The pressure was suffocating. Dani had spent so much time trying to push it out of her mind, but now, as she sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her interface, it was all she could think about. The Quarter-Finals.
A chance at the Semi-Finals, a chance at securing her future, but also a chance at failure. A single loss, and she could be done. No sponsorships, no tuition grants, no future in Another Life VR. She had to win at least one match.
But after watching the insane battles in the previous round? After seeing what Welby, Mackiaveli, Sidewinder, and Byte could do? After experiencing firsthand just how strong Aeris Voss had become? Her stomach clenched.
"I might not be ready for this."
The thought clawed at her, gnawing at the back of her mind as she hurried through her morning routine. There was no time to waste. She scarfed down her breakfast so fast she barely tasted it. Yoga? Half a session, if that. A quick shower. A final systems check. And then—
She logged in. As soon as Dani stepped into her white training space, something shifted. The clean, blank void rippled, as if it were reacting to her thoughts, her emotions. And then—a golden light erupted, pulling her forward. Vesta had summoned her.
Dani barely had time to process before she was sucked into the depths of Vesta’s domain. When she landed, her breath caught in her throat. Vesta’s realm was unlike anything else in Another Life VR. It was ancient and infinite, stretching in all directions, a sky of shifting gold and crimson.
Floating, circular platforms hovered in midair, some connected by bridges, others simply suspended in an endless void. Massive columns of fire twisted up toward a burning sun that seemed too close, casting deep shadows and filling the air with an intense, unrelenting heat. In the center of it all, waiting for her, was Vesta.
Tall, regal, and bathed in molten fire, the AI goddess stood on a platform of woven flame, her golden eyes locked on Dani with an unreadable expression.
"You are late." Vesta’s voice reverberated around the sky as if they were in an enclosed hall. She felt the aura of her goddess surrounding her as Vesta floated closer.
Confused. Dani exhaled sharply. "I—"
But she didn't get to finish. Because in the next instant—Vesta attacked. There was no warm-up, no preparation. Dani was thrown into battle immediately. Vesta came at her with a relentless storm of flame and power, each attack pushing Dani to the absolute brink of what she could handle.
Fire lances streaked toward her, walls of heat cut off her escape routes, and every mistake she made was punished instantly. She was too slow. Too predictable. Too weak.
Dani hit the respawn point with a gasp, her heart pounding. That was the fifteenth time she died. Fifteen times. Vesta stood across from her, unscathed, unimpressed.
"You’re fighting like a human," she said, folding her arms. "Predictable. Linear. Clumsy."
Dani groaned, rolling her shoulders. "Thanks. Really inspiring feedback. I’ll be sure to put that on my player profile."
Vesta ignored her sarcasm. "Your fire is an extension of you, yet you treat it as a separate thing—as something you must cast. That is why you fail."
Dani clenched her fists, frustration bubbling inside her. "I am casting it! That's how magic works! You select a spell, you activate it, boom, fireball! That’s how the mechanics—"
Vesta moved. A single flick of her wrist, and a whip of flame lashed across Dani’s leg. Dani barely bit back a scream as she fell to one knee, her HP plummeting.
ALERT: CRITICAL HIT!
-45% HP
STATUS: SEVERE BURN
DAMAGE OVER TIME ACTIVE - REDUCED MOBILITY
“What was that?” Dani said as she stared at the sky.
“I guess you are now seeing your statistics? Good, you‘re finally evolving.”
Vesta smiled as Dani casted a spell to restore her health to 100%. She was still looking up at the sky reading the different stats in her display when Vesta flicked her whip at Dani
SMACK! CRACKLE! POP! BOOM!
ALERT: CRITICAL HIT!
-68% HP
STATUS: MULTIPLE SEVERE BURNS
DAMAGE OVER TIME REFRESHED AND ACTIVE - REDUCED MOBILITY
The fire didn’t just hit her. It coiled around her leg like a living thing, wrapping around her knee before slithering up toward her chest. It wasn’t just a spell. It was an extension of Vesta’s movement. Dani’s breath hitched as the tip of the fire hit her chest, sending her flying across the ground. As she began to stand up she thought about Vesta movements.
She never actually cast a spell.
She had just moved, and the fire had moved with her.
Dani gritted her teeth. "Okay. I get it now."
Vesta’s gaze sharpened. "Do you?"
Dani pushed herself up, shaking the lingering flames from her leg.
"Again." Vesta said
By the second day, Dani had stopped trying to cast fire. She had started trying to move with it. Her initial attempts were clumsy. Every time she tried to let the fire flow naturally, she still found herself reverting to the mechanical cast-and-release method the game had trained her to use. It felt wrong to just move and expect the fire to react.
