The air crackled with anticipation as the clock ticked down to the release of Grentasia, the hottest new VR MMO RPG.

  Shu, a seasoned gamer at 18, tried to stay calm, but his 16-year-old sister, Hana, was practically bouncing off the walls.

  "Come on, hurry up!" Hana whined, her eyes glued to the store clerk.

  Shu Chuckled, "Calm down, Hana. It's not going anywhere."

  "I know, I know," she said, her voice dripping impatiently. "It's just taking forever!"

  Finally, the clock struck 2:00 PM, and the store clerk announced, "is now on sale!" Hana practically shrieked, "About time!"

  Forty-five minutes later, they returned home, and the game was finally installed. "Mine's all plugged in. Are you ready?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

  "Yeah, I'm ready," he replied, trying to hide his excitement.

  "OK, remember, the code word is..."

  "Pinetables!" they both shouted in unison.

  "I know, I know," mumbled Shu, already itching to dive into the game.

  "OK, I'll see you there!" she said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

  With a click, they both entered the virtual world.

  A signup screen greeted him. He entered his details and chose his username:

  "Reaper"

  "And confirm!" he said, pressing the button. Suddenly, the world shifted, and he stood in a charming medieval town with cobblestone streets and colourful flowers blooming everywhere. A voice boomed from somewhere nearby, "PINETABLES!!!"

  Shu winced, shaking his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time," he muttered, turning to see Hana running towards him, her eyes wide with wonder.

  "PINETABLES!!!" shouted again, her voice full of excitement. "You made it! This place is incredible!" She grabbed his hand, pulling him along as she bounced around the village square.

  "Look, they have a blacksmith, an apothecary, ooh, ooh, look, they have restaurants too!" "Haha, I can see, I can see," he laughed, trying to keep up with his hyperactive sister.

  Hana spun around, her face beaming. "Ooo, we should look for a quest; come on this way!" She turned to run, but in her excitement, she bumped into someone.

  "Oof!"

  "Oh, I'm sorry! Are you OK?" the stranger asked, looking concerned.

  Hana jumped up, quickly rushing to hide behind her brother. Shu scratched his head nervously. "Sorry about that; she gets reckless when she's excited."

  "It's no problem at all," the stranger said, smiling kindly. "I just wanted to make sure she was alright."

  "She seems fine," he said, trying to regain his composure. "You wouldn't happen to know where we can find a quest around here, would you?"

  "Yeah, there's a bulletin board just over there with some quests available," the stranger pointed.

  'Suddenly emboldened, she jumped out from behind, grabbing his arm. "Come on, come on, we got to go!" she said, dragging him towards the bulletin board.

  Scratching his head as he's pulled away, he yells, "Sorry about this. I appreciate your help!" The stranger smiled and waved as they hurried away.

  "What should we pick?" she asked, eyes scanning the board. "There's a flower collecting quest, a boar hunting quest, a firewood collecting quest..."

  "Calm down, calm down, one at a time." "Why don't I do the boar hunting while you do the flower picking?"

  Hana's face lit up with excitement. "OK!"

  They accepted their quests, and a message popped up on their screens:

  "Quest Started, Boar Hide,"

  "Collect 15 Boar Hides from the Peaceful Meadow,"

  "Quest Started, Flower Picker,"

  "Collect 15 Dragon Lilies from the Peaceful Meadow."

  The siblings looked at each other, a shared smile. They were ready for their adventure.

  They departed from the village, soaking in the surroundings: expansive green fields, blossoms in various hues, and a clear blue sky.

  "Look over there!" Hana exclaimed, directing her finger towards a cluster of flowers guarded by wild boars.

  "Okay, I'll distract the boars while you gather the flowers," he remarked, as if he had experience with this task.

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  "Right!" Hana replied with unwavering resolve.

  Shu started by luring the boars away from them, giving Hana space to collect her flowers. He focused on one boar at a time, slashing and lunging when he could.

  "Wow, this is hard work," he panted, wiping sweat from his brow.

  "How are you doing over there?"

  "I'm almost done, just a few more," she replied, her voice filled with determination.

  "A few more? I've still got 14 more to kill," groaned.

  "Better get to work, I guess." He charged back into the fray, jumping over one boar and slashing at the one behind it. He spun around, striking the first boar with a swift blow. But another boar caught him off guard, knocking him to the ground. As the boar charged, he drove his sword into its chest, killing it with a grunt.

  "Whew, 11 more to go," he said, getting to his feet.

  Two more boars appeared, charging at him from opposite sides. He waited until the last minute, dodging to the side and causing them to crash into each other. He quickly dispatched them, feeling a surge of adrenaline.

  Hana ran over, her eyes wide with admiration. "Wow! You looked so cool!"

  He laughed, feeling a bit cocky. "There are no more boars here; shall we explore a bit? I only need nine more."

  Hana jumped with excitement. "Yes!!!"

  They wandered around the meadow, enjoying the scenery and the fresh air.

  "Hey, you should keep collecting any flowers you come across," Shu suggested. "We should be able to sell them when we get back."

  "Oh yeah! That's a good idea!" Hana said, her eyes scanning the meadow for more flowers. She spotted a cluster of flowers in the distance and, without thinking, took off running.

