Hasty images of a horned, half-beast woman clad in plate-armor flashed across the giant projections floating behind the stage. The reporters closest to the podium struggled to choose where to direct their attention: the heated fights onscreen, or the virtual avatar of the man on stage.

The choice was soon made for them; a silver-haired dwarf flanked her, raising his war hammer as he prepared to strike. She spun around and brought up her shield. The impact sent her reeling, her feet leaving marks on the cracked, stone floor.

She glared at him and charged, shield first, ramming the hammer aside. Her axe bit into the dwarf’s shoulder, yanking him back as she bashed him into a nearby wall.

"Mister Hardwick!" One of the reporters closest to the stage finally pried his attention away from the screens. "You still haven't answered us! What's the purpose behind this event within the game?"

"It's only been a few months since the game's release!" another reporter yelled. "Given the staggering amount of unexplored content in Prism, is there a reason for Realesque to organize this now? "

Stan Hardwick remained silent as the crowd bombarded him with questions. He smiled wearily and took it all in: The excitement on their faces. Their bewilderment. And their lack of awareness of the events now set in motion.

Given the magnitude of their discovery, it was a miracle in and of itself that they had actually managed to keep everything under wraps. Everyone’s view of the world would soon change. Now it was all a matter of how.

The crowd stilled for a moment as the onscreen fight continued. The players had almost reached the end of the floor and the horned woman, a crowd favorite by now, had rammed another one of her opponents into a wall.

Bright orange light bled from behind her, shadows flickering along the marbled stone. She spun around and saw two robed men. The air surrounding one of them rippled with energy and a luminous circle swirled around his hands. The magical formation surged and a fireball shot towards her, charring the ground below it. She roared and charged towards the spell, bracing herself a second before impact.

She swung her shield into the fireball, deflecting it. Ready to charge again, the woman tensed and then just as suddenly, she stopped. Bright, red runes marked the ground around her, emanating heat that threatened to melt the stones themselves.

The second mage snarled and channeled more energy into the runes as the other one began harnessing a violent whirlwind around the half-beast woman.

Her eyes widened. She knelt and raised her shield as flames erupted from the scorching cage. She glanced at her dwindling health bar in the corner of her view and then back at the mages. Confusion followed by relief washed over her as she saw her assailants collapse to the floor.

Two familiar figures stood behind her fallen foes. A swordsman wearing a white, unadorned mask and a lycan clad in light armor.

"Nothing has been rushed," said Hardwick, wrenching the reporters' attention away from the giant screens. "This was part of our design ever since we set out to create Prism." He turned away from the sea of virtual avatars and faced the giant displays. "Our goal has always been the creation of a virtual world where everything happens organically, as a result of everyone’s actions. So the answer is no. We merely provided the players with a stage. And this is the result."

"So," a reporter called out, "Realesque didn’t orchestrate the state of tension and turmoil between Prism’s territories?"

Unseen by anyone, Hardwick's lips curled into a broad smile. “No, far from it, actually. We’re not the ones deciding the fate of Prism. That right,” he said, turning to face the audience, “lies solely in the hands of the players.”

On screen, everyone scrambled in a mad dash for the doors at the end of the chamber.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is where the true journey begins." Hardwick took a deep breath and stepped closer. "Right before our very eyes, the history of Prism is being made. Fan favorites and dark horses alike. These guilds are vying to be the first to open the Gates of Ascension! Let us all watch over them as they make their way towards the forgotten realms... of Atraxia!"

As the massive stone doors leading towards the next chamber creaked open, no one within the crowd so much as blinked.

Blinding light engulfed the players standing in front of the entrance. And then the video feed went dark...

****

Translucent rays invaded the confines of the monitor-lit room. Near the neatly organized open kitchen was Ryan, still asleep at his desk. He stirred as his phone began to vibrate, bringing the dim PC screen to life.

"Just five more minutes, damn it ..."

The alarm cared little for his drowsy wishes. Irked and almost fully awake, his cheek finally left the keyboard's surface. With his phone just out of reach, he stretched out his hand as his chair toppled to the ground.

