"The revelation of truth has the power to upend our most fundamental understanding of the universe. When secrets long hidden come to light, they shatter the illusions and misconceptions that once framed our reality. This newfound knowledge reshapes our perceptions, altering the very fabric of our existence. Once the truth is unveiled, the world can never revert to its former state; we are irrevocably changed, forced to reconfigure our beliefs and adapt to a transformed reality." – Excerpt from “Book of Elara”

  Alexander sat in his oversized leather chair. The early morning light shone through the singular massive window in the rather large office. Monitors flashed red, displaying various camera footage, shifting graphs, and various other miscellaneous items. A soft chime buzzed from a grey, sleek tablet, one of the few items on a rather impressive oak desk. The chime was no surprise, it had been something Alexander expected to happen for over 40 years.

  Alexander slowly reached down to silence the chiming alarm. As he stood from his desk, Alexander walked over to a small refrigerator, and pulled out a small pink bottle. Looking over the bottle with distaste, Alexander always hated the flavor, pink bubble gum. Pulling off the lid he took a slow sip from the bottle, his stomach finally beginning to settle. He looked into a small cracked mirror on the wall, speaking softly to the empty air.

  “When I founded this company over 50 years ago, all I wanted was to make new technology to help people, not be the one in charge of keeping Tenroo Island secured.”

  Alexander lowered his eyes, turning back to the desk, and mentally prepared for the work to come. After all the full launch of TVO was close at hand, a little over twenty-four hours until their world changed forever.

  To the world, Prometheus Games was a company founded by Alexander Allens to provide the new wave of games and technologies for all to enjoy. Better consoles, better components, monitors, televisions, you name it; that was their dream. And they had done exactly that, they pioneered the research into what eventually became a semi-completed full dive experience while gaming. While not a true full dive virtual reality, it was the closest anyone had come. Their technology allowed players to experience an almost 100% haptic feedback while gaming, enjoying smells, sounds, and true feelings, but it was never perfect.

  However, ten years ago, Prometheus Games once again took the world by storm when they released the PODs system, a machine that allowed for the complete experience. It made it so anyone could jump into a new world, and truly be one in the world.

  With the POD system realized, Alexander Allens was dubbed the greatest innovator of his time. However, few actually knew the truth of how the POD System came to be. That secret was so closely guarded that only Alexander himself knew the full story. Many researchers and tech experts in the company were simply paid to read a script to point the media's attention and true engineers in the other direction.

  Sitting back in his chair, Alexander opened the latest email to come through. A team of Prometheus Games employees currently stationed off the coast of Tenroo Island had gone silent. He examined the attached files, hoping for the best but already understanding the meaning of this email.

  *Black Box Emergency Notification System*

  "Good morning, Mr. Allens, this is the Black Box AI, sending out the final report from team 15. Attached you will find video recordings and audio logs of the recent mishap. I have taken the liberty of filling in any missing information from other teams stationed around the island.

  The most current update comes from team 7, it seems the containment field around Tenroo island is no longer viable, the previously projected timeline of fifty-six hours has been recalculated with all current field metrics, to just over twenty-four hours.

  It seems the mana levels have experienced a sudden spike in potency and density. The cause is unknown, but the spike allowed a hydra to escape the containment field, which resulted in the loss of team 15. The threat has been neutralized by the Avatars currently on standby.

  All further information can be found in the files provided by Captain Curly. “

  Alexander finished reading the email, knowing full well this was coming. The metric of fifty-six hours was never correct, only put in place to comfort those teams on standby. He always knew from the very first day, the exact hour and second it would all go down. However, that did not keep his stomach from tossing and turning once again; if the impending catastrophe wouldn’t kill him, then the stress of this job would.

  What no one had figured out about the POD System was how it actually operated. Many other companies, tinkerers, and engineers had stripped down the PODs in hopes of reverse engineering the system and creating their own version, hoping to strike it rich by undercutting his rental service. The only issue was that the PODs, from a technical aspect, made no sense. The parts and materials were all basic, no superconductors, massive processors, or proprietary technology. The technology was no more advanced than what you would have found in the early 2020s.

  The reason why the PODs worked the way they did was simply; magic. And the one responsible for the PODs' creation now quietly sat in front of Alexander.

  “Greetings,” the deep barrel voice spoke, causing Alexander to frown.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Looking up, Alexander took in the man seated across from him. Yet, man was likely not the right word; his dark slate skin, akin to actual stone, steamed like a volcano. Veins of red and gold metals ran throughout his body like bolts of lightning. The man was dressed in a simple beige three-piece suit, tailored to perfection.

  Alexander looking back at his tablet, uttered a response, “What can I do for you today, Mr. Kaele?”

  “No need for such titles, Kaele, is fine, we’re friends after all Alexander. I just came to check up on things… You know the end of our deal comes quickly. Tick-Tock, Alexander.”

  “I am fully aware of the terms we struck those years ago. Your help was invaluable in preparing our world for the trials, we might actually have a fighting chance. At this point, almost a billion people access the PODs and The Veil Online on a regular basis.”

  “That is good to hear indeed, truly the human race has never ceased to amaze me. I have watched billions of worlds face your coming trial, and yet, you were the first to ask for this type of tutorial. However, that granted time is almost used up, hopefully, it was effective.” Kaele cackled with a half-mad laugh.

