The world had been waiting for this moment.
Billboards illuminated the night, broadcasting the countdown in glowing neon numbers. News stations buzzed with anticipation, influencers live-streamed their last moments before stepping into the unknown. For months, the gaming industry had been in an uproar over the most revolutionary VRMMORPG in history.
Project Nexus.
Unlike any game before it, Project Nexus wasn't just another virtual reality experience—it was an entirely new world. It wasn't played; it was lived.
At exactly midnight, the servers would go live. Those who had pre-registered—millions across the globe—would be the first to enter. But what truly set this game apart from anything before was its technology: The Nexus Nanochip.
A microscopic implant installed at the base of the skull, linking directly to the nervous system. It was more than just a VR headset—it rewrote the concept of reality itself. Players would fall asleep, and instead of dreaming, they would awaken in Nexus. Every sensation—pain, warmth, hunger, exhaustion—was simulated to be indistinguishable from real life. The body in the real world remained asleep, sustained by passive neural signals, while the mind ventured beyond.
A new life inside a new world.
It was Akane's masterpiece.
And yet, the man who created it was nowhere to be found.
A Game Born From a Ghost
At the headquarters of Nexus Cloud Gaming, the control room was filled with restless murmurs. Developers, engineers, and executives stood anxiously before a massive screen displaying the final server initialization. A countdown ticked away.
00:02:49
00:02:48
"We're green across all systems," a technician reported, adjusting his earpiece. "Nanochip synchronization is stable, no anomalies detected."
"Server capacity?"
"Holding steady at full load. Estimated ten million players will enter within the first five minutes."
The room should have been filled with excitement, but instead, there was an unshakable tension hanging over them. Because the man who was supposed to be here—who should have been standing at the front, witnessing his dream come to life—was gone.
Akane.
It had been six months since his disappearance.
No trace. No farewell. No sign of struggle or forced abduction. One day, he simply vanished. His home untouched, his personal lab sealed, his access logs showing no record of departure.
But before he disappeared, he left one final message.
"If the project is complete, release it. No matter what happens, launch the game. Let them see the world I've created."
And so, they did.
No one knew what truly happened to him. Some whispered he had uploaded himself into the game, while others believed the project had consumed him, his mind lost within his own creation.
And yet, Project Nexus remained flawless. Every test, every simulation had proven successful. The nanochip technology was perfected—no physical harm, no risk of getting trapped, no forced logouts like the horror stories of old VR games.
It was the perfect dream.
So why did it feel like a trap?
Midnight – The Dive Begins
As the final minute approached, millions of players lay in their beds, reclining in gaming chairs, or settling into designated sleep pods. A simple command was all it took.
"Activate Nexus."
For the first time, the world slept together—and awoke in a new reality.
Overworld – The First Breath of a New World
A breeze carried the scent of fresh grass and wildflowers. A golden sun hung in a sky too vivid to be artificial. Forests stretched into the distance, rivers glowed with crystalline clarity, and mountains loomed with breathtaking grandeur. The Overworld, the first realm of Nexus, greeted its new inhabitants.
Players appeared in waves, materializing in the fields like souls reborn into a new existence. Gasps of awe filled the air as they tested their bodies, feeling the weight of their armor, the stretch of their fingers, the warmth of the sun.
It was real.
More real than anything they had ever experienced in a game.
Menus hovered at their fingertips, displaying levels, stats, and classes. Weapons hung at their sides, waiting to be drawn. Mages tested their first spells, flames igniting in their palms with thrilling precision. Warriors swung blades, feeling the satisfying weight of steel cutting through air.
"It's just like real life."
No.
It was better.
And far beyond this paradise lay the trials awaiting them—hidden dungeons, dark continents, cyber metropolises, and the abyss itself. But for now, it was a dream made real.
And none of them wanted to wake up.
The Whispered Fear – A Glitch in Perfection
Yet, beneath the wonder and excitement, a whisper spread among the first players.
The veteran gamers, the theorists, the ones who had followed Akane's work closely, they had noticed something.
At first, it was dismissed as an easter egg—a fragment of lore. But as more players spoke, the unease grew.
In the distant mountains, some had seen a shadow standing on a peak, watching.
Others had heard a voice, a soft whisper that wasn't part of the tutorial.
But the most disturbing of all was the rare glitch found by a handful of players who had tried to log out early.
A simple message appeared:
"Escape is unnecessary. This world is your reality now."
And for a fleeting moment, before they were allowed to leave, they swore they heard a voice—one they had only ever heard in pre-release interviews.
"Welcome to my world. Let's see if you can reach me."
It was Akane.
And he was still here.
To Be Continued…