The Truth Revealed

The Morning Concern

Ryo groaned as his alarm blared, slapping his phone off to silence it. He stared at the screen, expecting to see a message from Shurei. Nothing. Again.

"Come on, Shurei... where are you?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes. He threw the blanket off and sat on the edge of the bed, sending another quick message: "You okay? You didn't log in last night. Let me know what's going on."

As he went through his morning routine, he couldn't shake the unease creeping up his spine. He brushed his teeth, staring at his reflection. "Maybe he's just busy... but no message at all? That's not like him."

The Walk to School

Ryo walked briskly, his eyes occasionally glancing at his phone. No notifications. His mind wandered back to their last conversation, back when Shurei had agreed to log into Gaia with him. "He was fine then... wasn't he?"

He pulled out his phone again, scrolling through the old texts. "Shurei, just answer me..." he mumbled under his breath, typing out another message: "Where are you?"

A group of students walked past him, laughing. One of them called out, "Hey, Ryo! See you at the game tonight?"

"Yeah, maybe," Ryo replied, distracted. His focus was solely on Shurei now. "I need to see him. Something's up."

At School – Something's Wrong

Class felt endless. Ryo couldn't focus on the teacher's voice as she droned on. His eyes kept darting toward the door, waiting for Shurei to appear. But he never did.

During break, Ryo found himself at his locker, checking his phone for the hundredth time. Nothing. He sighed heavily, leaning against the metal door.

"Ryo, you okay?" one of his friends asked, nudging him playfully.

"Shurei didn't show up today... and he's not answering my texts," Ryo admitted, his voice laced with frustration.

"Maybe he's just skipping," his friend suggested, shrugging. "You know how he gets."

"No, this feels different. I don't know... I've got a bad feeling about it." Ryo slammed his locker shut. "I'm going to check on him after school."

Lunchtime – Decision Made

Ryo sat with his friends, but he wasn't part of the conversation. He stared at his phone, half-listening to the chatter around him. He couldn't stop thinking about Shurei.

"You're seriously worried, huh?" one of his friends asked, noticing his silence.

"Yeah. He's been... off. I don't know what's going on, but he hasn't even sent me a single message."

"Could just be busy," his friend offered.

"Maybe," Ryo muttered. "But Shurei doesn't just go quiet like this. I'm going over there after school. I need to see what's up."

His friend nodded, sensing Ryo's worry. "You want me to come with you?"

"No," Ryo said quickly. "I'll handle it." He glanced at his phone again. "I just need to know what's going on."

After School – The Visit

As soon as the final bell rang, Ryo darted out of school and made his way to Shurei's house. His heart pounded with every step. The closer he got, the stronger the sense of dread became.

"He'll be fine. He has to be," Ryo said to himself, trying to calm his racing thoughts. But the knot in his stomach wouldn't loosen.

When he reached Shurei's house, the sight of the slightly open door sent a jolt through him. He paused, then called out, "Shurei? Mrs. Uragiri? You home?"

No response.

Upstairs – The Shocking Discovery

The house was eerily quiet as Ryo made his way upstairs. His heart pounded harder as he heard quiet sobbing coming from Shurei's room. He pushed the door open cautiously.

What he saw made his breath catch in his throat. Shurei's mother sat beside the VR Capsule, her face in her hands, crying softly. A doctor stood nearby, monitoring the machines attached to the Capsule. Shurei lay inside, still and unresponsive, the headgear fastened to his head.

"Mrs. Uragiri... what... what happened?" Ryo asked, his voice shaking.

Shurei's mother looked up, her eyes red and swollen. "Ryo... Shurei... he won't wake up." She barely managed to get the words out before breaking into sobs again.

The Doctor's Explanation

Ryo stepped closer to the Capsule, staring at Shurei's lifeless form. "What's wrong with him?"

The doctor turned to him with a serious expression. "Mr. Uragiri is in a coma," he explained. "We believe it's related to the VR Capsule he was using. Right now, it's too dangerous to remove him. The headgear is connected to his neural system, and we don't know how it will react if we disconnect it."

"But... he was just playing the game..." Ryo stammered. "How could this happen?"

"We don't fully understand yet. We're running tests, but we have to be careful," the doctor explained. "Removing him could cause permanent damage."

Ryo's knees felt weak. He grabbed the edge of the bed for support. "I... I didn't know this would happen..."

Guilt and Helplessness

Shurei's mother placed a trembling hand on Ryo's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Ryo. None of us could have known."

Ryo shook his head, guilt clawing at him. "But... I was the one who convinced him to get the Capsule..." His voice cracked. "I never thought..."

"This isn't on you," she insisted softly, though her own tears hadn't stopped. "Please, Ryo... go home for now. We'll call you if anything changes."

Ryo swallowed hard, looking one last time at Shurei. "I... I just want him to be okay."

A Final Glimpse

Just before Ryo turned to leave, something caught his eye. The Capsule was still powered on. The soft glow of its lights illuminated the room, and the online indicator was still lit.

Ryo's brow furrowed. "He's... still online?" he whispered.

He took a step closer, staring at the glowing light. How can he be online if he's in a coma? Before he could think any further, Shurei's mother gently pushed him toward the door.

"Ryo... please. We'll call you."

Ryo nodded numbly and left the room, the glowing light of the Capsule haunting him as he walked away. His mind raced with unanswered questions. If Shurei's in a coma... how is the Capsule still online?