The start of summer holidays for Rebecca was a much-needed break from the stresses of school and work. She woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside her window, a refreshing change from the usual blaring of her alarm clock. The sun was shining brightly, and she could feel its warmth seeping in through her curtains.

Rebecca stretched her arms and legs, feeling her muscles relax as she yawned contentedly. She had been looking forward to this break for weeks, and she had big plans for how she was going to spend it. For the first time in a long time, she felt free to pursue her passions without any pressure or stress.

She got up from her bed and stretched a little more, taking in the view from her window. The sky was a clear blue, and she could see the leaves on the trees swaying gently in the wind. It was a perfect day for a stroll in the park, and that's exactly what Rebecca had planned for herself.

She quickly got dressed in a light summer dress, grabbed her bag, and headed out the door. As she walked through the streets, she could feel the warmth of the sun on her skin, and the gentle breeze carrying the sweet smell of flowers.

The park was just a few blocks away, and Rebecca could already see the vibrant green of the trees from afar. She picked up her pace, eager to start her day of relaxation and exploration. Once she arrived, she found a nice spot under a shady tree and sat down, taking in the surroundings.

Children were laughing and playing in the playground, and the sound of their joyful screams and giggles filled the air. Rebecca couldn't help but smile as she watched them, feeling a sense of nostalgia from her own childhood memories of playing in the park with her friends.

She took out a book from her bag, a novel she had been wanting to read for months but never had the time to. Rebecca opened the book and started reading, slowly immersing herself in the fictional world created by the author.

Hours passed by as she read, lost in the story and the peacefulness of the park. When she finished the book, Rebecca realized how hungry she was and decided to grab a bite to eat at one of the nearby cafes.

As she sat in the cafe, sipping on a refreshing iced tea and eating a delicious sandwich, Rebecca felt content and happy. She realized that this was the first time in a long while that she had been able to relax and enjoy herself without worrying about deadlines, assignments, or work.

The rest of the day went by in a blur of exploration and relaxation. Rebecca visited a few art galleries, her favorite pastime, and was inspired by the beautiful works of art she saw. She took a long walk by the river, enjoying the peacefulness and beauty of the water and the surrounding nature.

As the sun began to set, Rebecca made her way back home, feeling fulfilled and happy. She knew that this was just the beginning of her summer holiday, and she was excited about all the possibilities and adventures that lay ahead.

Rebecca sat at her desk, staring blankly at the screen of her laptop. It was the first day of summer holidays, and she had been trying to work up the motivation to start on her art projects for the past hour. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms above her head. Just then, a notification popped up in the corner of her screen. It was an email from Nexus.

Her heart skipped a beat as she clicked on the email, her eyes scanning the contents. It was a message from Shiro, one of the other players in the game. He was asking if Rebecca knew where Hiro was.

Rebecca stared at the email for a moment, her mind racing. What could have happened to Hiro? Why wasn't he messaging her? She felt a knot form in her stomach as she tried to think of what to do next. She knew she had to respond to Shiro, but she didn't know what to say.

Taking a deep breath, Rebecca began to type out a response. She told Shiro that she hadn't heard from Hiro and that she had no idea where he was. She felt a pang of guilt as she hit send, knowing that she had been avoiding Nexus and Hiro for the past few months.

As she sat back in her chair, Rebecca couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. What had happened to Hiro? Was he okay? She knew that she had to do something, but she didn't know what. She thought about logging back into Nexus, but the thought of facing Hiro after all this time made her anxious.

Rebecca sighed and leaned forward, resting her head in her hands. She knew that she couldn't just ignore the situation. Hiro was her friend, and she had to find out what had happened to him. She made a mental note to reach out to the other players in the game and see if anyone had heard from him.

As she closed her laptop, Rebecca's mind was swirling with questions and concerns. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, and she knew that she had to find out what it was. She took a deep breath and made a promise to herself to do whatever it took to find out what had happened to Hiro.

Rebecca quickly logged into Nexus, her heart racing with anxiety.

As soon as she appeared in her virtual bedroom, she was greeted by Shiro's avatar, who was pacing back and forth. His usual calm demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

"Rebecca, thank goodness you're here," Shiro said, his voice tense. "I've been trying to reach Hiro, but I can't get a hold of him. I don't know what to do."

Rebecca's heart sank at the news. She had always relied on Hiro to be there for her in Nexus, and the thought of something happening to him filled her with dread. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"What do you mean you can't get a hold of him?" Rebecca asked, her voice shaking slightly. "Did he say anything to you before he disappeared?"

