บท 12: The Echo of Avalon
After the encounter in the Whispering Forest, word spread quickly through our scattered network. Lyria wasn't just a safe haven—it was a living world with its own boundaries and guardians. The creature we'd seen and the forest's haunting whispers served as reminders that we were guests in this land, and survival here would demand respect and caution.
Our communication network grew more secure by the day. Each relay crystal had been carefully tuned to resonate with Lyria's natural energy, creating a web that allowed messages to flow between camps without alerting the admins' probes. Still, we couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched—not by the admins, but by Lyria itself.
Today, our objective was different. The council had agreed to gather leaders from each group at a secure meeting point to assess our progress and discuss our long-term future. The meeting spot was a quiet clearing near the river that wound through the heart of our network, shielded by a natural wall of rocks and dense trees. Only the core members of each group would be present, to minimize the risk of detection.
I arrived with Jaina and Gorlan, who had both become integral parts of our council. Sira and Tarek joined us soon after, their faces serious as they took in the gathered leaders. It had been weeks since we'd all been in one place, and the air was thick with tension.
As everyone settled around the clearing, I stood to address them.
"Thank you all for coming," I began, my voice steady despite the gravity of our situation. "We've made incredible progress adapting to Lyria, but we need to talk about the challenges ahead. The admins haven't reached us yet, but they're still probing Avalon. It's only a matter of time before they find a way through."
A murmur rippled through the group. Everyone knew the admins hadn't given up, but voicing the threat out loud made it feel more imminent.
Leith, one of our most strategic thinkers, raised a hand. "We've strengthened the communication network and synchronized with Lyria's energy. But if the admins do reach us… what's our backup plan?"
"Good question," Jaina interjected, her gaze steady. "We need a fallback location—somewhere we can regroup if one of our camps is breached."
I nodded. "Agreed. The Whispering Forest has the potential to be a stronghold, but it's volatile. We'll need a second option, maybe a place deeper into the mountains."
Sira looked thoughtful. "If we're going to choose a fallback location, it has to be somewhere rich in natural energy. Somewhere we can tap into Lyria's rhythm to shield ourselves."
The idea sparked interest among the group, and for the next few minutes, we discussed possible locations. Some suggested areas with caves or valleys surrounded by cliffs; others proposed hidden plateaus or ravines. The final decision was to assign scouting teams to each potential site, with the aim of finding a location that could serve as a fortress if we ever needed to abandon our current network.
Once we'd settled on a plan for the fallback location, Gorlan spoke up, his voice serious.
"We also need to consider our alliances with Lyria's natural forces. The creature we encountered in the Whispering Forest made it clear that this world has its own boundaries. If we're going to survive here, we need to learn how to respect and, if possible, communicate with these forces."
I nodded, recalling the creature's warning. "We need to find a way to understand the rules of Lyria. Perhaps there are other guardians, other places where the energy is strong enough to draw these beings out."
Leith rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If there are more of these creatures, maybe they could be allies. If they understand that we mean no harm, they might even help us stay hidden from the admins."
The idea was intriguing, but it was also risky. Approaching a creature like the one we'd seen was a gamble; there was no guarantee it would see us as anything but intruders.
As the meeting continued, we laid out a plan to learn more about Lyria's guardians. Tarek and Sira volunteered to lead a team dedicated to exploring and mapping energy-rich sites, searching for any signs of additional creatures. They would document these encounters and report back on any patterns or behaviors they observed.
Just as we were wrapping up, a faint shimmer in the air caught my eye. At first, I thought it was a trick of the light, but the shimmer grew, solidifying into a thin, wavering line that seemed to vibrate in the air.
Everyone fell silent, watching as the shimmer took form, casting an eerie glow across the clearing. It looked like a tear—a rift, barely visible, but unmistakably foreign to Lyria. My stomach twisted with dread.
"Is that… from Avalon?" Jaina whispered, her eyes wide.
