The world vanished the moment Riley pressed START on the Nexus-VR headset.
A deep chime echoed through the darkness—
BOOM—
Light burst open all around him.
His breathing caught.
He stood on a vast circular platform made of pulsing white light, suspended in an endless void of drifting particles and shimmering mist. The surface beneath their feet rippled like liquid glass, glowing brighter with each passing second.
And beside him—
Aria and Sofia materialised, their avatars currently blank white silhouettes.
Aria spun in a full circle.
"OH. MY. GOD. THIS IS AWESOME."
Sofia covered her mouth, eyes wide. "It… feels real."
Riley couldn't help smiling.
"This is the Start Hall," he said quietly. "Where every journey begins."
He remembered this place vividly—five years older, bitter, alone, and desperate.
Now?
He wasn't alone at all.
A voice like a god whispering through crystal filled the space:
"Please choose your class" resounded in a booming voice
Five colossal statues emerged from the glowing floor, each rotating slowly around them in a great circle.
Each one looked like a living sculpture of energy—etched in blue, gold, silver, crimson, and violet light.
The names appeared beneath each statue:
VANGUARD
RANGER
CHANNELER
ARTIFICER
MYSTIC
Aria inhaled sharply. "Okay okay okay—this is insane."
Sofia whispered, "It's like they're alive."
Riley stepped back slightly.
This moment belonged to them.
"Just take your time," he said. "Look around. Pick what feels right to you. Your combat style, your strengths… there's no wrong choice."
Aria immediately dashed straight toward the Artificer statue.
Riley sighed. "Or you can do that."
The statue rippled with mechanical gears, whirring sigils, floating gadgets, and hovering drones. It radiated chaotic, buzzing energy.
Aria put a hand on her hip. "This one's calling my name."
Sofia blinked. "You didn't even check the others."
"I don't need to." Aria threw her arms wide. "THIS is me. Explosions. Gadgets. Sabotage. Beautiful."
A floating interface appeared in front of her statue:
---
Role: Tactical / Engineering / Traps
Strengths: Gadgets, area control, utility
Weaknesses: Fragile, setup time
Ideal for inventive players who enjoy outsmarting enemies.
---
Aria didn't read a single line. She slapped CONFIRM as if it owed her money.
A surge of crimson-blue light wrapped around her silhouette, shaping her avatar into a sleeker, more defined outline.
She raised her hands overhead.
"I. Am. A certified mastermind."
Riley smirked. "It suits you."
Sofia stepped forward next, moving carefully toward the rotating statues. She hesitated at the Vanguard. Paused at the Ranger. Tilted her head at the Channeler.
Then she stopped in front of the Mystic statue.
It was beautiful.
A tall robed figure made of swirling moonlight. Soft, glowing runes drifted around it. Gentle beams of energy flowed from its hands into the platform.
Sofia's eyes softened.
"I like this one."
A floating panel opened:
---
Role: Spells / Support / Elemental Control
Strengths: Healing, shields, magic versatility
Weaknesses: Low physical defence
Ideal for thoughtful, precise players who like controlling the flow of battle.
---
Sofia read each line slowly.
Then she nodded, determination blooming quietly on her face.
"This feels… right."
She tapped CONFIRM.
Warm gold light wrapped around her silhouette, forming faint outlines of robes, rings, and floating seals of light.
She looked at her hands in wonder.
"I feel… peaceful."
Aria clapped her on the back. "You're gonna be the coolest spell-slinger ever."
Sofia blushed.
Then both turned to Riley.
"Okay, bro," Aria said. "Your turn. Impress us."
"What're you choosing?" Sofia asked softly.
Riley took a steady breath and walked toward the Channeler statue.
Its form shifted endlessly—one moment a figure alone, the next with a Spirit appearing beside it, then fading again. Strands of luminous energy connected them like threads of fate.
Riley paused in front of it.
