Alex had always been good at solving problems, whether they were lines of code that didn’t quite mesh, or a bug in a system that refused to be squashed. It was the puzzle-solving that drew him to programming in the first place, back in college, when he and a couple of friends had put together a small tech startup that caught the eye of an investor.

By the time he was twenty-five, Alex had already sold the business for a sizable sum. His friends kept grinding at the start-up scene, while Alex found himself in the rare and somewhat awkward position of having enough financial freedom to do anything he wanted—yet not knowing exactly what that was. He moved to New York City shortly after, choosing a sleek condo overlooking Central Park. The location was perfect for his love of running, and the quiet of the park offered a balance to the chaos of the city.

Alex's life was one of contradictions. On the surface, he seemed like a typical tech success story: young, wealthy, living in a stylish apartment in Manhattan. But while his friends thrived in social circles, Alex valued his solitude. His favorite pastime was spending hours in front of a screen, not because he had to, but because he genuinely enjoyed it. He wrote programs that nobody would ever see, solving problems for the sake of the challenge. When he wasn’t programming, he devoured books on ancient history, particularly Greek and Roman civilizations. There was something about the rise and fall of empires, the mythologies, and the grand battles that fascinated him. It was a welcome escape from the world of binary code.

He wasn’t anti-social, per se. He had a small circle of friends who he’d known for years, and they often invited him out for drinks or dinner. They were good people—people who cared about him, even if they didn’t quite understand why he preferred spending his nights alone in front of a computer screen. His friends didn’t share his introverted tendencies, but they accepted them.

One crisp autumn afternoon, Alex sat in his condo, the golden light of the setting sun spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows. He was halfway through a particularly interesting book on the Roman conquest of Britain when his phone buzzed. It was a message from Lisa, one of his closest friends since college. The message was short and to the point:

Lisa: We’re going out for Julie’s birthday tonight. You’re coming. No excuses.

Julie. Alex's stomach did a little flip at the mention of her name. He had harbored a quiet crush on Julie for months, though he was never brave enough to act on it. She was vibrant, funny, and outgoing—everything that Alex wasn’t. But despite their differences, they got along well whenever they spent time together. Julie seemed to genuinely like his company, even if she probably didn’t realize how he felt about her.

Alex stared at the text for a few moments, contemplating his options. He could make up an excuse, maybe tell them he was working on a project or wasn’t feeling well. Or he could go out, try to have a good time, and maybe—just maybe—talk to Julie about how he felt.

Before he could overthink it, he typed a reply.

Alex: Sure, I’ll be there. What time?

Lisa: 8 p.m. at the usual spot.

By the time he arrived at the bar that evening, the place was already buzzing with life. He found his group seated at a large table near the back, laughing and talking over drinks. Julie was there, looking as beautiful as ever in a simple dress, her blonde hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders. She greeted him with a warm smile and a hug, and for a moment, Alex forgot his usual awkwardness.

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"Glad you could make it," she said, her eyes sparkling.

"Wouldn't miss it," Alex replied, doing his best to seem casual.

The night went by in a blur of laughter, drinks, and conversation. Alex found himself feeling more relaxed than usual. He even managed to have a few meaningful conversations with Julie, though every time he thought about saying something about his feelings, the words got caught in his throat.

By the end of the night, the group was winding down, and people were starting to head home. Alex lingered for a bit, chatting with Lisa and a few others, but eventually, he decided it was time to leave. He said his goodbyes, gave Julie a quick wave, and headed out into the cool night air.

The streets of New York were quieter than he expected for a Saturday night, but the city never truly slept. As Alex made his way toward the subway station, his thoughts drifted to the evening. He had been so close to telling Julie how he felt, but as always, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Maybe next time, he thought, though he had told himself the same thing countless times before.

The subway station was nearly empty when he arrived. As he descended the steps, a strange feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t quite place it, but something felt…off. He shrugged it off as just the residual nerves from the evening and walked toward the platform. As he waited for the train, Alex became increasingly aware of the silence around him. The usual hum of the city seemed distant, muted.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught something. A flicker of movement reflected in the glass of the station’s display board. Alex turned, but there was nothing there—just the empty platform. He frowned and turned back to the tracks, but the sensation of being watched didn’t go away. Every so often, he thought he saw a shadow, a figure, in the corner of his vision, but every time he turned to look, it vanished.

His heartbeat quickened. Maybe it was just his imagination, or maybe someone was messing with him. Either way, he wasn’t about to stick around to find out. He glanced down the tunnel, hoping to see the approaching lights of the train. But instead, something far stranger caught his eye.

From deep within the tunnel, two shapes were moving. They were long, sinuous, and impossibly large—almost like snakes. Alex’s breath caught in his throat as they slithered closer, the sound of something heavy scraping against the rails growing louder with each passing second. His rational mind tried to make sense of it, but there was no logical explanation for what he was seeing.

Instinct kicked in, and Alex turned to run, but as he spun around, he froze.

Standing directly in front of him was a man.

Alex hadn’t heard anyone approach, hadn’t seen anyone on the platform, but now this stranger stood mere feet away, grinning in a way that sent a chill down Alex's spine. The man was tall and lean, with a sharp, angular face and piercing gold eyes that seemed to shimmer in the dim light of the subway station. His clothes were unusual—almost archaic, like something out of a different time.

Alex opened his mouth to speak, to demand who this man was and what was going on, but before he could utter a word, the man reached out and touched his forehead with a single finger.

The world around Alex dissolved into whiteness.

Everything faded away—his fear, the subway, the stranger—until there was nothing but an overwhelming sense of emptiness. And then, slowly, letters began to form in the void, floating in front of his eyes like text on a screen.

Congratulations. You have joined the Cosmic Game.

Class and stats selection initializing...

Good luck.

The words hovered in front of him.

Alex tried to blink them away, tried to move or speak, but his body wouldn’t respond. He was trapped, frozen in place, as the reality of what was happening began to sink in.

This wasn’t some prank or hallucination. Something far stranger and more dangerous was unfolding, and Alex had no idea what it meant—or how to escape it.