I’ll never forget the day HVO launched, permanently altering the trajectory of my life; no, not just my life, it transformed the entire world.

  With my knees hugging my chest, I crouched atop a chair at my desk, my eyes entranced, watching a countdown tick. In just ten seconds, I would know if I was chosen to participate in the closed beta for Hero x Villain Online, the most anticipated mobile game ever conceived.

  The countdown was complete; I received an email from Net Hero Games, sending a jolt through my heart. I flung my arm toward the notification, clicking it as if I were landing a flick shot with a sniper, and then I quickly scanned through the email.

  Hello Ky Tempus,

  Congratulations!

  You have been selected for the Hero x Villain Online Closed Beta Test!

  We have left a package at the address listed on your application. This is your Hero x Villain Online Starter Kit! Instructions for the next phase of the process will be inside.

  Thank you for your participation and welcome to Hero x Villain Online.

  Adrenaline began to course through my veins, I could feel myself shaking as my eyes descended through the email. I screamed, my voice reverberating off the walls of the infinitesimal box I called a bedroom. The doorbell rang soon after and I bolted downstairs like a child on Christmas morning, skipping steps, leaping over the last four, and landing with the grace of a gymnast.

  I yanked the front door open, finding a package; yet, there wasn’t a delivery driver in sight. I couldn’t have taken more than ten seconds to open the door; I figured, the driver must have rushed to his truck, but when I looked up and down the street, I could only see my neighbors’ parked cars.

  Weird, I thought. It’s not like it mattered, so long as the package was in my hands, I didn’t care for the semantics. I rushed upstairs, jumping over three steps with each hop until I reached my room. I ripped the package open, finding a small, plastic bag and a booklet.

  I picked up the booklet, read the installation instructions, and entered the redeemable code into my phone. While installing the game, I peeked inside the plastic bag and found contact lenses.

  Are these Dad’s? I wondered. I figured that maybe his order and mine came in the same package; however, when I read the instructions, these contact lenses were mentioned. Before I could continue reading, I was distracted by the HVO app opening.

  I was instantly entranced by the colorful, beautifully rendered animations showing heroes and villains battling in a realistic city. When prompted, I tapped the screen and was greeted by the main menu with three selectable options: Map, Alias, and Powers.

  Alias caught my attention the most; curious, I tapped my screen and was taken to a new menu. I was prompted to type in my character’s name, but I wanted to wait until I created the guy first. Beneath the prompt, I could make out a few other selections; namely the Nemesis tab. It made me wonder if other players could become my rivals of sorts.

  With other players in mind, I opened the map to see if it would show anyone nearby. Instead, I found objectives and crimes scattered around the city. If completed, each objective offered one of three types of points: Skill Points, Hero Points, and Villain Points.

  I wondered what spending these points could get me, so I returned to the main menu and tapped on the Powers tab. Immediately, a paragraph appeared.

  In the world of Hero x Villain Online, powers manifest at birth. To simulate being reborn, the powers of your hero will be generated based on the personality test taken upon signing up for the Closed Beta Test. Your given powers cannot be changed; any selling of accounts is prohibited. Do you agree to these terms?

  I agree.

  I do not agree.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  I clicked agree, triggering an animation of blood coursing through veins before the camera zoomed in, showing a strand of DNA snapping in two. Words began materializing on the screen, and my power was revealed.

  “Chronomancer!” I exclaimed. “I can control time!? Sick!”

  I was immediately taken to a skill tree, but with the single Skill Point I was given, I could only afford the first skill.

  “That’s it? And what’s with the cooldown?” I whispered.

  Even though I was underwhelmed, I still unlocked Time Warp. A menu popped onto the screen, showing a humanoid model gesturing toward their eyes. Aloud, I read the prompt. “In order to proceed, please put on your Super Lenses…”

  I glanced down at the bag of contact lenses; it wasn’t until then that I contemplated what these supposed ‘Super Lenses’ could be used for. There was only one way to find out. I walked across the hall to my bathroom and leaned closely into the mirror, removing my glasses.

  I took a look at myself for a moment. People often said my eyes looked sleep-deprived, I guess without my glasses, they did seem that way. My pimple-free, auburn skin was as radiant as ever; no skincare needed. My hair, however, coiled and overgrown, could've used a trim.

  I never liked wearing contact lenses; the idea of something touching my eyes freaked me out. Still, I would climb a mountain of shattered glass if it meant I could play this game, so putting in a couple of contacts was hardly a hurdle.

  I started with my left eye, and once the contact lens was in place, I couldn’t stop blinking at my reflection. I could feel the lens resting uncomfortably on my eyeball; though I was unsure if this was normal. I repeated the process with my right eye, again, I couldn’t stop myself from blinking.

  “How do people wear these things…” I whispered. It felt like the lenses were constantly scratching at my retinas; I figured my eyes were just sensitive and needed time to adjust. After a few seconds, my eyes started tearing up and an intense burning sensation dispersed. I kept trying to blink the pain away, but then that burning started to seethe in the literal sense. My eyes were heating up from the inside out as if their fluids were boiling.

  I hunched over, placing both hands on my counter, knocking over toiletries in my hysteria. “Fuck!” I yelled, feeling around for the faucet. I turned it on, but before I could soothe my eyes with cold water, I felt flames coursing through my entire nervous system. I was paralyzed, forced to stare at the reflection of my convulsing body, certain that I was about to die.

  I couldn’t tell if I was hallucinating, but I swear my eyeballs looked like they were emitting steam. I could feel tears welling up, but they never ran down my face. This was the most painful experience of my life; I am a man so I can’t say for sure, but I imagine this was ten times worse than childbirth…

  Then it stopped.

  The flames were gone... I felt fine; actually, I felt better than fine. You know that weird high you get after going to the gym? That’s sort of how I felt. Still, I wanted nothing more to do with these things. I stumbled toward my mirror and tried taking them out.

  I looked closely at my reflection and I couldn’t even see them. I considered that they may have fallen out, but then a horrific thought shocked my entire system and I was caught in a daze, feeling the world contort around me.

  “They burned into my retinas…” I whispered, stepping rearward. “I need to see what others are saying online.”

  Panicked, I pulled my phone from my pocket, but it slipped and started hurling toward the ground. “No!” I yelled, watching my caseless phone fall toward the tile. Before it could hit the ground, my phone started floating in place, defying gravity. My body and phone started moving in reverse until the phone fell into my pocket.

  I could feel my heart throbbing as I stared at my pants pocket, remembering the skill I had unlocked earlier. “Did I just… warp time?”

  I carefully pulled the phone from my pocket before frantically surfing the HVO forums. I wasn’t the only one who’d experienced their retinas being burned, nor was I the sole player to obtain actual powers. I fell backward onto my wall and slid down onto the tile, staring at the words on my screen.

  “Holy shit… I’m a real-life superhero…” I was mortified at this fact; yet, I started to laugh. “I’m a real-life superhero.”

  Excitement and anxiety shook my bones; thoughts of heroism and villainy popped in and out of my brain. I’d always told myself that if I were to get powers, I would become a hero like Webber-Man or Suprememan. But real life isn’t a comic; these powers weren’t packaged with responsibility. Yet, I found myself pushing these dreams of fame and riches aside, remembering my mother.

  “I had always wished a hero was there to save you,” I whispered. “Now, I can ensure no one makes that same wish.”

  I saw players on the map clearing objectives– committing and preventing crime. My body still trembled, but I couldn’t let myself fall behind the others.

  I drew my breath and stood tall, looking at the man in the mirror. He didn't tremble and his sharp eyes were beaming. His lips were still; yet, I could hear his voice.

  "Time to level up."