He sighed and opened his eyes as the room's plain ceiling greeted him. ‘Great…' The alarm continued to ring as if mocking him. He cursed, got up, and finally silenced the incessant thing.

The young man made his way to the bathroom. He washed his face and stared into the tiny mirror hanging above the sink. An oblong face with dark brown eyes stared back at him. He frowned, observing the button-shaped imprints all over his cheek. ‘Should’ve gone to bed sooner…'

After a quick shower, he opened his dresser in search of something to wear. His eyes instinctively fell upon the large and somewhat tall duffle bag, neatly tucked away behind a stack of clothes. The weathered, wooden handle peering out of it brought a smile to his face. He fished out the bag along with a black T-shirt and a faded pair of track pants.

He then sat himself at his desk and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. “Mike, set the AC to turbo for a couple of minutes, please.” A small chime emanated from the PC’s speakers as his virtual assistant complied with his wish, cool air now blowing out of the vent above him.

“Certainly, Ryan.”

“Thanks,” he said, his gaze falling on the link Dan had sent him. He closed their chat and several browser tabs, before opening the article his friend had shared.

PRISM - Grand Launch Date - 14.09.2071

1 Day 04 Hours46 Minutes17 Seconds

'The launch of the very first, fully immersive virtual reality game draws near! This spring, Realesque's CEO, Stan Hardwick, took the world by storm. According to him, for the past six years, the company's entire manpower and resources have all been poured into the development of Prism.

With its ability to perfectly simulate all human senses, and its true to life graphics, Prism promises to bridge the final chasm between us and the virtual medium. A mysterious world filled with magic, strange creatures and more awaits.

With five available starting races, practically limitless skill and class combinations and the fact that both the players' & the NPCs' interactions actively influence the game world, the excitement around Prism seems well earned.

Not even the hefty subscription fee, coupled with the pricey full-dive helm required to play the game, have managed to stop 9 million people from preordering the game. The software industry giant expects this number to rise even further as the launch date approaches.

Stan Hardwick has also stated that ‘the starting line will be the same for everyone, but everything else is up for grabs,' a statement which has led many to theorize that Prism might not be as balanced as other games within the genre.

What exactly awaits each and every one of us is unclear. But all we can do now is wait and see if the game itself can live up to the insane expectations surrounding it.’

Ryan sighed and closed his PC. Duffle bag in hand, he glanced at his studio apartment and locked the door behind him. He stopped in front of the elevator and waited for a couple of seconds. As if on cue, the doors opened, automatically taking him to the ground floor once he got inside.

The city’s streets flew by as he jogged along his usual path towards the park. Summer had not yet come into its own, and the morning air rushing past him managed to keep him cool amid the empty walkways.

He turned a corner and stopped, narrowly avoiding a crash with a paramedic’s automated stretcher. The man smiled and nodded at him. Ryan returned the gesture and slowly walked around. But his eyes couldn’t help but drift towards the severely atrophied woman lying on the stretcher. He slowly picked up speed again, turning back once to see the woman being loaded into the waiting ambulance. ‘That’s the second one this week…’

Autonomous trucks zipped past him in steady unison, the only other contenders to his claim over the desolate city. They occasionally stopped at their designated delivery hubs, allowing the drones built within to shuttle their cargo, like metallic little worker bees. He soon turned and entered onto the park’s main walkway, leaving the drones’ constant hum behind.

As he ran, the unkempt trees shielded him from the early morning sun. His mind, however, wandered back to the image of the woman on the stretcher. In a world where almost everything skewed heavily towards virtual reality, sights like that had become common. But he had already made his peace with it years ago.

Obviously, he saw the intrinsic value of it. Accomplishing eight hours’ worth of work in just two; being able to see four movies instead of one; and the biggest advantage of them all: overcoming the need to sacrifice countless hours on the altar of sleep. Hell, even more trivial pursuits like eating junk food and not having to suffer the consequences. VR made it all possible.

Thus, it was inevitable that most chose to live out the majority of their life in the virtual landscape of society. And while he didn’t agree with their decision, Ryan did at least understand the reasons behind it. But as a result, towns and cities around the world had become desolate, empty shadows of their former selves.

