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Sunny stood in front of the store, the small shop's glass doors offering a faint reflection of the bustling street behind him. The weight of his borrowed money sat heavy in his pocket, but his resolve was even stronger. He wasn't just buying a headset; he was stepping into a new world, a world where he could rewrite his future.
Inside, the shelves were lined with sleek, futuristic headsets of all sizes and brands. The glow of neon lights danced off their smooth surfaces, making each one seem like a gateway to a grand adventure.
He wandered through the aisles, inspecting the displays. The cheapest model, priced at $1000, looked simple enough. It lacked the bells and whistles of the more expensive models, but Sunny didn't need any extra features. All he needed was access to the game. The decision was easy.
He approached the counter where a young shopkeeper stood, glancing up as he walked over.
"Hey, how can I help you?" the shopkeeper asked, his voice friendly but distracted.
"I'll take the basic VR headset," Sunny said, his tone firm.
The shopkeeper blinked, then nodded. "The $1000 model, right? You sure you don't want to look at something more advanced?"
Sunny shook his head. "No, that's all I need for now."
"Alright," the shopkeeper said, ringing it up and handing him the headset. "Here you go. Just make sure it works with Nexus Online when it launches."
"Will do," Sunny replied, paying with the money he'd borrowed.
With the headset in hand, he stepped back outside into the crisp air, his thoughts momentarily drifting. He was excited about the game, yes, but something else lingered at the back of his mind — the way he had gotten here. The cold, harsh reality of his life before this new beginning.
As he walked back to his small house, the city's hum of activity around him faded into the background. His thoughts began to drift toward the past — the memories of his betrayal, the grim truth that had shaped everything in his life.
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Flashback
The Crimson Pact Guild had been everything to him for eight long years. Sunny had climbed the ranks, starting as a lowly recruit, barely more than a slave in the eyes of the guild's leaders. But through hard work, cunning, and an unrelenting desire to rise above his circumstances, he had reached a position of power — higher than most others, and certainly above the outer members who labored endlessly for scraps.
For years, he had been promised a brighter future, a better position, and a fair wage. A chance to finally live the life he had always dreamed of. But the higher-ups had lied. They had always lied.
The guild's leaders, greed in their hearts, decided to merge with a criminal organization. To Sunny, this wasn't the issue. People like him were used to dealing with shady characters — criminals, politicians, the wealthy, the corrupt. It wasn't a new thing. But what hurt, what shattered everything, was the betrayal of the promises they had made.
When they lowered his pay, when they dismissed him as if he was nothing more than a pawn, Sunny had finally realized the ugly truth. They had no intention of ever fulfilling their promises. They saw him as expendable.
And in the end, that was exactly what he had become.
The leaders of the Crimson Pact, backed by their new criminal allies, had turned on him. They had killed him — the very people he had trusted, the ones he had helped rise to power. He had been nothing more than an obstacle to them, someone who had dared to resist their plans.
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Sunny shook his head, brushing off the painful memory as he entered his small home. He dropped the headset onto his bed and ordered some food — something simple and quick. As he waited, the flashbacks of his betrayal seemed to blur, his thoughts swirling.
The life he had lost no longer mattered. He had been given a second chance. A chance to make sure he would never again be anyone's pawn, never again be betrayed by people he trusted. He would use this new life to make his own rules.
As the food arrived, Sunny ate slowly, savoring each bite. The taste wasn't important, but it was the comfort of knowing he could survive. Knowing that he could make it. And soon, he would be ready for Nexus Online — the game that could finally give him the power, wealth, and freedom he had always dreamed of.
Tomorrow was the start of something new. He could feel it in his bones.