Several days after the chaos caused by the sudden appearance and disappearance of mysterious beings who successfully caused havoc and sensational news in many places in this country, the news began to spread internationally. Leaving behind many mysteries and unanswered questions, stirring up serious controversy among many survivors who witnessed the event firsthand. Not a few eyewitnesses also experienced serious trauma.
In the past, we would think that witnessing something that only happens in movies or comics is cool because we see it from the perspective of those who have not experienced it. However, when all of that truly happens before our eyes, are we really ready for all the stories that the universe will reveal?
*
In a place on the European continent, a group of young people gathered in a cozy cafe to play a game together while chatting and socializing. What game are they enthusiastically playing? Of course, it's the fantasy adventure game that has become popular among netizens due to its captivating storyline and unique world-building, making it go viral worldwide, with even its characters voiced by famous voice actors.
The game in question is none other than Viatrix Upheaval. Everything seemed ordinary up to that point. However, something inexplicable suddenly occurred.
"¿Por qué el género de mi personaje ha cambiado, verdad? (Why has the gender of my character changed?)" asked a young man who chose to be a hero for the land of the titans, known as the kingdom of Mac An Savery. He repeatedly tried to adjust the character settings, but the appearance of a woman kept appearing.
"Tú siempre has sido una mujer (You have always been a woman)," responded a friend who had just opened the game on his device, smiling teasingly.
His friend, who was having trouble, immediately replied sarcastically because he was a true man, "Tú eres de la casa de Mac An Cameron, ¿verdad? Te mataré más tarde (You're from the Kingdom of Mac An Cameron, right? I'll kill you later)," he threatened with a condescending smile.
One of their friends, who had been silent until now, finally decided to speak up, "En realidad, también estoy teniendo problemas con este juego (Actually, I'm also having trouble with this game)."
"¿QUÉ? (WHAT?)" asked both of his friends.
He answered with a disbelieving gaze, "Todos los objetos que he recolectado, ya sea gratis por completar misiones o los que he comprado en la subasta ya no están. ¡Increíble! ¡He gastado diez mil dólares de los de mis padres en este juego! (All the items I've collected, whether obtained for free by completing quests or purchased at the auction, are gone. Unbelievable! I've spent ten thousand dollars of my parents' money on this game!)"
Meanwhile, the young man who just started the game was taken aback when he realized that his character, who should have reached a certain point, was back at the beginning of the adventure. "¿Qué están haciendo? ¿Los desarrolladores de este juego nos están tomando el pelo? (What are they doing? Are the developers of this game fooling us?)"
*
General Headquarters of Verena Respectarac Abadi, developer of Viatrix Upheaval, Indonesia.
Chaos was not only happening a few days earlier or worldwide due to many issues arising in their hit MMORPG game. However, within the office, a storm was also raging that was no less intense. What was happening within the company, especially in the public relations division that served complaints from all the loyal customers who had supported them, elevating Verena Respectarac Abadi to one of the most respected technology companies in the world. The flow of information in the local loop connecting the main office in Jakarta with every branch office worldwide was also quite chaotic.
Ctik ctik ctik ctik ctik ctik ctik!!!
"Gomennasai. Sugu ni subete shūsei itashimasu. Odenwa itadaki arigatōgozaimasu."
Ctik ctik ctik ctik ctik ctik ctik!!!
"Entschuldigen Sie bitte. Wir werden alles bald reparieren. Vielen Dank für Ihren Anruf."
Ctik ctik ctik ctik ctik ctik ctik!!!
"Tolong maafkan kami. Semua akan kami perbaiki sebentar lagi. Terima kasih atas telponnya."
The entire room of that division was filled with the brutal sound of computer keyboard keys being pressed. Not a single word was spoken from anyone's lips there except for apologies and pleas for tolerance. What prevailed was tension, as they were facing such an unfriendly situation for the first time.
