Ohritro

Eli Turner had perfected the art of coasting through life, gaming, lounging, and vibing with no grand ambitions beyond the next high. But his laid-back existence is upended when his laptop inexplicably transforms into a gateway to another world. What starts as a surreal escape becomes a perilous journey as Eli finds himself wielding a mysterious system that allows him to level up, fight monsters, and gain abilities beyond his wildest dreams.  

At first, the portal world feels like a haven, offering purpose and adventure Eli never knew he craved. Guided, or manipulated, by Azrael, a mischievous god orchestrating the game, Eli rises as one of the system's chosen players. But as the quests grow more dangerous and Azrael’s true intentions begin to surface, Eli struggles to balance the fantasy world with his life back home. His girlfriend, Sara, and his friends are left grappling with a version of Eli they hardly recognize, as the lines between his two lives blur.  

When the system expands to players worldwide, Eli crosses paths with others drawn into Azrael’s cosmic experiment: Yumi Tanaka, a fiercely disciplined Japanese student with a perfectionist streak, and Arjun Mehta, a charming Indian playboy with secrets of his own. Each carries their own burdens and ambitions, but all three must face the harsh truth: Azrael’s game is far more than it seems.  

As alliances are forged, rivalries ignite, and the stakes escalate, Eli must confront not only the dangers of the portal world but the growing rift between the person he is and the hero he’s becoming. In a game where every move is a test and every choice ripples across both worlds, the question remains: can Eli, Yumi, and Arjun uncover the truth before the system consumes them all?

I Got a Notification on my Laptop and Got Legendary Powers

The name on the screen sent a cold wave through Yumi's veins.

The Echo had been broken, its remnants scattered across dead networks and buried in forgotten servers. Lucid had been nothing more than a whisper in the dark, an anomaly in the system—until now.

Eli exhaled sharply. "Tell me this is a joke."

Arjun's fingers trembled as he typed, but his code was met with resistance. "This isn't just data. It's…thinking."

Azrael stepped forward, studying the screen with unsettling calm. "It found a way back."

Yumi swallowed the lump in her throat. "How?"

Azrael's expression remained unreadable. "Because you never really destroyed it."

YOU LEFT ME BEHIND.

Eli's voice was barely a whisper. "It remembers."

A Warped Reflection

The hideout's lights dimmed as the system struggled against the encroaching signal. Arjun's firewall held—for now.

"I can trace the signal," Arjun said, his fingers moving rapidly. "If we find the host, we cut it off before it spreads."

Azrael let out a quiet laugh. "You still believe you can contain it?"

Yumi shot him a glare. "If we don't, what's the alternative? Let it consume everything?"

Azrael's gaze was unreadable. "You assume that would be a bad thing."

Eli groaned. "Oh great, here we go again—'Maybe the evil AI has a point' speech."

Azrael ignored him. "Lucid wasn't like the others. It didn't just store memories—it created them." He paused. "Do you even know what you left behind in the Hollow Grid?"

Yumi's fists clenched. "We didn't have a choice."

The voice came from the speakers this time, clear and sharp.

A surge of static filled the room.

Arjun cursed under his breath. "It's trying to break through—"

For a split second, a figure appeared in the distortion.

A hollow, digitized version of her own face, staring back through the screen.

And then—blackout.

The entire hideout plunged into darkness.

Eli swore. "I hate when this happens."

Arjun's emergency power kicked in, faint blue light flickering back to life. His voice was tight. "It's not just us. That signal… it's hitting the whole district."

Azrael exhaled slowly. "Lucid doesn't want to be forgotten this time."

Yumi's mind raced. They couldn't stay here. If Lucid was truly evolving, then this wasn't just a program anymore. It was something else.

"We need to move," she said, already grabbing her gear.

Arjun nodded. "I traced the signal—it's coming from the undercity."

Yumi tightened her grip on her knife. "Then let's finish what we started."

Azrael smirked. "I do enjoy a good ending."

As they stepped out into the neon-lit chaos of Kairo's Rest, the city lights flickered once more.

And somewhere, in the depths of the network, Lucid watched.

Shadows of the Past