"I'm already at the Checkpoint! Bibbly, take the flag! I can't move, the enemy is too close!!"
Vox, eighteen-years-old with the burning zeal to win, slicked his hair backwards, while yelling into his headset. His eyes were locked onto the monitor, any distraction now is a good lead to failure.
Bibbly, a chubby, red-haired same age as Vox replied while his fingers moved across his controller with enough speed to hit each buttons. "Sorry Vox, I'm locked in with this boss! If I leave now, our score drops. Shin, can you reach him?"
Shin, seventeen-years-old, a blonde boy with a nervous smirk plastered on his face, sounded frantic. "Vox, where are you? I'm at the gold pit but I'm pinned down. I'll sacrifice some Heart Power to come get you!"
A large clock above their heads counted: (00:00:05)
"Forget it, Shin," Vox countered, his character sliding across the screen. "We are running out of time! I'm moving to the boss site now. Deploying a Shotgun attack! Bibbly, roll out on my signal—I'm taking him by surprise!"
(00:00:04)
Bibbly's character dove for cover just as Vox's avatar charged in, glowing with pent-up energy.
"GO! GO! SHOT-GO!!"
(00:00:03)
The blast pierced the boss's chest, reducing its HP to zero...
(00:00:02)
A massive, gold-lettered display filled all three screens:
!! YOU WON !!
Vox ripped off his headphones and punched the air. "That's how you do it!! With two seconds to spare!"
The stadium erupted, A roar of thousands of voices shook the floor as Bibbly and Shin rushed over, jumping and hugging with the joy of Victory.
"The International Gaming Competition is at its peak!" the Host, a flashy dressed man with glasses so expensive, it could buy the stadium, screamed into the mic, his voice booming over the speakers. "Ten teams from around the globe have battled, but only three will proceed to the FINALS for the $5 Million Dollar grand prize! Team Vox is at the top of the leaderboard! Can the Team Blue or Team Exo catch them?!"
The atmosphere was simply electrified, with Millions watching online, waiting for the final showdown.
The Final Showdown for the Game, DRAGONS&GOLD.
With the joy of the last win still in the air, Team Vox were hurdled together, awaiting the next match.
"I need a bathroom break," Vox said, his heart still racing from winning.
Bibbly nodded, breathless, while Shin checked the clock which had been reset back to five minutes. "You better be fast! We only have a few minutes before the FINALS start!"
Vox waved them off and ducked into the hallway.
****
In the quiet of the restroom, Vox splashed cold water on his face. He looked into the mirror, staring at his reflection. "Okay, Voxy. One more round. Win this, take the prize home, and your parents and siblings are set for life. Joining this competition wasn't a bad idea at all... Now I can save up for college.."
He bent down to wash his face one last time. But when he stood up and looked into the glass, his blood ran cold.
A man was standing directly behind him.
Vox spun around, heart hammering against his chest, "What in the mushroom hell?!"
The stranger was dressed in a black suit so perfectly ironed it looked unnatural. He wore a smile that reminded Vox of a merchant who had just hit a jackpot.
His black hair, jelled backwards, not allowing a single string to stand out, and with black shades to hide his eyes, probably his agenda as well.
"Good evening, Vox," the man said, his voice smooth and cold. "Did I startle you?"
Vox cleared his throat, his eyes narrowing. "...Yeah. Good evening."
"You look suspicious," the man chuckled. "I'm sure you're wondering how I know your name. I am one of the primary sponsors of this event. In fact, I'm the one providing that five-million-dollar prize you're chasing."
"Okay?" Vox replied, though he didn't relax.
"Where are my manners? You can call me Mr. Hex." The man stretched out a hand, which Vox shook reluctantly.
"Okay, Mr. Hex. What do you want with me? I have a final to get to."
"Straight to the point. I like that." Hex's smile didn't move. "Beyond this tournament, I run an industry known as Neurotech. In a hundred years, we'll be the ones running the world. Robotics, AI... the boring stuff."
"Right," Vox said, checking his non-existent watch, when over the intercom, a voice sounded:
'ALL GAMERS TO THE STAGE IN TWO MINUTES. FAILURE TO ARRIVE WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION!'
"I have to go," Vox snapped.
"Children are always in such a rush," Hex sighed. "Fine, let me get straight to the point. I'm here because I want you to play our game."
Vox paused. "Your game? I thought you sponsored Dragons & Gold and did not make games..."
"This game is different, Vox. It's called Epic, and has a vast world with realms and hidden quests... and if you agree to play it, I won't pay you five million. I'll pay you nine hundred million dollars."
Vox froze. "Nine hundred million? Just to play a game?"
"I've watched you on stage. You are the perfect candidate," Hex persuaded, stepping closer.
"Look, Mr. Hex, it's a nice offer, but something feels off. What's the catch?"
Hex laughed. "You are a fast one. Well, it's like a VR game, but more immersive. You become the character, live the life filled with adventure and only leave the game when you've defeated the final boss. The only thing is... you'll play it for a very long time. And you won't remember anything from this life while you're inside."
Vox immediately stepped back, a chill crawling up his spine. "No thanks, I like to remember my life as I am now. I'm terribly sorry but I won't be your perfect candidate. Find someone else. I have a tournament to win."
He didn't wait for Hex to finish, before bolting out of the restroom, leaving the man standing underneath the light of the bathroom.
Hex's smile vanished as he placed both hands behind his back, and whispered to the empty room, "Oh, Vox. There are many ways to get someone to play a game. The easy way... or the hard way."
*****
Vox slid into his seat just as his teammates were starting to panic.
"That wasn't a bathroom break, it was a vacation!" Bibbly hissed.
"We thought you were disqualified, especially when those IT men started setting up the computer for the next round, we thought they wanted to take away your seat's computer!" Shin added.
"Sorry guys," Vox apologized, pulling on his headset. "Met a weird guy, I'll tell you everything after we win! Which we must!"
They nodded, focused on returning to the screens...
"READY???" the Host shouted. "GO!!!"
Bibbly and Shin logged in instantly, their screens flashing the familiar Dragons & Gold (D&G) logo. But when Vox clicked his icon, his screen stayed dark.
[SYSTEM LOADING...]
"Huh?" Vox blinked. "Is my PC lagging?"
[WELCOME, PLAYER, TO EPIC]
Vox's eyes twitched. 'So is it a must to play your stupid game Mr. Hex?' He said in his thoughts.
Before he could call for a tech official, a light so blinding it felt like a physical blow flashed from the monitor.
[LINK ACTIVATED: WELCOME TO EPIC PLAYER]
In that split second, his chest tightened. It felt like his brain was being starved of oxygen. The stadium noise faded into a dull background sound.
He saw the blurred, terrified faces of Bibbly and Shin turning toward him, but he couldn't hear their screams.
The world went black.