Chapter One – The Last Log Out
The steady beep… beep… beep of the heart monitor filled the hospital room.
It wasn't loud, but it was enough to remind everyone that the girl lying on the bed was still alive — barely.
Outside the window, the city lights flickered against the night sky. Cars passed by. People laughed. The world went on.
Inside the room, however, everything stood still.
Her eyes were open, black and calm, staring at the glowing screen in front of her. The monitor beside her hummed softly, wires running from her body to the machines that kept her breathing. Her thin fingers moved over a small wireless controller — one of the few things she could still control herself.
"Alright, Lumina, you taking the lead again?" a cheerful voice asked through her headset.
Lumina's lips curved faintly. "You know it, Blaze. I'm not letting you wipe again because of bad positioning."
The sound of laughter came from her friends on the other side. There were four of them — Blaze, Nova, Rin, and Kyro — her only real companions these days.
They didn't know her real name. They didn't know she was playing from a hospital bed.
All they knew was Lumina — the max-level summoner who could tame anything that moved.
In the game, she stood tall on a glowing cliff, white hair fluttering, blue eyes glimmering like twin shards of crystal.
Behind her towered her beasts — a massive dragon, a phoenix with wings of flame, and the coiled shadow of a world serpent.
"Alright, world boss time," Kyro said.
"Let's make this clean. Lumina, your summons first."
She smiled again. "Already on it."
With a few quick commands, Lumina's avatar raised her staff. Circles of light flared beneath her as her beasts took flight, the sky exploding in color. The boss — a towering stone titan — roared as her creatures struck from every side.
"Holy crap, that damage!" Blaze shouted.
Rin laughed. "I swear she doesn't even play fair anymore."
Lumina didn't answer. She was too focused — her fingers danced, her eyes locked on the screen. In this world, she wasn't weak or fragile. Here, she was unstoppable.
Every attack, every command, every flicker of light reminded her of who she wanted to be.
After a long, intense battle, the titan collapsed with a thunderous rumble.
"Victory!" Nova shouted.
"Loot time!" Kyro cheered.
Lumina leaned back slightly, exhaling. "Good run, everyone. I'm logging off for today."
"Night, Lumina!"
"Sweet dreams, boss lady."
"Don't forget tomorrow's raid!"
She smiled softly. "Wouldn't miss it."
The game faded to black.
Her screen dimmed.
For a moment, she just lay there, listening to the hum of the machines.
The world outside was quiet.
Her eyelids grew heavy.
And then — click.
The lights went out.
A blackout.
The machines that kept her alive flickered once… twice… then silence.
The room filled with darkness.
Her heart monitor flatlined.
---
…
When she opened her eyes again, everything was dark.
But this wasn't the hospital.
She tried to move, but her body felt strange — small, restricted.
The air was warm, muffled, like she was wrapped in something.
Where am I?
She pushed, weakly. Something gave way. Light poured in — soft and golden.
Her vision blurred, but she could make out shapes.
A face leaned over her — a giant face. A woman's voice echoed softly, though it sounded distant and deep.
Then she realized.
They weren't giants.
She was… tiny.
A baby.
The woman — her mother, maybe — smiled down at her with tears in her eyes.
And though Lumina couldn't speak, a single thought echoed in her mind, clear and sharp:
Did I… get reincarnated?
The woman cradled her close, whispering something she couldn't yet understand.
Outside the window, a strange world stretched beyond — massive walls, tall towers, people in uniforms carrying swords.
It was nothing like Earth.
Nothing like her game.
But somehow, it felt like the start of something bigger.
Something alive.