Matteo, who was intensely stared at by his father, fidgeted with the tableware. His father's gaze felt almost tangible. It was loaded with envy and worry, but Matteo didn't realize the latter part.
"Today is the day, isn't it, Matteo?" His father's rough voice reverberated against the ceramic kitchen floors. The question remained unanswered as Matteo silently grabbed his dinner from his mother's hands and thudded it onto the table. His mom shot a look of pity and sadness over his shoulder, her eyes then locking with her husband in a silent exchange.
"Matteo, you heard your dad. Don't play dumb; your ears work just fine."
"Ah, sorry, got distracted. And, um, yeah... it's today." Matteo managed to say, plastering on a fake smile. His voice was shaky, a clear indication of his anxiety that didn't go unnoticed by his parents. Dwight, his father, felt a sharp pain in his heart at his son's actions. "Don't get it twisted, kiddo. Your mom and I aren't thrilled. And I don't want you thinking I'm saying this because of my hobbies." He let out a heavy sigh, "All this secrecy, dropping out of school, making us none the wiser in front of everyone. And we're still here to support because, well, you're our son." He pauses and glances at his wife for affirmation.
"All of this is happening abruptly, and all of it..." The soft palm of Dwight's wife rubs against his shoulders as he defeatedly added a few words, "... for a game."
"Please, honey." Matteo's mother chimes in, the strength behind her voice shaken by the truth her husband brough up. "Your father is only saying this because he is undeniably jealous." Dwight almost springs up into response, but her hand kept him seated.
"We first bonded over the possibility of science fiction, the very same thing that's sitting, eating dust in our house. Living out an epic fantasy and waking up in a new world. Dwight was all about those games, and now I get why. And Teo, you get to jump into that dream of his before him. Living the dream."
Matteo's words clamored at the tip of his tongue, yet they remained unspoken, stifled by the intensity of his mother's piercing gaze. He misread the emotion in her eyes; it was not an accusation but the deep, instinctual concern of a mother. "Matteo," she said, her voice soft and riddled with fear and worry, "today is a big day for you but please, be careful in that virtual world, okay? For all our sakes."
I am doing this for them, for us. If I don't, she'll have to work. Busting her ass off at this age. If not, then we will be thrown to the streets like trash, Matteo's thoughts were in disarray. He sat on the edge of his bed, lost in thought, the computer screen across the room casting a hard light in the darkness. He recalled the call that changed everything-the day his dad got heavily injured during the job. And as someone who worked a physically demanding career, the future looked grim. Their lives turned upside down.
A notification from his computer snapped him out of his thoughts. He leapt to his desk and click the mouse and opened the email. The title read: "COUNTDOWN COMPLETE."
"Player 004276995,
The date and time progress from 10/11/2053 17:00 to 07/03/2054 20:00 is complete.
Activation Key: XXX-XXX-XXXXIC
The key is only valid for a single activation which is set to expire in 48 hours. Take utmost care not to share your key as that may result in access to unauthorized individuals. Selling this key is strictly forbidden, and if caught in the act, then ICONIC is viable to take the seller to court. It is recommended to immediately activate your account once you've received this message.
At ICONIC, we look forward for your participation in the world we've created. And in the world, it evolved into. Riches and fame might've swayed you to join the expeditions but make no mistake, you players are the vanguard of humanity. Your actions will affect those around you, in-game and outside, and most importantly, your life-literally.
Welcome to where we are birthed twice - Yvestell"
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
***
The words, your life, flashed in Matteo's mind several times. He accidently clicked the red cross, closing the window. Are they right? he questioned the cases of deaths that happened in Yvestell. If you die inside the game, there's always a chance of you dying in real life. That was the risk each player takes when logging into the game. Their own lives.
The doubt creeped in. His hands shook in rebellion, but his decision was made months ago. Shaking of his uncertainty, Matteo reached for the device on the floor - a headset that looked like it was straight out of a sci-fi flick.