  "Wait, don't run off so quickly!" he shouted, but it was too late. He saw two boars emerge behind a rock, a worried expression crossing his face.

  "HANA, RUN!!" he yelled, his voice filled with urgency.

  She turned to see the boars charging towards her, her eyes widening in panic. She turned and ran towards Shu, the boars hot on her heels.

  "When I say so, jump to my right, OK?" he said, his voice calm despite the danger. She nodded, her heart pounding. They slowly closed the distance, keeping his eyes on the boars.

  "NOW!!" he shouted. Hana Jumped to her left just as the boars thundered past. They continued charging towards Shu, who slid to the left of the first boar and slashed at its side. The second boar, however, had changed direction and was now focused on Hana. He saw the danger and prepared to throw his sword. He waited for the perfect moment, then threw it with all his might, knocking the boar over.

  He ran to Hana's defence, now weaponless; he turned and told her to stay by his side. The boar got back to its feet and charged again.

  "We're going to run to the right this time, OK?" he said, his voice firm. "When we do, I'm going to stop, and you're going to keep running, OK?"

  "But..."

  "No buts!" he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

  "OK..." mumbled Hana, reluctantly agreeing.

  The boar charged, and they followed the plan. Shu stopped, and Hana kept running. The boar focused on Shu and continued its charge. At the last second, he dodged, grabbed a rock, and threw it at the boar, keeping its attention.

  He ran for his sword, the boar still charging. He dove for his sword just as the boar was about to hit him. He grabbed his sword, spun, and slashed, killing the boar with a satisfying grunt.

  He Collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. "Thank god that's over!" he said, wiping sweat from his brow.

  Hana came running over, her face filled with relief. "Are you OK?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

  "I'm fine," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. "Just a little tired." He looked around at the peaceful meadow, the sun shining brightly overhead. He glanced at Hana, who was still catching her breath. "Hey, you know," he said, a mischievous glint in his eye, "Maybe we should've tried that firewood collecting quest first."

  Hana Laughed, her fear forgotten. "Yeah, that sounds a lot simpler!"

  "Let's call it a day for now. We can finish your quest, sell those plants, and treat ourselves to something delicious,"

  Hana nodded enthusiastically, and they took a stroll through the meadow back to town.

  Upon arriving, Hana eagerly approached the quest board, and a notification appeared on the screen.

  "Quest Complete"

  "Reward"

  "100 Shil"

  "2 HP Potions"

  Spinning around with a beaming smile, Hana exclaimed, "All done!"

  Shu returned her smile. "Now that we've finished, where should we go to eat?" he inquired.

  Overwhelmed by the many options, Hana walked down the bustling high street, her eyes gleaming excitedly.

  "Ooo, ooo, I want that!" She enthusiastically pointed at a colourful stall selling skewered meat, the enticing aroma filling the air.

  Shu moved toward the stall, his stomach rumbling, and placed his order. "Could I please get two?"

  The chef replied, "Coming right up!" With skilful hands, the chef prepared their meal, the sizzling of the skewers resonating around them.

  He handed the skewers to Shu, saying, "That'll be 50 shil, please."

  Shu paid, anticipation building as he returned to Hana, who was waiting eagerly. They found a nearby bench to sit on, savouring the juicy, flavourful skewers.

  "This world is incredible! Thank you for buying this game for me Shu!" she said, turning to Shu with a wide grin, her face smeared with food.

  Shu chuckled, amused by her joy, using a napkin to wipe her face. "You're welcome!"

  After finishing their scrumptious meal, they strolled back to the village centre, the familiar sights around them radiating warmth.

  "So, should we end the day here? You have school tomorrow, and I picked up an extra shift, so I need some rest," Shu said while stretching his back. Hana's expression turned to one of concern.

  "Another extra shift? Don't push yourself too hard! You'll need energy for our next adventure!" she said, giving him an encouraging smile.

  He grinned back, affectionately ruffling her hair.

  "I've taken Thursday and Friday off, so we can jump back in then. I still have my quest to complete after all!"

  Hana nodded, her excitement bubbling as they both opened their menus to log out. However, as they hit the log-out button, their world dissolved into darkness—no people, sounds, or buildings, just an empty void.

  "What's happening?" Shu asked, a hint of worry evident in his tone as he glanced around, trying to make sense of the unsettling atmosphere that surrounded him.

  "Hana? HANA!" he shouted, his voice echoing with a sense of urgency, anxiety gripping him as he feared what could have possibly occurred to her.

  "Something's not right; this feels off," he muttered to himself, a sense of dread creeping in as he sensed that whatever was unfolding was far from normal, stirring a deep concern within him.

  Just then a chilling message flickered into existence.

  "New Quest: Survive"

  "Quest Description"

  "Your ability to log out has been revoked. To regain the right to log out, you must conquer the game. Dying will result in the termination of your account and life. Welcome to your new reality."

  Shu's heart raced as he processed the gravity of the message, his eyes widening in disbelief. Suddenly, he returned to the village, but the once-familiar surroundings now felt ominously tense.

  He slowly turned his head, dread washing over him—his sister was on her knees, fear evident on her face, while everyone around them shared a similar look of panic.

  Chaos erupted as screams pierced the silence, and people ran frantically, their cries echoing in the unsettling stillness.

  Shu's breath quickened, and he stammered out a single word.

  "What..."