"5!"

Is it really that time of the year again?

I swear... These crowds keep getting bigger and more daring. Aiming fireworks at each other in the house (for real?). Hm... What was I supposed to make again? Oh yeah... Making wishes, but I don't really get it.

"4!"

I tried understanding the meaning of it: this day, this noise, the dead set expressions everyone has beforehand, but...

"3!"

No matter what, I can't just not think of this as any other day of the week.

"2!"

Month or, even year.

"1!"

I really turn 19 next year huh? Even then it's just another regular passing day.

"0..." I checked my phone which showed 00:00 once again.

What wish did I make during my 18th... I can't even remember anymore, since I did get what I wanted back then.

"Happy-"

Either way it's a-

"New year!" today and looking around me, I guess everyone is pretty excited about this. I came here for the free drinks and food, so I guess I'll stick for a little while longer. Oh?

"Happy new year Will!" It's Amy? I haven't seen her in a little while. Should I take this opportunity to make a cheesy joke? Since I haven't seen her in a hot minute, I probably should try to make it a little bearable.

"Haven't seen you since last year Amy!"

- "..." SAY SOMETHING!

Please respond! Don't just sit there in silence for like a minute!

- "I'll pretend I didn't hear that, to save you from embarrassment… Anyway, how've you been, Will?" Thank God she said something - otherwise I would've forced the ground to swallow me whole.

"I guess I've been doing pretty fine as of late, my clothing brand has been doing well recently too!"

- "Hmmm.. Really?" Is she really that hesitant about my STERN conviction??

"Don't try to sniff me out, I tell you, I have had 150 units sold this year!" Actually... I would say it was more or less around 84 - cough - BUT! I'll sprinkle in a little bit more to make the numbers look prettier, heh.

"I'd say that's pretty successful for someone of my calibre"

- "Well at least you're positive about your year.." (...) "My luck's not been great, all I can say right now I suppose"

Woah, the mood shifted a little. Did something really bad happen to her?

"Hey, If you need to talk I'm here-"

- "Well aside from that, how's your luck been with finding a girlfriend?"

A complete 180 - wow.

"L-Let's not go there Amy" (...) "Since, of course, only idiots believe in luck" With this much confidence, I can escape that awful question!

- pfft

"What? I'm being serious, don't giggle."

- "I forgot you don't believe in superstition..." "Say."

- "What would it take for you to believe in something like luck."

What would it take? I guess if something really ridiculous happened.

"I don't know really. Maybe if I could fly? Cuz it'd be pretty convenient to fly."

- "For you to believe in luck?"

"Uhhh.. I guess?"

- "You really hate superstition, but it's not bad to put faith in something unknown every now and again." (...) "Having something to lean on is different than relying on." (...) "Small moments like these, going into the new year, a whole unknown can be scary. So I guess, making a wish or hoping for an outcome isn't a bad thing to follow."

"The unknown huh."

"When you put it that way - I guess I can see where you're coming from" (...) "But it's still ridiculous in my eyes, I'll put faith in something that I know - my own abilities."

- "Well I guess someone like you doesn't need to rely on superstition- "

.

The minute hand of a clock struck 12 once again.

"What?"

"Hey! I swear it was just 7 minutes past midnight? Why'd the clock only just go off now?" Somebody shouted.

Individual conversations in the party turned into similar murmurs.

"Huh?" (...) "Why does it say 00:00 on my phone again?"

- "Let me check mine too."

Whats going on? Did I set off a flag or something?

"Yeah it's also 00:00 again on my phone as well!" Somebody else shouted.

Is this some sort of joke that the government pulled off? It can't be, then again, it can't be some sort of bad omen, right?

- Aghh! 

That sound came from Amy!

I quickly turned and found Amy crouched down with her hands on her face, clutching tightly around her eyes.

- "Will! What's going on!?"

She tightened her squeeze.

"I-I don't know?" (...) "Amy, what happened?"

- "I- can see something in front of!"

"What?" (...) "What is it-"

Arghh!

Everyone around me was dropping to their knees in agony

"HELP! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME!" Repeated shouts echoed across the house and into the garden as well.

"Amy! Tell me what you see!"

- "I- I see."

[ I greet you, chosen Planet and Players of the Planet. ]

What is this. I can sense it, but it doesn't hurt.

[ Planet #ao333948j | "Earth" 

Has Been Selected By:

Developer Alias - |█|█|█|L

Developer ID - |█|█|█|4

For the Immediate game rennovation proccess! ]

- "A message."