Several laps later, he stopped and sat down near an old oak facing the park’s lake. He still remembered the old pictures his teacher had shown him as a kid, with people playing and taking walks around the park. He sighed and wiped his face with the small towel from his duffle bag. As he watched the water’s mirror-like surface ripple, his lips curled into a weak smile. The solitude got to him at times, but even so, he still enjoyed coming to the park each morning.

Inside his pocket, Ryan’s phone vibrated.

“Hey, Dan,” he said, answering the call. “Isn’t this a little early for you?”

“Screw that! I hardly slept last night. So… have you given it some thought?”

The eagerness in his friend’s voice made him chuckle. “Yeah… I don’t know dude. I’ve barely played VR games before, let alone an MMO. And the last time I threw up for two hours straight afterwards.”

“Well yeah, but this isn’t the same thing. ‘Perfect sense simulation,’ remember?”

“Okay, sure. But my savings would evaporate if I bought the hardware for that shit… Then there’s the monthly subscription. And that’s more than half of my bracket’s basic income.”

“C’mon! I already said I’d hire you to help me out with the shop. I even saved you a Visor!”

“Heh, right. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a glorified janitor?”

On the other end, Dan sighed. “Fine… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be this pushy. So, what’re you up to now? You still outside haunting the streets?”

“It’s called exercising, dumbass. You should try it sometime.”

“Yeah, no thanks. My muscle-stim kit does the job quite nicely. Hey, we’ll pick this up later, okay? I should really head on out to the hospital.”

“Okay… Say ‘hi’ to your dad from me.”

“Will do.”

Several moments passed as Ryan stared at his phone’s dark screen. ‘The hell am I doing…?’ He sighed and leaned back against the old oak tree. Years ago, when his teacher had died, Dan had been there for him. His own family had never cared for much outside of their virtual bubble. But Dan and his dad had always helped him, even when his family didn’t. Hell, apart from a few Essentialists, like his doctor and the occasional squad car, they were some of the only people Ryan ever saw.

And with Dan’s dad now stuck in a hospital, he cared more about some petty cash? ‘Fuck it. Let’s just give this thing a try.’

****

"Come in,” said Dan as he opened the door. "One hour left ‘til the server’s up!”

“Plenty of time,” Ryan smiled. He hadn’t seen his friend this excited in years. “And get this, there’s actually a line downstairs in front of the shop’s terminal. Almost a dozen people.”

“Holy shit… Well, you won’t hear me complaining! Though that does remind me,” said the young shop owner, pulling up his phone, “we’ve got 14… now 13 Visors left in stock.”

“You’re making bank, and yet my bracket still has better benefits than what you’re giving me.” Ryan’s grin waned when he saw Dan shift his gaze to the floor. He cursed himself and then patted his friend’s back. “Hey, I’m kidding man. You know my basic income’s enough.”

Dan sighed and picked up one of the packages resting on the table. “I know, dude. Don’t worry,” he said, staring at the Realesque logo printed on the side of the box. “Also, you don’t have to walk on eggshells around me. My dad’s okay and we can at least cover the costs. And hey, yesterday he was lucid enough to ask me if you plan on moving in. Y’know, since we’ve got an empty room now.”

“Heh,” he smirked, taking a seat on the nearby recliner, “you’re already barking orders at me most of the week. Last thing I plan on doing is turning this into a 24/7 gig.”

“If you do… I might even throw in a raise.”

“So now you’re trying to bribe me?!”

“Is it working?” Watching Ryan shake his head and roll his eyes, Dan couldn’t help but chuckle. “More importantly, I’m really glad you decided to play with me.” Carefully, he lifted the deceptively light Visor out of the box he had taken. “Anyway, did you put some thought into what sort of class you plan on getting?”

“Oh, definitely. Something that can get up close and personal!”

“Like a rogue, or a paladin or…?

“No idea! That’s as far as I’ve gotten.”

“Well,” said Dan, taking a deep breath, “as I said, we’ve got to get some versatile classes if it’s just the two of us. But we’ll talk more in-game if you need help. Also,” he said as a small chime came from the side of the living room, “I ordered us some pizza. You do like yours with extra anchovies and pineapple… right?”

