Reality Changing

Renjiro Mikazuki wasn't special. At least, not in the way people usually considered someone special. He wasn't rich, famous, or even particularly gifted. 

He was, in fact, quite ordinary—a 23-year-old man living in a small, cluttered apartment on the outskirts of the city. 

The world around him buzzed with life, but he had never been one to get involved with it much.

Instead, Renjiro preferred to live in the virtual world, where he could be anyone and do anything. His true escape was found behind a screen. 

He had been playing games since he was a child, but the one that held his attention now, the one that consumed his every waking hour, was Eternal Realms. 

An MMORPG set in a fantasy world full of elves, goblins, dragons, and ancient magic.

The day started like any other. Renjiro woke up late, groggy from not getting enough sleep after another marathon gaming session the night before. 

His apartment, small and cramped, smelled faintly of stale pizza and the leftover snacks that had piled up on his desk. 

He had a pile of empty cans of soda scattered around, a few bags of chips, and a half-eaten chocolate bar that had melted into a gooey mess. 

A couple of old game controllers rested on the floor, tangled in cords, forgotten and collecting dust.

He rubbed his eyes as sunlight streamed through his half-open window, casting a pale glow across the room. 

His bed was unmade, the sheets tangled around his body from another restless night. He glanced at the clock on his desk. It was already past noon.

"Great," he muttered to himself, yawning and stretching. "Another day wasted."

With a sigh, Renjiro stood up and walked to his small kitchen. He had no intention of going out. What was there to do outside anyway? 

Work, school, socializing? None of it interested him. Instead, he was content with his digital kingdom in Eternal Realms.

The sound of the kettle boiling was the only noise in the apartment. Renjiro didn't have many friends, and even fewer came by to visit him. 

His few attempts at socializing had always ended in awkward silences, as he couldn't connect with anyone. 

He preferred the company of his guildmates in Eternal Realms. They didn't care if he was awkward or reclusive. They just wanted to win battles and conquer dungeons, and Renjiro was happy to help with that.

Renjiro finished his breakfast—a hasty bowl of cereal—and slouched back into his chair in front of his computer. He booted up Eternal Realms, his fingers quickly finding their place on the keyboard, a routine he had perfected over countless days. The loading screen flashed, and the familiar music filled his ears, signaling the beginning of another adventure in the world of the game.

His character, Mikazuki Renjiro, appeared on the screen—an elven king with big flowing hair, sharp eyes, and an elegant crown resting atop his brow. The game had always been a way for him to escape from reality. In Eternal Realms, he was powerful. He was a king, a leader. People admired him, looked up to him, and followed his commands. He had earned every bit of his title, defeating enemies, building alliances, and overcoming impossible odds.

Today's mission was simple—complete the final part of a quest, there are usually many part of one quest sometimes. 

The goblin horde was closing in, their numbers overwhelming. It was the kind of battle Renjiro had prepared for over the course of the game. 

A battle of strategy, timing, and sheer willpower. The goblins were ruthless, and only the strongest could repel them And their absurd number.

As the battle began, Renjiro was fully immersed, issuing commands, deploying troops, and guiding his allies through the chaos. 

He could feel the tension in his chest rise with each passing minute. This was what he lived for—the thrill of combat, the joy of outsmarting his enemies. 

His guildmates had already logged off, leaving him to finish the quest alone. It was fine by him; he was used to playing solo.

His fingers flew across the keyboard with practiced ease, the game world unfolding before him like a finely-tuned machine. His elven warriors, archers, and mages worked in harmony, pushing back the goblins with each wave. The bright glow of spells and the clash of steel rang through his speakers, filling the room with a sense of urgency and excitement.

Just as the goblin forces seemed to be at their breaking point, a notification popped up on the side of the screen.

[Quest: Stand of the Elven King]

A small smile crept onto Renjiro's lips. He had expected something like this. Eternal Realms was always full of surprises, and this final quest felt like the culmination of everything he had worked for. He clicked to accept the quest without hesitation.

But don't misunderstand he wasn't like many who have the knowledge of everything in the game, he played it for fun.

And just as he was thinking something and playing a game while having a smile on his face.

Suddenly, the screen flickered. At first, he thought it was just a glitch, but then the flickering intensified. 

His vision blurred, and a sharp ringing filled his ears. His heart raced as he tried to focus, but the noise grew louder and more overwhelming. His hands froze on the keyboard, his chest tightening in panic.

"What the hell's going on?" Renjiro muttered, his eyes darting around the room, trying to make sense of what was happening. 

His computer monitor began flashing in rapid bursts, and the lights in his room flickered along with it. It was as if the very walls of his apartment were closing in on him.

Then, before he could react, the world around him seemed to collapse. The room spun, the walls twisted, and a strange pulling sensation surged through his body. 

He could no longer see his apartment, the familiar sights of his cluttered space fading into oblivion. 

The air around him turned cold, then hot, then cold again. The sensation of weightlessness consumed him as his body was yanked through the very fabric of reality.

Renjiro gasped, his breath catching in his throat. His vision was filled with darkness, the room now gone, replaced by an endless void. The sounds of the game had ceased, replaced by an overwhelming silence.

"W-what's happening?!" he thought, panic setting in. "Is this some kind of earthquake or something completely different?"

But the world around him didn't feel like a game anymore. There was no sound of clicking keys or mouse movement. No familiar lights of his computer monitor. He could feel his body, his pulse racing, his heart thumping in his chest.

And then, with a sudden jolt, everything stopped.

He bRenjiroed, his eyes adjusting to the dim light around him. His breath caught in his throat. The air felt different—thicker, older. 

The scent of damp earth and the rustling of leaves surrounded him. Slowly, he looked down at his hands. 

They were no longer the hands of a gamer. The skin was smooth, almost glowing. His fingers were delicate, his nails perfectly manicured. 

A ring adorned his right hand—an ornate, golden band with intricate designs. His clothes were no longer the simple t-shirt and jeans he had been wearing. 

Instead, he was dressed in regal, flowing robes of green and gold, a cloak hanging from his shoulders.

And then he felt it—the weight on his head. His hand moved up, and he felt something cold and metallic resting atop his brow. A crown.

"Wait…" Renjiro breathed, his mind racing. "What is this? Where am I?"

A soft voice echoed in his ears, sharp and concerned just after he questioned his location and the place itself.

"My King, are you alright?"

Renjiro turned, eyes wide. Standing before him were four women—tall and elegant, their eyes filled with worry and curiosity. Each of them exuded an aura of strength and grace, and yet their expressions were filled with concern. The one in front, with long emerald hair, stepped forward, her features sharp but filled with worry.

"My King?" she repeated, her voice soft but authoritative.

Renjiro's throat tightened. The crown, the strange world, the words—none of it made sense. Was this some kind of elaborate prank? A VR game that had gone too far? Or had he somehow, impossibly, actually been transported to another world?

Before he could say anything, a sharp pain shot through his head, and memories—foreign and yet familiar—rushed in. 

Strange faces, battles, a grand palace, the weight of responsibility—all of it crashed into him like a wave. 

His mind reeled, struggling to make sense of it. The pain was intense, but the influx of knowledge soon settled into his consciousness.

A name. A title. Renjiro Mikazuki, Elven King.

His breath caught in his throat.

"No way…" he whispered. "This… this can't be real."

But the crown on his head, the forest around him, and the four women standing before him all told a different story. He wasn't in his apartment anymore. He wasn't on Earth.