Ethan returned to his assigned den and wasted no time pulling out his VR capsule. The metal shell unfolded with a familiar hum, and he slipped inside without hesitation. For a fleeting moment, he allowed himself to hope he might run into Lyla or the others in Ethereal, even if only to exchange a few words before everything became complicated again.
The system booted up, soft light washing over the interior. But instead of the usual glowing gateway, he was met with something that made him frown.
The "Enter Ethereal World" button was dark.
The only option illuminated was "Arena." Above the inactive Ethereal portal hovered a countdown timer, ticking steadily, marking the time until the servers would come online.
"What the hell? It's pitch black already," Ethan muttered, irritation creeping into his voice.
He checked the system clock.
4:00 PM.
