Chapter 2: Game Start
Elizabeth opened the front door and called out, "I'm home!"
Two small kids running around the house froze at the sound of her voice. Their eyes lit up as they turned toward the door.
"Sis!!"
They hurried over and wrapped their little arms around her legs. One clinging to her left thigh and the other to her right.
"Welcome back!"
"Lex," Elizabeth said with a gentle tone, patting the head of her four-year-old brother in the red shirt on her left. She then turned to the five-year-old in the blue shirt on her right. "Dave."
"Where's Mom?" she asked.
"Kitchen!" Dave chirped, pointing his tiny fingers toward the door on the left.
Elizabeth bent down, then slid her hand behind them and carried each of them into her arms. Both kids then kissed her on the cheek.
Huff!!
Elizabeth exhaled with a smile as she stood up, their weight in her arms.
"Did you guys get bigger again?" Elizabeth teased.
Both boys giggled in unison.
"Were you good?" she asked, gazing into their eyes.
They nodded in perfect unison, wide-eyed and earnest.
"Good…" A warm smile touched Elizabeth's lips. Keeping them nestled close, she turned toward the kitchen.
The rhythmic clatter-scrape of dishes paused. Lina glanced over her shoulder, suds clinging to her wrists. "Have you eaten?"
Elizabeth shook her head.
"Go get changed," Lina said, turning back to the sink. "I'll finish these, then whip up something good for everyone."
"Okay," Elizabeth nodded.
"Play!" The plea erupted from both children at the same time as they squirmed in her arms. "Play now!"
Elizabeth laughed while bouncing them in a gentle manner. "Alright, alright! What shall we play?"
"Hide n seek!" Dave blurted, bouncing himself.
"Seek!!" Lex, chimed in while poking his tiny fingers on Elizabeth's cheek.
"Hide and seek it is!" Elizabeth declared, already pivoting toward the living room. Their infectious energy carried her forward.
Elizabeth turned around and walked to the living room.
"Don't play too long," Lina called after them, her voice a gentle warning.
...
Twenty minutes later...
"Enough!!! Enough!!" Elizabeth burst out laughing and sank to the floor, collapsing in a heap. Her arms spread out as she struggled to catch her breath between fading giggles.
Seizing the moment, Lex and Dave jumped onto her. They landed like joyful cannonballs, one flopping against each of her outstretched arms. Their own high-pitched laughter weaved with her fading chuckles.
A soft tsk cut through the happy chaos. Elizabeth tilted her head; in the corner of her eye, she caught Mom's silhouette in the doorway.
Arms crossed but a faint smile playing on her lips. "You're spoiling them so much; look at you, all of you guys are full of sweat."
"Come, come..." Lina bends down with open arms. "Time to get changed."
Full of energy, both children stood up. They bounced on their feet, their small arms raised high in the air, waiting for Lina to pick them up.
She caught them effortlessly, settling one on each hip with practiced ease.
Lina tightened her hold and shot a glance at Elizabeth, who lay on the floor. "And you..." she added, her tone carrying a gentle reprimand, "don't just lie there letting that sweat go dry. Go up and get changed."
"Yessss!!" Elizabeth got up feeling exhausted. As she passed by Mom, Elizabeth ruffled Lex's and Dave's hair, then trudged toward the stairs.
"Oh, and Elizabeth..." Lina's voice stopped Elizabeth as her foot touched the bottom step.
"Mr. Kan stopped by at noon. He had some men with him hauling an enormous box up to your room." She adjusted Dave, who was trying to peer over her shoulder. "He said it was Rianne's early birthday gift to you. It seemed that it was too big to give you on the actual day. So they just... dropped it."
Elizabeth froze. The weariness vanished, replaced by an electric shock. She spun around so fast that she almost stumbled. "Huh?!"
"Don't you know?" Lina burst into warm, knowing laughter at her daughter's stunned expression.
"No wonder they came announced. Mr. Kan was secretive; he said you'd 'know what to do with it' once you opened the thing."
Elizabeth slowly raised her hand, pressing the heel of her palm hard against her forehead. It's already here; what could she possibly do about it now?
A long, slow breath escaped her. "Right," she murmured in defeat.
"Guess I'd better... go check it out." She turned back to the stairs.
...
She pushed the door open to her room, and there it was.
The box.
Big, brown, and unmissable.
Her room was modest at best. Enough to fit one bookshelf for the books she read. A narrow bed tucked against the wall, a closet beside it, and a small, cluttered desk for her PC. In the center of it all, the big brown box occupied almost all the available space.
