"Do you know why we call them players?"
The City Manager's voice echoed not only through the massive speakers in the square but also across millions of homes, his image broadcast on the towering screen behind him.
He had already revealed truths that most would have dismissed as delusions just days ago—speaking of the game's reality, of another world not among the stars but layered within dimensions. He'd talked about the theory of parallel realms, of beings called Sparks, and shared fragments of what they'd learned so far. Each revelation had landed like a blow, one after another, cracking the illusion of a safe, isolated life.
Now, as he neared the end of his address, he began to speak of the heroes behind this breakthrough—the PTF Division.
His question silenced the crowd. Every person in the square, every viewer glued to a screen, waited for the answer. And it was clear that he wasn't simply referring to game helmets or virtual interfaces.
