In a dimly lit room you see a pod with tiny lights flickering indicating it's in use with holographic graphs on the side showing the life signs of the user. The room a mess, mirroring the person who lives here. In the room you can see not just clothes but trash bags and final notice letters everywhere.
The rest of the home is in a similar state of disarray, as if the resident has given up on self care. As you look around you can hear the pod open.
Looking at it you notice there is mist pouring through the opening. Then a man steps out and you see he has a sickly pale complexion, sunken eyes, and looks to be a brittle elderly man. That is not the case though, this is our protagonist Kayde Willard.
He was once part of a rich and prominent family. Due to bad luck and unseen factors his family fell into decline. Many died mysteriously and others like his stepmother and step sister to a unknown disease. In order to try and save his remaining family he sold all his assets and even started to play a game called Astrologia Online.
It was a new VRMMO known to turn paupers into millionaires overnight. With a little bit of luck and hard work anyone could. With that in mind he bought a vr pod and dove headfirst into a new frontier.
Then a few minutes in as he started to make his character he got notified that he was cursed by a malicious entity that was eventually revealed to be a player. Who they were was still unknown.
The curse prevented him from awakening any class above common rarity and even a bloodline for his character. That didn't stop him though, he began to explore every where he could to find treasures as he got stronger slowly.
On his travels eventually he was tricked into a slavery contract. Everything he found, he had to give to his "Master".
Unable to save his family and pay the medical bills he became a broken man. Living day to day with the bare necessities as a slave in the game and reality. Leading to the man you see before you.
(1st POV)
"Ugghh… did I stay inside for too long?"
I get up and close my vr pod. I start walking through the maze that is my room towards the bathroom to take a shower.
Standing inside I let the water run over me as I reminisced about my step mother Madeline and my step sis Steph. They were the last family I had after my father disappeared 13 years ago. Everyone else were like vultures ready to take what they felt they deserved.
Madeline kept them away as we mourned the loss of my father. Eventually though, they succeeded as I sold what we had to them and auctioned off what I could as my only family were succumbing to an unknown disease. It wasn't enough though.
Then as I sit under the shower I start sobbing uncontrollably while the memories I have of them continuously play in my head.
'I miss them so much!'
I then just fall into a fetal position while wailing like a mother who lost her baby.
After finally calming down I turn off the shower and dry off as I cook some cheap ramen. While that's running in the microwave I turn on the tv and see a news report on how there was an attempted assassination on a presidential candidate.
I tune off the tv scoffing at how crazy the world is becoming. I pull out my phone and order some groceries before grabbing a nutrient pack and drink it. I sit down on what remains of my couch as I get ready to jump back in Astrologia.
'I can't rest even for a little bit till the deadline.'
I get up and slide back into the pod. As it closes I feel the inside cool down while I put on the visor.
'Link Start!'
The visor lights up and I pass out. As I open my eyes I'm sitting at my personalized virtual desk where I can select my games or media. I select Astrologia and see the familiar intro and fanfare.
I tap start and as I spawn in what seems to be not where I should be. I'm in a dimly lit cave where it looks like there were sacrifices made with demonic symbols glowing along the carved walls.
'Why am I not in the capital of Concord?!'
I start panicking and hear something scraping the stone floor.
I turn my head an see what can be described as a biblical demon smiling while dragging a large machete. Then it opens its mouth.
"So you are the one who's been cursed by my contractor. I don't know what's worse for you, the curse or what he's about to do."
'Does the curse do something else?'
He starts to laugh like a maniac before he speaks again.
"He really must've hated you that he even killed your family!"
'What? What did he say?'
As he keeps laughing I hear someone clapping and begin laughing themselves.
"You spoilsport, I wanted to tell him."
The figure steps into the light and I see a dark haired man with green eyes staring at me with a cruel smile.
"Hello Kayde, it's been how long? 12 years?"
My face contorts with rage as I recall who the face belongs to.
"Drake Evermoore, why are you here?!"
"Is it not obvious? I'm the one who contracted the demon."
Dumbfounded at the fact that you can contract a demon I then realize something.
He starts to laugh maniacally with a crazed look in his eyes.
"Didn't you hear a thing he said?! I KILLED YOUR FAMILY! HELL, I CAUSED THE FALL OF YOUR FAMILY!"
'Why?!'
"WHY?!"
With a sadistic grin he grabs a blood red sword from the demon and stabs me with it.
"Why? You have the gall to ask me WHY?!"
