Inside a small bungalow, in a place that didn't really matter, there was a room that had been properly taken care of.
Everything was neat. Clothes folded. The bed made.
The room was quiet and right in the middle of it—
A young boy sat on his gaming chair.
Black messy hair. Black eyes. Slightly slouched like he'd been there for hours.
In front of him, a monitor flickered faintly. Keyboard pushed slightly too far forward.
He leaned in, unzipping his bag slowly and pulled out a white box.
Etched firmly on the box was the text 'Dream Lock '.
He stared at it for a second then smiled."…I finally get to try this one out."
A small breath left him."…I can't wait."
He was just about to open it—
"Adam!"
He froze.
Another voice from outside."Adaaaam!"
He sighed and slowly turned walking towards the window.
He looked down .
Sophie stood there, light silver hair falling softly around her face, her violet eyes quiet but alert. The blue-white uniform sat neatly on her frame.
She waved at him like her life depended on it. And behind her three boys stood near the door. Bags on their shoulders waiting.
Adam blinked ."…You've got to be kidding me."
Seconds later—
He opened the door."You guys didn't really—"
"Adam!"
Bam!
The girl launched at him like a missile.
They both hit the ground hard.
Her arms wrapped around his neck tight."…I can't breathe."
The other three just… walked in like this was normal.
Felix glanced down at him, teal hair shifting slightly as he moved. His blue eyes were steady."…You stopped coming to school. We figured we should check if you were still alive."
"…Felix…"
Mark walked past them without slowing, hands buried in his pockets. Maroon hair, sharp amber eyes—he didn't bother looking at anyone.
"…You don't have to tackle him every time, Sophie."
Adam pushed himself up slightly, rubbing his sore head.
Sophie stood up quickly, covering her mouth.
"Oh… could it be that someone's jealous?"
Mark stopped walking. A vein popped on his forehead.
Carl, ash-blond hair catching the light, flicked Sophie lightly on the head."Don't start."
She puffed her cheeks."It's not my fault he gets offended easily."
Mark denied it immediately."…I'm not offended." He said walking away with his shoulder raised high .
Felix stepped forward and offered Adam a hand.
Adam took it."Thanks .
Later—
They were all in Adam's room which somehow looked worse now.
Sophie sat on the bed like she owned it.
Mark leaned against the wall, hands folded.
Carl sat on the floor, scrolling through his phone like nothing mattered.
Felix walked around, looking at things.
Then he noticed the box lying on the table."…You finally got it."
Adam scratched the back of his head."…Yeah… I guess, but I haven't really tried it out yet."
Mark picked it up and turned it around." Dream Lock..."
He looked at Adam."…Wanna play?"
Silence.
Everyone froze.
Sophie rushed over instantly. Hand on his forehead."…Are you okay…Did I bully you too much?"
Mark snapped."I'M FINE!"
Carl stood up, slipping his phone into his pocket." Still... this is new."
Felix smiled slightly."Even if he didn't ask, I would have."
Adam looked at them then at the box."…But there's only one set."
Felix grinned.
He reached into his bag and pulled out two more."Relax."
Sophie did the same."…We came prepared."
Adam stared then smiled."…You guys planned this."
Sophie smiled wide." Let's have some fun."
Adam nodded.
——————
Meanwhile—
The city was a mess.
Traffic barely moved. Engines idled. Horns kept going off.
An officer stood in the middle of the road, trying to control it.
"Move! Don't block the—"
No one listened.
Then—the screens flickered.
Buildings. Floating displays. Even the hot air balloons shifted.
People started looking up.
The officer frowned. "What's with the balloons…?"
The glitching stopped.
An ad flashed for a second—then switched. 'DreamLock.'
The name appeared slowly on every screen.
A door formed under it, slightly open. Darkness inside.
People started murmuring.
"What's this…?"
"Another ad?"
Then—
A young man in his late twenties appeared dressed in a simple black suit.
Every eye turned towards the screens. Phones lowered.
