In the dim, suffocating light of a small, cramped room of an apartment.
the only sound cutting through the silence was the sharp, relentless clicking of a keyboard and mouse—
and the faint, shaky breath of the boy hunched before the screen.
The boy looked no older than seventeen,
yet exhaustion clung to his face like shadows that refused to leave.
Raven sat frozen in front of his computer,
engulfed in the cold glow of the monitor as he played "The Everlasting Path of Ascension,"
an MMORPG notorious across online communities for its merciless difficulty, chilling atmosphere,
and the infamous boss that had broken countless players before him.
The game had become a talk on social media,
known for its character designs, villains,
and graphics that felt almost too real.
"Shit… this boss is tough," he muttered, gripping his mouse tightly.
"How much health does this monster have? No wonder no one's ever defeated it."
Minutes bled into hours.
The room felt colder.
His heartbeat felt louder than the clicks of the mouse.
Finally—after a brutal, nerve-shattering five -hours battle
I… I've defeated the boss…
The room was silent.
Only the low hum of the computer and the faint beeping of a single notification cut through the stillness—
like a heartbeat in an empty void.
"Ah… it's finally done."
Raven's face remained cold and unreadable,
yet a tiny smirk curled at the corner of his lips—
a rare crack in his otherwise emotionless face.
"I've been playing this game for the past five years…
And now, it's finally over."
But before he could savor the victory,
something a memory forcing itself to the surface.
(Flashback)
It had been a rainy day.
He sat in the car with his father, mother, and his little sister,
laughing, arguing.
a small family on a simple outing.
Then the world flipped.
Metal screeched.
Glass shattered.
A truck came out of nowhere.
The incident stole everything from him.
It was the moment that carved a scar deep into his soul—
the day he became an orphan.
The memory faded, leaving a hollow ache in his chest.
Then after that day on wards he immersed himself in video games, turning away from reality
It was this game that gave him
Some life to his already gray life
He played game like a mad man,where his life depends, clearing every route...
He wasn't playing this game for entertainment but to find solace in something, a distraction.
As the thought settled, he frowned.
"It's been five minutes…
Why is there no clear notification?
I should've gotten something by now."
Just as confusion turned into irritation,
the screen suddenly flickered—
a blinding burst of golden light tearing through the darkness of the room.
Seven human like figures began shown to the screen,
their forms twisting and shifting like celestial beings,
all emerging from the very sky where the boss had fallen.
They descended like seven suns falling from the heavens.
Each one of them glowed with a different colour, forming a shifting spectrum—
a living rainbow.
Even through the screen, their overwhelming power could be felt,
heavy and suffocating.
Then one of the seven beings whispered something in a language he couldn't understand,
and the screen flickered bright once more.
Raven: "My instincts… they're screaming.
Something bad—no, something terrible is about to happen.
Is this some kind of event? A hidden quest?"
Before he could think further, the room abruptly plunged into darkness.
Every sound vanished, swallowed by an unnatural silence.
"What's… happening—ahh! My head… it's spinning…
something's pulling me—
I'm… losing consciousness...