Arclight Haven was like a towering kingdom that hovered over the clouds. Kaiden followed CrimsonCrow and Naō through the stone archways and corridors. The city buzzed with excitement as players lined up near food stalls and merchant stands selling buffs, gear, and an item shop.
Crow led them down a few corridors and a stairwell carved into the side of a giant coliseum wall. Sunlight shone through the cracks of the walls. Across the wide banners swaying in the open-air rotunda: The Champion’s Path, Seasonal Gauntlet Challenge.
Naō raised an eyebrow. “Did you say PvP or PvE?”
“PvP-style,” Crow replied smoothly. “They mix it up depending on team balance. It’s for the crowd, y’know?”
Kaiden shrugged. “As long as we get some sick gear out of it, with a fair fight, I’m good.”
Crow gave a wide grin. “Would I throw you into that without warning? Relax. It’s a spectacle, but it’s safe.”
They passed a few more teams, some warming up, others arguing over strategy. A small group of cheerfully guildmates mocked each other in the distance. A pair of Botanists sat meditating on a fountain edge, one of them nodding at Kaiden as he passed. He nodded back.
Crow headed straight for the registration booth to confirm their team details. Kaiden and Naō waited nearby, half-listening to the tournament announcer shout about glory, pride, and prize gear, waiting for Crow to return.
They stood just behind the staging gate. The floor was obsidian ringed with golden trim, and above them, in dozens of rows, players and NPCs filled the seats, some already cheering, others throwing bets across. Kaiden cracked his knuckles. He could feel the weight of the Photosphere in his inventory without checking. Naō bounced lightly on his feet, glancing toward the countdown timer overhead.
[Team 3: CrimsonCrow / Mixmaster / Nyte]
| Sync Level for CrimsonCrow applied - Lower-level moves Only Available]
Crow walked over, smiling. “Alright, here’s the deal: standard rush. Multiple waves. Don’t get cocky. Stick together. I’ll draw the aggro up front, Nyte cleans up, and Mixmaster buffs and debuffs.”
Naō gave him a look. “We’ve never run anything like this. You sure?”
Crow winked. “Don’t worry. I’ve done this before.”
[Match Starting in 30 seconds…]
The gate rumbled, slowly opening up to them.
“Let’s give them a show,” Crow added, eyes scanning the arena stands.
Kaiden felt a chill, nerves, he guessed. The Photosphere vibrated louder in his inventory.
[3… 2… 1… MATCH START]
The gate dropped.
The first wave hit of large bark monsters, on four legs, and another, a vine-covered shrubbery. Kaiden side-stepped through the chaos, cleaving through roots with quick slashes while Naō lobbed corrosive vials and managed crowd control.
Crow stayed ahead, holding the threat and cleaning up stragglers that staggered behind.
[-72 LP Taken]
[-41 LP Dealt]
[DEF Down Applied]
[Wave 1 Cleared.]
[Wave 2 Approaching]
Naō grinned between breaths. “We’re not terrible at this after all.”
Kaiden gave a short laugh. “Don’t jinx it.”
The second wave began, and halfway through it, Kaiden felt a shift in the air that made his gut instincts sink. CrimsonCrow’s blade cut through the air with a whir of a powerful slice, but instead of finishing off a monster, it redirected itself toward Naō.
[-80 LP]
[-75 LP]
[Critical Strike x3]
Naō stumbled back, blinking in surprise at the hit. “Crow?”
Kaiden froze. “What the hell are you doing?”
Crow adjusted his grip and exhaled. “Man. I was hoping this wouldn’t have come to this.”
Kaiden’s chest tightened. “What are you talking about?”
Crow sighed. “Sorry, I had to do this to you. You both seem really cool, but… I need that Photosphere.”
Naō reached for a vial, but Crow moved faster. He swept behind him, then drew out his blade to target Naō directly, and took out his life points systematically.
[Naō incapacitated]
[Status: OUT OF COMMISSION – Revival Locked until Match Ends - Loot Available from fallen comrade available to take]
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
Kaiden staggered back a step, blade raised. “Are you serious right now? You set us up. This wasn’t PvP at all, you put us in a PvE match so you could raid my inventory on my defeat.”
Crow twirled his weapon. “No hard feelings, man. This is just business.”
Above them, the crowd roared. The match was still live. The entire amphitheater and every linked viewer were watching.
Kaiden ducked as the first strike came at him, rolling to the side.
[Dodge Successful]
Crow attacked relentlessly with feints, slashes, and wide arc cleaves meant to pressure Kaiden into a mistake. He dodged, blocked, and countered when he could, but his stamina was draining fast. Kaiden backed toward the center ring, panting, blade lowered. “You’re going to take me out over a glowing rock?”
Crow laughed. “That rock is worth more than you know.” He raised his scythe.
Kaiden gritted his teeth, eyes flaring with fire that remained unmotivated. The Photosphere pulsed, power surging from its source.