  Alexander's brow furrowed; that laugh had haunted his dreams since their first encounter. “Again, I have to ask, why are you here, Kaele? I am a busy man with only hours to finish preparations.”

  “To address your question, I just so happened to be in the solar system and noticed the mana barrier was almost burned out, figured I'd see how things turned out from our little deal. Time passes quickly, especially for mortals; you have grown grey and wrinkled, my friend. I might just have to speak with my brother on slowing it down a tick, just for you.”

  At the mention of their deal once again, Alexander recalled his first encounter with Kaele, nearly forty years ago. Prometheus Technologies, his pioneering company, had set up a floating relay to monitor peculiar environmental phenomena on a newly discovered island in the South Pacific Ocean, only a few miles off the coast of Antarctica.

  The island was an enigma; it was invisible to digital devices—satellites, cameras, and even sonar couldn’t detect it. Yet, a whaling ship horribly off course from a freak storm laid eyes on it. They tried to take pictures of the weird trees and massive flying creatures in the air, but nothing worked.

  Eventually, they reported their findings to the US Coast Guard, and Prometheus Technologies, a contractor with said government, was sent to examine this island. The whalers' accounts proved to be correct, however, one could physically set foot on its shores.

  Initially, the island’s danger was not apparent, but soon it revealed its true nature. It was teeming with creatures never before seen, some seemingly ripped straight from ancient stories. Weeks of exploration led to numerous lost surveying teams. Amid this chaos, Kaele, a mysterious being, approached Alexander and unveiled the island’s secrets, explaining the true nature of this place and the impending transformation of their world.

  This island, Tenroo as it had been dubbed, was a seedbed where mana deep inside the earth grew and matured until it came to the surface in the form of an island. To Alexander's horror, it turned out, with the arrival of Tenroo, their planet would either rejoin the great Azure Flame or be stripped of its power and locked away.

  It all sounded very cult like to Alexander at the time, but Kaele granted him visions to fully understand their situation. Every world was essentially on a timer, and when it reached maturity, the ember of Azure Flame at its core would ignite. These embers, unique to each world, absorbed the essence and nature of their surroundings as they matured. Once an ember blazed to life, a caretaker would defend the world. Its inhabitants would then be given a trial to prove their right to join the Azure Flame, or as mentioned before, tossed into the void, all connection to its brilliance forever stripped.

  Each trial was distinct, shaped by the information the ember had gathered over time. For a world plagued by wars, death, and disease, the trial would mirror these very challenges. The inhabitants would need to demonstrate their ability to unite in the face of adversity, or the few powerful individuals would have to rise and uplift those around them, striving to save their world. The trials tested the world's resilience, cooperation, and the strength of its people, ensuring only the worthy could rejoin the Azure Flame.

  In the end, Kaele allowed Alexander to choose what kind of preparation his word would need to face the coming trial in forty years. Thus, the Veil Online and the PODs system were “developed” to hide the tutorial's true nature.

  Alexander spoke, “Right then, as you mentioned, time is ticking. I wish you well, Kaele, and I appreciate your willingness to negotiate with me on the tutorial length. If not for the granted ten years, I fear our world would have truly not stood a chance.”

  “This is the last time we are destined to meet, just know the currents of fate will be kind to you, as a burden like this has taken its toll. Farewell, Alexander, I pray for your world's survival.”

  With that a cloud of dust floated in the air as Kaele vanished from the large room. Standing up from his desk, stomach once again in knots, Alexander walked over to the small fridge and downed the contents of another pink bottle.

  Alexander knew the earth was not ready, simply looking at the collected data: player levels, skills unlocked, embers gathered, and Sacred Valleys cleared.

  Alexander knew the PODs were machines of incredible power, but even they had limitations; the best they could do was to create “mana avatars” for the users to play with, limited to several classes they’d gain access to when the trial began. The players would simply have a taste of what was to come, and even after ten years, over 2/3 of the population had never stepped foot into the game.

  Alexander knew deceiving the populace was something he would never be forgiven for if the truth came out. But Kaele had specified that there were rules that had to be followed or else their world would be immediately judged unfit.

  The trial was to be just that, a trial. If the populace of their world knew and built up its military to combat it, or developed specialty weapons, then it would not accurately depict results, rather, it would just show how governments banded together to preserve their interests. Every individual, per the trial, was to be given equal opportunity to become powerful and help pass the trial, or burn together as their differences and greed for power proved too much of an obstacle to overcome.

  Alexander walked over to his phone and dialed a number that for many years had gone unused. As the dial tone went onto voicemail, an archaic system that had not been used for decades, Alexander left his message, “The tutorial is almost over, all of humanity will now become one with TVO, as we call it, may the caretakers have mercy on us all.”

  In less than a day, the world would face its trial. Alexander pondered the idea, the implications of what was to come. Nothing could be done now, all the preparation was completed, and all those in the know were settled or on route to their respective locations, awaiting instructions.

  Alexander just hoped it was enough, because if it wasn’t then this would be the last few hours of global peace. With a final action, before leaving his office for the final time, Alexander pushed the launch button on his tablet, causing the final update of the tutorial to publish, locking in the parameters for the beginning of the trial and the in-game event.