"My name is Adrian Voss."
His voice cut through everything."I am the creator of the VR game… Dream Lock."
A ripple moved through the crowd that had formed.
People glanced at each other.
Of course they knew the name. It had been everywhere for the past month.
Trailers. Rumors and clips.
Adrian tilted his head slightly, as if acknowledging their thoughts."It was released one month ago."
"And yet… most of you are still watching from the outside."
A faint chuckle escaped him."I suppose that's only natural. Life really is unfair."
He clasped his hands loosely in front of him ."After all… how many times have you been promised something 'revolutionary'… only to be disappointed?"
"It doesn't matter how hard you try. Some people start ahead. Some people… never catch up."
A few people shifted some nodded unconsciously.
He continued."And the truth is… nobody is coming to fix that for you."
People moved but for those watching, it feels like the world slowed down just a little.
Then—His smile returns.
"But what if… that wasn't the end of the story?"
A slight tilt of his head."What if there was a place where effort actually meant something?"
"Where your choices matter. Where strength isn't given… but taken."
"Another game," he said it simply."Another world. Another escape.... Another lie."
His eyes narrow slightly." But this isn't one."
Adrian took one step forward.
But something about it made the distance between him and the audience feel… smaller.
"Dream Lock is not a game you play.... It is a world you enter."
The words lingered.
"In that world… your limits are gone."
"You are not defined by your past. No restrictions. No ceilings. No one telling you what you can or cannot become."
His voice softened slightly."You want power?"
"You can have it."
A flicker passed across the screen—
A warrior, standing alone against something massive and unyielding.
"You want recognition?"
The image shifted—Crowds cheering. A name echoing through a grand arena.
"You want freedom?"
Another shift—Endless landscapes.Skies untouched. A horizon that didn't end.
Adrian's voice cut throughit all."Then take it."
The images faded.
Returning to him.
"For the first time…you are not bound by reality."
Someone in the crowd swallowed.
Another stepped closer to the screen without realizing it.
Adrian's gaze didn't waver."No more waiting. No more being overlooked. No more wondering what your life could have been… if things had been different."
His voice dropped."In Dream Lock…you don't have to imagine it...You can live it."
Immediately he finished—
The sky became filled with drones.
Hundreds and thousands of them carrying boxes.
"…Now…"
He smiled slightly wider."…who wants to be a player?"
———————
Back in the room—
They all wore the VR headsets.
Click.
There was darkness.
Then—
[Initializing…]
A faint light flickered in the distance.
Then another. And another like stars.
They began to connect. Lines forming between them, stretching, expanding untill a floating translucent interface burst into existence.
Adam blinked."…Okay…"
The space around him was endless. No ground.
No sky. Just a vast digital void filled with drifting light fragments.
A panel slid forward.
[User Registration]
Another panel followed immediately.
[Enter Age]
A number wheel appeared in front of him, rotating slowly.
Adam reached out and sound the wheel.
[17]
[Age Confirmed]
The panel dissolved into particles and another one appeared instantly.
[Create Character Name]
A blinking cursor appeared.
Adam stared at it."…Alright…I should pick something cool."
He thought for a moment." Shadow... no, that's cringe."
"…DragonSlayer… no."
"…IceKing—what am I doing."
He paused for a moment, then typed.' Lord Potato.'
He stared."…is this okay ?"
[Name Confirmed]
"…WAIT—NO—"
[Welcome, LordPotato.]
Adam sighed." I guess I'll change it later on."
A new panel appeared.
[Character Creation]
A figure formed.
Adam frowned slightly."…Huh."
It was him but something felt… off.
He was short, too short. His face was smoother than it should be.
His skin had no pores. No tiny imperfections. Just a clean, even surface.
He waved his hand.The model copied him instantly.
"Cool."
Options expanded around it:
[Adjust Appearance]
[Body Type]
[Facial Features]
[Voice Settings]
Adam tilted his head."…Do I… change anything?"
