When I opened my eyes, I was standing in an endless white room. No walls, no ceiling, no floor I could distinguish, just infinite white in every direction.
Then I heard it. A voice, not from outside but, inside my head.
"Do you want to become the God of Eden?".
"Who are you?" I demanded, spinning around to find no one. "Where am I? And what do you mean, God of Eden?".
The voice continued, patient and emotionless. "Eden is the name of the world, the game you play every day. You are selected because, you have cleared more than 20%. It's your hidden reward. Only a few races have reached the end, and whoever does is given a chance to enter the real world to play. If you survive and save the world, you can become its God. If you accept this offer, you will enter the world. Remember: once you enter Eden, you cannot return to Earth."
The real world, not just a game. I wondered should I accept it.
I'd read forum posts from players who swore that Eden felt too real, that the characters made choices independent of player input. I'd never believed them, but I'd secretly hoped. Some of those characters… I'd grown to care about them more than I cared about anyone in my actual life.
I thought about what I was leaving behind. No family, no friends. Just bodyguards paid to protect me and an empire built on blood and fear. I was in my late forties. Even if I stayed on Earth, I had maybe twenty or thirty years left. Probably less, given my lifestyle.
"I accept."
"I hope you will enjoy your new life adventure. Don't die in a few days, if you do, I'll have to find another player. So, survive longer and save the world." The voice suddenly disappeared.
"Wait—!" I shouted, because I have many questions now. Before I could even start my question. Another flash of blinding light cut off my words.
I woke up in a bedroom that looked straight out of the medieval period, exactly like the game. My head spun as I stumbled to a mirror mounted on the wall.
The face looking back at me wasn't mine.
Well, it was and it wasn't. Handsome, younger, with white hair that fell to my shoulders and striking blue eyes. Based on my height and appearance, I'd guess eighteen to twenty years old.
Twenty-eight years younger than my real body.
I touched my face, feeling smooth skin where wrinkles and scars used to be. My hands were unmarked, no calluses from decades of violence. But it had marks of hard work done by him.
A smile crept across my face, the first genuine smile I'd worn in longer than I could remember.
"Alright, Eden," I whispered to my reflection. "Let's see what you've got".
I looked around my bedroom and saw a blood stains on the sheet and some on my lips and cheeks. I could guess what happened here. Someone must have poisoned the original owner. I relaxed and sat down.
Suddenly a black cat jumped on the bed and started to talk. The cat said, " welcome, player no. 26,63,839. I'm your helper to help you survive in this world."
To be continued...