But then—She stopped expecting. She let go of the mechanics. And for the first time—her flames responded. When Vesta launched another attack, Dani didn’t cast a shield. She simply moved her hands, and the fire responded. A swirling arc of blue fire wrapped around her forearm, catching Vesta’s attack before dispersing it into the air.
ALERT: ELEMENTAL ATTUNEMENT INCREASED!
FIRE AFFINITY +2%
CODE WEAVING EFFICIENCY IMPROVED
Vesta smiled. Just barely. Dani almost celebrated—But then Vesta tripled the intensity of her attacks. For the next several hours, Dani was forced to adapt on instinct. If she hesitated, she was burned. If she stopped moving, she was engulfed. She was learning. Faster. Better. But she wasn’t ready yet.
Dani’s legs trembled as she dodged another attack. She had lost count of how many times she had respawned. Fifty? Sixty? More? Her HP had hit zero so many times, the damage alerts barely registered anymore. Her entire body felt wrung out, her hands shaking as she forced herself to keep going.
"Your movements are improving," Vesta admitted. "But you are still hesitating."
Dani gritted her teeth, her entire body aching. "I—"
She hesitated. Vesta’s flames wrapped around her again.
ALERT: STATUS - IMMOLATED
EXTREME DAMAGE OVER TIME ACTIVE
ERROR: SYSTEM LIMIT REACHED - FATIGUE EFFECT TRIGGERED
Dani collapsed onto one knee, fire licking at her body. Her mind screamed at her to get up, but she could barely breathe. She had been fighting for three days straight in this time-dilated nightmare. Her body—her real body—was likely motionless in her bed, but her mind felt every second of it. Vesta stepped forward, her golden eyes burning with intensity.
"Tell me," she said, "why do you fight?"
Dani blinked through the heat, her fingers digging into the scorched ground.
Why?
Dani thought. For her future? For financial aid? For survival? Or—Because she wanted to be better? She wanted to win. Dani pushed off the ground, her flames flaring back to life. Vesta’s smile deepened.
"Again."
And this time—Dani didn’t break. On the fourth day, something clicked. Dani stopped trying to force her spells and started to feel them instead. She moved her hands, and instead of just casting flames, she wove them into the air, creating shifting patterns that didn’t just burn—but flowed.
When Vesta launched a firestorm, Dani didn’t just dodge—she redirected the flames, guiding them into a spiral before dispersing them into nothing. For the first time— She saw recognition in Vesta’s golden eyes.
"Good. You are learning."
Dani grinned, despite the sweat dripping down her face. But that was only the beginning. The battlefield had evolved. Dani was no longer fighting on a single, stable plane—Vesta had turned the arena into a crucible. The ground was never the same twice.
One moment, she was balancing on floating platforms, where even the slightest misstep sent her plummeting into a sea of fire. The next, she was sliding down a crumbling cliff, forced to adjust her movements while parrying incoming attacks.
And Vesta? She never stopped. Every second was relentless, every battle pushing Dani further, harder. Dani leaped from one floating stone to the next, flames bursting beneath her feet as she propelled herself forward. Vesta was right behind her.
A spear of fire sliced through the air, aiming for her back. Dani twisted mid-air, barely managing to redirect the flame with a hasty flick of her wrist.
Stolen novel; please report.
ALERT: MID-AIR ELEMENTAL SHIFT SUCCESSFUL
+3% FLAME CONTROL
+2% MID-AIR AGILITY
She landed—barely—on the next floating platform, her breath ragged, her body screaming for relief.
"You're hesitating again," Vesta’s voice echoed, calm, unbothered. "Do you think your enemies will give you a moment to breathe?"
Dani gritted her teeth. "No," she muttered.
"Then stop acting like it," Vesta said.
With a flick of her fingers, Vesta shattered the platform Dani was standing on. Dani fell. Her stomach lurched as the ground rushed to meet her, and instinct kicked in before fear could take hold. She wove a burst of flame beneath her feet, twisting it into an air booster, just enough to slow her fall and let her land safely on the unstable battlefield below.
ALERT: CUSTOM CODE WEAVING SUCCESSFUL
NEW MOVE UNLOCKED: FLAME STEP
Dani's eyes widened. She had done that automatically. For the first time, her weaving had adapted without her thinking about it. Vesta watched, expression unreadable.
"Good," she said. "Again."
Dani barely had time to react when the first illusion struck. A ghostly warrior appeared before her, moving like a blur, twin sabers weaving through the air like liquid metal. She recognized him instantly—one of the past champions of Another Life VR.
The Code Slayer. His form was translucent, but the damage was real. Dani dodged the first strike, ducking just in time to avoid a decapitating blow. But before she could counter— A second illusion appeared. Then a third. Then a fourth and fifth.
WARNING: MULTIPLE HOSTILES DETECTED
SIMULATED OPPONENTS: 5
DIFFICULTY: MAXIMUM
Dani’s breath hitched.
