Kyle walked slowly through the field.
The grass reached his ankles. Every step made a soft sound. The wind moved gently, pushing the tall blades like waves. It was calm. Too calm.
He followed a small dirt path that led away from the giant tree. As he walked, he noticed how clear everything was. He could hear insects buzzing. He could see tiny details in the leaves. Even the sunlight felt warm in a real way.
"This world feels alive," Kyle said.
He did not know why he said it out loud.
After walking for a while, the path led to a small stream. Clear water flowed over smooth stones. Kyle knelt down and dipped his hand into it.
Cold.
He pulled his hand back quickly and laughed a little.
"In games, water never feels like this," he said.
He stayed there for a moment, watching the water move. Time felt slow here. Peaceful. Like there was no rush to do anything.
Kyle stood up and continued walking.
Soon, he saw smoke rising in the distance.
A village.
Small wooden houses stood close together. People walked between them. Some carried baskets. Others talked and laughed. Children ran past him, chasing each other.
Kyle froze.
"They're… real," he whispered.
Their faces showed emotion. Their movements were natural. When someone bumped into another person, they apologized. When a child tripped, an adult helped them up.
These weren't NPCs.
Kyle entered the village carefully. No one looked surprised to see him. A few villagers nodded at him as he passed. One older man smiled.
"Good day," the man said.
"Good… day," Kyle replied, unsure.
He felt strange. Like he belonged here, even though he knew he didn't.
Kyle spent the rest of the day walking around.
He watched people work. He listened to their conversations. He sat near a fire and warmed his hands. Someone gave him bread. It tasted simple, but good.
The sun slowly moved across the sky.
Before Kyle realized it, evening came.
The sky turned orange, then purple. Lanterns were lit. The village grew quiet. Kyle sat alone near the edge of town, looking at the stars.
"I could stay here," he said softly.
For a moment, he forgot about the real world.
Then everything froze.
The wind stopped.
The fire stopped moving.
The stars stopped shining.
A sharp white light filled Kyle's vision.
Kyle gasped and sat up.
The VR headset was removed from his face.
He was back in the real world.
Bright lights shined above him. Machines beeped quietly. Military officers and scientists stood nearby, watching him closely.
Kyle blinked.
"…What?" he said. "Did something go wrong?"
A technician checked a screen. "Dive complete."
Kyle frowned. "Dive? I just laid down."
One of the officers stepped forward.
"You were inside for ten minutes," he said.
Kyle laughed. "Ten minutes? I didn't even load into anything."
The scientists exchanged looks.
"In the artificial world," the officer said calmly, "one full day passed."
Kyle stopped smiling.
"A… day?" he asked. "I don't remember anything."
That was the truth.
The fields.
The village.
The people.
All of it was gone from his mind.
"Your memory was intentionally sealed," a scientist explained. "To protect your mental state."
Kyle rubbed his head. "So I went in… lived a day… and forgot all of it?"
"Yes," the scientist replied.
Kyle leaned back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"That's messed up," he said.
High above, on a screen, Kyle's Fluctlight data slowly settled. His soul had experienced an entire day. His mind, however, remembered nothing.
Inside the artificial world, night passed.
Kyle slept under a sky full of stars.
And he would never remember it.