Chapter 3

Maya stared at her screen, shock turning her fingers to ice.

"A more prominent role?" she typed into the guild chat, her voice a whisper in her own ears. "Lionheart, what does that mean for the Loremaster position?"

Her position. Her role.

Lex' s reply was smooth, almost corporate.

"Sparrow, Starfire's experience as a streamer and her dynamic playstyle as a Sorceress will bring a new energy to the team. We need to think about the guild's brand, especially with the tournament streams."

His words were cold, logical, completely dismissing her years of dedication.

Brand. Energy. Not skill, not loyalty.

Two years.

Two years of meticulously planning raid strategies when others couldn't.

Two years of farming herbs for potions for the guild bank, spending her own in-game gold.

Two years of being the quiet, reliable backbone, the one who stayed late to help gear up new members.

All for the Vanguard. All for this team.

And it was dismissed for "brand."

A system notification popped up in her interface.

Player Starfire has been promoted to Officer rank in The Crimson Vanguard.

Player Starfire has been assigned to Raid Team Alpha.

Her raid team.

Then, another notification, this one feeling like a physical blow.

You have been moved from Raid Team Alpha to Raid Team Beta.

Publicly demoted. Instantly replaced.

The humiliation burned, hot and sharp.

Lex' s avatar turned to Sparrow' s.

He initiated a private whisper, but his voice was audible to those nearby in the guild hall due to a game feature.

"Sparrow, meet me at the Celestial Bridge. We need to talk."

The Celestial Bridge. The place where new recruits pledged loyalty to the Vanguard.

The place where he' d first welcomed her to the core team.

Symbolic. And cruel.

She teleported to the bridge, her plain avatar feeling smaller, shabbier than ever.

Lex was already there, his Paladin armor gleaming under the artificial moonlight.

"Lex," she began, her voice trembling slightly even in text, "the tournament... we always planned to win it together. For the guild."

It was a desperate plea, a reminder of their shared history, their supposed shared goal.

He waved a dismissive hand, an animation full of casual arrogance.

"Plans change, Sparrow. The tournament is a huge opportunity. Starfire brings more to the table for that."

He trivialized everything. Their past, her efforts, her dedication.

It was all just... business.

Maya felt something snap inside her.

The fear, the anxiety, receded, replaced by a cold, hard clarity.

"I dedicated two years to this guild, Lex," she typed, her words stark and unadorned. "I respected you. I thought my skill mattered."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement of a dying belief.

Lex' s reply was the final, brutal cut.

"Skill is good, Sparrow. But Starfire has skill and she looks good on stream. She' s what the Vanguard needs to get noticed. Honestly, your quiet thing... it was never going to cut it for the big leagues. You were always just a reliable support. Useful, but not star material."

A means to an end. That' s all she' d been.

The words hit harder than any boss mechanic.

"So, this is it?" she asked, the fight draining out of her.

"Yeah," he said. "It's probably best if you... find a guild that' s a better fit. No hard feelings."

He then opened the guild interface.

A prompt appeared on her screen: Lionheart has initiated a vote to remove Sparrow from The Crimson Vanguard. Reason: Inactivity / Not a good fit for current guild direction.

It wasn't even a direct removal by him. A cowardly public vote.

But the outcome was certain.

She clicked "Leave Guild" before the vote could even begin.

System: Sparrow has left The Crimson Vanguard.

The game' s global announcement channel, usually reserved for server firsts or major events, suddenly lit up.

Player Lionheart is now in a relationship with Player Starfire! Congratulations to the happy couple!

Followed by a server-wide emote from Lionheart' s character: a dazzling display of fireworks forming a heart around him and Starfire.

Public. Lavish. Instant.

Maya stared, numb.

He hadn't just replaced her. He' d erased her and celebrated it.

The Celestial Bridge felt very, very cold.