After a long day spent among piles of dusty books and distracted university students, the librarian returned home. His small apartment was neat and simple, almost a reflection of his calm personality. He set his bag down on a chair, then glanced at the gift box left on the table: the VR headset and the mysterious metallic sphere gifted to him earlier that morning by the student.

“I’ve never really been a fan of video games…” he muttered to himself, picking up the sphere. It was light and smooth, with a small power button on its side. The headset, lying beside it, looked more familiar—similar to the ones he’d seen advertised in tech stores.

He sank into the armchair, examining the gift with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. “Well, I suppose it doesn’t hurt to try,” he said with a sigh. He followed the brief instructions included in the box:

“Press the power button on the sphere.”

“That’s it?” he thought, finding it odd there weren’t more instructions. Nevertheless, he pressed the button.

Suddenly, the sphere began to glow with a bright white light. He flinched, startled, as the metallic surface slowly opened, like the petals of a blooming flower.

“What the...?”

At the center of the robotic flower, a tiny figure emerged: a mechanical fairy, perfectly sculpted, with translucent wings that pulsed faintly with green light. Its body was a combination of polished metal and opalescent materials.

The fairy raised her head and began to speak, her voice melodic and crystalline. “Greetings, it’s a pleasure to meet you! I’ll be your guide for Source Code.”

The librarian stared at her, his mouth slightly agape. “Wait, wait… You can talk?” he asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow. “That’s... quite the gimmick.”

The fairy nodded, hovering lightly above the robotic flower, which now floated gently in the air. “Oh, of course I can talk! I’ll be by your side for the entirety of your experience. Before we begin, why don’t we introduce ourselves? What’s your name?”

The librarian hesitated for a moment before answering. “Leonardo. Like Leonardo da Vinci.”

The fairy twirled gracefully in the air. “What a wonderful name! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Leonardo. I, however, don’t have a name... But if you’d like, you can give me one.”

Leonardo stroked his chin thoughtfully. After a moment, he said, “How about… Gelsomina? It feels fitting for a fairy that lives on a flower.”

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The fairy’s luminous eyes glowed even brighter. “Gelsomina… I love it! From now on, my name will be Gelsomina. Thank you, Leonardo!”

Leonardo allowed himself a smile. “Alright, Gelsomina. So, what do I do now?”

“First, I need to scan your body,” Gelsomina explained. “Your avatar will look like your real self, though you’ll have the option to choose a different race. Shall I proceed?”

Leonardo nodded, still a bit hesitant. The fairy gestured with her tiny hand, and the flower emitted a beam of light that enveloped him from head to toe. After a few seconds, Gelsomina announced, “Perfect! Now you can put on the VR headset and lie down on your bed.”

Leonardo followed the instructions, settling onto his bed and putting on the headset. "And now?" he asked.

"Now close your eyes and repeat after me your Source Code, the access key to your account," Gelsomina said gently.

Leonardo closed his eyes. He felt his heart beat a little faster. He repeated the fairy's words, a string of letters and numbers that seemed random but sounded curiously harmonious.

Then came darkness. A sensation of falling into a void enveloped him, leaving him breathless. For a moment, he thought he had fallen asleep, but Gelsomina's voice broke the silence.

"Welcome to Source Code, Leonardo!"

When he opened his eyes again, Leonardo found himself standing in a white room that seemed to have no end. The environment was strangely calm, almost unreal. Gelsomina's crystal-clear voice caught his attention once more.

"Look up, Leonardo!" she said cheerfully.

Leonardo lifted his gaze but saw nothing. Before he could ask anything, he felt a light pressure on his head. Confused, he reached a hand to his hair, but before he could touch it, Gelsomina leapt off, landing in front of him with an elegant pirouette.

"Just kidding!" she said with a laugh, her face glowing with a mischievous smile.

Leonardo stared at her for a moment, unsure whether to be amused or annoyed, but he ended up smiling. "A very mature guide, I must say..." he commented with a hint of irony.

Gelsomina was unfazed. "No time to waste! It's time to create your game avatar."

Leonardo looked at her the way one looks at a cheerful, slightly mischievous child. With a sigh, he agreed. "Alright, let's get started."

With a smooth motion, Gelsomina flew down from her floating flower, grabbed it as if it were a torch, and pointed it toward Leonardo. From the flower, a bright light emerged, projecting a semi-transparent screen in front of him, framed by a floral design perfectly fitting the fairy's style.

The screen read:

Name:

Leonardo looked at the screen, then turned to Gelsomina. "Can I use my real name, or do I need to come up with a new one just for the game?"

"You can use whatever name you like," the fairy replied. "If it’s unavailable or not allowed, the screen will let you know."

Leonardo pondered. Using his real name felt too mundane, and there was the risk of someone recognizing him. He already had to use his real appearance; at least he could pick a different name. After a moment of hesitation, he looked at Gelsomina. "Why don't you help me choose?"

The fairy shook her head. "No, it has to be your choice. I can't guide you on creating your avatar," she said with a smile. Then she added, "But... you do look as graceful as an elf. Where I come from, there are legends about an elf who defeated a dragon and saved his homeland. His name was Aster."

"Aster..." Leonardo repeated, savoring the sound of the name. After a few moments, he nodded. "I like it. I'll be Aster."

Gelsomina clapped her tiny hands, delighted. "Excellent choice!"