"N-no way..."
"That's a hologram right?"
I gingerly moved my finger forward and touched the words, no matter where I position my fingers, I couldn't get a sense of where the lights were coming from... it was just... strange. I've encountered a few holograms in the city before but none that looked this pristine.
Even stranger was that from the words I felt some sort of... it's difficult to describe...
It felt like a strange buzz. A sensation that felt familiar in my body but not one that I'd have felt before; that might sound contradictory but to me right now, it made perfect sense.
"Fucking weird... it's all weird..."
I made my way back to the bed and sat down, calming my breathing as surprise after surprise had really started to stress me out.
Realising that I hadn't checked my bedside cabinet yet, I opened it only to see a small ring and a wallet inside.
The ring felt pretty non-descript but like the door, I felt a strange buzzing sensation when I focused on it, I put it next to me on the bed and focused on the wallet.
Sure it's rude to check a stranger's wallet but I couldn't give two shits right now.
'Hm, some cards and... wow... game-accurate credit cards with the school logo. Not even surprised at this man's dedication anymore.'
I noticed another card that was in one of the wallets pocket with the words "STUDENT ID" written in bold lettering.
'Oh, there's even an ID card? Perhaps we can get some insight into what this nutjob of a fan looks like...'
I slid it open only to see a pair of amber eyes staring back into mine.
----
STUDENT ID:
ANDRI WINTERS
DOB: 3042/10/10
SCN:314209489
----
I dropped the card on the floor.
No.
Fucking.
Way.
What the hell is going on.
Too many thoughts rushed through my head, ideas, theories, curses, all of them causing my heartbeat to rapidly increase beyond normal levels.
There was one theory above all that scared me the most.
The great part is, this theory can even be instantly checked!
Easily.
I just have to say a word, no, even thinking it with enough will would do it...
'You know what? Let's get the craziest theory out of the way first and then we can work our way down ok Andri? Alright... let's do this.'
*Inhale*
"Pfooo..."
After breathing in and out, I looked up from the ground and stared straight ahead, my lips shaping to form the word that I was both dreading and hoping would work.
"St-..."
I steeled myself.
"Status."
----
NAME: ANDRI WINTERS
RANK: G+
STR: 11
DEX:23
CON:8
INT:41
KI: -
----
An azure blue screen the size of a tablet materialised in front of my face. A screen that I had seen countless times.
"Status."
The window closed.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
'Huh.'
'So I'm...'
'Huh.'
'...'
I stood up from the bed. shaking a bit as I did so, I walked to the corner of the bed and lifted my foot back, aiming my pinky at the corner of the bed frame. With greater speed and force than I thought myself possible of, I kicked it with all my might.
*BANG!*
"ARGH!"
It hurt.
I felt it.
It felt real.
This...
This is real.
My shoulder started to tremble...
My entire body joined the small tremor turning into an almost violent shake.
"IT'S REAL!" I belted out, my voice already hoarse from that one screech.
"LLEETTTSSS FUUCCKKIINNNGGG GOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I clasped my fists into a ball and roared at the top of my lungs.
"PFFT HAHA? HUH? NO... WHAT??? NO... REALLY?!?!?" I just started screaming nonsense, I don't know when I started or how long it went for but I feel like I'm better off not knowing.
"HAAHHH??? FUCKING REALLY??!" It felt like an invisible energy had taken hold of me, everything that I know had been flipped on its head in the greatest way imaginable.
It took me a while to calm down and by then I was sitting down on the soft carpet with my shirt off again, I had taken it off and thrown it in celebration somewhere along the line.
"I'm really... I'm really here!"
I know for a fact that this isn't a dream, I've punched myself, slapped my stomach, and even purposefully committed a war crime against my pinky.
My breathing was ragged and my eyes were glazed as a stupid grin adorned my face, for the first time in ages... no, for the first time ever... I was excited for the future.