A whispering void. Faint echoes drifted through the darkness, threading through Rael's mind like distant murmurs lost in the wind.

  Why?

  Because of you.

  You left us.

  The voices surrounded him, disjointed aless, slipping past like ghosts in a storm. Rael stood in ay, colorless space—featureless, endless, suffog. The air was thick, pressing against his lungs, yet he couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Shadows loomed in the periphery, familiar silhouettes that blurred and shifted like distorted memories. A stage. His team. A championship trophy held high in their grasp, yet the moment was wrong—ed and distant. The figures turheir features hidden, their voices merging into a single, hollow question.

  Why?

  A chilling dread settled in his bohe murmurs grew louder, deafening, and then—

  Rael's eyes snapped open.

  His breath came in short, uneven draws as he stared at the ceiling, heart hammering against his ribs. The faint hum of the air ditioner filled the silence, grounding him in the present. He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his bluish-bck raven hair, still damp with sweat. The weight in his chest lingered, but he ig, f himself upright.

  The digital clo the nightstand read 10:37 AM.

  "Shit."

  Throwing off the covers, he pulled on a loose hoodie and stepped out of his room. The apartment was still, save for the faint rustling of Elias i.

  "M, or whatever," Elias called, not looking up from his coffee. "You okay? Looked like you were having a hell of a dream."

  Rael rubbed his face. "Yeah. Just needed air. I'm heading out."

  Elias raised a brow. "What, voluntarily stepping outside? Damn. You wao dot this historient?"

  Rael sighed, slipping on his shoes. "What do you want for lunch?"

  "Surprise me," Elias said with a zy grin. "But nothing from that overpriced pce dowreet."

  Rael just waved him off and stepped out into the city.

  Roid City was as loud and artificial as ever. Neon billboards flickered against the overcast sky, massive ss dispying rotating advertisements for uping releases, ech, and—of course—Solmora: Ast.

  Rael's gaze lingered on a colossal s mounted on the side of a skyscraper. A ematic teaser pyed: warriors locked in battle against t monsters, castles crumbling under siege, a kingdom bathed in golden light before fading into eerie darkness. The tagline fshed at the end: Step Into A World That Feels More Real Thay Itself.

  His fingers ched slightly in his pockets.

  So this is what everyone's obsessed with now?

  Lost in thought, he barely noticed someone rounding the er—until they almost collided.

  "Shit—"

  Rael took a step back, blinking as he reized the person in front of him.

  "…Evan?"

  Evan was dressed casually, but there was something effortlessly sharp about him. His athletic frame was evident even under his hoodie, and his short, ly styled hair framed a face that still carried the iy of a petitor. His sharp gaze locked onto Rael, surprise flickering in his eyes before a grin tugged at his lips.

  "Well, damn. Didn't think I'd run into you out here."

  Rael shrugged. "Didn't think I'd be out here either."

  Evan chuckled, shaking his head. "Still the same, huh?" His expression softened slightly. "You got time? Coffee's on me."

  Rael hesitated, then gave a small nod. "Sure."

  ...

  The café was quiet, tucked away from the main streets, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the air. They took a booth he window, Evan sliding a cup toward Rael before leaning back against the seat.

  "It's been a while," Evan said, stirring his coffee absentmindedly. "Last time we talked… well, you didn't really talk much."

  Rael exhaled, gripping his cup. "Yeah."

  Evan watched him for a moment before sighing. "Look, man. You know it wasn't your fault, right?"

  Rael's fiensed. "No, it was."

  Evan frowned. "Rael—"

  "I left without telling anyone," Rael said, voice even. "Doesn't matter what the reason was. I bailed. You don't have to sugarcoat it."

  Evan exhaled, shaking his head. "I'm not. But you never let anyone in. You just disappeared. We were worried, man."

  Rael didn't reply. The weight of his past choices sat heavy in his chest, but he wasn't about to start making excuses.

  Evan took a sip of his coffee before switg topics. "Anyway, you've heard about Ast, right?"

  Rael gnced up, raising an eyebrow. "'t exactly miss it. Ads are everywhere."

  Evan smirked. "Yeah, well, my guild's gonna be part of it. Twisted Demons. We're looking to carve out some real ground in the game. It's… different from anything else out there. The realism, the meics, the way it reacts to pyers—it's insane."

  Rael hummed in respoaking a slow sip of his drink.

  Evan leaned forward slightly. "Look, I know you're probably doh gaming. But if you ever want to dip your toes ba, you should hit me up. I think you'd like it."

  Rael scoffed lightly. "Trying to recruit me?"

  Evan grinned. "Maybe. 't hurt to try."

  Rael shook his head but didn't ht reject the offer. Evan he mediate refusal but didn't press further.

  As they tiheir small talk, Evan brought up o thing. "Oh, by the way… I ran into Lu not too long ago."

  Rael's grip on his cup tightened slightly. "…Yeah?"

  "He still holds a bit of a grudge, you know. Didn't say much, but I could tell." Evan sighed. "He was our soloist, after all. Took it harder than the rest of us."

  Rael nodded, unsurprised. "Yeah. I figured."

  "You ever gonna talk to him?"

  Rael leaned ba his seat, gaze distant. "…We'll see."

  Evan didn't push. Instead, he just chuckled, raising his cup. "Well, either way, it's good seeing you again, man."

  Rael ked his cup lightly against Evan's in response.

  Rael and Evan parted ways outside the café, the chill of the afternooling in as Evan gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Think about it, yeah?" he said, a small, knowing grin before heading off.

  Rael didn't reply. He just watched Evan disappear into the crowd, his words lingering in the back of his mind. The world had moved on. Everyone had moved on. It was only him who was stu pce, frozen in time.

  Sighing, he shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking. He hadn't been out in a while, so he might as well grab some takeout. There was a ese pce dowreet he used to visit—at least, back when life had some sembnce of normalcy.

  The st of sizzling oil and soy sauce hit him the momeepped ihe pce hadn't ged. The same red nterns, the same faded menu taped to the wall, the same old man at the register giving him a curious gnce.

  "Been a while, kid," the man ented as he rang up the order.

  "Yeah," Rael muttered.

  The man didn't pry further, sliding over the steaming box of food. "Enjoy."

  Rael left without another word, walking aimlessly as he ate. The warmth of the food was nice, grounding him slightly. He had no real destination in mind—just wandering, mind bnk, until something pulled his attention.

  A store window. Bright, sleek. The glowing sign above read: -Gen VR Pods – Experience Gaming Like Never Before!

  Rael stopped.

  Rows of pristine VR pods lihe store's dispy, their curved surfaces gleaming uhe fluorest lights. Sleek. Advahey weren't just headsets s—they were full-dive systems, the ki for the most immersive experiences possible. The ki for Ast.

  His fiightened around the takeout bag. He remembered seeing these before, back when he was still peting. Before he quit.

  For a moment, all he saw was the past.

  A memory flickered at the edges of his mind, unbidden. A dim room, the glow of a monitor casting long shadows. The faint hum of a game running in the background. And his father, standing behind him, arms crossed, watg him py.

  "If you love something, don't run from it."

  His dad had said that once. He couldn't remember when. Just the way the words had sounded—firm, certain, like an undeniable truth.

  "You were always the best at this, Rael."

  Rael exhaled, slow and steady, eyes still locked onto the VR pod in front of him.

  Evan's words. His father's voice. The past he had tried so hard to bury.

  For years, he had let it all fade. But maybe, just maybe, it was time to stop running.

  He stepped ihe store.