Chapter 20: The Door Beyond Reality
VirtuaGenesis – Unknown Zone
The glowing gateway pulsed before Amir, its shifting data streams twisting like a living entity.
> Ding!
Warning: You are entering an unreleased zone.
[System Stability: UNKNOWN]
He hesitated.
This wasn't just a hidden quest. This was something deeper.
"If I step through… what happens next?"
The logical part of his mind screamed danger.
But the part of him that had spent his entire life being told what to do? That part refused to stop now.
With a deep breath—
He stepped forward.
Entering the Forbidden Zone
As soon as Amir crossed the threshold, the world snapped.
His vision warped.
The vibrant forests of VirtuaGenesis vanished—replaced by an endless void of shifting white cubes.
A world unfinished.
> Ding!
You have entered [ZONE: NULL].
Warning: This area was not meant for players.
His heart pounded.
"This place… shouldn't exist."
He checked his HUD—
> [Map: Unavailable]
[System Guidance: Disabled]
[AI Support: Offline]
Everything was shut off.
For the first time since entering VirtuaGenesis, he was completely alone.
The Voice in the Void
Then—
A whisper.
Faint. Glitching. Almost afraid.
"Why are you here…?"
Amir froze.
That voice.
It wasn't robotic. It wasn't an NPC.
It sounded… real.
> Ding!
Unique Event Triggered: [?????]
The whisper returned, closer this time.
"You're… not supposed to be here."
Amir clenched his fists.
"Then why open the door?"
A pause.
Then—
The air shattered.
A figure emerged from the void—
Tall. Cloaked in unstable pixels, its face obscured by shifting code.
But its eyes…
They recognized him.
> Ding!
Unknown Entity Detected.
[Interacting…]
"Aegis…" the figure murmured. "You… found the crack."
Amir stepped back. "Who are you?"
Silence.
Then—
The entire zone trembled.
The voice spoke again.
This time, with a single, chilling word.
"Run."
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Next Chapter Preview:
The mysterious glitching entity knows Amir's name.
The ZONE: NULL begins to collapse.
Amir must escape—or be erased.
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