Chapter 0: prologue
The city lay under a deep night, blanketed in silence except for the rhythmic chirping of crickets. Inside a dimly lit bedroom, the soft glow of a computer screen illuminated a young man's face, his features sharp with concentration.
Yuno's fingers blurred over his keyboard, his mouse clicking in rapid succession. His breathing was shallow, his pulse hammering as he stared at the screen.
"Damn it, Healer! Do something!" he barked, his voice barely above a whisper yet tense with urgency.
The enemy loomed before him, a colossal, armored wraith with burning red eyes. Its enormous blade swung down, sending his teammates scrambling. His party members screamed through his headset.
"We're gonna wipe!" "Yuno, what do we do?!" "This boss is impossible!"
Yuno clenched his jaw, his hands steady despite the chaos. He had spent weeks preparing for this fight. He would not lose now.
With a final series of precise keystrokes, his character lunged forward, dodging the attack by mere pixels. His ultimate skill activated, a radiant golden slash tore through the boss's chest.
A flash of light.
Then, victory.
[CONGRATULATIONS! Your team is the first in Fractured Universe history to defeat The Dark Warden!]
A triumphant fanfare erupted from his speakers. His chat exploded with messages.
"Holy crap, we did it!" "Yuno, you're insane! We're legends now!" "Dude, you're a genius!"
A grin tugged at Yuno's lips. For a moment, just a fleeting moment, he felt like a king.
But as the excitement faded and his teammates logged off one by one, silence filled the room once more. Yuno leaned back in his chair, the glow of the screen casting eerie shadows across his cluttered desk—a battlefield of empty soda cans and crumpled snack wrappers.
Reality settled in.
He pulled off his headset and let his gaze drift to the mirror on his desk. Staring back at him was not the fearless leader his guildmates cheered for.
Just a pale, scrawny boy with dark circles under his eyes and acne dotting his cheeks.
His reflection mocked him.
"Why can't I be the same person in real life?"
Yuno exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his messy hair. He wasn't tall. He wasn't athletic. He wasn't popular. In games, he was a hero. In reality, he was just... Yuno.
A notification popped up on his screen, dragging him from his thoughts.
[Private Message from Mage_Miho]: Yuno, do you want to meet in person?]
His heart stuttered.
"...Meet? In real life?" he muttered, rereading the message to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.
Excitement flared in his chest. But almost immediately, paranoia crept in.
What if she's not who she says she is? What if it's a scam? What if…
"Probably just some creepy old man," he muttered to himself.
But another thought whispered in the back of his mind. What if she's real?
His loneliness gnawed at him. He had spent years hiding behind a screen. If he didn't take a risk now, would he ever?
His fingers hesitated over the keyboard. Then, before he could second-guess himself, he typed:
[Yuno]: Sure. When and where?
The response was instant.
[Mage_Miho]: Saturday, at the city park. Noon.]
Yuno stared at the message, his pulse drumming in his ears. He had just agreed. No backing out now.
***
The alarm blared, yanking Yuno from restless sleep. He sat up, heart pounding as reality hit him today's the day.
A frantic shower. A wardrobe crisis. He settled for a wrinkled button-up and a crooked bow tie. Grabbing a bouquet of cheap flowers, he stepped outside for the first time in weeks.
The world was annoyingly bright. Spring was in full bloom, cherry blossoms painting the streets with delicate pink petals.
He wiped his sweaty palms against his pants, nerves twisting his stomach.
"This is stupid. She's not going to show up."
But he kept walking.
As he neared the city park, memories surfaced, school hallways filled with laughter, but never directed at him. Just mocking whispers. Snickers. Names.
His grip tightened around the flowers. No more hiding.
The pedestrian light started blinking red, but Yuno barely noticed. His thoughts swirled, "Could this be my chance? Could my life actually change?"
A sudden shout snapped him out of his daze.
"Hey! WATCH OUT!"
His head jerked up.
Blinding headlights.
Screeching tires.
Time slowed as the truck bore down on him.
Move. Move, damn it!
His legs wouldn't listen.
Impact.
A deafening crash. Pain never came, only weightlessness, as if he had been yanked from his own body. The world twisted and blurred, consumed by an abyss of nothingness.
Then, light. A strange, shimmering blue.
A voice echoed in his mind, deep and commanding.
[System message]:
Welcome, Chosen One!]