Victor Wright was no stranger to luxury. As the son of Alistair Wright, a legendary defense attorney, he’d grown up surrounded by privilege. When Daystar Industries began funding his father’s firm, the wealth that followed was eventually passed down to Victor.

But unlike what many would expect from someone in his position, Victor wasn’t spoiled or snobbish. He was approachable, laid-back, and the kind of person who could charm just about anyone. He didn’t squander his inheritance on meaningless extravagance either; instead, he invested and used it wisely, building on his father’s legacy rather than simply riding its coattails.

So, while Victor was relaxing and enjoying the fruits of his labor, somewhere else in the city, Xavier Hataro was having a rougher time.

Xavier Hataro had been working tirelessly to achieve his dream of becoming a prosecutor. His ultimate goal was to enroll at Themis Law Academy, but despite his best efforts, he kept failing the entrance exams. The repeated setbacks, combined with lingering trauma from a horrifying experience in the backrooms, had taken a toll on his mind. Xavier often found himself slumped on his couch, brooding over what could have been.

That evening, as Victor sipped a cold drink and Xavier stared at the ceiling in frustration, something extraordinary happened.

Both men saw it. A portal glowing, swirling, and undeniably strange appeared before them, crackling with energy.

Victor furrowed his brow, stepping closer to inspect it. “Whoa… what is this thing?”

Xavier sat up, his mouth slightly agape. “It looks so weird…”

Neither had much time to contemplate their next move. The portal surged forward, pulling them in with an unstoppable force.

Victor instinctively tried to escape, reaching for the edges of a nearby doorframe, but the pull was too strong. Xavier, meanwhile, dug his heels into the floor and fought against the vacuum-like force.

“Not again!” Xavier yelled, panic in his voice. But resistance was futile.

As they were dragged into the portal, both men experienced something strange: their memories began to flash before their eyes.

Victor saw defining moments of his life, the first time he received money from his father, the pride of watching Phoenix win impossible cases, and the bittersweet moment when he discovered the truth about his real mother.

Xavier’s memories, however, were far more harrowing. The entities he’d encountered in the backrooms flashed before him, their grotesque forms seared into his mind. He saw the labyrinth-like levels he’d endured, each one a test of his survival instincts.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The memories overwhelmed them both until they blacked out.

When Victor and Xavier woke, they were lying on a soft grassy field. A light breeze rustled the trees, and the sun beamed down from a cloudless sky. Groaning, Victor sat up first, rubbing his temples.

“What the…?” he muttered, scanning his unfamiliar surroundings.

A few feet away, Zero and Karma stood frozen, both stunned to see Victor and an unfamiliar man, appear out of thin air.

Zero was the first to react. “Whoa! Hey, Victor… fancy seeing you here.”

Karma crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. “Oh great, now Victor’s here too. Lucky us.”

Victor let out a small groan, still disoriented. “Ugh… hey guys…”

Xavier remained silent, his eyes wide as he tried to process what had just happened.

Karma glanced at him, her curiosity piqued. “Hey… who’s the other guy?”

Zero shrugged. “I don’t know. Never seen him before.”

Victor turned to Xavier, waving a hand in front of his face. “Uh… hello? Earth to new guy?”

Xavier blinked, finally snapping out of it. “Huh? Oh… hello? Who are you guys?”

Zero stepped forward, gesturing toward each of them. “I’m Zero, she’s Karma, and he’s Victor.”

Xavier hesitated before nodding. “Oh. I’m Xavier…”

Zero sighed. “Well, Xavier, it seems like we all ended up here. Welcome to the club.”

Karma motioned toward Victor and Xavier. “Okay, long story short: we’re in an RPG. Don’t ask me how or why, but here we are. First things first, open your inventories.”

Xavier and Victor exchanged confused looks but followed Karma’s instructions.

Xavier opened his inventory to find a small dagger as his starter weapon. His class was labeled “Survivor,” a grim reminder of his backrooms experience.

Victor, on the other hand, had a bow, and his class was “Range.” Though initially puzzled, he decided he could work with it.

Zero pointed toward a group of strange mustard-colored creatures milling about nearby. “Okay, now go over there and fight those guys. They’ll help you level up. Trust me, you’ll need the XP.”

Xavier inspected the creatures warily. “Those things? They don’t look too dangerous.”

Victor smirked. “This should be easy enough.”

The two charged into battle. Xavier’s time in the backrooms had given him some experience with close combat, so he quickly adapted to using the dagger. Victor, though less experienced with the bow, managed to land several accurate shots.

When the last creature fell, both received the familiar glowing notification:

“You have reached Level 2! Claim your rewards!”

As the two did so, they regrouped with Zero and Karma, a text bubble suddenly appeared above their heads:

“Party Formed! Party bonuses are now enabled!”

Victor tilted his head, confused. “Uh… what does that mean?”

Karma sighed. “It means we’re stuck in some kind of party. Great.”

Zero crossed his arms. “Let me explain. In RPGs, parties are groups of characters controlled by players. But since we’re real people, the game thinks we’re characters. Party bonuses basically give us a boost to attack power, defense, speed, and stamina.”

Victor nodded slowly, still processing everything. “Okay… weird, but cool.”

Xavier looked around the field, his unease fading as curiosity took over. “So… what’s next?”

Zero glanced toward the horizon, his expression serious. “We move forward. If this is a game, there’s got to be a way to beat it. And when we do, we’re going home.”

With their party now complete, the four of them set off into the unknown, ready to face whatever challenges this strange new world had in store.