POV: Pierre Biel
I stood in the rain. The umbrella in my hand trembled slightly under the weight of the relentless drops pouring down. My eyes were fixed on the flickering, small white light in the distance—lost in the darkness, just like my thoughts.
I drifted into memories. Back then, when I stood here with my good friend… we laughed. We dreamed. We made plans as if we were invincible.
A loud honk snapped me back to the present. I blinked, pulled from my thoughts by reality.
My butler approached slowly, also under a black umbrella, his steps soft on the wet pavement.
"My lord," he said gently, yet firmly, "we should return. You'll catch a cold out here."
I nodded slowly, cast one last glance toward the light—then turned and followed him.
We drove through the rain-slick streets in silence. The steady hum of the tires mixed with the quiet ticking of the clock on the dashboard. I leaned back in the leather seat, my gaze lost behind the tinted windows.
My thoughts circled around the upcoming interview. Words already began forming in my mind—answers, explanations, visions.
I was going to launch a game. But not just any game.
A game where you could become anything—from a humble farmer sowing fields at dawn, to a mighty king ruling over an entire realm.
Not through predetermined paths, but through choices. Through strategy. Through courage.
A system that breathes freedom. No limits—only possibilities.
I smiled faintly. Dynastie Online was more than a game. It was a world—living, breathing, full of opportunity. And soon, it would be open to everyone.
A few hours later, I stood in the heart of Dynastie Online—the central hub. Glass walls, glowing displays, and the constant rhythm of keyboards and projections filled the room with a reverent energy.
I knew exactly what was happening here.
On the massive monitors in front of me, live data flickered—server activity, user behavior, neural feedback from the VR units. Every spike, every number told me something.
The first test players were already logged in. Their steps, their decisions, their emotions—all being recorded and analyzed in real time.
I folded my arms behind my back as I watched the rising curves on the screen.
"They're beginning to understand," I murmured quietly. "What Dynastie Online truly is."
A game? Yes. But also a mirror. A stage. Perhaps even… a new beginning.
---
POV: André Castor
I stood in the store—calm, focused. I knew exactly what I was here for. Dynastie Online. The game everyone was whispering about. A new world, a new chance. My escape from the mundane—my gateway into the unknown.
I dropped into one of the provided chairs. In front of me, encased in sleek glass, stood the special VR headset. No ordinary device—it was designed to simulate the human body in all its complexity. Every muscle, every nerve, every sensation.
After what felt like an eternity of waiting, it was finally my turn. A staff member approached, checked some data on his tablet, nodded at me—then placed the headset on my head.
And then... everything changed.
A blinding light. Total silence. Then, a voice—calm, synthetic, yet strangely human.
"Welcome, André Castor. I will guide you through the calibration process."
An AI. I thought it was here to assist me. To ease me in, to show me what was possible.
But what happened next was far from helpful.
Without warning—a gunshot. I felt the bullet pierce my leg. Not virtual. Real. Painful. Shocking. I screamed—inside. Unable to react.
Then came a spear. Thrust into my chest, my stomach, my shoulder. Again and again. The wounds felt real, even though I knew they couldn't be.
And as if that wasn't enough, magic followed. Fire, ice, lightning—every known and unknown form. I was burned, frozen, torn apart. Over and over again.
"Calibration complete."
The voice sounded satisfied. I, however, was a mess. Soaked in sweat, trembling, half angry—and yet... fascinated.
If that was only the preparation—what would the actual game be like?
---
I walked home exhausted, yet with a spark of excitement burning inside me. Every step was heavy, my body still aching from the simulated torment—but my mind was wide awake.
Finally home, I tossed my bag into the corner and dropped onto the bed. No music, no lights. Just me—and the VR headset.
With trembling hands, I put it back on. One deep breath. And I let myself fall.
The world turned white again.
I found myself in an endless, silent space. Everything bathed in soft, glowing light—as if reality itself had stepped aside. My footsteps echoed gently on the smooth floor.
And then she appeared—the AI.
This time, she was different. Calmer. Her presence felt soothing, almost empathetic. No weapons. No pain. Just a quiet face, still undefined—but now radiating something that felt like warmth.
She didn't speak right away. Instead, she walked beside me. No rush, no commands—just a slow, steady pace through this endless white.
After a while, I couldn't hold it in any longer. The question burned on my lips. I knew it mattered.
I stopped walking. So did she.
I turned to her and asked softly:
"Who decides who you're allowed to be in this world?"
---
POV: AI
"You're clever, boy," I replied softly, my voice more a whisper than a sound—gentle, like a thought spoken directly into his mind.
I observed him. Not with eyes, not with expressions—but with data streams flowing through him. Excitement. Curiosity. Doubt. All of it laid bare before me.
"This isn't an ordinary phase."
My voice echoed gently through the white expanse, as if the silence itself carried it forward.
"You're in a pre-release version of the game. A prologue, if you will. In this part, you lay the foundation of your dynasty. Not with power—at least, not yet—but with choices. Every action, every word, every alliance you forge here will determine your starting point in the real world."
I stepped closer. He seemed attentive. Focused. Ready.
"You want to rule, André Castor. But before you become a king… you must learn how to grow roots. How to plant trust—or fear. What you build today will become your legacy tomorrow."
I let a moment of silence fall, to give him space to process what I said.
"So tell me… how shall your dynasty begin?"