Chapter-01: The Beginning of Everything

             

Have you ever felt lonely and scared, wondering what would happen if everything in the world disappeared except you? There would be no one to rely on but yourself. If someone had told me this before, I would have laughed it off, thinking it was impossible. But not now. It has been 2 hours, 14 minutes, and 59 seconds since I began something I shouldn't have. The world hasn’t disappeared, nor have the humans or anything else. The one who disappeared was me… into a VR game. I’m Alexi, a sci-fi and horror enthusiast who loves exploring new things and games. My life was going well until a project I worked so hard on placed second. The winner celebrated, even the third place was delighted, but I couldn’t smile no matter what. People congratulated them and some expressed sympathy to me, but none could understand what I was going through. I had worked for months on that project, and the feeling of losing and regret consumed me. While looking for a distraction, I came across the news of my favorite studio’s new VR adventure game seeking beta testers. Without hesitation, I signed up. Arriving at the testing site, I met the creators of my favorite games. I told them how much I appreciated their work. After talking with them, they asked me about my feelings regarding the VR game I came to test today. I said that I was really excited as it was my first time being a beta tester; the feeling of trying a game before its release was indescribable. After signing the confidentiality paper, a person took me to the testing room. The testing room was cold, the kind of cold that made my skin prickle. The headset in my hands felt heavy with the weight of unknown possibilities. As I slipped it over my head, a shiver ran down my spine. All my excitement soon turned into my worst nightmare as I put on the device. Sweat began to pour down my face. When I tried to remove the gadget, a sinister and creepy voice said, "The game has started… Live if you can." I thought it was a joke. Now I am trapped. 01