“Everything switched off, Mrs. Ito?”

“Yes, everything is off,” I answered.

“Okay,” the new girl with soft brown eyes and a unique high-pitched voice said. “I’ll lock up. Get home safely!”

The sun was setting, bleeding a gentle orange and pink, and the wind had picked up from earlier in the day. My jacket pockets kept my fingers warm.

I admired the calming sunset every evening on my way home from work, but the more I studied the ever-changing colors over the years, the more I wondered if it was real. I’d catch myself staring up at the sky, lost in my memories, and force myself to break my gaze and forget the past. But it wasn’t that easy.

Staring down at my feet, I navigated through the city and toward my small apartment complex, it was almost curfew.

“Tome!” a long-haired man in an overcoat called out.

He came closer, carrying a few grocery bags and an umbrella.

“Haru,” I said softly. “Grocery shopping?”

“Ha, yes,” he replied, showing me his bags. “Had to run out and grab a few things for Nao.”

I shook my head. “Ah, I see.”

“My wife hasn’t seen you for a while… Would you like to join us?” the man asked as if to fill the awkward silence.

“N-No, I’m okay,” I assured him. “I’m not that hungry.”

My V-Glasses vibrated in my top left jacket pocket.

“I think someone’s calling you,” Haro said, pointing to my glasses.

“It’s no one,” I insisted, canceling the call.

“Oh, okay,” he said, turning to take his leave. “Oh! I heard Riu was asked to participate in the V-Games. I almost completely forgot about that terrible incident. How are you feeling? Can you believe they're opening the game up to the public again? I think they’re just asking for more casualties.”

His stare was intense, and his underwhelmingly dull, grey eyes searched my face for any inside gossip, unaware of the impact his words had on my mental health.

I held my tongue. “Riu is one of the best gamers out there,” I bragged. “He wouldn’t have been asked to participate if he wasn’t. I believe he’ll be the one to defeat the king and shut the game down for good.”

“Mhm,” the man responded, stroking his chin in deep thought. “Weren’t you the reporter that went with the famous 8 back in ’32? I’m pretty sure my wife mentioned something about it?”

“Y-You’re mistaken,” I corrected him in haste. “It was a young woman with a similar name and appearance. I get mistaken for her all the time.”

My hands grew hot inside my coat pocket.

“Ah, that makes sense,” the man agreed. “You wouldn’t be here if you did!”

I chuckled nervously trying hard to match his hearty laugh.

“Well, best get this home to Nao before curfew,” he said, holding up the bags once again. “Give my best to Riu, let him know we’re rooting for him.”

I nodded and bowed as he left, the streets clearing out as curfew approached.

The holo clock read 5:24 p.m., counting the seconds and taking up much of the sky.

I thought about my son on the way home, fighting back the tears I spent years accumulating. I wanted no part in this year's V-Games, Viper Virtual, or King Kingdom. Yet, Riu would soon have to take on that burden, no matter how much I protested. I would have to let go of the tight grip I held over him, protecting him from this world and the virtual.

I hung up my jacket and ignored the shoes I usually wear when entering my house before running to the small closet under the stairs. I scanned my retina, causing the door to disappear.

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I don’t remember the last time I opened this safe, it must have been just after the death of my husband, and with the way my hands were shaking, I’m not sure I was ready to.

What lay before me was a long, narrow box, perfectly ordinary, nothing special—just like those boxes you’d receive your online deliveries in back in the day.

What lay inside, however, wasn’t perfectly ordinary at all.

“Shh, shh, shh,” I whispered, attempting to comfort the contents of the box as it vibrated in place. “It’s been a few years, hasn’t it?”

I opened the box, grabbed the glowing sword, and admired its sharp blade with my fingertips. The deep, crimson glow lit up my eyes and I felt them well with tears.

“I’m sorry it’s been so long,” I said, “but I have another mission for you.”

The sword pulsated, eager to be useful again.

I smiled, placed it back inside the box, and left my apartment with it tucked inside my jacket. I had to be quick because being out after curfew meant prison time.

My glasses buzzed in my pocket again, but I ignored it.

Walking at a much faster pace than usual, my eyes connected with many strangers along the way. I thought about what they would do if they knew the kind of power I was holding.