Ryan smiled and let out a loud sigh as he walked to the wall mounted delivery chute. He took out their food and glanced at the descending drone through the nearby window. With Dan still prattling on about the game, the two sat down to eat.

"Hah…" sighed Dan as he finished his meal, leaning back into the couch's soft cushions. "That hit the spot."

Sitting in the extended recliner next to him, Ryan nodded absentmindedly. “Yeah…” he said, scrolling through his phone. “So, we have to let the helms calibrate. After that, we can log in.” He picked up one of the pearl-white Visors and inspected it carefully. He pressed his fingers into the VR helm’s interior lining before putting it on. “Padding's pretty soft."

A blue tinted display lit up in front of him, displaying the connection’s state and two options:

Calibrate Visor

Enter Lobby

"Alright,” said Dan as he got up, already wearing his helm. “We have to move around a bit and let it do its thing."

After a few minutes, they made themselves comfortable and waited for Prism's servers to come online.

"It’s almost noon,” said Dan, checking the Visor’s clock. “And again, thanks man.”

Ryan smiled. They both closed their eyes and whispered:

"Enter lobby!"

****

At first, Ryan couldn’t distinguish anything from the murky darkness surrounding him. A few moments later, a multitude of colors began to swirl around him and, before he knew it, he found himself standing in a well-lit room. He looked around, anxiety building as he waited to see if his virtual sickness would kick in. A minute had passed, but he was still okay, so he finally focused on his surroundings.

The walls were paneled with what seemed to be wood, same for the floor. The space itself contained only an armchair, a small table and an almost empty bookcase. In the absence of any windows, a chandelier and a fireplace provided all of the room’s light. And opposite of him stood a simple door.

While his body didn’t feel any different, everything somehow seemed… clearer. He also became very aware of the clothes he now wore—a heavy, gray shirt, a tight sash that held up his plain, brown pants, and a pair of leather boots.

He reached out his hand and slid it along the table’s surface. It was uncanny. He could even feel the tiny imperfections in the wood’s grain. The fire’s soothing crackle worked to calm him as the faint smell of lacquer finally registered with him. ’Shit, if I didn’t know any better, I could’ve sworn that someone kidnapped me and then moved me somewhere else…'

Suddenly, a feminine voice spoke:

Welcome to your Lobby! This area serves as a transition point whenever you wish to log into Prism. In here you can find a general guide about the game's system and basic information on the world of Enoa.

Ryan glanced at the only two books within the case. ‘Convenient’.

To begin creating your character, please step through the door in front of you.

“In a moment,” he said, talking a seat in the armchair next to him. He closed and rubbed his eyes, flinching at the sensation. ‘It’s been years since I last tried a full-dive game, but I didn’t expect this level of realism, regardless of all the bullshit I read online…’

“Sorry,” he sighed. “It’ll take me a moment to get used to this. But in the meantime, would you mind telling me a bit about yourself?”

He initially got no reply, prompting him to assume that maybe the tutorial had only scripted prompts. But after a small pause, the voice answered him.

My name is Aida. I am your personal assistant within this space and can help you with various tasks, such as searching for, or analyzing information, organizing your inventory, or just keeping you company.

“Nice to meet you, Aida. Please, call me Ryan. And if it’s alright with you, I’ve got a few more questions.”

Of course, Ryan. How can I be of assistance?

An immediate response this time. “Tell me… how’s the learning curve? Steep? I haven’t exactly played VRMMOs before. And how much help do you provide new players?

Based on existing data, yes, the learning curve within Prism can be classified as ‘steep’. The discrepancy between players' could generally be correlated to their dedication, although luck is also a factor. As for my assistance, my primary duty is to assist with the character creation process.

Still seated, Ryan’s fingers tapped away on the small table next to him. “Wait. So, unless they specifically ask you, you only guide them through creating their character?”

That is correct.

‘So much for user friendliness.’ He got up and headed for the door. “Okay, Aida. Then I’m counting on you to help me out whenever possible.”

Certainly.

Ryan stepped through the door and entered into a circular room made out of stone blocks. A small, blue bonfire burned in the middle of the chamber. Wisps of smoke escaped through the skylight located directly above the flames.

