Chapter 1 - New Beginnings

You Have Died.

Tal slammed his fist against the makeshift desk spanning the whole length of his hospital bed. Bold ember letters softly illuminated the middle of his screen reflecting his own gaunt expression back at him. Granted, his version of slamming was little more than an exaggerated push. His slight frame had neither the muscle nor fat to execute anything remotely resembling a slam.

Tal leaned over the desk as he rubbed his too-dry eyes and for the umpteenth time he thought about how bad he just wanted to get out of here. Oh how bad he craved to leave this room of his, this grave-in-the-waiting.

Alas, he couldn’t. So he knew he just had to make do. Escaping into another game’s reality was really the best thing he could manage. Not to mention it was a great way to escape from his parent's incessant screaming matches. They tried to keep it down, at least when they were around him. No matter their efforts, Tal could still hear them going rounds just outside his closed door.

The stress of a dying kid was enough to break up any marriage.

Tears coalesced in his eyes and he couldn’t stop the single drop slowly rolling down his cheek…It was all his fault. Forget it…forget it…close your eyes…deep breaths, Tal, deep breaths.

It was his third death in this new game already. Safe to say; his escape mechanism was failing him.

Valeria was impossibly hard. An array of hidden features and obscure mechanics that were unique to each individual made for a distinctive gaming experience. Not to mention the learning curve.

Despite its difficulty, it was all the craze these days and one of Tal’s final opportunities to have some fun with his friends. Right now, they were just encouraging him to try to get through the beginner area so they could finally party up and play together. His treatments seemed determined to make sure that never happened.

Valeria had been extensively marketed over the last few months, leaving gamers all around the world hyped for the launch date. Where the game had come from and who had developed it was unknown. That only seemed to excite the public more though. It certainly added to it’s publicity. Everyone loved a mystery.

Tal didn't have much to say about the other circling conspiracy theories on the web, as far as he was concerned, they were all tinfoil hat mad-men. Besides, he hardly had time to read into any of it.

Regardless, Valeria spoke for itself. Within seconds of playing the game, anyone could tell that it was something special. It came as no surprise that as soon as the game was released it exploded into popularity, first through gaming circles, and eventually, finding features amongst news headlines.

Unfortunately, Tal thought, it was just way too hard. For someone who had grown up playing games all his life, even with his recent treatments, he would have thought he could manage. His sore hands, dry eyes and stiff back solidly disproved that theory.

Tal cursed under his breath at his ‘almost’ completion of the beginner area, a 5 staged dungeon that imitated a dungeon-crawler style of progression. At this stage, he hadn’t even been into the ‘open-world’ aspect of the game yet. It was infuriating and yet, he couldn't stop playing. A feeling he knew many a gamer must be familiar with.

He had gotten further than quite a few of his friends. That wasn’t enough to make him feel even a sliver of satisfaction. He knew he was better than this. He could feel it. If only he wasn’t so bedridden he would be blasting along.

His friends all tried their best to keep his spirits up. There was only so much they could do though. They knew he was terminal. Hell, these days it seemed like everyone knew. So much for a little privacy.

His friends continued to try and bring a smile to his face though. They would frequently gang up on James. Tal knew James was happy to bear the burden of their words in exchange for making his friends last few moments any better. He was a goofy guy, but an unendingly kind soul.

Jame hadn’t even made it past the first floor yet. That brought in many good laughs from the whole group. James refused to say a word. Clown reacting to any mention of his poor performance.

Luckily enough, however, the beginner area was forgiving and allowed for respawning. It was no hardcore run where participants were forced to complete the beginner area in a single run. Which, Tal thought, made up for the game's inability to let his party up with his buddies to rip through each challenge together.

Nevertheless, Tal was exhausted, and his stomach was beginning to voice its assent in low rumblings. He could contact one of the nurses with a click of a button but if he didn’t interrupt his parents now, they would be going at it all day. He had already ruined most of their life, saving them from themselves was the least he could do.

With a heave that took more effort than it ever should, he managed to heft himself up and out of his bed. He placed his laptop on the side of the bed, doing his best to avoid looking at his painfully thin, and now shaking - arms. It was ok. It wasn’t anything new.

He cast a quick glance back towards his screen to view the time.

8:38:05 pm.

“Curse me and this stupid appetite…” Tal muttered. He had eaten earlier and found he couldn't stomach much. It was going to be one of those nights. He would have to remain content with the small amounts he could fit down his throat.

Tal noticed something weird, then. Something that stopped his musings dead in their tracks. His clock wasn't moving. For some reason, the time was greyed out. Stone cold frozen.

Tal made to move back to his computer. “God damn bugs just trying to make my life difficult.” He grumbled, “Can’t I get a break.”

In the bottom, right-hand corner, in the same amber colour as the still-lurking end game message, was a pulsing, indescribable, spherical mess of something...rotating in a slow swirl.

Suddenly Tal’s screen turned itself off. Then his computer. Then his lights. Then his clock. Everything faded to black - until Tal was sitting alone in his small hospital room under cover of absolute darkness.

“Creepy...” He muttered as he moved instinctively towards where he knew his laptop was laying. A second passed, and then he stopped, his fingers meeting empty air. Wasn’t it just right here? Screw this fumbling in the dark. I need some light. Tal strode to his lightswitch, only finding once again, nothing - it wasn’t there.

That’s when the silence hit him harder than his treatments ever could. There was no yelling outside his door, no bustle of the hospital staff, no slow beeping from all the medical gear packed into the room. Not even the somewhat soothing rustle of the crickets camping just outside his room. He had gotten used to those long ago.

It should be right here. Hell, I should have stubbed my toe by now. Where the hell is everything. What the hell is happening. I didn't think I was that sleep-deprived. And the drugs aren’t scheduled to get this strong just yet either.

Tal’s pulse leapt under his skin as an insidious hissing suddenly began near him. Sweat beaded upon his forehead. The hissing built, slowly transforming into a final crackling crescendo that reverberated around the room and violently vibrated the very air against his skin.

He didn’t feel dead. Yet, this was all certainly ringing of something distinctly other-worldly.

Tal flicked his eyes around the room, trying to pinpoint the origin of the sound. There! He mentally exclaimed as he laid his eyes upon a point in space that seemed to be stretching itself apart.

Now I know what to stay the hell away from. Not that I can see anything in this blasted room, anyway.

A grey mist began to pour forth from the anomaly. Tal watched with wide eyes. It came slowly first. Then rushed in like water from a broken dam, flooding the room with enough light that Tal could finally be sure, he was far from home. Though where he was, and how he got there, was anyone's guess. He looked towards the anomaly, it pulled itself inward, now consolidating into a dark cloaked figure.

On shaky legs, Tal moved away from the crackling and the strange shadowy shape. First one step, then two… ten steps later, Tal was even more mystified. His room wasn’t this long. Something was very wrong. And Tal had absolutely no idea what he could do about it. This was beyond sleep deprivation. Something undoubtedly odd was happening. Still, Tal wasn't worried. He knew he should be, but the curiosity inside of him won over his sense of caution.

“STEP FORWARD CONTENDER!” The shadow boomed in a voice so loud it flung the sweat beaded on his forehead.

A small, reasonable voice in his head screamed in defiance against the commanding voice. No, I will absolutely not step the f**k forward thank you very much. And yet the impulsive, much larger part of him told that voice to get lost - even as his heart pounded.

His life here was all but over. Whether it was some bizarre effect of all the drugs in his system or something else…it would be a welcome break from what the last few days of his life had turned into. And if this was truly death…well, he had known he didn’t have long left anyway.

Tal made his choice and stepped forward. The world exploded into dazzling white light.