"Only a day left until the game's over."
I clicked my tongue lightly as I typed in my ID and password on the familiar login screen.
War of the Last Celestial—the game I'd been playing since high school—was finally ending. Despite its average graphics, it had a unique storyline that kept me hooked, blending mythical gods and deities with an immersive battle system. It was popular once, sure, but now only the die-hard fans stuck around.
I'd completed every storyline, every hidden mission. Even my latest run-through, where I'd tried to change things up, ended with a frustrating three-and-a-half-star rating. Why? Because I couldn't save all the heroines. Half of them died before the final showdown. Maybe fate couldn't be changed in this game, but it still nagged at me.
After the credits rolled—something I'd seen more times than I could count—I lingered on the main menu screen, scrolling through the forums out of habit. That's when I stumbled upon a post about one character who had always intrigued me: Aiden Thunderhart, the infamous villain blessed by King Indra, God of War and Thunder. With such a powerful gift, he could have become a stronger villain the protagonist had to face, but it was a shame he died so easily. If only the main character's blessings had been as strong as Aiden's, maybe more of the heroines would've survived.
The forums were filled with posts, not just about him but about many other characters: the main protagonists, the heroines, and famous villains. One recurring topic was the King of Asura, said to surpass all God-Kings and who could only be killed by a Supreme Deity. Ignoring most of these, I clicked on the post about Aiden, the villain I always thought could have been used better by the developers, had they not ruined his character.
It bugged me that they never let him be a true villain. With his legendary blessing, noble origin, and potential to rival any main character, Aiden deserved a deeper arc. But the game wasted him. I started typing my thoughts about how, if Aiden had been the main character, he could have saved the world and maybe, just maybe, achieved at least a 4.5-star rating.
As soon as I hit send, an unexpected pop-up filled my screen:
Can you save the world and complete the game with the power of Aiden Thunderhart?
I stared, blinking. It had to be some kind of new AI-generated message from the developers. But what was the point of adding this now, when the game was shutting down?
Intrigued, I typed, "Yes."
The moment I pressed Enter, a sharp light burst from my monitor, and my vision began to blur. My heart pounded as I tried to move, but my legs wouldn't respond. Instead, the world around me twisted and spun, plunging me into darkness.
Low, unfamiliar voices began echoing in my ears, whispering words I couldn't quite make out. Dizziness washed over me, and I felt my consciousness slipping away.