Chapter: Beneath the Surface, Above the Battlefield
A soft digital shimmer bathed August's dimly lit room as the VR headset unlocked from his temples with a faint click. His eyes blinked against the mundane light of reality—no floating health bars, no ethereal echoes of swords clashing in the air, no sparkling mounts or mythical forests.
He sat still for a second, breathing in the real world.
Notifications buzzed on his phone beside him.
[9 Missed Calls - Derrick]
[2 Messages - Cynthia (Derrick's Wife)]
August blinked, muttered "Sh*t," and scrambled to his feet.
---
Visiting Derrick and Cynthia
Twenty minutes later, August—hoodie drawn up and cap pulled low—was knocking on the weathered door of Derrick's small apartment. The neighborhood wasn't exactly downtown skyscraper-glitz, but it was clean. At least for now.
The door opened slowly to reveal Cynthia, visibly pregnant and a little pale.
"August..." she said with a tired smile. "You're here."