Shiro shook his head. "No, he didn't say anything to me. The last time we talked, it was a few weeks ago, we were planning our next adventure together, and then he just vanished. I've tried messaging him, but he hasn't responded."

Rebecca's mind raced, trying to think of any clues that could help them find Hiro. She remembered that he had mentioned a secret location he had found in Nexus, but he never told her where it was.

"Did he mention anything about a secret location he found in Nexus?" Rebecca asked, hoping that it would jog Shiro's memory.

Shiro's eyes widened in surprise. "Yes, he did mention something about that. He said it was a place he had never seen before and that he wanted to explore it. But he didn't tell me where it was."

Rebecca felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe if they could find the secret location, they could find Hiro. She turned to Shiro.

"We have to find that place," she said determinedly. "If Hiro is there, we have to rescue him."

Shiro nodded in agreement. "I'll do whatever it takes to find him," he said firmly.

Rebecca and Shiro spent the next few hours combing through every inch of Nexus, trying to find any clues that could lead them to the secret location. They searched high and low, checking every corner of the virtual world, but they came up empty.

Rebecca was getting frustrated. She felt like they were wasting their time, and the longer they took, the less likely they were to find Hiro.

Suddenly, her virtual phone beeped, indicating that she had received a message. She opened it up and saw that it was from an unknown sender. The message read, "If you want to find your friend, meet me at the abandoned temple in the southern part of Nexus."

Rebecca's heart leapt with hope. Maybe this was their chance to find Hiro. She quickly messaged Shiro and told him about the message. He agreed to meet her at the temple.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

When Rebecca arrived at the temple, she saw a figure standing in the shadows. As she approached, she realized it was a hooded figure with a black cloak. The figure turned to face her, and she could see that his eyes were glowing red.

"Who are you?" Rebecca asked, her voice shaking slightly.

The figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing their identity. It was BlackScythe, the same player who had defeated Hiro and Rebecca in the PvP tournament.

"I've been waiting for you, Rebecca," BlackScythe said in a deep, menacing voice. "I heard about Hiro's disappearance, and I wanted to offer my assistance in finding him."

Rebecca was taken aback by BlackScythe's sudden appearance and offer to help. She remembered Hiro's suspicion that BlackScythe might have been a hacker and wondered if this was a trap. However, she also knew that Hiro was missing, and she needed all the help she could get.

"Why do you want to help us?" Rebecca asked, trying to sound brave.

"I have my reasons," BlackScythe said cryptically. "But I assure you, I want to help find Hiro as much as you do."

Rebecca was hesitant but decided to accept BlackScythe's offer of help. They started to discuss their plans to search for Hiro, but Rebecca couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that she had about BlackScythe.

"Can I trust you?" Rebecca asked, trying to keep her guard up.

BlackScythe chuckled. "You don't have a choice, Rebecca. I'm your only hope of finding Hiro."

Rebecca sighed, knowing that BlackScythe was right. She had to trust him if she wanted to find Hiro. They continued their discussion, and BlackScythe gave her some clues that might help her in her search. As they were talking, Rebecca noticed something strange about BlackScythe's avatar. It was glitching, and his movements seemed unnatural.

"Are you a hacker?" Rebecca asked, her eyes widening in realization.

BlackScythe chuckled again. "You're a smart one, Rebecca. Yes, I am a hacker. But don't worry, I'm not going to harm you. "

Rebecca was stunned. She couldn't believe that she was talking to a hacker, and yet, she was grateful for BlackScythe's assistance. She thanked him for his help and logged out of Nexus, feeling more confused and conflicted than ever.

As soon as Rebecca logged out, she received a message from Shiro, asking if she had found any clues about Hiro's whereabouts. She told Shiro about her encounter with BlackScythe and the hacker's offer of help. Shiro was hesitant but also desperate to find Hiro.

"I don't know what to do, Rebecca," Shiro said, sounding defeated. "I miss Hiro so much, and I'm afraid that something terrible might have happened to him."

Rebecca felt a pang of guilt. She realized that she had been so caught up in her real life that she had neglected her friendship with Hiro and Shiro. She promised Shiro that she would do everything she could to help find Hiro and make things right.

-----------------------

The next day, Rebecca received a message from BlackScythe saying that he had somehow managed to track down Hiro's IP address and found out his home address.

