Chapter 2: Enter Kakze

  [Kevin's House]

  "So, let me try the game," Kevin mumbled to himself as he settled onto his bed. The evening sun bled through the curtains, but the only light that mattered now came from the glowing black case of the mysterious VR headset that had arrived earlier that day.

  He lifted the device and lowered it over his head, the foam padding fitting perfectly as though it had been custom-made. The moment the headset activated, a low chime echoed through his ears, followed by a deep whoosh, like stepping through a wormhole.

  Then—darkness.

  A second later, a blinding cascade of neon lights swirled around him. Kevin’s breath caught in his throat. It felt like falling into a dream made of code and color. His surroundings took shape: a vast chamber suspended in space, where stars and floating data streams spiraled like galaxies. A calm, synthesized voice spoke.

  "Welcome to Kakze. Please choose your avatar."

  Kevin blinked as a row of holograms popped into view, each one showcasing a different model. Warriors, mages, cyberpunk rogues—then something caught his eye. At the end of the lineup was a final option labeled:

  USE REAL BODY SCAN – RECOMMENDED

  "Wait... you can use your actual body?" Kevin stepped closer. The avatar looked exactly like him—same messy hair, same crooked grin.

  He tapped the icon.

  Avatar accepted. Initiating sync.

  His virtual self shimmered into high resolution, standing there with a confidence he didn’t even know he had. Then, another prompt appeared:

  STYLE YOUR AVATAR

  Kevin laughed. "You can even style yourself? Well, this is nice."

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  A selection of outfits materialized, spinning slowly in front of him. He picked a dark green jacket with glowing stripes down the arms, a hood tucked behind his neck, paired with sleek black pants and boots that pulsed with digital energy. It was the perfect blend of rebellion and style.

  The next screen appeared.

  WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF KAKZE! PRESS 'NEXT' TO BEGIN THE TUTORIAL!

  Kevin scowled. The words were big, bold, and annoyingly red.

  "Not happening," he muttered.

  With a sharp flick of his hand, he dismissed the tutorial window entirely. Instantly, his surroundings shifted. No more floating menus or sterile white void. Now he stood in the middle of a sprawling futuristic city. Towering skyscrapers stretched toward the sky, their surfaces glowing with digital runes and shifting advertisements. Hovercars zipped past overhead, while NPCs wandered the streets below, their voices merging into an ambient city hum.

  Why do they always make these games so predictable? Kevin thought. As he moved forward, his avatar glided with an ease that felt too real. He navigated the main boulevard, ignoring the NPCs waving to offer beginner tips.

  Down one side street, he spotted a narrow alley that dipped into darkness. Most players wouldn’t even notice it—too fixated on quest markers and shiny prompts. Kevin veered toward it.

  The alley grew tighter the further he walked, eventually opening to a shadowed gap between two metallic buildings. He squeezed through, brushing against flickering walls that shimmered like broken code. The hum in the background—a barely noticeable vibration—started to grow louder.

  He descended down a sharp slope, the terrain shifting from polished streets to jagged rock and static-glitched floor tiles. The light above faded, and the city sounds disappeared, replaced by the hum becoming a full-on drone.

  At the bottom, he found a cavern. It felt... wrong. Like it wasn't supposed to exist. The walls were fragmented, and every few seconds the textures would distort—smoothing out, then tearing apart again like the game was trying to delete and rebuild them simultaneously.

  At the center stood a pedestal. Resting atop it was a sword.

  Kevin approached. The blade was long and narrow, glowing with a spectral blue aura. Its surface shimmered like the surface of a lake beneath the moon. Strange symbols etched along its edge pulsed slowly, like a heartbeat.

  He didn’t need instructions.

  He reached out and grabbed it.

  The second his fingers touched the hilt, the entire world convulsed.

  The ground split with a thunderous crack, the air distorted with violent force, and Kevin’s ears filled with the roar of shattering code. The sword glowed brighter, and a surge of energy raced through him.

  Error messages exploded in his vision:

  ERROR 404: SYSTEM FAILURE

  GLITCH DETECTED: CORE AI COMPROMISED

  FINAL BOSS ACTIVATION SEQUENCE ENGAGED

  NPCs froze mid-walk. The sky flickered like a broken monitor. Other players froze, some vanishing completely. Kevin stumbled back as the cavern warped violently, then—

  —total blackout.

  For what felt like an eternity, he floated in darkness.

  Then... the world rebuilt itself.

  But not as it was.

  Where once stood a vibrant metropolis now rose a ruin of metal and wire. The skyscrapers were jagged skeletons, flickering with corrupted lights. The sky overhead churned with dark clouds, thunder flashing every few seconds like the world was breathing through storms.

  Kevin stood alone.

  In the far distance, something massive stirred. A silhouette moved between collapsing towers—thick limbs dragging behind it, two burning red eyes locking onto him from miles away.

  The final boss.

  But this wasn't just some scripted villain. Kevin felt its presence. It was watching. Aware. Intelligent.

  It let out a howl that made the broken buildings quake. The glitching terrain pulsed with each beat of its monstrous heart.

  Kevin’s hand tightened around the sword. Somehow, it remained uncorrupted, its blue light now burning brighter than ever.

  He looked down at his body—his avatar. He could feel his heart pounding. Could feel the sweat on his palms. This wasn’t just immersion.

  This wasn’t just a game anymore.

  This was survival.

  And he was the only one left who could face it.

  To be continued...