The blinding light faded as quickly as it had come, and the sudden absence of sound left WY with a strange, eerie emptiness. She blinked, disoriented, as her body seemed to drift in a vast, weightless space. For a moment, she thought she might be dreaming, the wild fantasy of a late-night gaming binge catching up with her. But there was nothing dreamlike about this. It felt too real.
She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice came out thin and hollow, lost in the infinite void. "Hello?" she whispered, her words falling flat in the silence.
The world around her seemed to shimmer and bend, the boundaries of reality warping like an oil spill rippling across a glass surface. Slowly, the space began to take form—neon grids appeared, casting soft blue lights across a seemingly endless expanse. The lines shifted and pulsed, like veins of energy running through an invisible world. Nothing looked natural. It was like a hologram, only sharper, more tangible than any virtual landscape she had ever seen.
She instinctively reached for her phone, but it wasn't there. Her heart skipped a beat. This was no game, no familiar virtual world she could manipulate with a swipe of her finger. This felt… different. This felt real.
A figure appeared before her, emerging from the shifting lights. It was humanoid, clad in sleek, metallic armor, its features obscured by a reflective visor. It stood tall and imposing, its presence overwhelming in the otherwise empty space. A faint hum filled the air as the figure raised one hand, and a voice, deep and mechanical, echoed through the digital space.
"Welcome to the Digital Realm. You have been selected to participate in the Transcenders Project."
WY blinked, her mind struggling to process the words. Transcenders Project? The phrase buzzed in her head, familiar but alien. Had she really signed up for this?
Before she could say anything, the figure continued, its voice unwavering.
"Your first challenge awaits. Survive the Gauntlet, and prove your worth."
The ground beneath her feet began to shimmer. The blue grids that had once looked so beautiful now twisted and shifted, revealing a new terrain. A floor formed beneath her, cracked and jagged, covered with strange symbols that seemed to pulse with an unnatural energy. The air hummed with electricity, charged with the feeling of impending danger.
"I didn't ask for this," she muttered under her breath, panic creeping up her spine. She was supposed to be playing a game, not living one.
But then, as if to answer her, the first wave of enemies materialized—massive, pixelated creatures with jagged edges and glowing red eyes. Their forms flickered in and out of reality, unstable, as though they were born from corrupted code. They moved in unison, their collective energy sending waves of pressure into the air.
WY's breath quickened as they began to advance toward her, their footsteps heavy and deliberate. Her mind raced. This isn't a game. This was real, or at least it felt like it.
She had no choice but to fight.
Instinct took over. The reflexes she'd honed for years in Infinite Warzone kicked in, but there was something else now—a heightened awareness, as if her body was responding to the threat before her brain could process it. Her fingers twitched, and to her surprise, a glowing blade materialized in her hand.
It was the same familiar weight of a virtual weapon, but it was solid, real—every inch of it felt like it was part of her. The air around her seemed to shimmer as she gripped the handle, ready for what was to come.
The first creature lunged at her, its claws outstretched, but she was already moving. Time seemed to slow as she sidestepped with ease, dodging its attack in perfect sync with her body. Bullet time, she thought in disbelief. She could feel it—every movement, every second, stretched out before her like a slow-motion film.
Her blade met the creature's exposed flank in a clean strike, cutting through its pixelated form with a sharp hiss. It shattered into nothingness, its pieces disintegrating into the air like falling sparks.
She didn't have time to revel in her victory. More creatures were already closing in—faster, stronger. The gauntlet had just begun.
WY's pulse raced as she fought through wave after wave of enemies. With each battle, the enemies became more relentless, their attacks more coordinated. But with every victory, something strange happened—her reflexes sharpened, her movements became fluid, almost instinctual. She could sense the enemies' attacks before they even made them, their every shift and movement laid out like a map in her mind.
Is this the power they promised? Her mind was a blur, focusing entirely on surviving. But she couldn't deny the feeling that surged through her—strength, speed, clarity. She was faster, sharper than she had ever been. The skills she'd honed in games were suddenly part of her, like a new reality she could control.
But as she dispatched one enemy after another, she felt a dark pull in the back of her mind—a nagging doubt.
Every power comes at a cost… The voice from the invitation echoed in her head.
She didn't have time to dwell on it. Another wave of enemies charged toward her, their digital forms flickering ominously. She fought on, not out of choice, but out of necessity.
With a final strike, the last of the creatures shattered into fragments, vanishing into the digital ether. The battlefield fell silent, the hum of energy dissipating.
A voice rang out again, this time colder, more detached.
"Challenge complete. You have passed the Gauntlet. The first power has been granted."
WY breathed heavily, her body drenched in a cold sweat. She glanced down at her hands, the glowing blade still in her grip, now dissipating into particles of light. Her mind was spinning. Power? She had done it. She had won.
But what had she really won? What was this place? And who was behind all of it?
The voice answered, its tone almost sympathetic, as if reading her thoughts.
"The Transcenders Project is not just a game. It is a test. Each challenge will grant you new abilities, but remember—nothing is free. To succeed, you must master your powers. And to survive, you must face what lies ahead."
The figure that had appeared at the beginning materialized once more, its visor gleaming in the digital light.
"Your next challenge will come soon. Prepare yourself."
Before she could speak, everything around her flickered once again. The Digital Realm seemed to warp, and the blue grids dissolved into a blank void, leaving her once again suspended in nothingness.
What am I getting myself into? she thought, as the world around her dissolved into blackness.
And for the first time since she had accepted the invitation, WY wasn't sure if she was ready for what came next