DISCLAIMER:

I don't own either World of Warcraft and subsequent IP or any of G.R.R. Martin's works.

John Taruk slumped in his chair, barely able to keep his eyes open. His head throbbed from a night spent staring at his computer screen, his eyelids heavy with the weight of sleep deprivation. He had been pushing himself for hours, playing alongside his guildmates in the final raid of The War Within, trying to reach that elusive final victory.

The sun had long since set, and now, as dawn threatened to break outside his window, he could feel the exhaustion creeping deeper into his bones. His neck was stiff, his fingers sore from the constant clicking and keyboard tapping. He hadn't slept well the previous night either—too much caffeine, too many energy drinks. Now, his stomach felt like it was tied in knots, his mind sluggish and clouded by fatigue. But here he was, at the final stages of the raid, his mind not fully engaged, just going through the motions.

And then, as if fate had a twisted sense of humor, a new quest appeared in his log.

Quest: The Final Bargain

The whispers of the void beckon, Joan Thawe. Xal'atath, the blade of the Black Empire, offers you a final gift—one that promises eternal power, and a bond that transcends even the world of the living. Will you accept her offer?

John blinked at the screen, trying to focus on the words. It had appeared out of nowhere, almost as if it had been waiting for him. He stared at the glowing letters, his brain too tired to process the meaning. His eyes struggled to stay open as his fingers hovered over the mouse.

"Xal'atath?" He muttered to himself, blinking hard. His guildmates were still engaged in their post-raid chatter, and John's mind was too fried to even register what was happening.

He clicked on the quest log, just wanting to get through it and get some rest. What the hell, another side quest, he thought, rubbing his eyes. His guildmates had already moved on to planning for the next raid, and John just wanted to finish this and go to bed.

John trudged through the Black Temple, barely noticing the ominous music that played in the background. His character, Joan Thawe, moved as if on autopilot, her death knight armor clanking as she moved through the temple's dark halls. John's mind barely registered the details of the temple—how could it? His thoughts kept drifting, tired and fuzzy, as he looked for whatever it was he was supposed to do to complete the quest.

"Okay, okay," John mumbled to himself, his words slurring slightly from exhaustion. "Let's just get this over with."

He had already been playing for hours, and his focus was shot. This was the last thing he needed—some cryptic quest that Google couldn't even explain. Xal'atath. He didn't even remember much about her. Some Old God thing, right? The kind of character you dealt with when you wanted something dark and twisted, like a twisted villain in one of those over-the-top fantasy novels.

He stumbled into the main chamber of the Black Temple, the flickering shadows throwing a strange glow over his screen. In the center of the room, there was a swirling pool of dark energy, and standing beside it was a figure that could only be Xal'atath herself. He could barely make out her shape, but her presence was undeniable—too much power, too much allure, too much... everything.

It took John a moment to remember that, oh yeah, this was the point in the quest where the old god thing was supposed to offer him something—something creepy, probably.

"Alright, whatever, just get on with it," John mumbled aloud, slouching further in his chair. He didn't even try to sound engaged.

Xal'atath stepped closer, her voice lilting in his mind like something dripping slowly into his ears, soothing and unnerving at once. "You have come, Joan Thawe," she said, her voice like a caress in his tired mind. "I have been waiting for you, John Taruk."

John's eyes barely focused on the screen as he rubbed his face. Her voice made his head swim. "Yeah, yeah... What do you want?" he muttered, too exhausted to care about any of the subtleties. He was just so, so tired. He wanted to be done.

"You have already accepted my power, have you not? But there is more," Xal'atath purred, her voice thick with temptation. "I offer you more than just strength. I offer you something that will transcend your mortal life. Power. Immortality."

John sighed. This was just another one of those game mechanics he'd have to deal with, like some weird, convoluted end-game content that was better suited for another player. He couldn't even remember the details of the quest anymore. Xal'atath's words just felt like noise in his head. Maybe it would be worth it to complete it and move on to the next raid.

"Look, I don't have the energy for this," John muttered, rubbing his eyes again, trying to stay awake. He could barely comprehend the words she was saying. It wasn't that he didn't care—it was more that he had no capacity left to care. It was like his brain was running on fumes. "I just want to finish this thing."

Xal'atath's voice grew stronger, more insistent. "You think you have everything you need, John Taruk. But what you lack... is purpose. You are a man lost in time, aimlessly wandering the world. I can give you that purpose. All I ask is your submission."

John's fingers fumbled over the keyboard. He didn't really want to deal with this, but he also couldn't stand the thought of leaving something unfinished. The last thing he wanted was to look at this quest log later and realize he'd left it hanging. He needed to finish it. Just complete it. That was all he cared about.

With a tired grunt, he clicked the option to accept. Maybe it's just more power for the character, he thought to himself. Whatever. I'm too tired to think about it right now.

Quest Accepted: The Final Bargain.

The moment he clicked accept, everything changed. There was no warning, no transition. One second, John was sitting in his chair, in his dark, cramped room, fighting off the exhaustion. The next, he felt the air around him twist and buckle. His vision blurred, his senses overloaded by a rush of cold, sharp energy. His chair seemed to disappear beneath him, and his surroundings spun into a vortex of light and shadow. His body lurched forward, and he gasped for breath, but the breath didn't come. His lungs burned as his body felt like it was being torn apart.

A sharp, horrible noise filled his ears, louder than anything he'd ever heard. It was the sound of everything being undone, of the boundaries between worlds snapping like fragile threads. He tried to move, but it felt like his body was both everywhere and nowhere at once.

The only thing that anchored him in the madness was the voice—Xal'atath's voice, a low, honeyed whisper that filled his mind.

"Goodbye, John Taruk. You will never be the same again."

The world spun out of control, and John felt himself falling, the darkness swallowing him whole.

The next thing John knew, he was on the ground—cold, hard earth beneath his body, an unfamiliar chill cutting through his exhausted mind. His head pounded, the disorientation overwhelming. He didn't understand where he was. The trees surrounding him were unfamiliar, their branches thick with snow, the ground hard with frost. It was cold, colder than anything he'd ever felt in his life.

He groaned, pushing himself upright. His body felt... strange. Not just the exhaustion, but the weight of his armor, the muscle beneath it, the strange power coursing through him. It wasn't just the magic from Azeroth—it was different. Stronger. More alive.

"Where am I...?" he muttered to himself, blinking as his tired eyes struggled to focus on his surroundings. He was in a forest, far away from anything he recognized. Far away from home.

A voice—soft, almost like a hum in the back of his mind—whispered to him.

Welcome to your new world, Joan.

He froze. Joan?

You are no longer John Taruk. You belong to me now.

First of all, Hi!

I'm quite new to writing, so I've employed a helper(AI) to help with spelling, fact-checking, character descriptions, etc., etc.

This story has wormed its way into my mind for quite some time. I had just some parts written, but now I have the time and spirit to commit and write it out. (I guess... :D)

Updates will be sporadic tho.

If you have any recommendations, please, write in the comments :)

Please enjoy,

Soari