Striding through the city, I turned down a familiar alleyway. A rundown sign hung above the door: "Arcade Nights." My memories flooded back, bringing forth feelings of nostalgia as I stepped inside.

It was exactly how I remembered, almost as if time stood still while nothing much happened. But that didn't matter; just like every other day, people came to play their favorite games, oblivious to the world around them.

"Welcome to Arcade Nights!" greeted one of the staff members behind the counter, welcoming everyone with his cheerful voice.

"Aye, captain," I replied with a nod—an answer he didn't hear from within the throng of gamers surrounding him—and headed towards the closest cabinet, where I saw someone already sitting on it, twitching the joystick on and off with great vigor.

To the left shone a lengthy monitor, displaying ads that stretched across the entirety of the wall; on it, bright neon letters read: "Netherpeak Online, 16 November 2031 official release date."

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"Damn, that's today, isn't it?" I mumbled, glancing past my phone to confirm.

I might check it out later, but for now, I’m caught up in nostalgia. I took a seat next to another player who was also waiting for his turn at the machine he’d been staring at for some time now.

"Oh hey—hey you! You're Viper, right?" asked the man excitedly when he noticed me, getting me by surprise. “Victor Ashforge, the Viper?!”

“Stop calling me by my e-sport title. It makes me cringe, besides, I’ve left the pro-scene already," I said and pulled myself up to sit properly before continuing. "So, what can I help you with this fine day?"

He grinned. "My name is Nick; I'm a fan of your games. They really helped shape how I play games like yours." He leaned over so close our faces were almost touching. "Pleasure meeting you."

I stepped back awkwardly; his breath smelled like cigarettes, which made me not want to get any closer than necessary.

"Uh—nice to meet you as well," I muttered, looking away from him and towards the banner again.

"Interested in that?" he inquired. "I've been waiting for so long. It's going to be the first fully immersive MMORPG without any premade lore or anything."

"What do you mean? How is it different?" I looked at him confused.