It was late—way past "just one more game" o'clock.
The moon outside peeked through the clouds like an eye in the sky, watching silently as the world slept. But inside a small, chaotic bedroom lit by LED strips and the flicker of a TV screen, three teenage boys were anything but sleepy.
Chip bags crinkled, soda cans clinked, and insults flew through the air like arrows in a fantasy war.
"AO! Cover me, I'm low!" Jay shouted, his fingers moving with the speed of a man whose digital life was flashing before his eyes.
AO's glare didn't move from the screen. "I was covering you, dummy! You're the one who ran in like you had plot armor!"
In the corner, Mike casually finished the last chip. "Guys… we're out of snacks."
Jay turned slowly, face full of betrayal. "You did not just say that. Not during the final boss."
AO groaned. "Bro, go get more. This is war. I can't fight hunger and demons at the same time."
Mike looked out the window. The night outside was thick and quiet—too quiet.
"Man... it's already dark. What if I get snatched by a ghost or some creepy old guy in a trench coat?"
Jay burst out laughing. "You scared, bro? You want me to hold your hand? Want me to tuck you in too?"
"Bet." Mike stood up dramatically. "Where's the money?"
"Right there." AO pointed vaguely at a shelf, eyes glued to the glowing boss. "Behind the cursed anime waifu drawing I made in 7th grade."
Mike sighed, snatched the cash, and muttered, "I'm risking my life for Doritos and soda. This is peak friendship right here."
The streets were dead silent. The kind of silent where even the wind seemed scared to make a sound.
The local corner store flickered under a broken neon sign. Mike stepped in cautiously. The place looked like it hadn't seen a mop or a soul in years.
As he grabbed chips and drinks, that feeling hit him. Like someone—or something—was watching. Breathing down his neck. Lurking just out of reach.
He spun around.
Nothing.
"Okay, cool cool cool," he muttered. "Definitely not haunted. Just my overactive gamer brain."
But that pressure didn't leave. It got worse.
He paid in record time and bolted, sprinting all the way home like the final circle in a battle royale.
Mike slammed the door behind him.
"Guys… I swear something was watching me," he said, panting.
AO raised an eyebrow. "Did you see a squirrel again, Mike?"
Jay snorted. "Or maybe a floating Dorito ghost came to take back what's theirs."
"I'm serious!" Mike dropped the snacks. "It felt off. Like, not normal off. Demon-dog-in-the-attic kinda off."
AO shrugged. "You're just trippin'. Now grab a controller. We're not done yet."
Mike hesitated, still spooked. But as always, the call of co-op was stronger than fear.
He sat.
The room filled with the sound of sword slashes, spell blasts, and Jay dying in hilariously avoidable ways.
"AO! This dude plays like a blindfolded NPC!"
"Shut up, monkey," AO deadpanned.
"Monkey? That's racist," Jay laughed.
Then—
The screen glitched.
All three froze.
"Yo… what was that?" AO said, sitting up straighter.
The game began to distort. Pixels bled into white, the music slowed, twisted, then reversed like a cursed mixtape.
Jay tapped the console. "It's just lag. Relax."
He hit the power button.
Nothing.
The white glow grew stronger, creeping across the screen like a virus. The sound morphed into a low hum, almost… a voice.
"You three… you were chosen."
AO stood. "Nope. Noooope. This ain't right."
Mike's heart pounded. "Of course it ain't right! That light's getting brighter!"
And then—
FLASH.
A blinding, searing pulse of white engulfed the room.
Their screams vanished.
The world went silent.
Somewhere Else...
Mike opened his eyes.
His body felt strange. Small. Heavy. The air was warm, sweet like flowers. His vision swam as he tried to move.
Tiny hands.
He blinked again—and saw her.
A woman with kind eyes and long flowing hair, holding him close with tears in her eyes.
She was smiling.
"...My baby…"
He was a baby.
AO, meanwhile, was flipping out.
"HELLO?! WHAT IS THIS?!
But outside, all anyone heard were baby cries. Servants rushed to his side.
"The young master's got a powerful voice already!"
AO screamed louder internally.
Jay, as usual, was the calmest.
"No way… We got isekai'd. This is literally a reincarnation anime. I knew playing that final boss felt too real."
Their bodies were new—but their memories stayed. Games, friends, laughter. It was all still there.
And deep inside Mike's soul, something stirred.
A whisper.
"Find me…"
Far away, beyond the stars...
Three ancient forces watched from the edge of existence. The Forbidden Gods—Creation, Time, and the Moon—slumbered once more, reborn into the hearts of boys who had no idea what fate had planned for them.
They were no longer just gamers.
They were chosen.
For a war that had never ended.