"This class works side-by-side with Spirits," he said. "It can adapt. Support. Combine attacks. Strengthen allies."
Aria raised a brow. "So… like a Spirit tamer?"
"More like a partner," Riley corrected. "Channelers take whatever team they're on and make it stronger."
He glanced back at his sisters.
"You two picked what fits you.
I'll pick what fits us."
Sofia gave a small, warm smile.
Aria nodded. "Then do it."
Riley tapped the interface.
---
Role: Spirit Specialist / Enhancement / Synergy
Strengths: Spirit empowerment, flexible builds
Weaknesses: Weak early without Spirit support
Ideal for players who value cooperation and Spirit mastery.
---
He pressed CONFIRM.
Threads of silver-blue light wrapped around him, momentarily forming the ghostly silhouette of a small creature beside him—its shape blurred, unfinished.
A reminder of what would come next.
---
The statues sank into the glowing platform.
The entire hall shimmered.
A new ring of holograms erupted from the ground, this time with floating weapons arranged around each player.
A new voice echoed:
"Now it's time to choose your weapon, think carefully because this will be your subclass"
Aria stepped forward first
Four holographic weapons circled her:
Trap Gauntlets
Rune Pistols
Bomb Satchel
Drone Core
Aria walked to the first one with zero hesitation.
"TRAP GAUNTLETS. Obviously."
The gauntlets glowed with shifting metal plates, hidden compartments, and faint crackling energy.
A description flickered:
> Trap Gauntlets — Saboteur Path
Deploy traps. Punch things. Cause chaos.
High-risk, high-reward.
Aria slapped CONFIRM faster than gravity allowed.
Her gauntlets materialised on her avatar, sparks flicking off her palms.
"This is the best decision I've ever made. Ever."
---
SOFIA'S WEAPON CHOICE
Sofia's options floated gracefully around her:
Lumen Rod
Crystal Rings
Grimoire
Charm Bell
She was immediately drawn toward the Lumen Rod.
It glowed with soft white and gold light, shaped like a slender staff with shifting runes.
Riley watched her expression soften again.
"I like this," she murmured. "It feels… calming."
The UI for her read:
> Lumen Rod — Luminist Path
Light magic. Shields and supportive bursts.
Gentle, precise, powerful.
She tapped CONFIRM.
The rod snapped into her avatar's hand as tiny motes of light circled her shoulders.
"It's perfect," she whispered.
---
RILEY'S WEAPON CHOICE
Finally, Riley stepped forward.
Four Channeler weapons hovered around him:
Aether Staff
Focus Gauntlets
Spirit Lantern
Spirit Bow
He already knew which one to take.
The Spirit Bow shimmered with ethereal threads, each arrow forming from light. The bowstring hummed with faint Spirit energy.
A perfect hybrid: mid-range DPS with Spirit synergy scaling into late-game absurdity.
The UI popped open:
> Spirit Bow — Rare Path
Harness Spirit energy into ranged attacks.
Unlock special combo skills with your bonded Spirit.
Aria peered over his shoulder. "Bow? Really?"
Riley shrugged lightly. "It works with my class. Mid-range support. Good coverage. Strong combos with a Spirit partner."
Sofia nodded. "It suits you."
Riley pressed CONFIRM.
A luminous bow materialised in his hands, threads of energy connecting it to the faint Spirit silhouette still forming beside him.
And then—
The glowing platform beneath their feet changed again.
The entire space darkened.
Statues sank away.
A massive gate of blue crystalline light rose before them.
The voice echoed once more, deeper now, resonating through their bones:
----
Aria's eyes nearly burst out of her head.
"Oh. My. GOD. It's happening."
Sofia whispered, "This is… incredible."
Riley's pulse quickened.
This was it.
Where his life truly reset.
Where fate diverged.
Where he would meet the creature that changed everything.
He took a slow breath.
"Let's go."
And together, the three of them stepped toward the glowing gate—
into the Spirit Hall.