He blew off the dust, brushing away the dust piled up over time. He adjusts the size of the straps and untangles the many cords attached to the device. The ICD gear, once belonging to his father, was now his portal to another place of existence. It fit snugly over his head, and as he reclined on his bed, he felt the thundering beats of his heart in anticipation. To say he's anxious was an understatement. With a deep breath, he powered on the gear.
GEAR ON
His senses slowly dulled until Matteo felt robbed of what his body was accustomed to. Floating in a sea of white, his consciousness floated, tethered to the window before him.
ACTIVATE TO GAIN ACCESS
INPUT ACTIVATION KEY: ___-___-____IC
Matteo understood what to do. He glanced at the blanks, and they began to fill-in themselves. A new window replaced the previous one.
Player 004276995, welcome to Yvestell.
Create character and begin a new journey?
[Yes] [No]
Even in spirit, his heart wavered for a moment. Although, it was just a moment and Matteo pressed [Yes]. The screen shifted again.
NAME CHARACTER
(PROFANITY IS NOT ALLOWED. THE SYSTEM RECOGNIZES NAMES UNSUITABLE FOR THE WORLD. CHOOSE CAREFULLY AS IT CANNOT BE CHANGED)
-___________-
Caught off guard by an option he thought would be in end, Matteo nonetheless inputs in the name he'd prepared for months.
-Khirtis-
Unbeknownst to Matteo, his father watched over his motionless body as he roamed the virtual clouds. The curve of a smile on Matteo's lips granted Dwight a moment of peace. "Matteo... may God watch over you."
As Matteo confirmed his name, the game flickered and faded to complete darkness. A cascade of messages began to flow in a translucent box at the corner of his vision.
-First time logging in successful-
-Character model automatically set as the default client-
** WORLD BOUND**
-Player: Khirtis is a bounded character-
-Calculating daily in-game hours required as a part of Species: Human-
-Based On-
|AGE|
|INFLUENCE|
|POWER LEVEL|
|QUEST/WORLD RELEVANCE|
|EXPECTATIONS SET BY ENVIRONMENT|
-Result: 240 minutes-
-Abilities and statuses set to the character's base species-
**HUMAN**
-Species: Human receive a one-time unique ability-
**Gift of Penrose**
-Their flesh and blood are equal, but they are divided from birth. Impossible-
[Ability] - Eye of Helix
-Spawn set to Humanity's Kingdom starter town: Where men will first stumble and fall, Ancladon-
-WELCOME TO YVESTELL-
Khirtis' focus was shaken by the sudden deafening noise of thunder. Light fracturing around him like shattered glass. His hair stood on end, charged with static as he plummeted through the clouds. It was only when he burst through the final cloud layer that world below came into view.
His throat audibly gulped, and he let out a cry as he continued falling, "AHHHHH!" The swooped through his clothes and Khirtis' sense of up and down was thrown off as he spun around, tumbling through the sky. Colorful paintings flashed before his eyes, the pigment of the world around him being the palette.
The reality of Yvestell was perfected, an illusion so real it was almost indistinguishable from real life. The sweat, the fear, the rush - it was all authentic. In that moment, Khirtis believed he was diving headfirst into his death. He knew about it, everyone did, but you couldn't think at that situation. This was the infamous Yves Fall. An experience that's shared by every player.
Yvestell was a monumental achievement. Not just in realizing a virtual playground, but also achieving a perfect, tangible senses. All five senses were accurate to real life. The visionaries at ICONIC understood that players wouldn't understand the digital genesis crafted by them. So, in a bold move without any forewarnings, the game catapults you from its highest peaks the moment you logged in. All of that is to introduce the reality of senses in the game.
The constant barrage of feelings overwhelmed Khirtis, so much so that he passed out mid-air. Unaware, his fall through the skies of Yvestell decelerated, gentling as he neared the earth. The foliage broke his fall, branches snapping, allowing shafts of light to pierce the thick forest ceiling. He laid flat on the ground, a few miles away from Ancladon, the town of humble beginnings.