"Are you kidding me?!" she yelped, throwing up a firewall just in time to block an onslaught of code-formed blades.
Vesta's voice drifted through the arena. "You want to be the best, don’t you?"
Dani didn't answer. She couldn’t. She was too busy surviving. For the next several hours, she fought them all. Her fire clashed against swords, and her dodges became sharper, making her counterattacks more precise.
She wove barriers into her attacks, turning defense into offense. She started predicting patterns, breaking through enemy maneuvers before they could finish them.
ALERT: CODE PROCESSING SPEED INCREASED
+5% COMBAT EFFICIENCY
+4% REACTION TIME BOOST
But even with those gains, she was still losing. They overwhelmed her. Again and again. By the time she finally managed to defeat two of them, her body was wrecked, her HP was flashing red, and her vision was swimming. Vesta's voice cut through the haze.
"Are you afraid?"
Dani forced herself to her feet.
"...No," she said.
And even though it was a lie, she refused to let it feel like one.
"Then fight," Vesta commanded.
And so she did.
Dani had stopped feeling pain. She had stopped noticing her HP bar. She had stopped looking at anything except Vesta's attacks. For seven days, she had died hundreds of times. But for the first time—She wasn’t thinking about losing. She wasn’t thinking about surviving. She was thinking about winning.
The shift was subtle. Her fire was no longer cast. It was woven. It moved before she commanded it. She didn't need to activate a spell. Her flames responded to her body, flickering with her breath, twisting with every step, every movement. Vesta attacked—but this time, Dani wasn’t behind.
She was there. Her body moved instinctively, her mind predicting attacks before they even landed. For the first time, she met Vesta’s strength with equal force. The battle lasted hours, the two of them weaving, dodging, countering, attacking—until finally, Vesta leaped back and raised a hand.
The battlefield froze. Dani’s chest heaved, her arms shaking—but she was still standing. For the first time in seven days—She hadn't lost. Vesta smiled.
"Now," she said. "You’re ready for the real training."
Dani’s stomach dropped. What the hell had the last seven days been, then? She barely had time to process the horror of that thought before the world shifted again, and she plunged into the next level of her evolution.
She started to crack. Doubt crept in.
What if I can’t do this?
What if it’s not enough?
She had never trained this hard before. Her arms felt like lead, her legs burned, and her HUD was a blur of red notifications.
WARNING: FATIGUE LEVELS CRITICAL. RECOMMENDED REST: 8 HOURS.
SKILL FUNCTION DECREASING: REACTION SPEED -7%, ELEMENTAL OUTPUT -9%
Dani ignored it. There was no reset button. She had seen Aeris fight. She had watched Mackiaveli move like a ghost. She had barely scratched the surface of what her competition could do. She wasn’t ready. And if she didn’t figure it out soon, she was going to lose everything.
Dani hit the ground. Again. Her fire flickered weakly, barely responding to her call as she struggled to push herself up. Vesta loomed over her, waiting. Her opponent—no, her teacher—hadn't stopped attacking for the last four hours straight.
"You're slowing down," Vesta noted, unimpressed.
Dani gritted her teeth.
"No. I’m just—” She winced as pain shot through her arms. “I’m just—catching my breath.”
Vesta tilted her head.
"Catching your breath is for survivors. Are you here to survive, Dani?"
Dani didn’t answer. Because for the first time in days, she wasn’t sure. However, it happened on the ninth day. Doubt. It slithered into her thoughts, wrapped around her mind like a vice.
She had fought hundreds of times. She had pushed past limits she didn’t know existed. She had evolved. And yet—Every time she thought she was improving, Vesta matched her growth. Every new skill, every breakthrough—Vesta countered it effortlessly.
She wasn't getting stronger. She was just getting beaten more efficiently. Dani wanted to scream. She wanted to quit. But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. She staggered forward, raising her hands, flames flickering weakly in her palms. Vesta watched her struggle—not moving, not attacking, just studying her.
"You are afraid," she said.
Dani wiped sweat from her brow, breathing hard.
"No shit."
"Why?"
Dani froze. She opened her mouth—then hesitated.
Why?
She knew why.
Because this wasn’t just a game anymore.
Because if I lost—I’d lose everything.
Because failure meant no future.
She had seen what her opponents could do, and she wasn’t sure if she could match them. For the first time, she felt it—the overwhelming weight of expectation. The reality of what this tournament meant. She was tired. She was scared. And she was angry.
Vesta’s gaze hardened. Then she nodded.
"Then fight like you have nothing to lose."
And with that—she attacked. Dani barely had time to react. But for the first time in nine days—She didn’t flinch at all, and on day ten, Dani lasted longer than she ever had before. She countered every fire blast, dodged every strike, and parried every onslaught.
