"What did I just see, so in the end the world will perish? No matter what I do, the world will still end?" he grumbled, his voice echoing in the dimly lit room. "Really?
In the dark room, a young man in his twenties sat in his gaming chair.
He shook his head in frustration; he had stayed up for days just to complete the main storyline of the game.
"I think that's why many people don't want to play story mode; what's the point in playing if in the end the world will still be destroyed, right?"
Zyathor Online was a revolutionary VRMMORPG that allowed players to experience a reality-like world. Its advanced immersive system enabled players to do nearly anything—from marrying NPCs, forming guilds and adventuring with other players, to choosing various unique characters with complex backstories.
Zyathor also had a competitive ranking system, where players could accumulate Glory Points by completing quests, defeating monsters, or even defeating other players in PvP combat. High rankings provided access to exclusive content and rare items that could not be obtained any other way.
One unique feature of this game was the ability to play characters from the main storyline.
**"Huh?"**
Suddenly, the monitor in front of him began to emit an unusual light. A bluish-white glow intensified, forcing his eyes to squint due to the glare.
"What is—"
Before he could finish his sentence, the light became blinding, filling the entire room. The expensive gaming monitor seemed to transform into a portal that absorbed his entire existence. His body felt weightless, as if gravity no longer applied, and his consciousness gradually faded away in the swirl of energy emanating from the screen.
◇◇◇
"Ouch... what just happened?"
"Ah, why does my voice sound a bit different? Is it just my feeling? And where am I?"
He awakened in a room different from his own, lying on a bed that was quite large.
When he stood in front of a mirror and saw his reflection, his eyes widened in shock, unable to be described in words.
"What...?!"
The face staring back at him in the mirror was not his own. Jet black hair, pale white skin, and eyes the color of the moon.
"This... this is..." His voice trembled, and his hand lifted to touch the cheek reflected in the mirror.
"THIS IS NOVA'S BODY!!!"
His shout echoed throughout the spacious room.
Nova, one of the main antagonists in the Zyathor Online storyline.
"How did I end up in this body?" he murmured while continuing to stare at his reflection, his hand exploring his own face. "Is this a dream? No... this can't be a dream. Everything feels so real; I can feel my heartbeat."
He pinched his cheeks hard repeatedly, hoping to wake up from this strange dream. However, the pain he felt only proved that this was all truly real—he was genuinely in Nova's body.
Suddenly, he felt a headache and held his head with both hands.
"It hurts, what is—" At that moment, a memory emerged in his mind; it was Nova's memory.
"Is this memory? Don't tell me... this is indeed Nova's body."
Knock knock knock.
"Nova, may I come in?"
"Ah, wait a minute, I'm still not—"
His words were interrupted when the wooden door creaked open slowly. A young woman stepped in gracefully.
Hana, looked exactly like in the game, a young woman who appeared to be in her twenties although her age was clearly not twenty years.
She had black hair just like Nova and deep blue eyes.
Nova's own eyes resembled his father's; his father had white hair and blue-white eyes.
"Ah, what's wrong with you, Nova? Why does your face look so shocked?" Hana asked with a worried tone as she approached her son.
Her blue eyes regarded Nova with great concern.
"Ah, wh-what's wrong, Mom?" Nova replied stiffly and nervously, his voice trembling as he was still not accustomed to the surreal situation he found himself in.
*Huh? My language suddenly changed by itself? It seems... I've completely become Nova and why can't I remember anything about who I was before in this Nova's body?*
He stepped back slightly as his mother's hand reached to touch his forehead, a reflex that confused him. This body seemed to have its own muscle memory that differed from his.
"What do you mean by 'what's wrong'? Have you forgotten or what?"
"Huh?"
"Today Ena will come to meet you," Hana continued, a tone slightly reminiscent of reminders. "Do you really not remember that today is your first formal meeting as fiancés?"
Ena, he remembered, was a character from the game he played. One of the most beautiful women in the game; in the original storyline, Ena was indeed betrothed to Nova since they were both reborn, their families knew each other. Ena and Nova actually didn't know about it until they were both 12 years old, like now, their mothers were the ones who informed the children after they reached the age of 12. Nova and Ena were born in the same year.
"Come downstairs quickly, I will be waiting in the living room with your father and everyone. Don't keep us waiting too long, okay?"
"I know you must be nervous, but trust me, she is a very nice girl. You two will surely get along," she whispered soothingly before turning and walking out of the room with graceful strides.
The bedroom door closed, leaving Nova alone.
"Haha... fiancée, huh?" Nova laughed bitterly while shaking his head, the sound of his laughter felt bitter and slightly hysterical. "There's no mistake... this is clearly not a dream."
"It seems I am truly in the world of Zyathor now, and now I find myself in the body of one of the main antagonists in that game."