He dragged me to a wall and pins me to it with the sword. Coughing up blood I start wondering why this feels so realistic when I doesn't need to be…
"It's because you had everything I wanted! A loving mother, father, and a woman who loves you! THE WOMAN WHO SHOULDVE BEEN MINE!"
He starts to punch me in the face and body brutally. Then I feel a sharp pain at the base of my skull.
"Steph was supposed to be mine! It seemed fate had other plans though, cause she was infatuated with you!"
"She what-?!"
"That's why I had this demon curse your family to either die or slowly lose their life!"
Before I could get in another word I felt intense pain in my head that began to spread through my body.
"No matter, if I can't have what you did no one can. Hey, do you feel that pain? Your avatar is being uploaded with a virus that'll cause the pod to kill you as you lay inside. Say good bye the world of Astrologia and life as you know it!"
I start to die in game, however it seemed fate had other plans again.
Instead of the regular multicolored despawn animation I see nothing but darkness encroaching upon my consciousness. Inside a sea of darkness I lay instead of waking up in my room.
'Would you like to go back?'
'What was that?!'
'Would you like to go back?'
'Go back to where?'
'Home…'
'What?'
'You'll see…'
'It couldn't hurt then, it can't be worse than what I've lived through.'
'Then you'll…?'
'Yes, I will go back.'
'Good, have a pleasant trip.'
Then I truly pass out, but not before seeing a veiled face smiling at me.
After what felt like eternity I woke up in an familiar room.
'Where am I?'
I sit up and look around the room.
'This looks just like my old room, but I haven't been here for 17 years.'
I get up feeling vigor that I haven't felt in years. I looked at my legs and feet, saw muscles that shouldn't be there and even saw healthy unblemished skin.
As I stand up and I look in the full body mirror I saw. I saw myself, but not the 35 year old me. I was looking at my 15 year old self. I wasn't full of muscles, but I wasn't skin and bones either. I can see that I have my dirty blond hair again, not some grey hair that I was losing to poor health.
Then I look at a clock displaying the time and date as I get ready.
May 21st, 2024
'What the hell is going on?!'
Just to make sure I'm not dreaming I kick my bed frame and scream in pain hoping I didn't break anything.
I start to tear up at the realization that I'm back, I'm home with my family.
Then I remember who took it all away.
'Drake Evermoore, I'll make sure that you can't hurt my family.'
I hear someone running through the hall and then someone opens my door. A young woman with bright auburn hair, eyes the color of emeralds, and a body women would kill to have.
"Kayde?! Are you ok?!"
"Steph…"
Tears start pouring and all the emotions break free as I run to hug her. As I hug her tightly I feel her wrap her arms around me.
"What's wrong Kayde?"
I tell Steph my memories as if it was a dream, though I omitted what drake said to me about her and the game. When I'm done she starts to hug me tightly with her eyes getting misty.
"I'm fine, I just had a bad dream that seemed to real."
Letting me go she then blushes realizing I'm shirtless. She runs out the room telling me to get dressed and head down for breakfast.
As I get dressed I turn on my tv an see an add for Astrologia Online.
That's right, it launches in a few days huh? If I see dad I'll ask to see if I can get a pod. It should fit here seeing as how my room is bigger than my old apartment.'
After I got dressed I turn off my tv and make my way to the dining room.
As I arrive I notice Madeline, Steph, and my father are all sitting at the table. They look up and smile but Steph is still blushing. Madeline notices it and smirks at her daughter.
I sit down and see my plate is already made. As I begin to eat my father asks a question.
"Have you watched tv yet Kayde?"
"A little, why do you ask?"
"I have some colleagues working on something you might've heard of. I think it's called Astrologia?"
"Yeah, I've seen the ads but I don't have the tech to use it on."
"That's ok, I can have a prototype put in your room if you are interested. It's a graduation present since you managed to graduate early. Same for Steph since she also graduated early just a few days ago."
Steph smiles brightly at that statement and Madeline gives her a hug.
"Thanks dad, I mean it."
I never had this talk with dad before. Oh… that's why, I originally woke up with a hangover after drinking with "buddies" and refused to talk with anyone this morning.
Well, no time like the present to stop that vice.
Madeline looks at me with a warm smile while dad and I continue to talk about mundane things. After I finished my food I look at dad and ask a question.
"When will you have it delivered dad?"
He gives me a smirk.
"I ordered it the moment you got distracted looking at Steph. It should be here by noon."
Blushing, I hurriedly get up and put my dishes on a trolley for the kitchen. Then I rush off to my room to cool off.