Around the bonfire, four alcoves had been carved into the walls at regular intervals. Each seemed to depict different scenes, themed around various beings. One showed different types of humanoids gathered around a tower-like structure. Another showed dragons flying about, and the final two portrayed angels and demons in the heat of battle, one in which the angelic beings had won and one where, instead, the horned demons had triumphed. And inside the one depicting the humanoids, a blue portal swirled lazily.

You have five different alternatives to choose from when selecting your character's species. The available choices are:

Dwarf, Elf, Half-beast, Human and Orc, with four possible Half-beast subspecies: Felis, Lycan, Phryan, or Taur.

Floating figures appeared above the bonfire, pairs of males and females corresponding to each of the five available starting options.

Each species receives an initial bonus of +5 to one of the six basic stats. Dwarfs have higher base Endurance; Elves gain bonus Power; Half-beasts, depending on the subspecies, have their Agility or Vitality increased; Humans receive a bonus to their Intelligence; and finally, Orcs start out with more Strength.

“Aida, how important is this stat bonus…? I’m hoping to get a somewhat… versatile melee class.”

The bonus itself is inconsequential in the long run. Might I suggest picking the human species? As long as you maintain your current body type, you should be able to instantly adjust to your character’s motor skills.

‘Took the words right out of my… mind.’

The added Intelligence should also prove useful if you choose to opt for a hybrid specialization, focused on both physical and magical damage.

The idea of playing something like a paladin did appeal to him. Although, whether he could actually become one remained to be seen. “Okay, Aida. I choose human male.”

Species and gender confirmed. Do you wish to alter your appearance?

Before his eyes, the other figures vanished, leaving behind a figured that looked identical to him, down to even the facial features. He didn’t particularly mind his looks, but something inside of him recoiled at the idea of just using his real appearance. The last time he had went for a jog later in the evening, he immediately got an alert oh his phone from the city’s surveillance system. It had asked him why he was out jogging so late, instead of on his usual morning routine…

"Yes. Definitely. Hmm… could you make my hair just a bit longer and give me a bit of stubble? Make my jaw a bit wider as well. Narrower eyes. And a smaller nose." As he spoke, his character’s appearance changed to reflect his choices. "Okay. That’s perfect, Aida. Thanks.”

You are welcome. Finally, what will your character’s name be?

"Drake.”

All right. Please select your starting region.

A large map with the two known continents of Enoa appeared in front of him. Three red dots blinked on the western continent of Sedrath.

You can start your journey in the human kingdom of Xeladia; in the underground realms of Troria, the dwarven republic; or within Kraden, home of the half-beasts.

“Aida, can I choose my exact starting location? I’d… like to avoid crowded places if at all possible.”

Starting locations are randomly assigned in order to avoid overpopulating specific areas. But I can remove the capitals and the larger cities from the predefined list for you.

"Awesome! Well then, start me out somewhere in the human kingdom of Xeladia.”

Your starting region has been confirmed, Ryan. Displaying character information.

Three semitransparent windows appeared in front of him. His nearly empty inventory, his Status Window, and a smaller system prompt.

Status Window

Name:Drake

Class-

Level (Experience): 1 (0/100 Exp)

Species & Gender:Human Male

Fame:0

Titles:-

Guilds: -

Health:100/100HP Regen:0.5/sec

Mana:100/100MP Regen:0.5/sec

Stamina:100/100SP Regen:0.5/sec

Satiety:100%

Hydration:100%

Basic Stats

Strength:10Intelligence:15

Vitality:10Endurance:10

Agility:10Power:10

Resistances

Fire:0%Water:0%

Lightning:0%Earth:0%

Wind:0%Arcane:0%

Light:0%Darkness:0%

Status Effects:

-

Having inspected his character's stats, Ryan shifted his attention towards the third, smaller window.

PRISM

Log into Enoa?

YESNO

'Here goes…'

His eyes flickered as he approached the alcove housing the swirling portal. He focused on the 'yes' button and, immediately, Ryan’s… or rather Drake's surroundings started to fade as he heard Aida's final message.

I have added a small guide to your inventory on Prism's basic interface commands. Good luck on your adventures!