Immediate. Game Rennovation?

Everyone around me is still lying or on their knees. How am I still standing? And I can see a letter and number? Develope-

[ Unfortunately Players! The developer has made it so that you cannot access their information at all. Therefore, queries and suggestions cannot be sent to and from player and the developer! ]

[ All Players chosen are thus required to tick the Terms & Condition box in order to participate in the "Game". After completing the Ts & Cs, you will be notified of when the game begins. ]

[ Well Players! I bid you the best of Luck in the trials and tribulations that will unfold in your path! Remember, rewards and punishments will be set as how the developer pleases! ]

...

[ Terms & Conditions

By clicking "Click to accept" you are accepting the T&Cs

/ Time Remaining Before Auto-Decline: 10 Minutes \ ]

This has to be some sort of joke.

- ughh

"Amy!"

- "My head and eyes hurt."

"Hey, you saw that too right?"

- "Will?" she sounds out of it, and looks awfully pale.

"I'm here it's okay." I'll try to comfort her as best as I can.

- "Ughh, my head..." (...) "What was all of that just now. It felt as if my head was about to blow off..." a faint sob came from her.

"Tell me what you saw."

- "I- I saw some kind of screen, it said something about Earth then some encrypted text, then a bunch more messages popped up." (...) "!"

A sudden realisation took over Amy.

- "There's a timer!"

"I see it too so don't worry."

Only question is, do we click agree or no? There are too many unknowns that I refuse to believe that this is nothing more than a dream!

- "How are you so level-headed in this?"

"I don't know either, I didn't experience the headache you had at all."

This too real to be a dream. I need to think.

[ ...

/ Time Remaining Before Auto-Decline: 8 Minutes, 52 seconds \ ]

The clock moved back specifically to 00:00, I'll check my phone first - and if it still says 00:00 then...

It still says 00:00.

- "What are you looking at right now?"

"The time." (...) "It hasn't gone forwards or backwards.."

Time hasn't moved in the real world, I can't be too sure about the timer on the floating screen, but I know for sure that it's been more than a second since 00:00 struck.

"I think we're frozen in time."

- "Wha-"

[ ...

/ Time Remaining Before Auto-Decline: 8 Minutes, 14 seconds \ ]

Think William! Developer, Player, Game.

It's a Game? Only games I know are like FPS or sport games! Wait...

In order to play in some games, you have to accept rules... To get access into the server such as no TKing (team killing), griefing, etc, otherwise they punish you. Mostly in the form of "kicking" or banning. Even if you do follow the rules, you can still commit the offense later on and be punished.

If those same principles are applied here, could it be?

"I think we won't get access to the server if don't comply..."

- "What are you muttering to youself?"

If we decline, would we essentially not get server access? If we don't I guess, we'll be stuck here in a state of limbo?

- "I read some of the terms."

"hm?" (...) "What did it say?"

- "Well in short, it's like what you were talking to yourself about earlier, something similar server rules and some game terminology"

[ ...

/ Time Remaining Before Auto-Decline: 3 Minutes, 37 seconds \ ]

"Amy, I think we should click accept." (...) "We won't know what happens when we click decline, then again we won't know what happens if we click accept."

...

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!" "WHAT DO WE DO?" "WHY ISN'T THE CLOCK MOVING ANYMORE?"

It seems like everyones panicking inside the house.

"I CLICKED ACCEPT!" "I CLICKED DECLINE!" "I ALSO CLICKED DECLINE!"

[ ...

/ Time Remaining Before Auto-Decline: 1 Minutes, 18 seconds \ ]

"WHY ISN'T ANYTHING HAPPENING?"

I guess we'll get our answer when the timer hits zero.

"Amy - I think we should click accept."

- "But we still don't know if that's the best option to choose." (...) "Maybe we won't have to participate in this if we click decline?"

"Better safe than sorry." (...) "I won't leave this to luck."

[ ... ... ]

"Accept." Both of us accepted the Terms & Conditions.

[ You have accepted the Terms & Conditions! ]

[ Please wait until the timer reaches 0 Minutes and 0 Seconds! ]

[ ...

You Have Accepted!

/ Time Remaining: 0 Minutes, 13 seconds \ ]

13 seconds, I won't let luck dictate my fate, I'm certain that this was the right choice. If not, then I'll be d*mned. Maybe I'll believe in superstition then.

[ / Time Remaining: 0 Minutes, 7 seconds \ ]

{ Analysing 8.2 Billion Responses... }

{ Outcome Concluded! }