In another world—a world starkly different from the one of monstrous boar-tusk bulls and magic-fueled battles—peace and normalcy reigned. There were no monsters, no supernatural abilities, and no mana to wield in grand displays of power.

Instead, life here was mundane, grounded in technology and routine.

In a small, dimly lit room, a young man, likely around 19 or 20 years old, sat slumped over a cluttered desk. His head rested on his folded arms, serving as an impromptu pillow, and the steady rhythm of his breathing hinted that he had drifted off to sleep.

The glow of a computer monitor bathed his face in pale light, casting faint shadows across the room. On the screen, a game forum was open, buzzing with activity. Large, bold text at the top of the page caught the eye:

"The First Full-Dive VR Game Announced! Official Trailer Released!"

Below it, a few animated thumbnails played clips from the trailer—a fantasy world teeming with lush landscapes, glowing cities, and towering beasts. The title of the game, "Ethereal Divine Online," flashed across the screen in shimmering letters.

Comments flooded the forum post:

"The trailer looks insane! This is the future of gaming!"

"Can you believe it’s full-dive? It’s like something out of a sci-fi movie!"

"I heard the immersion feels 100% real. How are they even doing this?"

The mouse cursor hovered over one of the comments, as though the young man had been about to click on it before succumbing to sleep.

This wasn’t just any game announcement; it was a monumental leap in technology—the first-ever full-dive virtual reality game, promising an experience where players could physically and mentally immerse themselves in another world.

Suddenly, the young man jolted awake, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he gasped for air. His heart pounded like a drum in his ears, and his skin was slick with cold sweat. For a moment, he sat there, dazed, trying to piece together where he was and what had just happened.

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But something was wrong. This wasn’t the blood-soaked battlefield he remembered, nor the familiar stone walls of the church infirmary where warriors were often treated.

Instead, he found himself in a room that was like nothing he had ever seen before.

The space was enclosed with smooth, pale walls that seemed to emit a soft, unnatural light. His eyes flicked from one strange object to another—things that didn’t make sense. There was a rectangular table in front of him, cluttered with odd devices and objects he couldn’t identify. A glowing rectangle on the table caught his eye, humming with some kind of energy, but there was no fire, no magic, no aura that he could sense.

What is this sorcery?

The warrior’s instincts screamed at him to rise, to defend himself. He pushed against the chair, but as he moved, his body felt sluggish and unfamiliar. The strength that had once been second nature to him was gone. His arms felt weak and soft. His muscles had shrunk, and his hands were no longer calloused from years of battle.

A wave of dizziness hit him as he looked down at himself.

His once-armored body had vanished. In its place was a strange set of clothing—thin fabric that clung to his body in a way that felt entirely unnatural. He raised a hand to his face, tracing unfamiliar features. The hardened warrior who had fought in countless battles was now trapped in the soft, unscarred face of a stranger.

"What… is this?" he muttered, staring at the strange, smooth surface of his hands.

Suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his head.

"Argh!" he cried out, clutching his temples as the sensation overwhelmed him. The world around him seemed to swirl and distort. In a dizzying flash, memories began to flood his mind—none of them his own.

He reached out to steady himself, but the world around him began to spin. The overwhelming pain in his head intensified, each memory a jagged shard cutting through his mind, tearing him apart from the inside out.

“Please… make it stop…” he whispered hoarsely, his vision blurring.

The sensation was too much. The collision of two lives, two minds, was unbearable. The warrior’s grip on consciousness slipped, and with one final gasp, his world went black.

When he woke up again after some hours, the storm of memories in his mind had started to settle. The chaos of past events, foreign emotions, and unfamiliar faces began to organize themselves, becoming easier to process. Slowly, he was able to take in what had happened to him.

'So, I really died back there,' he thought, the weight of it sinking in. As the thought came to him, tears began to trickle down his cheeks, warm and unbidden. His shoulders shook as he buried his face in his hands, trying in vain to stifle the sobs that soon grew into a genuine, unrestrained cry.

"I’m sorry," he choked out, his voice trembling. "Everyone, I’m so sorry... I’m sorry for leaving you all."

The words scraped from his throat, raw and uneven, as if each syllable cut deeper into the ache he carried. His voice became hoarse, nearly breaking under the weight of the grief that poured out with every tear.