as he pulled hisself back to reality the mental image of the system message his vision "Two players have achieved full synchronization with the Genesis Rock matrix." The words sent a shiver down his spine. He wasn’t alone. Someone else had crossed the line, blurring the boundaries between the real and the virtual. Someone with the power to manipulate the very fabric of the game.

He thought of Aviva's warnings, the hushed whispers among the developers about the Lazarus Project and its potential consequences. The pursuit of realism, of a gaming experience that felt as real as the world outside, had come at a terrible cost. Lives had been lost, boundaries had been crossed, and the full implications of their actions were only beginning to unfold.

He remembered the desperation in the faces of the refugees in Kyrbane, the stories of loss and suffering they carried with them. Were they just casualties of a game? Or was there something more sinister at play, something that threatened to spill out of the digital world and into his own?

Pag needed answers. And he knew just where to find them.

He pushed himself away from his bed, hurriedly padding toward the common room, his heart pounding in his chest. He hadnt even check the time so he had to hope that at least one of them was there. As he entered the common room he stopped for a second and blinked. The room was buzzing with activity, developers hunched over their tablets reviewing code, testers arguing over strategy, the air thick with the smell of stale coffee and anticipation. But Pag wasn't interested in any of that. His gaze scanned the room, searching for a specific group, heck he would settle for a helf drunk singlular individual at this point. the ones who pushed the boundaries of the game, who understood the code in ways the developers never intended. The Group C testers.

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His breath slipped from him in a sigh. He spotted them huddled in a corner, their laughter a discordant symphony in the otherwise controlled chaos of the room. There was Frank, the enigmatic developer who straddled the line between order and chaos, his vape pen a constant companion. There was Scout, the cool-headed swashbuckler, her gaze sharp and assessing. And there was Xian, the charismatic mage, his infectious grin not quite hiding a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Pag hesitated, a wave of apprehension washing over him. He’d always kept his distance from the Group C testers, wary of their unpredictable nature and their disregard for the rules. But now, faced with the unsettling reality of the Lazarus Project and the knowledge that someone else had achieved full synchronization, he knew he had no choice. He needed their expertise, their unique perspective on the game, if he was going to have any chance of uncovering the truth and stopping whatever ProlixalParagon had planned.

He took a deep breath and approached the group, steeling himself for the encounter.

“I need to talk to you,” he said, his voice low and urgent, hoping they wouldn’t dismiss him outright. He hoped they wouldn't laugh.

The game had changed. And he had a feeling these were the only ones who truly understood how.