Chapter 1 – Just Another Tuesday
Tap! Tap! Tap! The keyboard clattered under Chris' fingers, each keystroke a tiny rebellion against the endless tide of spreadsheets, emails, and corporate misery. Finally—done. Another project filed, another day survived. He leaned back, rubbing his neck, listening to the steady hum of the fluorescent lights above. The familiar scent of stale coffee and recycled paper filled the cubicle, a comfort of monotony he'd grown used to.
Chris sighed, staring blankly at the gray walls around him. This was his life: wake up, work, sleep, repeat. Normal. Average. Predictable. He shook his head, trying to shake off the thought. At least I have novels.
His latest obsession, Eternal Cultivation, waited for him tonight. Wizards, dragons, betrayal, and epic battles—the kind of chaos his real life could never provide. Just thinking about it made his chest feel lighter, as if he could escape the cubicle walls with every chapter.
Sliding out of his chair, he waved a weak goodbye at his coworkers. Most didn't even notice; the office hummed with the muted chaos of keyboards, murmurs, and the occasional sigh of someone clearly contemplating whether life had any meaning. Karen from accounting lectured an intern about aligning footnotes. Chris smiled faintly. Better her than me.
He grabbed his backpack, earbuds buzzing softly with his favorite playlist, and started toward the door. The handle felt cold, foreign in his hand. He pulled…
There it was, written in bold letters: PUSH
Chris froze. His face burned red. Seriously? Did they think I'd read minds? He peeked around. Nobody saw. Thank the gods. He pushed, muttering under his breath.
Why is every door in this building a trap?
The city greeted him immediately, a chaotic mix of sights, sounds, and smells. Hot street food wafted from a vendor on the corner, mingling with exhaust fumes and the faint scent of wet asphalt from a passing drizzle. Neon signs flickered to life as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the skyline in streaks of orange and purple. People hustled past, earbuds in, phones in hand, lives intersecting in ways he could only imagine.
Chris adjusted his backpack, pulling out his phone. Chapter 42 of Eternal Cultivation glowed invitingly. Finally… time to see what kind of chaos these wizards are up to today. He scrolled, barely noticing the passing crowd.
He walked down the sidewalk, taking in the street vendors, children laughing as they chased after stray dogs, and couples arguing softly over dinner plans. The world felt alive, brimming with possibilities—for everyone except him, that is. In stories, he mattered. In stories, he could act, choose, fight, win. In real life… he just survived.
Just another Tuesday, he thought, shaking his head. Living through heroes is easier than living through Karen.
The subway station loomed ahead, buzzing with tired commuters and the mechanical screech of trains slowing to a stop. Chris waited for his train, pulling his hood up against the drizzle. The city outside blurred, a mix of neon lights and rain-slick streets. He let himself smile faintly; at least, in a few minutes, he'd be home, warm, and lost in the story he loved.
Tap! Tap! Tap! His fingers traced the page on his phone as the story pulled him in deeper. For a moment, the world outside—the office, the city, everything—didn't exist. Just him and the glow of his novel.
And yet… a small, irrational thought flickered in the back of his mind: What if things didn't go back to normal tonight?
He shook it off. Stop being paranoid, Chris. Life was boring and predictable, right?