Ten million dollars.
That was the price to live. The cost of the revolutionary immunotherapy treatment that could potentially flush the relentless Stage IV cancer from Klein's frail body. He was seventeen years old, weighed less than a sack of flour, and spent his days tracing the cracks in the hospital room ceiling, waiting for an expiration date he couldn't afford to reschedule.
"Hello, I've come again to check on your IV how are you feeling?" A girl in white uniform asked, sitting in a chair next to his bed.
"When is it?" He asked, his head facing the window, his gaze flowing the flocking birds. "Death."
"Death?" She asked, trying to keep her composure. "Don't… Don't speak like that. It'll all be okay," she attempted to reassure him softly. However, it was hard to know whether she was reassuring him or herself.
"I'm sorry, I got carried away," Klein said. "I'm feeling better. Thanks for asking."
She smiled gently, though her eyes still held a flicker of concern. She reached over and adjusted his blanket with careful hands.
"Good. You're doing so well, Klein," she said softly. "And just remember, you're not alone in this journey."
She then glanced at the IV drip briefly before meeting his gaze again.
"Now tell me honestly, how are you really feeling? Not what I want to hear… but what's true for you?"
"It's eating me up," Klein said, his voice low.
Then, she leaned a bit closer, trying to make a genuine connection with Klein. She could tell his words came from the depth of his soul.
"Cancer is a brutal beast," she admitted softly. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's normal to feel like it's consuming you, because in a way, it is. The physical pain, the uncertainty…"
She paused, trying to find the right words to comfort him. "But you're not just your diagnosis, Klein. You are more than that," she assured.
After everything, she decided to leave him alone, to give him needed space.
"..."
Klein was like any other teenager, full of ambition. He was a well known e-sport player who climbed the ranks and earned a living, supporting his little brother and single mother. Everything was great until the cancer hit. He couldn't play competitive games anymore, as the disease had reached an advanced stage. He knew he had few months left before it finally consumed him.
And worst of all, he didn't have the chance to experience the revolutionary VRMMORPG called, 'Another World,' as it launched way later after the end of his e-sport career. It was a perfect game for someone in his condition, as it was a virtual reality game. It didn't need precise physical movements; just hook up the headset and you're set.
Known for its realism, real-world corporations have begun to offer prices for various items and loots brought back from the game. News of players earning from thousands to even millions of dollars surfaced online, and Klein was no stranger to them. Every time he opened his phone, that was the first thing in his feed, and each time he saw them, he felt the same surge of regret and helplessness.
He knew, he knew that with his gaming skills, he could easily be one of the top, if not the best in the game, racking in heavy money for his family.
'Why must things end this way?' he thought.
"Brother Klein," someone called out, as they approached the door to his care room.
'Leo? That sounded like Leo.'
"Brother Klein, how are you doing?"
Klein wasn't mistaken; it was indeed his junior brother Leo, who paid him a visit, and to Klein's surprise, he held a red-wrapped, gift-like box in his hands.
"I got you something," Leo, his brother, said.
"Something?" Klein reacted, his eyes wide. "What's in it?"
"Won't say," Leo replied. "Just open it and see."
Leo extended the gift box to Klein, his face joyful as he waited to see him open it.
"I'm waiting," Leo said.
"Okay," Klein replied. "I'm opening it now."
Slowly, as he didn't have much strength to muster, Klein unwrapped the gift box, his hands swiftly tearing the wrapper.
In an instant, what was in front of him was no other than the cover box of the Nexus VR, the latest and the most advanced VR technology to date. Written on the box was what truly caught Klein's surprise: "Comes with Another World pre-installed."
Another World—a game that lives up to its name, promising to transport players to a world so deep in realism that you can't tell the difference. It wasn't like other virtual reality games.
"Leo, how? How did you—" Klein was so surprised, he couldn't muster the right words.
With a slight head shake, he snapped out of his shock, and turned, facing Leo.
"This... It's the Nexus VR, how did you?" Klein asked.
Leo didn't respond, because he knew the answer would immediately upset Klein, and Klein wasn't oblivious to it, as he had already deduced how Leo was able to afford such a gift.
"Don't tell me?" Klein reacted. "You used the money I gave you for your laptop to buy this."
Leo still didn't respond, and that only added to the frustration piling up in Klein's heart.
"That laptop was meant for your school work," Klein said. "Leo why did you?"
"But—"
"But what?" Klein immediately cut Leo off.
"Just turn on the news and see for yourself," Leo responded.
With a sigh, Klein darted his gaze around his bed, searching for the television remote. His sight landed on it, opposite his arm. With a firm clench, he grabbed it and turned the television on.
"I'm sorry to interrupt this broadcast, to bring this information to you once again. The widely anticipated game, Another World, has taken the headlines again, as the investment firm, Eagle Capital, has decided to offer anyone who manages to acquire the in-game artifact: The Jewel of Heaven, a hefty sum of ten million dollars."
"For anyone confused, don't be, as I myself am too. But what we know is that the VRMMORPG game, Another World, has taken our world by storm; its realism is something that shouldn't be joked about. This new gush of money comes in after the game launched its widely talked about update, which promises to bring a new PvPvE map onto the stage. A screen just like this should have already popped up in your VR headset:
[Season Expansion: Successfully Installed.]
[New Location Added: The Draken Tower.] "
As the news broadcaster kept rambling, Klein couldn't believe his eyes: ten million dollars. That's exactly what he needed. Could it be fate? A second chance of sorts?
"How is this...."
Klein grabbed the Nexus VR box, had a brief look at Leo, and immediately opened the box. He was quick and aggressive in doing so, as he was eager to start the bounty.
In his very hands, laid the technology that promised to send humankind into the ground breaking world of Virtual Reality.
With a sigh and a quick smile, he put on the Nexus VR headset and said, "Link start."
The phrase, "Link start," was well known to Klein already, as it was a hashtag that has trended on social media since the launch of Another World.
Then,
A blue screen materialized and hovered in front of his vision, just like any in-game notification.
[Initializing Nexus VR...]
[Log into Another World.]
[Yes/No]
Klein didn't even waste a second, he quickly tapped [Yes] and continued.
[Logging into Another World...]
'This is it.'