She wove her fire effortlessly, her body moving with it as if they were one and the same. For the first time—She matched Vesta’s pace. For the first time—She felt ready. And as the final day ended, as she stood victorious against her mentor—She knew she was stronger than before.
But as she stared at the arena—the place where her next battle would take place—One thought lingered.
I'm stronger. I'm faster, and I'm better, but is it enough?
The arena lights flared to life, their glow illuminating the massive stadium as the crowd's excitement reached a fever pitch. Holographic displays flickered, showcasing the official start of the Quarter-Finals.
The energy in the air was electric—a volatile mix of anticipation and raw competitive hunger. And yet… something was off. The announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers, his usual enthusiasm now tinged with a hint of confusion.
ANNOUNCER (Voice Chat): "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME BACK! I hope you all had your fill of rest, food, and strategy planning, because from this point on—IT'S ALL OR NOTHING! We are officially kicking off the QUARTER-FINALS of the Fifth Annual Another Life Combat Developer Tournament! SPONSORED BY—"
A rapid-fire list of sponsors rolled across the floating banners in the sky as he announced them.
- Auracron Prime
- Health United
- The Be Healthy Corporation
- Synthwave Cyberwear
- Nanite Edge Energy
- Quantum Tactics?
The stadium exploded with cheers, digital confetti showering the virtual battlefield. On the platforms, six fighters appeared, materializing in a synchronized glow of pixels. Each stood on their designated battle stage, weapons at the ready, avatars fully loaded for war. Except— there was one problem. One of the contenders was missing.
ANNOUNCER (Voice Chat):"...WAIT. HOLD ON. WHERE IS DANI SHAW?!"
The massive holographic contestant lineup flashed above the arena, but instead of Dani Shaw’s avatar appearing, there was just an empty, flickering space. On Platform Two, Aeris Voss stood with her arms crossed, her foot tapping impatiently against the polished stone. Her tome hovered at her side, glowing with unread runes. She let out a sharp breath through her nose.
Aeris (World Chat): "She better not have bailed."
On Platform One, Sick Blade Dawson glanced around, rolling his shoulders as he adjusted the grip on his weapons. His opponent, Rei Nightfall, simply remained still, his form shifting subtly in and out of the shadows. The two rogues had already assessed each other—but even they had noticed the missing combatant. In the private chat, Dani’s friends were scrambling.
On Platform Three, the tension was just as thick. Kaine Vega stood at one edge, his hands flexing as raw energy crackled between his fingers. His sleek, augmented armor pulsed with neon lines of cyan, his stance casual—but predatory. Across from him, Drevan Cole remained still, his heavy combat boots planted firmly on the stone platform. His war-torn cloak fluttered slightly in the artificial breeze, his cybernetic eye glowing red beneath his hood.
Kaine tilted his head, the barest hint of amusement playing at his lips.
Kaine Vega (World Chat): "What, we just standing around? Someone play the Jeopardy theme while we wait."
Drevan's eye flashed, the HUD in his visor running combat diagnostics on Kaine. Unlike his usual quiet demeanor, he responded—for the first time in World Chat.
Drevan Cole (World Chat): "You’re real impatient for a guy who’s gonna lose."
A ripple of laughter spread through the crowd chat, emotes flashing on the side screens. Kaine grinned, cracking his knuckles.
Kaine Vega (World Chat): "Bold talk, Cole. Let’s see if you still got that mouth when I fry your circuits."
They locked eyes, the tension spiking—but before either could make a move, the announcer’s voice cut in, redirecting all attention back to the real issue.
Hexa (Private Chat): "Okay, where the hell is she?"
Byte (Private Chat): "Bruh, what if she overslept again?"
Vessa (Private Chat): "Byte, this isn’t funny. It’s the Quarter-Finals. If she doesn’t show up in five minutes, she’s disqualified."
A sudden tension gripped the arena. The crowd murmured, confused. Contestants exchanged glances. Even the announcer, usually in full hype mode, seemed momentarily unsure of what to do.
ANNOUNCER (Voice Chat): "Okay, folks! We’re gonna give our missing competitor a few minutes before we move forward. The rules are clear—if Dani Shaw does not appear within the countdown timer, she will forfeit this match!"
A five-minute countdown clock appeared above Platform Two. 4:59… 4:58… 4:57… The entire stadium felt like it was holding its breath. Mackiaveli began to feel anxious as well as he watch the scene from the VIP booth
Where was she?
This is part of a series of stories that have lived solely in my head for many years, and I’ve finally started writing them as serialized fiction books. If you think the story sucks, feel free to tell me—it’s all part of the process. That said, I’m also looking for constructive criticism, so any suggestions are welcome and will be considered as I work to improve the series.