BlackScythe: "Rebecca, are you there? We need to talk about Hiro."

Rebecca: "Yes, I'm here. What do you know?"

BlackScythe: "I managed to triangulate Hiro's IP address and found out his home address. But there's something strange going on. Minutes after Hiro entered a secret area in Nexus, his avatar disappeared and never reappeared. It's like he's vanished from the game completely."

Rebecca: "That's really weird. Do you think something bad happened to him?"

BlackScythe: "I don't know, but I think we should find out. That's why I'm asking you to go to his home and check if he's there."

Rebecca was hesitant at first. She had never met Hiro in person, and she didn't want to intrude on his privacy. But the thought of Hiro possibly being in trouble was too much for her to bear.

Rebecca: "Okay, I'll do it. Can you give me his address?"

BlackScythe sent Rebecca the address, and she quickly made her way to Hiro's apartment. When she arrived, she found the building to be old and rundown. Rebecca stood nervously in front of Hiro's apartment building, her heart racing with anxiety. The entrance was dark and foreboding, and Rebecca felt a sense of unease wash over her.

Rebecca: "This place gives me the creeps. I hope Hiro's okay."

As she made her way up the stairs, Rebecca noticed that the walls were covered in graffiti and the floors were littered with trash. She finally reached Hiro's door and knocked hesitantly.

There was no answer. Rebecca tried the doorknob, and to her surprise, the door was unlocked. She slowly pushed it open and peered inside. The apartment was small and cluttered, with clothes and food containers scattered all over the place.

Rebecca: "Hiro? Are you here?"

There was still no answer.

As she entered the apartment, Rebecca couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt for not keeping in touch with Hiro. She had been so focused on her own life outside of Nexus that she had lost touch with her closest friend.

Walking through the apartment, Rebecca felt like she was intruding on Hiro's personal space. She scanned the room for any clues of his whereabouts, but the place seemed almost untouched since his disappearance. There were no signs of a struggle, and everything appeared to be in its proper place.

Rebecca's mind raced as she tried to piece together what might have happened to Hiro. Was he abducted by someone in Nexus? Did he simply run away? She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and continued her search.

---

Rebecca was frantically searching through Hiro's apartment, trying to find any trace of his whereabouts. She had searched every nook and cranny, but there was nothing to be found.

Just as she was about to give up hope, the door suddenly swung open. Rebecca spun around, her heart racing, to find a tall, middle-aged man standing in the doorway.

"Who are you?" he demanded, his eyes fixed on her.

"I'm Rebecca," she replied, taken aback by his sudden appearance. "I'm a friend of Hiro's. I was just looking for him."

The man's expression softened a little. "I see," he said, stepping into the room. "My name is Takashi, and I'm Hiro's father.”

“Do you know where Hiro is?” Rebecca asked.

“We haven't spoken in over a year."

Rebecca's heart sank. She had never met Hiro's father before, and the fact that he and Hiro were estranged was not a good sign.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said, unsure of what else to say.

Hiro's father sighed heavily. "Hiro was a medical student," he began, his voice heavy with emotion. "But he dropped out because of his depression. After that, he became addicted to Nexus. It's been his whole life ever since."

Rebecca felt a pang of guilt. She had always known that Hiro was an avid Nexus player, but she had never imagined that it had become an addiction for him.

"I had a big argument with him," Hiro's father continued. "I told him he was throwing his life away, but he wouldn't listen. I haven't seen or heard from him since."

Rebecca felt a lump form in her throat. She had never realized the extent of Hiro's problems. She knew she had to do something to help him.

Rebecca took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions before speaking. "Why haven't you talked to Hiro for a year?" she asked gently.

Hiro's father looked down, his eyes filled with pain. "We had a big argument about his future," he replied. "I wanted him to become a doctor like me, but he wanted to pursue his passion for gaming and parkour. We couldn't agree, and we said things we didn't mean. He left, and we haven't spoken since."

Rebecca felt a pang of sadness in her chest. She couldn't imagine not talking to her mother for a whole year. "Have you tried to reach out to him?" she asked.

Hiro's father shook his head. "I didn't know how to approach him. I was too proud to apologize, and I thought he would come back to his senses and come back home eventually. But now... I don't know where he is or if he's even alive."

Rebecca couldn't imagine how it must feel to not know where your own child is. "Do you have any idea where he could be?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Hiro's father shrugged. "I don't know. He never talked about his friends or his hobbies. He was always so secretive. The only thing I know is that he spent a lot of time on his computer."

