RUNTOWN 201, RAILWAY 19.
11:45 PM
Deep within the shadows of the district, a young man moved with a rhythmic, purposeful stride. In one hand, he balanced a sleek laptop case, in the other, he tapped feverishly at a smartphone. His thumbs danced across the glass, executing strings of complex, encrypted code that only a mind like his could decipher.
Suddenly, a call bypassed his focus, shattering the digital trance. He stared at the glowing screen, waiting for the vibration to die out. It didn't. The moment the line went dead, it flashed again. And again. Persistent. Relentless.
"Tsk. What is she up to now?" Anthony muttered, his patience fraying. He hesitated for a heartbeat before swiping green.
"Hello mum, What's up?"
The speaker practically exploded.
"Anthony! Where on earth are you?! How many times have I warned you about that silent greeting of yours? Don't tell me you're still out in the streets at this hour! If you've started drinking, don't bother coming back here! This house isn't big enough for a drunkard! And Why is it so hard to reach you? Is your service down or are you just ignoring me?"
A bead of sweat rolled down Anthony's temple as he pulled the phone inches from his ear since the scoldings were getting relentless. Even the most sophisticated firewall couldn't block a mother's interrogation.
"Calm down, Mum. I didn't mean anything by it," he replied, his voice smoothing over the tension. "The signal is spotty in this sector. And... I'm sorry. You know work is my entire world. I'll be through the door before you know it."
His mother sighed, the fire in her voice cooling to a simmer. "I won't accept those excuses next time, Tony. Now, get down here before dinner loses its soul."
"Copy that, Mum. Love you."
He hung up before she could launch a secondary objective. A small, tired smile played on his lips.
Then, the phone vibrated again. His finger hovered over the red decline button, ready to shut out the world, but his hand froze. He couldn't kill this connection. This caller was his second life, the only thing that kept him tethered to reality.
His expression softened as he answered. "Hello, babe."
"Hello, honey," Simi's voice drifted through the receiver, melodic and soothing.
'Ouch. Still the cutest voice in existence.'
"Hey, Anthony. Are you in bed yet? Did you actually eat something for dinner?"
"To be honest, Simi, I'm just reaching the car," he said, fishing his keys from the laptop case as he approached a high-end vehicle parked under a dim streetlamp.
"Still working? You push yourself too hard, Anthony. Don't you realize you've done enough? You have the money, the status... isn't it time we finally settled down? Isn't it time for us to get married?"
Anthony paused, the hum of the city night echoing around him. "Yeah. Now that I think about it... it is about time."
"Good. We'll talk more later. Drive safe."
"Can't wait to see your face tomorrow," he replied, ending the call. He slid into the driver's seat, the engine roaring to life with a mechanical growl. He let it warm up for a moment, a brief silence before the storm then accelerated into the night.
-----
The Star Mansion was a fortress of glass and light. As Anthony's car approached, the automated gates recognized his signature and swung open without a sound. He stepped out, laptop tucked under his arm, and entered the foyer.
"I'm home..."
His voice trailed off as a fleet of maids appeared, bowing in synchronized precision. They moved to take his suit jacket and shoes, reaching for his laptop case, but he pulled it back sharply. This wasn't just hardware, it was his peripheral nervous system.
"Welcome home, you idiot."
His mother stood on the balcony of the second floor, a sharp but affectionate smile on her face.
"You're still awake?" Anthony asked, leaning against the banister.
"Of course I am. How were your night tours?" Her gaze sharpened.
"Night tours? Mum, I told you, I was at the office."
"Is that so? Then why do you keep forgetting to pick up my calls?" The warmth evaporated, replaced by a gaze that could pierce armor.
Anthony felt the familiar prickle of sweat. "I explained it already. Look, I'm heading up. I've got work to finish."
"Don't you dare walk out on me, young man!"
"See you tomorrow! I have good news for you!" he shouted back, disappearing into his room and clicking the lock.
Phew. He tossed his tie aside, flipped open the laptop, and sat in his command chair. The glow of the screen reflected in his dark eyes.
"Time to get to work."
My name is Anthony K. J. Star but the full name is (Anthony Kahleymahli.Jarexchorthy. Star). Well, it's the name I earned after my dad. I am currently 24 years old. To the world, I'm a success story. To the digital realm, I am a god. My father passed when I was twelve. You know, cancer and overwork. He left me with a widowed mother and a world that saw me as a target. I was bullied, pushed, and sidelined from grade school to college. But they didn't know what I saw when I looked at a screen. I didn't see images. I saw the skeleton of reality. I saw the code.
I graduated early, a certified genius. Along the way, I met Simi. She was a prodigy of the sciences. I used my talents to build an empire from nothing, turning bits and bytes into cold, hard cash to make my mother smile again. Now? I am the nemesis of every firewall in existence. If it's hackable, it's mine. Money? Wealth? Power? It's all just data. And I have more data than I know what to do with.
To kill the boredom, I dismantle impossible games. I had even helped so many people hack games which was impossible to play and that was what I was doing right now.
"Too easy," I smirked, syncing my phone to the laptop. Lines of codes began to scroll across the screen at blinding speeds. I wasn't just modding, but I was rewriting the soul of the game.
"Unlimited coins? Boring. The players need a dopamine loop." My fingers flew. "Let's add a dynamic refill system... gems... stat scaling... unlock all skins... force-open every level. There. Done."
I pushed the update to my private platforms and collapsed onto the bed. Within seconds, the notifications began to chime like a slot machine.
[NOTIFICATION: TRANSACTION SUCCESSFUL]
'You received $5,000 from Dark James!'
'You received $2,000 from West!'
'You received $10,000 from John!'
The ding sounds became a continuous drone. I glanced at the screen and tossed it aside. To anyone else, it was a fortune. To me, it was just more noise. I had everything, and yet, I felt... empty.
My eyelids grew heavy. The world faded.
But the moment my consciousness slipped into the abyss of sleep, the darkness didn't stay dark. Strange, glowing geometric patterns began to burn into my retinas.
[INITIALIZING...]
[CRACKING REALITY...]
[HOST IDENTIFIED: ANTHONY K. J. STAR]
I wasn't in my room anymore. I was lying on a carpet of vibrant, neon-green grass under a sky I didn't recognize.
"Heh?"
[SYSTEM AWAKENING: 1%... 5%... 15%...]