The room was quiet, except for the soft clicking of keys and the low hum of the monitor.
Pale light flickered from the screen, casting ghostly shadows over a desk cluttered with empty cans, half-finished homework, and notes no one had read in weeks.
A boy sat hunched in front of the monitor, eyes glued to the screen. His face was lit by that same cold light, fingers moving on instinct. Another night. Another gaming session.
He knew the map of Fractured Dawn like the back of his mind. Every cliff, every hidden mob, every broken tower. His avatar, a Cinder, cut through the enemies with the same combo he always used.
Parry. Slash. Dodge. Repeat.
It was mindless. But that was the point, in here, things mattered. Victories felt earned. Losses had weight. The world had purpose, everyone trying to survive, to change their fate.
Out there? In real life? Nothing felt like that.
Where Fractured Dawn had mystery, danger, and a world begging to be explored, his world was a cycle of school, silence, and expectations. No bosses to defeat. Just grades, rules, and a gnawing emptiness.
His parents were strict. Traveling wasn't allowed. Games were only played when they weren't around. This room, quiet, dim, a little stale was the only place he felt anything.
He paused the game for a second and looked around. Stacks of unopened books. Sticky notes curling at the edges. The kind of silence that hung too heavy when you noticed it.
"I really need to get my shit together," he muttered.
But even he didn't know what that meant anymore.With a sigh, he turned back to the screen. "Alright. Let's just finish this boss and call it a night."
The boss fight took longer than it should have. But he won. Barely.
The screen lit up with level-up notifications, the usual dopamine rush, but one message stood out the most.
[Congratulations! You have attained a new rank and rare skill → Awakened Cinder]
[Would you like to claim skill?]
[Warning: Player will become in-game character]
He squinted at the message. "Weird glitch," he muttered.
The warning didn't feel serious. It was a game. Maybe some hidden achievement? A joke from the devs?
"Huh… what's the worst that could happen?" he said, clicking yes.
The screen flickered. A soft, sharp glitch. Barely noticeable but it hit something in his gut.
He blinked and shrugged. The game froze all the time. It was probably nothing.
But the flicker came again, longer this time. The hum from the monitor deepened, vibrating through the room.
He leaned in, heart beating faster.
No update should feel like this.
Was it the system? Was it overheating?
He checked the rig. Fans were running. Coolant was fine. No overheating and no reason for the screen to feel like it was… pulling him in.
The light stretched and the room dimmed. His body felt like it was sinking into the game.
And then, darkness.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
A sound like wind, low and distant, crept into his ears. Not natural, it felt too hollow. He couldn't breathe. The air felt thick, almost wet.
His eyes snapped open.
His desk was gone, gone were the walls as well. No computer, No chair.
No blinking assignments to finish up later.
Just a cold stone that sat beneath him. Dust in his mouth. Every inch of his body ached, like he'd been dropped from a height.
He sat up slowly. The darkness was thick, broken only by a pale light flickering somewhere far off. His breath came short. The air stank of old rot and time.
"This isn't my room"
He reached out, touching a stone. Cracked and crumbling. It was real.
Just as he was still trying to familiarise with his environment, something echoed in a distance.
Hooves. Heavy and pounding towards his direction.
His breath hitched.
That sound, he felt like he knew it.
"No way," he said, finally recognising what it was.
It was a Gravemare.
It was one of the worst monsters in the game. The one he always avoided if he could help it. But now… it didn't sound like a boss theme. It sounded real and close.
His heart pounded in his chest. He looked down, expecting to see a keyboard, a controller, anything familiar.
But his hands were bare. Dirty and shaking with fear.
He pushed himself to his feet. Legs numb, his muscles weak. But his instinct took over.
He had to move and that's when it hit him.
This wasn't a cutscene. This wasn't a bug.
He had been pulled into the game he was just playing.
Transmigrated.
And the Gravemare?
It was coming.
His legs moved before his mind could catch up.
No armor. No weapons. No pause menu. Just fear and the sound of death galloping toward him.