When I reached my son’s apartment, a blue retinal scanner appeared in front of me. I ignored it, reaching for the purple and gold pin that held my hair in place. I pulled it out in one swift motion.

After making sure I was still alone, I gradually increased the tension on the door lock with my pin, but it was a lot trickier than I remembered. I fiddled with it, growing impatient.

“Yes! Still got it!” I said, as the door finally unlocked.

Just as it did, a voice called out to me.

“Can I be of service?” it asked, appearing out of nowhere causing me to jump.

“Oh... n-no, everything’s good here. Just coming home from work.”

A hologram figure of a chrome robot towered over me, it observed me for a moment, its red camera-lens eyes zooming in on mine.

“Have a good day,” it replied, in a human-like voice before disappearing.

My son may have been too cheap to buy a holo-guard but his neighbor sure wasn’t.

Now that I was no longer being watched, I rushed inside his apartment and placed the box down on the ground.

“Take good care of him,” I uttered, lovingly stroking my hand across the lid.

My glasses buzzed again, but there was no time to answer. I had to get back to my apartment before curfew. Only less than 10 minutes left. But before I did, I wrote down one clear instruction—one rule he must obey when using the sword. I prayed that he would follow it.

I yelled for a Cybercab, seeing one available just before I crossed the street. It pulled up to the sidewalk, but the color looked off somehow.

I kept on walking. Figured I’d be better off taking my chances on foot when a man wearing a blue, tailored suit hopped out of the car and ran towards me.

I had him in my peripheral vision, he was slender and had jet-black hair that reminded me of someone I knew.

I pivoted my leg and swung around. The ball of my foot connected to the man’s forearm which he had used to block my kick. He grabbed it tight.

‘Tome!” he shouted, releasing his grip on my foot. “It’s me, Hachirou.”

“Hachirou?” I questioned, lowering my leg. “W-What are you doing here?”

He straightened his tie and cleared his throat.

“I need you. Botan is… well, I just need you to come with me. Please. I-I tried to call… quite a few times actually.”

I crossed my arms and pursed my lips. “There’s no way I’m coming with you. Not now, not ever. So whatever you and Bo have going on, leave me out of it.”

I turned to walk away.

“He’s been asking for you,” he said, stopping me in my tracks.

I turned around to face him, looking deep into his eyes. They were red, and slightly puffy, almost as if he had been crying. He probably thought the same about mine. Still, there was no way I was going with him.

“Look, Hachirou, I’m not going back. I can’t.” I bit my lip and looked down at my feet. “You know Riu is participating in the V-Games? Was it you who sent him the invite? Or was it Bo?”

The man stuttered, but I had already given him too much of my time.

“You know what?” I said, “Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know. Just know you now have Riu’s blood on your hands. How does it feel, huh? To have taken my husband and now my son away from me?”

Hachirou stepped closer in an attempt to calm me down. He reached for my shoulder, but I batted it away.

“What happened to your husband was a terrible tragedy, Aome, but believe me when I say I had nothing to do with it. He was my friend.”

We both stood illuminated by the cybercab’s headlights, with only a few minutes to spare before curfew.

Three men appeared from beyond the bright light and made their way towards me. They formed a circle around me, closing off my exits.

I looked up at Hachirou. “What?” Are you going to kill me, too?”

He signaled the men to move in. “You know I’d never hurt you, Amoe,” he said as the men approached me. “But I am going to need you to get in the car.”

As the three men surrounded me, I locked in on the closest one. He had a gold tooth that was just screaming to be removed, so I removed it… with my fist.

The first punch I swung hit hard and fast. I was surprised at how my old body still had some power behind it. I was always agile; the boys never could get a punch in edgeways. But three against one? I needed to amp things up.

I crouched down after the first hit and span on my heels, drop-sweeping golden boy. He fell to the ground, and I heard his head crack as it hit the floor. My eyes darted to the next two men, whose arms buzzed with what looked like blue electricity.

“Implants?!”

I tried to dodge them, but it was no use. I had no powers here in the real world, my skills were limited.

The two men rushed at me, and before I knew it I felt an extreme pain in my chest. It was as if every atom in my body was shaking. Then… darkness.