He looked at the model then at his own hands."…Nah."
A small shrug."I'll just go like this."
[Default Appearance Selected]
The model dissolved.
[Finalizing Registration…]
A pause.
Then—
[Welcome to Dream Lock.]
Everything shattered.
Light collapsed inward. Sound distorted. Space twisted.
Adam felt his body drop like the ground beneath him disappeared.
"…WAIT—"
Darkness swallowed him whole.
He opened his eyes.
He was no longer in the void but instead stood at the middle of a vast hall.
The ground beneath him had brown tiles stretching endlessly.
Rooms scattered everywhere. Different shape and sizes .
There was no pattern . The doors were placed randomly. Walls cutting into each other .
And above there was no ceiling , just an endless open space like the entire place folded in on itself over and over again.
It didn't feel like a world but instead felt like a construction layered and stacked wrongly.
"…What is this place…"
"Took you long enough."
Adam turned.
Carl stood there and above his head a small panel displayed.
[Player: Zero]
"…So you're Zero?"
Carl smiled." Of course."
Felix stepped forward." Mine's Hex."
Sophie raised her hand with a smile." Lumi at you service."
Mark cracked his knuckles."…Ironclad."
Adam smiled."…Wow. You all picked cool names."
Felix walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder.
His face already shaken trying to hold something in."…So…What's yours?"
Adam looked away rubbing his neck."…It's… kinda embarrassing."
Felix nodded seriously."We won't make fun of you."
Adam looked behind at the other three who were already chuckling .
They straightened up and nodded .
He sighed."L-Lord... potato."
There was silence for a few second .
Then they all burst into laughter.
Felix dropped straight on the floor."HAHAHAHA—!"
Carl laughed." L-Lord potato??!"
Mark pointed at him laughing hard." You couldn't even think of a good name and you call yourself a gamer."
Sophie was gone. She laughed like she couldn't breath holding her stomach.
Felix stood up holding Adam shoulder but as he saw Adam's face, he collapsed bursting into another round of laughter.
Adam frowned slightly." You guys didn't have to laugh about it ."
Felix wiped a tear from his eye." Sorry..." he said tapping his shoulder lightly." It's just... Lord Potato —"
He burst into laughter again .
Carl placed a hand on his head." I... I can't stop laughing."
They all walked up to him laughing.
Sophie poked his cheeks lightly.
Adam turned away. Face red."... I don't know feel like playing anymore."
A panel appeared.
[Do you wish to quit?]
[Yes] or [No]
He moved his hand."Yeah. I'm done."
"NO—!"
They all jumped him.
BAM!
He crashed on the floor face first.
Click!
His hand clicked [Yes].
The panel glitched then steadied.
Adam raised his head."…You people need help."
The four of them got up still laughing.
Adam stood up dusting himself.
Felix blinked."Didn't you press it?"
Adam turned to look at the panel in front of him." Well yeah... I did but for some reason nothing has happened?"
"That isn't possible," Sophie said.
A panel appeared in front of her offering thesame options.
Click.
But nothing happened.
She froze in shock." What's going on?"
The other two tried but to no avail.
Carl says." Do you think the game is bugged or something?"
Mark clicked his tongue." Great...we're stuck here."
Felix raised his hand."…Okay—everyone relax—"
"Guys."
Everyone turned to look at him.
Adam's head was lowered."…If it's really bugged…"
They all froze. No one smiled.
He looked around the endless rooms and doors."…how long are we supposed to stay here?"
——————
In the real world—
There was silence.
People stood still on roads. In homes.
Inside classrooms some were standing , others were sitting or froze mid step.
They all wore headsets glowing. Soft blue light leaking through the edges.
Across the planet, It spread. City after city.Street after street. Room after room.
And above it all—
The image of the earth appeared. Dark and still wrapped in a thin glow.
Words formed around it slowly.
'Dream Lock.'
Then—
Adrian's calm voice echoed everywhere.
"Welcome…to Dream Lock."