[RESPONSE TRIGGERED]
A ring of light exploded from Kaiden’s chest, and the entire arena paused. Spectators gasped.
Kaiden’s body rose, just slightly, as the cloak around him shredded and reformed into black layered fabric that pulsed with deep blue streaks. A hood snapped into place. His scythe extended, split into a double-bladed crescent etched with running water.
[NEW CLASS UNLOCKED: Dusk Bringer]
Overflow activated
Status Update: designated HP has been reduced significantly in favor of more power for skills. HP will be regained for every hit that is made
[Skill Unlocked: Torrent Mode]
Crow took a step back.
“...What the hell?” From the crowd: silence. Then, roaring with excitement and confusion all at once. Every screen lit up. Every viewer saw it across the entire game.
Kaiden’s scythe twirled behind him. He didn’t know what was going on, but all he knew was that the person he had trusted betrayed them.
“Now it’s my turn.”
The arena excitedly agreed as they intrude in Kaiden’s ears.
He couldn’t hear the gasps or the shouts anymore. Just the steady pull of something uncoiling inside him. Water shimmered across his arms like veins of liquid mercury, then bled into the twin crescent blades of his scythe.
His cloak fluttered with unnatural weight, trailing mist like evaporating rain.
“Overflow.”
Kaiden surged forward. His double-bladed scythe cleaved forward, and with it, a wave of high-pressure water exploded out, twisting in midair and colliding with Crow’s first parry.
Crow stumbled back, his blade glinting at the edges where the impact hit.
“No, it can’t be,” he grunted.
Kaiden dashed forward. His form blurred with quickened motion. The blade hit once, then twice, each impact trailing ribbons of water like sparks of lightning.
[-142 LP]
[Drenched Status Applied]
[Movement Speed Reduced]
[-20% DEF Reduced]
Crow tried to counter, ducking and rolling out of the way. Kaiden twisted his wrist, and a second blade rippled into existence. A watery clone mimicking his every motion.
[Petal Echo Active, Clone Deployed]
The clone struck Crow in the back as Kaiden came at him from the front. The crowd erupted.
“How is he doing that?!”
“What class is that?!”
“That’s not even in the patch notes!”
The forums were already exploding.
Thread Title: “NEW CLASS? Dusk Bringer?!!”
User: EclipseMain1998: That transformation was straight out of an expansion trailer. WTH???
User: AmberRend: Is he a dev? A leaker? We haven’t even gotten patch 4.1 yet!
User: DreamWeaver: Bro. This guy’s not real. That was an anime-ass cutscene live in an arena.
Kaiden spun his scythe and launched a vortex slice from the air, one that wrapped Crow in a geyser blast that shot him backward, crashing against the edge barrier.
[-215 LP]
[CRITICAL HIT]
Crow struggled to stand. His own gear had taken a lot of damage. His expression wasn’t rage. It was awe and disbelief.
“That’s the power it gives you...” he breathed. “That’s why he died for it.”
Kaiden stopped.
Crow chuckled softly, collapsing to one knee.
“I wanted that power... damn it, this isn’t good.”
Kaiden raised the scythe high. His eyes gleamed bright blue.
A blast of spiraling water jetted up from the arena floor, piercing skyward with Kaiden at its center. He descended in a comet arc, crashing into the platform and shattering it beneath them in a bloom of water and light.
The arena went silent.
Crow was gone. His body de-rezzed.
[Victory – Team 3]
Kaiden landed in a crouch, the scythe resting against his shoulder, water steaming from the core.
???°?°???
Across the RTS network, newsfeeds, streams, and private Discords filled with theories. The word Dusk Bringer was trending in every regional channel.
“Who is Nyte? The Player Who Broke the Arena”
“Expansion Leak or Hidden Endgame?”
“New Meta Incoming??”
“Nyte vs CrimsonCrow, Arclight Haven Arena”
Nobody had answers. Not even the developers.
Official RTS Social Media: “We are aware of the sudden appearance of undocumented class data. Our team is investigating. Stay tuned for further clarification. #RTS #RevoltTheSun”
The official forums remained locked.
???°?°???
[Northbound Train, Afternoon]
Kaiden stared out the window, hood over his head, earbuds in. His phone buzzed every thirty seconds. Messages, tags, reposts. He’d muted most of them.
Naō messaged early that morning. Said he respawned, took some heat from players who thought the match was staged, then logged out.
Kaiden still had the Photosphere. CrimsonCrow had disappeared.
“Logged out,” people said. But Kaiden knew better. He wasn’t gone. Just waiting. But why?
He looked down at his hands.
Why did the Photosphere activate then? Why not for Alex?
Why not when it mattered?
He tightened his hoodie and leaned his forehead against the train window. Outside, the tracks headed north. Pine trees blurred past. His family was only a few hours away.
He wasn’t sure what he’d say when he got there.