Rebecca took a deep breath and said, "Listen, I think there is something you should know. Hiro is missing in Nexus too. His avatar disappeared minutes after he entered a secret area and he hasn't been seen since."

Takashi's expression changed, and he looked at Rebecca with concern. "Missing? Do you mean he's gone from the game entirely? How is that even possible?"

"Yes, that's right. We don't know what happened to him, but we're doing everything we can to find him. We've already contacted the game developers, but they haven't been able to locate him yet."

Takashi's face grew grim. "I had no idea he was so deeply involved in that game. He always seemed so passionate about his medical studies. But after he dropped out, he became more and more withdrawn. I couldn't get through to him. I was hoping he would come to his senses eventually, but it seems like I was wrong."

Rebecca could see the pain and guilt in Takashi's eyes. She placed a hand on his shoulder and said softly, "It's not your fault. Hiro is an adult and he made his own decisions. But right now, we need to focus on finding him. "

Rebecca's eyes flickered around the room, scanning every inch of it. She had gone through every nook and cranny, but there was no sign of Hiro. She let out a sigh of frustration and sat down on the edge of the bed, defeated. As she sat there, her eyes wandered to a photo frame on the nightstand. It was a picture of her and Hiro, dancing together from their dance lesson. A bittersweet feeling washed over her as she picked up the frame to get a closer look.

As she held the frame, she felt something on the back of it. She turned it over and saw a small, black object tucked behind the picture. Her heart racing with anticipation, she pulled out the object and realized it was a USB drive. She looked at it for a moment, wondering what secrets it held, and then she plugged it into her laptop.

The screen flickered to life, and a folder named "Hiro" appeared on the desktop. Her hands trembled slightly as she clicked on the folder and started to sift through its contents. The first file was a document titled "Nexus Notes," which contained a detailed log of Hiro's time in Nexus. He had written down everything from his first steps in the game to his recent adventures with Rebecca. She couldn't help but smile as she read his descriptions of their battles together and his notes on the game's various mechanics.

As she continued to scroll through the folder, she found something unexpected - a folder labeled "Artwork." She opened it and was surprised to see that Hiro had saved all of her artwork that she had posted in Nexus. She felt a warmth spread through her chest as she looked at each piece, realizing how much Hiro had appreciated her work.

She continued to search through the folder, and her eyes widened as she came across a video file. It was a recording of Hiro's last moments in Nexus before he disappeared. Rebecca's heart raced as she clicked on the file and watched the scene unfold before her eyes.

Rebecca watched in silence as the video played on the small screen of the laptop, the sound of Hiro's avatar's footsteps echoing through the speakers. She leaned forward, her eyes fixated on the screen, as she saw the two figures walking ahead of Hiro's avatar. Their avatars were dressed in dark suits and hats, and their movements were jittery, as if they were nervous.

She listened closely as they chatted about trading items and laundering money, exchanging whispers as they walked. They discussed how they could avoid getting caught and how to make sure their tracks were covered.

Rebecca's heart pounded as she watched the scene unfold, her mind racing with the implications of what she was seeing. She had never imagined that Hiro could be involved in something like this.

As the two figures approached a strange, shimmering rift in the air, Rebecca felt a sense of unease wash over her. She had never seen anything like it before, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she watched.

Hiro's avatar followed the two figures into the rift, and for a moment, the screen went blank. Rebecca's heart leaped into her throat as she waited for the image to return, her mind racing with questions.

Finally, the screen flickered back to life, and Rebecca gasped as she saw what was happening. Hiro's avatar was surrounded by strange, flickering shapes, and he seemed to be struggling to move.

Rebecca watched in horror as the scene played out, feeling a sense of helplessness wash over her. She had no idea what was happening to Hiro or how she could help him.

As the video came to an end, Rebecca’s mind racing with questions. She had so many unanswered questions about what had happened to Hiro, and she didn't know where to turn for answers.

But one thing was clear: she had to find a way to get to the bottom of this. She had to find out what had happened to Hiro, and she had to do it quickly.

She couldn't believe what she had just seen. Hiro was tailing two people in Nexus, and they were discussing laundering money through trading items.

As she sat there, trying to process everything, she suddenly heard a noise behind her. She turned around, only to see Hiro's father pointing a gun at her.

"Hand me over that USB" he demanded, his voice trembling with anger.