My eyes flutter open slowly. I blink several times, adjusting to the unfamiliar envirohat surrounds me.

  Soft m light trickles through the half-drawn curtains, casting a gentle glow on the hospital room. The ambient sounds of beeping maes and distant voices meld into a stant hum in the background.

  The room, meticulously , exudes the st of aic with subtle uones of artificial fragrances and ers. The sterile aroma, typical of hospitals, has always made me uneasy.

  I wince as a dull ache shoots up from my leg, only to discover it encased in pster when I look down. As I stare at it, the room eerily quiets, and I hear my heartbeat. Memories of the traumatic events from st night resurface gradually, like moonlight unveiling the grotesque visage of a gargoyle, and my pulse spins out of trol.

  Ss of visuals bombard my mind—the brutal puny face, the relentless kicks and stomps, the crowbar's merciless dest, and the excruciating pain that ensued. Cold beads of sweat glisten on my forehead as I remember the ominous final warning from the loan sharks, and my chest heaves with eaxious breath.

  Ign the Holter monitor that has begun beeping noisily, mirr my erratic heart rate, I gingerly attempt to move, steeling my resolve despite the twinge of pain.

  I 't afford the luxury of lying here until my leg heals, I decre to myself. I'll end up at the bottom of some nameless ke if I don’t get that money.

  The doctor bursts into the room just in time to catch me reag for the pair of crutches beside the bed. Clearly shocked, he swiftly moves forward to lend support, anticipating a potential fall.

  “M-Mr. Williams!” he stutters. “What do you think you’re doing? You… how did you even mao get out of bed?”

  He frowns disapprovingly upon spying the bloodstai-shirt that I've put on. Then, his gaze lingers on the blue hospital gown still draped over me.

  I smile awkwardly, tousling the bay head. “I’ll wash aurn it soon,” I assure him. “I don’t think I’ll be able to put my pants on with my leg in this state.”

  The man sighs deeply, taking a step bace he's sure I’m secure on the crutches. “Your pants were cut off your body,” he informs drearily. “So, it o longer serve its purpose. But, that’s beyond the point. Y is broken; you shouldn’t be out of bed or moving around.”

  My lips press into a thin line as I maintain eye tact with the doctor. All he did was state the obvious, but he didn’t make any demands of me.

  I sehat he might be aware of the circumstances behind my injuries but chooses not to hold me hostage or plicate matters further. It's on knowledge that gangs often target family members when they 't reach their primary target—though I have ives I'm in tact with.

  Also, it's not rocket sce to figure out that I'm dirt poor and broke. If being penniless had a st, I'd undoubtedly reek of it. Lingering here lohan necessary and accumuting more debt wouldn't be in my best i.

  The mere ption of ambund medical fees would typically turn a few more strands of my hair white instantly, but I have a pn. It's tied to the iment I mentioo the loan sharks and stands as my st-ditch effort tain trol over my life.

  “Wearing that bloody shirt in public will just draw unnecessary attention,” the man expins ruefully. “If you’re fih it, go ahead and use the hospital’s gown; you don’t o return it.”

  “Thank you.”

  I leave the hospital behind without looking back. The summer heat is brutal, especially when your speed is reduced to that of a snail.

  Focused on my destination, I tu the hustle and bustle of the city streets, making an effort to navigate the chaotice of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.

  The cacophony of sounds—car horns, chatter, stru, and distant sirens—creates a unique rhythm exclusive to the metropolis. Uerred by the whirlwind of activity, I seamlessly ie into the anized chaos that defihe heartbeat of this vibrant urban ndscape.

  As I trudge homeward, I bee aware that a specific story is saturating various news outlets across different ptforms—billboards, radios, televisions, and even skyscrapers. My curiosity piqued, I e to a standstill at a storefront, captivated by the live feed being projected in holographic splendor on the window.

  — “The Zenith Corporation, based in a, has finally achieved the impossible,” decred a bright and bubbly female anchor with an air of wonder. “They’ve created the very first VRMMame—Sehrei Online. A world of infinite possibilities awaits, sculpted by the unparalleled AI, Aphiniti.”

  The camera pans to the rolling ndscapes of Sehrei Online, a realm alive with wonder and grandeur. Characters engage in epic battles, build alliances, and embark os in this unpreted virtual world.

  — “Expetly, with the advent of artificial intelligence a few years ago, it was merely a matter of time before augmented reality blossomed into fully immersive virtual reality games.

  As for Sehrei Ohe game’s pulse resides in the world’s most powerful Quantumnova superputer, giving rise to a living, breathing universe,” the woman announces excitedly. “To bask in the full splendor of Sehrei Online, one must step into the Nexusphere—an engineering marvel rivaling Aphiniti herself. It's a full-body, plete sensory capsule that opens the door to a domain where reality and imagination seamlessly iwine.”

  My expression hardens as I envision the immersive experiehat awaits within the Nexusphere. But beyond mere curiosity and the longing to explore this uncharted digital frontier, my eagerness is fueled by the prospect of seizing this new opportunity to rake in some mueeded cash.

  — “The anticipation is tangible,” the anchor tinues, gesturing toward the line f behind her. “This queue of eager enthusiasts stands poised to secure their very own Nexusphere capsules while supply sts, gearing up for the game’s official release month.

  Yet, even among those who will secure a capsule in time for the official unch, the luckiest would have to be the five-hundred who were specially chosen to be beta testers,” the woman’s eyes gleamed, which made one wonder if she was chosen, as well. “They will bee the esteemed pioneers in this uncharted realm, shaping its destiny before the rest of the world arrives.”

  Disregarding the woman who was quite likely a low-key game fanatic, I shift my gaze down to the fractured s of my watch. The clock reads 12:14 p.m., and the beta is set to e two, which gives me a little over an hour to kick things off.

  As I shuffle home, I 't help but think that whatever transgressions I itted in my past life to incur the wrath of Karma and Lady Luck must have been staggering, sidering how wretched my curreence has bee.

  I don’t have any friends, save for the few ohat I only ever talk to about video game-reted matters. And any family members aware of my existence have deemed me a burden.

  Iermath of losing my parents, grief became an overwhelming force that reshaped me. Gaming and anime emerged as my se from sorrow, providing an escape but no solution to the cascade of challehat began to unfold at my feet, much like a relentless domino effect.

  Without parents or any familial support, I had to navigate the waters of independence. Using the college fund my parents had set aside, I secured a small apartment and began plotting my steps.

  I decided to teach myself puter programming with the goal of being a freence web developer.

  But it was b.

  Somewhere along the line, I found myself delving into the creation of game hacks, a hat quickly gained popurity with demands p in. What started as a side gig tailored famers with questionable sportsmanship became a thrivierprise.

  However, as the gaming industry stood on the brink of a transformative ge, I pondered whether my current hag skills could weather this shift. The ho answer was no—but I had a pn.