made, and sex. So much sex, in fact, Helheim practically became the place to go if one wanted to join the biggest orgy in history.

As for the Solo Players who enjoyed exploring the world on their own? Many of them, myself included, went to their most cherished spot to spend their final moments.

So, here I sat, looking over a ridge of a taiga forest underneath a maple tree. The virtual sky burned with a somber assortment of dull reds, oranges, and purples. This collection of color bathed, The Twilight Forest, with the very shades of the bleeding heart of the world I'll forever call: Home.

The native Dusksingers—A dark purple and blue bird with a voice that sang like a violin and flute together—Cried their final farewell to their beloved guardian one last time. I sang along with them, matching my voice to their weeping cries echoing throughout this magical forest. Their guardians didn't want to go, but she had to. I had to, and I didn't want to. I wanted to stay, to live in a world that treated me as one of its own. I didn't want to return to Earth, to waste my life away in solitude in a shabby apartment; unloved, unwanted, undesirable. Here, in this world of Aeris. I meant something.

I found the Astral Library after completing a ridiculously hard chain-quest that, frankly, was the most wonderful adventure I've had on Aeris. From fighting monsters hundreds of levels above my own, exploring forgotten labyrinthine, uncovering hidden civilizations to making friends with various important NPCs.

I slew the Ten Dragons of the Apocalypse, combined their souls to resurrect the Ancient God, Satan; the Progenitor of every demon in the multiverse, and did something the New Gods couldn't do!

I killed him and took his crown, his power, his very legacy; for my own.

I also became the first person in Valkyrie Quest to slay an Ancient God. I became a celebrity to both Players and NPCs alike. After all, Ancient Gods were end-game Raid Bosses that required hundreds of thousands of Players to defeat. And I solo'ed the strongest of them all. How I did it? I'll never tell anyone. Making those Grimoires took me forever to complete, and I wasn't going to allow anyone the ability to take away my most cherished creation from me.

That, and the devs would not allow anyone to have my Grimoires anyway. These things were so broken at the time. The devs had to speed-nerf them before I could destroy the entire world of Aeris. I'm not kidding. I got an email congratulating me for creating something the devs didn't think was possible in the game, before telling me I wasn't allowed to sell them, recipe and all, to anyone, or else I'd get banned. I wasn't going to. Making the damn things took forever and required some of the most difficult to acquire end-game materials!

Do you know how hard it is to acquire an Aetherion Core? Well, let me you. Finding a mountain-sized monster is quite easy, but killing the Level 9999 Divine Raid Boss? Not so much. Now, do it solo, without dying, or damaging the Core since it's the monsters very heart; all the while avoiding other Players, NPCs, and other monsters! It's not worth it. Trust me.

And don't get me started on Astral Diamonds! The number of errands I had to do for Queen Solaria of the Fairies just to access a fucking Spirit Well where those over-priced rocks spawned was so mind-numbingly, rage-causing, suicide-inducingly annoying! But I digress.

Even though some of my adventures were grindy', even though some quests were annoyingly monotonous; the memories I've made in Aeris will last a lifetime. I fell in love, got my heart broken, betrayed by friends, saved by strangers, encountered weird people and creatures, and despite the amount of pain, torture, and sorrow I've felt along my journey. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

As I remembered all the good times I've had in Aeris, I opened up my Information Screen one last time.

Sometimes I forget how ridiculously strong I am on a regular basis, even looking at all the effects my current God-tier Mage Robes made me appear like a monster. It's ridiculous, but I wouldn't have it any other way. After all, my stats' were quite normal for a God Slayer. I wondered how many there were in the world as I closed my status screen? Ten, a Hundred, a Thousand? I know there were only seven located on the North American Server, and all of them belonged to The Trinity Seven; the Guild we made for ourselves for no other reason than to have a place to store our shit. I think there was four on the Asian Server? I don't know. I never really cared.

[11:50]

Heh, I just noticed the flavor text added to the Magic Tier Descriptions. Wisteria—my name—will forever be feared by the Gods? I'm one of three who can use the impossible Tier-11 Magic; the very magic that can change the entire planet? Awesome.