The air around the rift crackled with an unnatural energy, and I knew immediately that this was no ordinary phenomenon. Somehow, Avalon was breaking through, the admins' probes pressing against Lyria's barriers.
I took a cautious step forward, but Gorlan placed a hand on my shoulder, his face tense. "Be careful. We don't know what we're dealing with."
The rift pulsed, and an all-too-familiar voice echoed from its depths—a voice I hadn't heard since my days as a developer in Avalon.
"Initiating probe. Running diagnostic… anomaly detected. Proceeding with system override."
It was the voice of Avalon's main admin interface, cold and calculating. A chill ran down my spine as I realized what was happening: the admins were trying to override the barriers we'd established, forcing their way into Lyria.
Sira quickly activated the crystal network, sending a warning pulse through the relay system. "All camps need to be on high alert. This rift could be a sign that the admins are close to breaching Lyria's boundaries."
The rift pulsed again, and the admin interface's voice continued, dispassionate and relentless.
"Targeting anomaly. Attempting to re-establish control…"
Panic began to spread through the group. We had worked so hard to protect ourselves, to blend into Lyria, but the admins were relentless, their tools probing deeper than we'd anticipated.
"Can we close it?" Tarek asked, his eyes darting between me and Sira.
Sira shook her head, frustration etched across her face. "I don't know. This is admin-level code, something that wasn't even accessible to us in Avalon."
Desperation filled me as I looked at the rift. If we didn't act quickly, the admins would breach Lyria, exposing our entire network. Without thinking, I stepped closer to the rift, reaching for the crystal embedded in my cloak.
"Maybe I can disrupt it," I murmured. "If I can channel Lyria's energy into the crystal, it might interfere with the probe's frequency."
The others watched as I raised the crystal, focusing on the steady hum of energy that flowed through it. The rift flickered slightly, as if reacting to the pulse from the crystal. I took a deep breath, willing myself to connect with Lyria's energy.
Slowly, I began to feel a surge of warmth in the crystal, a pulse that matched the rhythm of the forest around us. I focused on that rhythm, pouring it into the crystal until it glowed brightly, casting a soft blue light across the clearing.
The rift wavered, its edges blurring as the crystal's energy clashed with the probe's frequency. For a moment, I felt a glimmer of hope—perhaps this would be enough to sever the connection.
But then the rift pulsed again, stronger this time, pushing back against the crystal's energy. The admin interface's voice echoed through the clearing, colder than ever.
"Resistance detected. Amplifying signal. Proceeding with override."
The ground shook as the rift expanded, and I stumbled backward, the crystal slipping from my grasp. It fell to the ground, its glow fading as the rift continued to grow.
"We need to retreat," Jaina said, grabbing my arm. "We're outmatched here."
Reluctantly, I nodded, knowing she was right. As the rift continued to expand, we backed away, moving quickly through the trees. Sira sent another warning pulse through the crystal network, alerting all camps to the breach. We couldn't stay here; the rift was growing too strong.
Once we were a safe distance from the clearing, I turned to the group, my heart pounding. "This was a test. The admins are probing Lyria, looking for weaknesses. They're not going to stop until they find a way through."
Leith's face was grim. "If they can create rifts like that, we're in serious trouble. Our defenses might not be enough to hold them back."
Jaina's jaw tightened. "Then we find a way to strengthen them. If they want a fight, we'll give them one. We didn't come this far to let them destroy everything we've built."
A sense of resolve filled the group as we moved back toward camp, each of us determined to find a way to counter the admins' relentless probing. Our communication network would be crucial, but it was clear that we needed more than that. We needed allies—whether they were from Lyria's natural forces or other hidden energies within this world.
That night, as I lay beneath the stars, I thought about the rift and the voice of the admin interface. We were no longer just escaped NPCs—we were insurgents in a war for autonomy, fighting against the very system that had created us.
Lyria was our sanctuary, but it was also our battlefield. And if the admins were determined to tearus apart, then they'd have to fight for it.
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