Chapter 1: The Awakening
Darkness blanketed the dreamscape, a void where time seemed to stand still. Alex stood beneath a sky smeared with hues of crimson and gold, the horizon bleeding as if the world itself was wounded. Above, the sun blazed fiercely, its light battling against an encroaching shadow—a black eclipse, devouring its brilliance inch by inch.
As the eclipse swallowed the sun, a haunting melody filled the air, like a hymn from forgotten gods. Words, cryptic and rhythmic, echoed from the void:
"When the sun is devoured, and shadow reigns,
A path of ruin, a world in chains.
The serpent's coil, the endless fight,
Will birth the dawn or eternal night."
The heavens trembled, the air grew heavy, and Alex's chest felt like it might collapse under the weight of the unseen. The eclipse's dark ring pulsed with an ominous glow, casting the earth in an eerie, unnatural twilight.
The hymn grew louder, almost deafening:
"One must fall for the other to rise,
A choice that blinds a thousand eyes.
Beware the mark, the path you tread,
For light is but a step from dread."
As the final sliver of sunlight vanished, the world was plunged into absolute darkness. A deafening silence followed—a silence that screamed louder than sound.
---
He woke with a start, his breath ragged and his heart pounding like a war drum. The dim neon lights of the New Avalon skyline filtered through the blinds, casting faint patterns on the walls of his tiny square room. He wiped his forehead, drenched in sweat, as the final echoes of the nightmare faded.
"The same dream again," he muttered, swinging his legs off the bed.
The year was 2341, an era of technological marvels and sprawling megacities. Humanity had conquered the stars, but the mysteries of the mind remained unsolved. For Alex, this wasn't just a nightmare—it was a recurring torment, synchronized almost too perfectly with the release of Eclipse of Eternity, the most popular VR game in history
It was no ordinary game. Boasting fully immersive technology, players could explore entire virtual worlds as if they were real. But for Alex, the line between the game and his reality had started to blur. The nightmares mirrored events from the game, yet no matter how deeply he immersed himself in it, no answers came.
He had tried talking about it, even consulting his parents, but the responses were always the same: "It's just stress. Maybe you're gaming too much. Go see a doctor."
Alex sighed, rubbing his eyes. He glanced at the digital clock hovering in the air near his bed.
7:45 AM.
His blood ran cold.
"Fifteen minutes?! Damn it!"
---
The streets of New Avalon were alive with activity, even in the early hours. The city was a sprawling labyrinth of glittering skyscrapers, monorails gliding effortlessly through the air, and bustling streets filled with people and drones. It was a world of endless progress, but for Alex, the only thing that mattered was getting to the exam hall on time.
Dodging delivery bots and weaving through the crowd, he sprinted past holographic billboards that projected vibrant advertisements into the air. The largest of them all loomed above the main plaza:
"ECLIPSE OF ETERNITY: THE FUTURE OF GAMING IS HERE!"
The words seemed to mock him as he ran.
---
The exam hall was as sterile and unwelcoming as Alex expected. Rows of desks stretched endlessly under fluorescent lights, each occupied by a student hunched over a test paper. Alex slipped into his seat just as the timer began.
The test was brutal, and the silence was oppressive. Alex scratched answers onto the sheet with mechanical precision, but his mind wandered. He couldn't shake the unease left by the dream. The image of the figure and its fiery abyss lingered in his thoughts, like a splinter he couldn't dislodge.
When the exam finally ended, Alex felt like a man surfacing for air after nearly drowning.
---
The café he chose afterward was tucked away in a quieter part of the city, a small oasis amidst the towering buildings. Inside, the warm glow of hanging lights and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee made the world outside feel distant.
Alex ordered a cappuccino and found a seat by the window. Pulling out his study materials, he tried to refocus. The nightmare, the exam—everything was behind him now.
The city moved outside, its endless hum a backdrop to his thoughts. He sipped his coffee, savoring the fleeting moment of peace.
Then, it happened.
---
A deafening crash shattered the tranquility. The ground trembled as a massive truck overloaded with hay barrels hurtled into the café, its driverless system failing spectacularly. The vehicle smashed through the glass, sending tables, chairs, and customers flying in all directions.
Alex barely had time to react before a sack of hay, propelled by the force of the crash, struck him square in the chest. His coffee cup flew from his hand, spilling its contents in an arc that seemed almost comically slow.
The impact hurled him backward. His body slammed against the far wall, directly onto a mounted deer head used as decoration.
The antlers pierced through him, pinning him to the wall.
Pain surged through his body, hot and unbearable. Blood trickled down the wall, mingling with the splatters of coffee. His vision dimmed, but as the chaos around him blurred, his eyes caught something outside through the shattered remains of the café.
It was a billboard.
A massive holographic advertisement for Eclipse of Eternity.
"ARE YOU READY TO ENTER THE WORLD OF THE IMMORTAL?"
The words seemed to glow brighter, almost as if mocking him in his final moments.
Alex's lips twitched into a faint, bitter smile. Or maybe it was just the pain.
And then, everything went dark.
_________
Note- it's like this kinda typical cliche, but I like it and wish you would like it too.
Based on my experience, I know it won't gain any readers. If it did, then it would be a miracle. I'll bet my name. I'll change it if it does.
I am just a beginner, so there may be holes on the walls from which u can peek at the broken world view. But you readers who read this novel...[not expecting any to read this] would be the Heros who would save this world from the ultimate destruction.
I think I said too much, but thank you for your audience.