As Elizabeth stepped toward it, her eyes landed on a slip of paper pinned to the top.
Elizabeth leaned in. Plucked and read the content. Clear, bold text stared back at her... detailed instructions for operating a game capsule.
Elizabeth folded it back up and placed it on top of the box. "Nope," she muttered. "I'll deal with it after a hot shower."
She grabbed a towel from her closet and headed to the bathroom.
She's too tired... and too lazy... to care right now.
She needed a hot shower to clear her mind before she could even begin to think about it.
...
An hour later...
"Phew."
Elizabeth let out a long breath as she stepped out of the bathroom. Steam filled the air with a lavender scent. As the towel absorbed the last droplets from her jet-black hair. A larger towel was tightly secured under her arms. This left her shoulders and slender legs bare. "Nothing beats a shower after a long, tiring day." She changed into her favorite oversized shirt and a pair of soft, comfortable shorts.
Elizabeth reached for her phone on the desk. The screen lit up, and sure enough, one single notification from Rianne awaited her.
Elizabeth opened the message and found nothing but a single peace sign emoji.
✌︎︎
Elizabeth could practically see her best friend's guilty grin through the screen. Rianne knew exactly what she had done.
And the peace sign was Rianne's silent way of asking for forgiveness.
A smile tugged at Elizabeth's lips, then she began typing. "Let's play after dinner." Elizabeth hesitated for a moment but then added a smile emoji at the end.
(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)
"Liz! Dinner's ready!" Her mother's voice floated up from the kitchen, inviting her. Carrying with it the mouthwatering scent of something delicious.
"Coming!" Elizabeth replied. She then put her phone down on the cluttered desk and went downstairs.
...
Miles away, in a marble-tiled bathroom of a grand mansion, Rianne's phone lit up. She was about to get out of the oversized soaking tub when her eyes caught sight of her phone.
She stepped out of the tub in a hurry, steam still rising from the jasmine-scented water behind her. Her whole body lay bare, she grabbed and opened her phone. The moment she saw Elizabeth's name on the screen, her heart skipped a beat with anticipation.
Rianne read the message: "Let's play after dinner (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)"
"YES!!!!" Rianne punched the air with her free hand, almost dropping her phone in the process. A triumphant grin spread across her face. "Operation: Get Liz Into VR is officially a go!" With a happy stride, Rianne grabbed a robe to cover her body and hurried out of the bathroom, excited to play.
...
After having her dinner, Elizabeth went back to her room. Elizabeth stood in front of the large box once more.
Unsealing the box was easy. Mr. Kan had set everything up. So all she had to do was unbox the game capsule.
Setting the cardboard box aside, Elizabeth examined the game capsule.
Shaped like a seamless egg, with a slightly elongated base. The exterior is a smooth matte white, almost glowing under soft ambient lighting. It looks like it is large enough for her to lie on with ease.
She retrieved the instruction sheet, her eyes scanning the clean print.
She retrieved the instruction sheet, her eyes scanning the scene.
She first thought that operating it would be hard, given how advanced the technology was.
The instructions for operating the capsule were clear and concise. This surprised her.
Elizabeth read...
Activation: Press the large blue button on the right side.Entry: Approach the side to enter. The curved smart-glass hatch will open automatically once activated.Sealing: Once inside, lie down comfortably, and the hatch will automatically close.Game Initialization: When you're sealed in, close your eyes and say, "Game Start."
That's it?
Elizabeth blinked. "That's... easy."
Elizabeth followed the instructions.
She reached out and pressed the large blue button.
Then thin silver-blue lines pulse gently across the game capsule's surface. Following a biometric rhythm to show it's active.
The curved, one-way smart-glass hatch opens, producing a soft hiss. The interior resembles a cocoon, with soft, pearl-white padding covering all surfaces. Soft LED lights add a warm glow.
Elizabeth set the instruction manual down on her desk.
Taking a deep breath, she climbed into the capsule. Once she lay down, Elizabeth felt surprised. The interior seemed to adjust to her body. The memory foam-like material molded to her shape.
"Wow…" she whispered, sinking into the softness. It was more than comfortable... it was effortless. Like floating.
The hatch closed above her with the same silent efficiency. Sealing her into a cocoon of soft light and perfect temperature.
Elizabeth closed her eyes. Darkness met her, serene and silent. She drew a deep breath and spoke the command: "GAME START!"
Then a flash of light replaced the darkness in her eyes.
Then a soothing voice from a lady whispered in her ear.
[Welcome to Beyond Reality]
[Would you like to create your character...?]