[11:51]

I wondered what will happen to my home? I'm not talking about the Astral Library, but my castle located in Helhiem. After all, I didn't go out of my way to resurrect the Ancient God, Satan; kill the Seven Demon Lords representing their perspective sins, the Demon King, and the entire demonic army of Hell for nothing! I'm going to miss my maid army of sexy succubi and incubi. I'm glad I'm bisexual. I get to enjoy the best of both worlds.

I hope Lilith won't be too mad at me for not cleaning my room. I haven't cleaned it in over two years, and I sealed the damn place to prevent anyone from bothering me in the mornings...Or enjoying the castle staff. I'm going to miss little Azri. That nymph of a vampire really knew how to cook.

[11:54]

I'm going to miss being tall, look sexy, and my large breasts. The real world me is a short, slightly-above-average, flat-chested girl; who needs glasses, can't function in the cold, and can't use magic. I should have used bikini-armor more often. My Elven F-cups would have turned heads if I wore armored spaghetti-string.

[11:58:01]

The sun fell beyond the horizon one last time. The Dusksingers sang their final note before turning in for the night. Sorrowful dreams will fill the minds of the people of the Aeris at the loss of their heroes, and they can't do anything about it. Some will join them to Elysium, or what they call the Real World. Their data, their souls, implanted in artificial bodies for our enjoyment, while those forced to stay? They will be erased from existence. Nothing will remain on the servers as they will be purged to make room for a new world—A New Game—for people to explore, to leave behind and forget the old one.

[11:58:45]

Stars twinkled brightly in the night sky. New constellations were formed when a Player killed one of the many Gods found on the world of Aeris. Several of them I don't know the names of, but I recognized seven. They shone the brightest.

To the East protecting the Sunrise was, Lupus: The Blade of the Wind God. The Anthropian Wulfus wearing a traditional, pink, kimono with an Uchigatana held in his hand.

[11:58:47]

To the West defending against the rising dusk was, Deus: The Last Guardian. The High-Human Kirin with his leathery wings opened wide in humble defiance.

[11:58:49]

To the South hunting monsters lurking within the shadows was, Iris: The Arrow of Yggdrasil, a High-Elf with attitude, and hunting with her with a priestess staff in hand was, Serana: The Healer of Death. A High-Human that hates everyone and everything. She's a bitch, a loveable one, but a massive bitch nonetheless.

[11:58:53]

To the North burning everything in her path was: Azura: The Black Flame of the Apocalypse. She's the laziest, most unmotivated, bored, flirty drunk nine-tailed Kitsune in the world. Your better off asking an NPC for help with something rather than her. She's too much of a hassle sometimes.

[11:59:34]

To the North-East watching over Deus was, Gabriel: The Sword of Heaven. The luckiest cunt to make a character by pressing randomly on everything except for his name. He's literally an Angel Prince who has his own harem of sexy women. Lucky bastard.

[11:59:45]

Finally, in the center of all of them was me, Wisteria: The Goddess of Twilight. The Fairy-Elf Princess of Alfhiem with a title bestowed upon me by the remaining Gods that weren't hunted down for loot. She wore the very set of Mage Robes I'm currently wearing with one of my Grimoires held firmly and open in my left hand, and in an epic pose. Fucking glorious!

[11:59:55]

A sigh escaped my lips, "I'm going to miss seeing myself and my friends immortalized in the stars."

[11:59:56]

Tears streamed down my cheeks, "I'm going to miss my adorable little shop in the capital city of Acedia."

[11:59:57]

A sad smile formed on my sorrowful face as the stars began to fall from the sky, "I'm going to miss exploring this wonderful, wonderful world."

[11:59:58]

"...And most importantly..." I closed my eyes.

[11:59:59]

"...I'm going to miss..." My voice became shaky. Words struggled to escape my lips.

[11:59:59:99]

"...My Love..."

The world went black.

[00:00:00]

"...Liliana..."

[00:00:00]

[00:00:01]

[00:00:02]

Author's Note

1 Centimeter = Aro (Named after the average width of an Arrow).
1 Meter = Bado (Named after the average length of a longsword).
1 Kilometer = Cader (Named after the average width of a small castle).

The Imperial System is still used by certain countries and continents (Cause I’m too lazy to make a decent conversion system between the two).