His thoughts drifted back.
Back to before.
Before the horns. Before the status. Before this… whatever this was.
To the night when everything changed.
—
Ren sat in his apartment's living room, lights dim, the hum of the city filtering through cracked windows. His VR capsule sat idle next to the couch. It wasn't a big place—barely two bedrooms—but after everything, it felt enough. His sister had moved in after the accident, and neither of them talked about it much. They didn't need to.
His VR capsule rested idle next to the couch. The launch of Ashes of Empyrea was less than an hour away.
Most players were probably hyped—chasing guides, arguing over builds, planning who'd reach max level first. Ren wasn't; He never cared for that. He played to relax, and to wander somewhere quieter than the real world.
From the kitchen, the soft clink of a spoon in a mug broke his thoughts.
"Ren, you're seriously not nervous?"
Emi leaned in the doorway, messy ponytail, oversized hoodie nearly swallowing her. She sipped her coffee like it was necessary for survival.
Ren shrugged without looking up. "It's just a game."
She rolled her eyes. "It's full-immersion. Neural sync. We're literally going inside a world."
"I know."
"Then why are you so calm?"
He glanced at her. "Because it's not real."
That earned a small smile. "You're impossible."
She left it there. Pushing him never worked.
Ren checked the countdown timer floating over his VR gear.
00:42:19
Emi crossed the room and sat beside him. Neither spoke for a while. They didn't need to, neither had many friends, their parents traveled too much. Ashes of Empyrea wasn't just a game for them—it was something to share. Something different.
After a pause, Emi's voice broke the quiet. "Promise we'll stick together?"
Ren glanced sideways at her. For a moment, he didn't answer. He thought of their parents—the accident, the silence that followed. Since then, it had just been the two of them. Games, quiet nights, and shared silences like this one.
"We'll stick together," he said quietly.
She nudged his shoulder lightly. "Good."
Ren glanced at the countdown timer floating above his VR gear, and less than a minute remained.
Emi stood up first, stretching before heading to her capsule. "Don't ditch me in there," she teased softly.
Ren managed a small smile. "Wouldn't dream of it."
They both settled into their respective capsules, silence filling the apartment. The hum of the city faded behind them.
Together, they waited for the game to launch.