"What, are the IT engineers capable of working or not? Are they paid handsomely just to handle complaints from all over the world like this?" protested a customer service representative who was already very tired. His friends there nodded in agreement. However, they quickly fell silent again to avoid drawing too much attention which would lead to a reprimand from the supervisor.
Truly, nothing good had happened since the inexplicable event that occurred some time ago. The central government had not made any announcements regarding it. It was as if what happened was merely imagination. Even though the deaths and fear that occurred still lingered deeply.
*
The 32 years old man held the position of HE, or Head of Engineering, also known as CTO, Chief Technology Officer, at Verena Respectarac Abadi. The role he led not only oversaw the engineers responsible for the game's continuity but also other departments such as game programmers, game testers, game designers, 2D/3D artists, audio engineers, game producers, community managers, and writers. With such responsibilities, it's no wonder he was the first person the company's board looked to when issues arose concerning their products.
Moreover, Viatrix Upheaval was not the only mobile game produced by Verena Respectarac Abadi. They also oversaw a company in the online shopping platform, one of the largest in the world, REOG, which stands for Resik, Endah, Omber, Girang-gemirang, meaning clean, beautiful, prosperous, and joyful.
While REOG, as an online shopping platform, encountered no issues, Viatrix Upheaval, under his leadership, received numerous complaints from customers worldwide. Doesn't that almost certainly indicate that something is amiss?
Knock, knock, knock. He knocked on the teakwood door of his boss's office, responding to the summons. "I heard you calling for me, Mr. Raden."
The unassuming man in the room offered no response, instead, he immediately unlocked the door automatically using a remote control. Click. As soon as the sound echoed, he turned the knob and stepped in with a pounding heart, trying to conceal it behind a poker face expression.
Unexpectedly, inside the room was a company official, none other than one of Mr. Raden's sons named Yael Prambuditteo. Though he was still very young, he held the position of director of personnel, or HRD, due to his intelligence and talent.
"Before I begin the main purpose of this meeting, is there something you'd like to say about this unexpectedly changed situation?" Mr. Raden asked more softly than usual, where he would typically speak with convincing eye contact and a booming voice. This time, the man nearing sixty seemed to have lost half his strength to stand and endure.
"No, Mr. Raden," the man replied with a confident gaze. Deep down, he had already heard the news about the youngest member of the Prambuditteo family disappearing amidst the sudden unrest that occurred some time ago. However, he didn't feel authorized to inquire further about it.
"Your name is Mazikeen Saputra Kalan Samudra, isn't it?" Yael asked from one of the sofas, dressed in his branded formal attire, without so much as glancing at the person he was addressing, despite the ten years age difference between them. It was the demeanor of someone lacking manners in a country that still upholds various traditional values.
Huh, the only ones who should apply manners in this world are the poor!
Mazikeen, as if reading his boss's mind, replied, "That's correct, Young Director Yael."
"Cut to the chase," Yael said, lifting his face. "My sibling has yet to be found amidst the chaos that erupted in sector thirty of the city yesterday." He continued, "I have no idea what he's facing right now. Or where he might be," he said with a tone of voice and an incredibly flat expression. Not at all like someone who had lost a family member.
Is this person truly Raidyn's biological brother, known for his kindness, humility, and adorableness? Very far from the expectations of Mr. Raden's proud son, who is famous for being a family man, Mazikeen thought to himself, still maintaining a poker face expression.
"That's why," Mr. Raden said, "I want you and Yael to resolve all the issues happening in the company while I focus on finding Lucien."
Unconsciously, Yael interjected, almost laughing, "Well, let that useless kid stay lost then."
"YAEL!" Mr. Raden shouted, his eyes sharp as a dagger once more.
"I understand your command, Mr. Raden. I'll take my leave," Mazikeen quickly said, eager to leave the room with its increasingly suffocating atmosphere. He didn't want to get involved or know about his boss's family issues. He could suffocate. From the beginning, there had been something amiss concerning the Prambuditteo family, which always seemed nearly perfect from the outside.
Could the issues plaguing Viatrix Upheaval be related to their family conflict? He could only wonder silently in his heart.