The autumn of 2150 fell upon the mega-city of Aethelburg like a relentless digital rain. Neon lights, seeping through the chrome and glass towers that pierced the sky, created a river of a thousand colors on the wet streets. Above, the humming aerocars of the wealthy glided silently by, while below, the billions of people living in the heart of the city were lost in their own little realities.
Bars Veyron was just one of those billions. From the window of his small, single-room apartment on the 78th floor, he watched the chaotic yet mesmerizing view. He was 19, a university student, but his mind was occupied less by his studies and more by his credit account, which was rapidly approaching zero. Every one of the dozens of job applications open on his holo-screen bore the same red "REJECTED" stamp. No matter how strong his memory was, he couldn't forget the disappointment created by that word.
His room was a reflection of his personality: simple, orderly, and isolated from the outside world. His bed was always made, his few books arranged on their shelves with military precision. His obsession with detail made him successful in his studies, but it became a wall in his social life. The complex and unpredictable nature of people always exhausted him. That's why he spent most of his time within these four walls.
He pulled his eyes away from the rejected job applications and shifted his gaze to a flashing advertisement in the corner of the screen. "Neuro Shard: Ascension - Redefine Reality. Change Your Life."
He had been saving money for this moment for months. Neuro Shard wasn't just a game; it was a new economy, a new society, a new form of existence. It was a technological marvel that connected the human mind to a virtual universe via a quantum network, capable of simulating every sensation from pain to pleasure, from fear to love. For some, it was an escape; for others, a gateway to fortune. For Bars, it was his last hope.
His logic told him this was an insane gamble. He was about to invest his last remaining credits into a digital dream, one whose value in the real world was uncertain. But his instincts—that silent whisper that had never failed him—told him he had no other choice left. This was the only step he could take to climb out of the mire.
His decision was made.
With a few taps on his holo-screen, he placed his order from Aethelburg's largest tech store. "Quantum-Synaptic Helmet NS-7." A few hours later, when the minimalist, glossy white box was delivered to his door, he felt his heart pounding against his rib cage.
He opened the box. The helmet inside, with its smooth, seamless surface and lack of any buttons or lights, looked almost like an organic object. Bars read the user manual carefully, committing every detail, every warning, to memory. "Full-dive mode may cause permanent effects on the central nervous system. User discretion is advised."
This sentence, instead of frightening him, thrilled him even more. Permanent effects... Perhaps that was exactly what he needed.
He lay down on his bed and turned off all the lights in his room. The hum of the city outside was a faint murmur through the glass. He slowly placed the helmet on his head. When the cold, smooth surface touched his skin, a shiver ran through his entire body.
He took a deep breath. He closed his eyes.
"Initiate."
A soft, blue light appeared on the helmet's inner surface. A faint ringing began in his ears, and then the world fell silent. He felt himself gradually losing the weight of his physical body, the scent of his room, the sound of the rain against his window. His existence was being abstracted from its shell of flesh and bone, transforming into pure consciousness.
In the middle of the pitch-black darkness, a message appeared before him in green letters. A simple, clear, and world-changing invitation:
[WELCOME TO THE NEURO SHARD SYSTEM. MIND TRANSFER INITIATING...] [%1]