THE GAME STARTS

THE GAME STARTS

Mason took a deep breath and carefully opened the letter. His hands trembled slightly—something about this entire situation felt unsettling. Inside, he found a card, not an ordinary one but something that looked like a game card. The back of the card had the words SJ01 printed on it, along with a name: Kael.

"Kael? What the hell is this?" he murmured to himself.

Curious, he flipped the card over. What he saw sent a shiver down his spine. The front side of the card displayed something completely different—almost like the stats screen of a video game.

Health: 200

Stamina: 100

Power: 150

Agility: 120

Level: 1

There was also an Inventory option at the bottom. Mason, unable to resist, tapped on it with his finger.

Suddenly, a holographic blue screen appeared in front of him, floating in midair. It read:

"Inventory is empty. Complete tasks to collect items."

Mason stumbled back, his heart racing. What the hell is going on? He had played countless video games, but this wasn't a game—it was real.

His instincts told him to check in with his friends. He grabbed his phone and quickly typed a message in their group chat.

Mason: Guys, open your letters. Something weird is happening.

Within seconds, his phone vibrated with replies.

Owen: What the fuck? I got a card too named Varion!

Lian: Me too! My game name is Rhydor. What is this?

Luna: Mine says Sylvaine… Is this a joke?

Sophie: This is seriously freaking me out. I got Kaira. But what does all of this mean?

Before they could make sense of anything, a deep, robotic voice echoed around them.

"Hello, players. We are the game management team. You have been chosen to participate in a survival game. Your objective is simple—survive and level up. Each of you has been assigned a unique player identity, along with special stats. These stats determine your strength, stamina, agility, and health. To increase them, you must complete game levels and side missions. Be warned—if your health drops to zero, you will die. This is not just a game. This is your new reality. Good luck."

A deafening silence followed.

Mason's mouth went dry. His heart pounded so loudly that he could hear it in his ears. He turned back to his phone, but his fingers felt numb.

Owen: WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!

Luna: Is this some kind of prank?

Lian: Guys… this can't be real. Can it?

Before they could even process what was happening, the voice spoke again.

"Welcome to the journey of Suzan, players."

And then, in the blink of an eye—they vanished.

---

Disappearing Without a Trace

Mason's phone clattered onto the floor. A half-written text remained on the screen.

Mason: I don't know what's happening, but—

Then nothing. The group chat, which had been buzzing with activity, suddenly auto-deleted. It was as if it had never existed.

A few moments later, Mason's mother heard the sound of something falling. Concerned, she walked into his room.

"Mason?" she called out.

Silence.

She glanced around, expecting him to be there, maybe playing a prank on her. But then she saw it—his phone lying on the ground.

A chill ran down her spine. Mason never left his phone unattended.

She picked it up, staring at the blank screen. Where did he go?

Little did she know, Mason—and his friends—were gone.