[System Boot... Online]
[Player: Marius Vane]
[Location: Eremara District – Vane Hardware & Machinery]
[Current Objective: Survive the Rush Hour]
The first thing you need to know about reality is that it is a poorly optimized game engine. The graphics are high definition, sure, but the gameplay is unbalanced, the "Pay-to-Win" mechanics are broken, and the NPC AI is tragically repetitive.
"Marius! Where is the invoice for the copper wiring?"
The shout came from the Server Admin—my father.
I sat on a cracked plastic stool behind the counter of Vane Hardware. The air smelled of rusted iron, grease, and the burning coil of mosquito repellent. The ceiling fan wobbled overhead with a rhythmic click-click-click (120 Beats Per Minute).
"It's in the blue folder, Pa," I replied, not looking up from the counter. "Under 'Pending Deliveries'. You put it there at 10:00 AM."
"Don't tell me, show me!" Father grunted, wiping sweat from his forehead with a rag that was black with oil.
I sighed.
[System Alert: Stress Level rising.]
I stood up and pulled the invoice from the stack in 0.5 seconds. My brain didn't just see paper; it saw coordinates. I knew exactly where it was because I remembered the geometric angle at which Kaelen had thrown it on the desk three hours ago.
Kaelen. My older brother. The "Tank Class" of our family.
Through the dusty glass front of the shop, I could see him outside in the scorching Eremara heat, loading heavy galvanized pipes onto a truck. His shirt was soaked through. He had dropped out of college to run the logistics so I could sit in an air-conditioned room and learn physics.
The guilt of that variable sat heavy in my chest. Inventory Weight: 100kg.
I sat back down and opened the heavy ledger book on the counter. But hidden inside wasn't an inventory list. It was a grid-lined notebook with dog-eared corners.
I clicked my cheap ballpoint pen.
[Project: Aether]
Code Line 45: If (Player.Stealth < 5) { Enemy.Detection_Radius = Max; }
I was building an RPG (Role-Playing Game). Not on a computer—we couldn't afford a rig that could handle Unity or Unreal Engine. I was building it on paper. I wrote the C# code in ink, compiling the logic in my head, simulating the bugs and the patches in my imagination.
"Marius," Father's voice softened slightly. He tossed a ten-rupee coin onto the counter. It spun and landed on heads. "Go get yourself a tea. You leave for tuition in ten minutes."
I looked at the coin.
"Thanks, Pa."
I checked my digital watch. 3:30 PM.
The Sterling Institute opened at 4:00 PM.
I packed my bag. I didn't need the tea. I needed the escape.
I was traveling from the noisy, industrial "Server" of Eremara to the elite, quiet "Server" of Dax-Vana.
And I was going to see the only player in this entire city who felt... real.
[Player: Priscilla Sterling]
[Location: Dax-Vana – The Sterling Residence]
[Current Objective: Maintenance of Public Image]
My room was painted the color of a dove's wing—soft, pale, and incredibly boring.
"Priscilla, stand still."
My mother tugged at the hem of my kurta. She was a woman who believed that a wrinkle in your clothes led to a wrinkle in your reputation. As a senior government clerk, she lived her life by the file and the rulebook.
"You are the daughter of Professor Sterling," she recited the daily mantra, her eyes scanning me for defects. "When you go down to the classroom today, do not giggle. Do not slouch. And for heaven's sake, do not engage with the back-benchers."
"Yes, Mama," I said. My voice was programmed to be soft.
I looked in the mirror.
[Avatar Customization: Complete]
Skin: Flawless.
Hair: Tied with a blue ribbon.
Expression: The "Good Girl" Smile.
It was a mask. A high-quality texture pack designed to fool everyone.
Inside, I was screaming. I hated the silence of this house. I hated that my "friends" at St. Ivy's only liked me because I had the latest iPhone and my dad gave them exam tips.
I grabbed my bag. Deep in the side pocket, hidden inside a geometry box, was a folded piece of paper.
It was a doodle Marius had given me last week. A tiny sketch of a cat wearing a hoodie, fighting a dragon made of homework.
It was the most valuable thing I owned.
"Go on," Mother said, opening the door. "Don't be late. Your brother is already down there."
I walked down the marble stairs.
The air changed. It went from the smell of expensive incense to the smell of whiteboard markers.
The Sterling Institute—my father's kingdom—was on the ground floor.
I took a deep breath.
Game Start.
[The Lobby - The Collision]
The tuition center was filling up. Students from all over Sylvaris were pushing in.
The divide was visible even without a HUD.
On the left: The kids from Dax-Vana. Clean uniforms, expensive smartwatches, loud laughter.
On the right: The kids from Eremara. Faded shirts, dust on their shoes, quiet voices.
I walked to my seat in the second row. My brother, Rayn, was already at the front, holding court with his admirers.
"Priscilla!" Rayn called out, flashing his 'Winner' smile. "Ready for the torque test? I bet I score 100% today."
"Good for you, Rayn," I smiled back. Fake Smile opacity: 100%.
Then, the door creaked open.
He walked in.
Marius.
He looked like a glitch in the room. He wore a grey hoodie despite the humid weather, the hood pulled up to hide his messy hair. His headphones were around his neck like a collar. He walked with his head down, navigating the crowd like he was avoiding invisible lasers.
He didn't look at Rayn. He didn't look at the board.
He walked straight to the back row—Seat 50. The blind spot.
I waited.
I counted to three.
One... Two... Three.
I turned my head. Just a fraction.
He was looking at me.
His eyes were dark, intelligent, and focused. He wasn't looking at my "Good Girl" mask. He was looking at the code underneath.
I raised my hand to tuck a stray hair behind my ear.
Tap. Tap.
[Signal Sent: "I see you."]
From the back of the room, Marius gave the slightest nod.
A connection established. A private server in a public room.
"Alright, settle down!" My father's voice boomed as he entered the room, slapping a long wooden ruler against his palm. "Physics is not a democracy. It is a dictatorship of laws. Open your books!"
I opened my book.
But my mind wasn't on physics.
I was wondering what game Marius was designing in his head today, and if I was the main character.