My name is Kai Ward, and I think it’s important to note - before we begin - that not every story begins with a choice. Some start without any input from the supposed ‘hero’ at all.
The match timer blinks red in the corner of my vision. One minute remaining. A heartbeat, a breath, the last calm before the final wave. Around me, the virtual crowd roars, a mirrored colosseum throwing noise at me like a physical force. Lights run along the rim of the arena, illuminating the combatants within as massive avatars in divine armour clash under golden banners.
“Hold the flank! Hollywood is pushing!”
I do not need to look. I have already seen it. Across the field, the other team’s hyper-aggressive striker, Hollywood, barrels forward with both axes raised high. Our team’s tank, Theo, braces for the charging hero. As the inevitable clash begins, Hollywood continues to ignore his commander Athena’s call to slow down and wait for the casters.
The axes crash into Theo's shield with a shower of sparks. Visually spectacular, and mostly pointless when our healer, Patchy is right behind him. My current duel is the true match decider. A spear?user slides low across the glossy arena floor with a disciplined stance. He looks elegant and powerful.
I deflect his first thrust and take a defensive step backwards as his next attack rushes towards me. His spearpoint skims my neck as my knees bend, hips turning, and my blade arcs upwards just like I’ve done a thousand times before. I cut the shaft of his spear just below the centre; as his weapon bursts into pixel shrapnel in his hands, he stumbles, now vulnerable to my follow-up that ends our duel.
Above me, my ID floats gently in gold, highlighting my victory: Nameless.
The crowd roars its appreciation; they love a good fight. Though it didn't feel like much of one to me, everyone is so set in their routines and fighting styles; honestly, I'm going through the motions at this point – it feels like I’ve done this a million times before.
Confetti detonates in the sky above, shimmering as it floats down towards my team and me. The simulator puts me in the spotlight as a new round of would-be sponsors spam my inbox and hit a wall of filters. “The Nameless Technique” trends again. The announcer does his breathless voice thing to enhance the excitement. Across the arena, I spied the sore losers cursing us out as they opened the in-game menu and disappeared, minus Athena, who was scolding Hollywood for costing them the game. She had that scary look in her eyes again, the one where she wasn't upset at their loss, but disappointed at the fact that her team didn't follow her logic. Having suffered that particular look more than once myself when we were on the same team, I had some sympathy for Hollywood.
I exhale in resignation. There's no adrenaline anymore. I stand still as my friends gather and celebrate around me. Gods & Heroes used to thrill me, a true mythic Virtual Reality experience, a full body link suit, divine relics, runes and magic casting, and the story of the gods. There was a plethora of lore to consume regarding both Olympus and Asgard, and even the standalone epic of King Arthur was interesting, ‘The King Under the Mountain’.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Not to say it’s poorly made, the game’s design is so clean it squeaks. But repetition quickly files down wonder to boredom. I use the same five combat stances in almost every fight, just like everyone else, the same openings, the same counters and parries, it’s just about who can do it slightly better and faster.
A soft alert pings the edge of my Heads Up Display (HUD), slipping past my harsh filters.
[HOLOCALL: 1 Missed Message – “MOTHER”]
Timestamp: 2 hours ago.
I almost ignore it. Then I don’t. The transcript opens.
“Hi, Kai. I know it’s late. I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“We’re still attending counselling. Your father’s still… He won’t talk about it. About that day. But I think he’s going to open up soon.”
“I still think about you. About him. Every day. Just let me know you’re safe, okay?”
The reply? prompt waits. I stare at it for a moment, then blink it away.
The arena should fade by now, taking my team and I back to the lobby. It doesn’t. The fake crowd freezes mid-cheer. Confetti hangs frozen like insects trapped in amber; no HUD comes up when I gesture either. Strange, this has never happened before.
At the centre of the arena in the sky above me, the fake sun slowly turns black and splits open. A spiralling tunnel yawns into existence above me, swallowing the sky into its maw. I can even feel a strong wind press against my skin, which is obviously impossible in Virtual Reality. As I continued to watch the sky being swallowed with what can only be described as abject confusion, a terrible sound followed; an awful grinding sound that covered me in goosebumps.
I saw Athena and Hollywood in the corner of my eye; they were also unable to leave, it seems, except those who logged out earlier. As I turn to try to talk to my friends, Theo and Patchy, who were already approaching me, the floor beneath our feet begins to crack like tempered glass, and before I can even react beyond taking a single step, it drops out from under me, casting me into a pit of endless black.
In this pervasive darkness, I try to move, but I can't see anything - not even my own hand in front of my face.
Then the runes appear.
They burn directly into my vision, taking the place of the previously missing HUD, the familiar runes from God's and Heroes at first, but then they twitch, stutter, and snap, as if some unimaginable virus has infiltrated the game's systems. I realise the runes have been translated into words I can understand:
[LOG:: FILE INTEGRITY REACHING CRITICAL THRESHOLD]
[SYSTEM INTERVENTION AUTHORISED]
[CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN]
[ERROR:: TARGET’S DATA IS ALREADY REGISTERED IN THE SYSTEM]
[SUB-ADMINISTRATOR #?????? OVERRIDE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED, TRANSFERRING…]
[WELCOME TO THE VALHALLA RESURRECTION PROTOCOL, HERO]
[Lives Remaining: 3]
My mouth went dry. This is like no event I've ever seen; there's been no trailer, not even a developer tweet. I see a light appear in the distance, and I realise the tunnel around me is spinning, spooling faster and faster. Then, I feel it again - wind, real wind, harsh and blinding as it rushes past me, not simulated, and not coded like anything I’ve ever felt before. It scrapes across my skin with a biting cold that leaves no doubt. It feels like it's hit every nerve ending I have at the same time.
Sound twists and the light collapses before me, condensing into some kind of doorway.
I was cast into the portal of light.
Patchy’s Note: Let me explain; I’m Patchy (Last name Rowan). Officially, I’m the Sveit’s (Squads) healer. Unofficially, I’m the unfortunate soul tasked with annotating and editing the ‘energetic’ storytelling of our esteemed leader. Think of me as your slightly better-informed tour guide to the end of the universe(s).
