A cloudy evening blankets the city as rain taps gently against a window. Inside a dimly lit room, glowing monitors flicker while three teenage boys huddle around a screen. Mike, AO, and Jay—lifelong friends and hardcore gamers—are in the middle of a heated match in their favorite fantasy RPG, Divine Realms: Fallen Eclipse.

  Jay, the loudest of the trio, throws his headset off and yells, “There’s no way that boss just one-shot me like that! That’s rigged!”

  AO, calm and analytical, leans in. “You rushed in again without letting us buff you. That’s on you.”

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  Mike laughs while sipping soda. “We’ll get it this time. One more run before bed?”

  They ready up for one last raid—one they’ve been grinding toward for weeks. It’s the final challenge: The Forbidden Temple, guarded by three legendary gods no player has ever beaten. As they load in, their avatars stand on a vast platform, glowing runes beneath their feet. Something feels... off. The screen glitches, and a voice—low, ancient—echoes from their headphones.

  “You who dare to challenge fate… are you ready to live it?”

  Jay’s eyes widen. “Yo, is that part of the game?”

  Before anyone can respond, the lights flicker, the screen goes white, and a wave of pressure hits them like a truck. They collapse—Mike’s drink shatters on the floor.

  Then… silence.

  Darkness swallows everything.

  And just like that, their world ends.