*Present Day*
In the quiet corner of the café, Ye Xiu was once again engrossed in Glory, his fingers dancing across the keyboard as he navigated his character through another intense battle. The café had become a familiar haven for him, a place where he could focus on the game without distractions. The comforting hum of background noise—the clinking of cups, the soft chatter of patrons—faded away as he immersed himself fully in the virtual world.
His character, Silent King, moved with precision and skill. Every action was deliberate, every strike calculated. It was just like old times, and for a brief moment, Ye Xiu felt that familiar rush—the connection between his mind and the game flowing seamlessly.
But then, just as he was about to execute a critical move, it happened again.
A flicker.
His screen stuttered, the smooth flow of the game disrupted by a momentary glitch. Ye Xiu's eyes narrowed, his hands freezing over the keyboard as he stared at the screen in disbelief. It was the same glitch he had seen weeks ago—the one he had dismissed as a fluke. But now, it was back, and with it, a creeping sense of unease.
No way this is a mistake, he thought, his fingers hovering over the keys as he quickly tabbed through his character's settings, checking for any signs of tampering or errors. But everything appeared normal.
A game like Glory, renowned for its stability and seamless execution, wasn't prone to random glitches. The developers were meticulous, and the servers were among the best in the world. A glitch like this shouldn't be possible, especially not one that seemed to target his gameplay specifically.
Ye Xiu's mind raced, trying to figure out what could be causing the issue. He quickly opened his character's account details, navigating through the menus to access his old One Autumn Leaf ID. If there was something deeper going on—something tied to his past in the game—he needed access to his original account.
But no matter how many times he tried, he was blocked at every turn. His old ID was locked behind a series of restrictions, and without the proper credentials, he was locked out.
Frustration bubbled within him. He had left that identity behind when he walked away from Glory, but now, it seemed like the game wasn't ready to let go of him just yet.
Before he could delve any further, a familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Hey, you look like you're ready to break that keyboard."
Ye Xiu glanced up to see Su Mucheng, with her ever-bubbly smile and carefree energy. She was standing beside his table, hands on her hips, looking at him with a mix of curiosity and amusement.
He smirked, trying to push the frustration aside. "Just thinking. The game's acting weird."
"Glory, weird? That's a first," she said, sliding into the seat across from him. "You should talk to the developers. You're still a legend, after all. They'd listen to you."
Ye Xiu chuckled, but his mind was still partly on the glitch. "I don't know about that. I'm not exactly on speaking terms with them anymore."
She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as if sensing the weight behind his words. But before she could ask anything further, something on the café's TV caught her attention.
The screen behind the counter, which had been silently playing the news, flashed with a bold headline: "Mysterious Glitches in Glory: Hack or Internal Issue?"
Ye Xiu's heart skipped a beat, his eyes snapping to the TV. He read the headline again, his mind racing. The news anchor's voice filled the café as patrons started to take notice of the broadcast.
"…in recent days, multiple players across various servers have reported unusual glitches in Glory, leading to speculation that the game may be experiencing an internal breach. While the developers have yet to make an official statement, experts are investigating the possibility of a hack targeting the game's core systems. Players are advised to report any suspicious activity…"
Ye Xiu exchanged a glance with Su Mucheng, who now wore a look of concern.
"You don't think…?" she began, but he cut her off with a grim nod.
"I saw it. Twice now."
Su Mucheng leaned in closer, her playful demeanor replaced with seriousness. "So what does this mean? Is someone messing with the game?"
"I don't know yet." Ye Xiu's voice was low, his mind already working through the possibilities. The glitches weren't random. They were too specific, too precise. Someone, or something, was targeting Glory—and possibly targeting him.
Su Mucheng watched him carefully, her eyes scanning his face as if searching for answers. "Ye Xiu… you think this is tied to your old account?"
He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "It might be. I can't access One Autumn Leaf anymore, but something's definitely going on. This isn't just a random bug."
Su Mucheng frowned, her playful energy gone as the weight of the situation settled in. "You need to be careful. If someone's targeting you…"
"I'll figure it out," Ye Xiu said, his voice steady. "Whatever this is, I'm not letting it slide."
Su Mucheng looked like she wanted to say more, but instead, she gave him a small nod, trusting him to handle the situation. As the news continued to play in the background, a sense of unease filled the café, the usual light-hearted atmosphere replaced by a tension that neither of them could shake.
Ye Xiu's thoughts were already racing ahead. If someone was tampering with Glory—if there was a breach in the system—then he needed to get to the bottom of it. And to do that, he needed access to his past.
To his old team. To One Autumn Leaf.
And maybe, just maybe, to the secrets he had left behind when he walked away from it all.