Chapter 1: Pixel Dreams
Neon lights painted the wet streets in shifting colors. Drones zipped overhead, carrying packages, flickering holo-ads, and endless promises of the next big thing. The city never truly slept. Somewhere between the towering skyscrapers and automated skyways, life moved fast, bright, and loud—but down here, in PixelMart, it felt quieter, slower, like a small bubble of calm in the chaos.
Aiden, a boy with long black hair and crimson-red eyes framed by glasses, pushed open the sliding doors of the corner store he and Lina ran. The scent of plastic, metal, and faint cleaning fluid greeted him like an old, familiar friend.
Orphans both, not related by blood but tied together by circumstance, they moved through the quiet chaos of their little shop, arranging stock, wiping counters, and checking expiry dates. Beyond the walls, the city hummed with lights, movement, and the unending chatter of automated systems—but inside, it was just them.
As always, Aiden found himself sitting behind the counter for a moment, staring at the blank sky outside. His sister, Lina, with her black hair tied loosely behind her head and her sharp blue eyes, was staring at him.
"Hey… what are you looking at me for, Lina?" Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Are you still daydreaming about that low-level game?" Lina asked, leaning on the counter with her arms crossed.
"No, no, of course not," he said quickly, though his fingers drummed the counter nervously. "I was just… wondering."
"Wondering what, Aiden?" she pressed.
"About… will I ever get to play those super-realistic VR games, like Mytherra?" he asked quietly.
Lina shrugged, biting her lip. "Oh… well, that costs fifty thousand credits, you know."
Aiden nodded in agreement. "Yeah… I know." He hesitated, then asked cautiously, "But… Lina, were you really looking at me, or were you using the chip?"
"No… of course not," she replied, though her eyes flicked away briefly. She was obviously lying.
Aiden leaned back slightly, letting out a soft sigh. "I see… well, it's almost night. Should we close?"
"Yeah. Let's go. Our shop doesn't even have that many customers today," Lina said, moving toward the door. "Aiden, let's go."
They started to organize the remaining stock, placing items neatly, adjusting prices on the holo-displays, and ensuring the sliding door was properly secured before they left. The neon glow outside reflected faintly in the glass, making the rain-slicked streets look like rivers of shifting color.
---
Their apartment was just above PixelMart, a modest space that smelled faintly of old wood, cleaning solution, and the lingering aroma of whatever Lina had cooked last. Aiden reached his room and flopped onto the bed with a soft thump.
"Ah… Lina, are you gonna make something to eat?" he called.
"Yeah," she replied from the kitchenette. "As usual… rice and stew. Don't act surprised."
"I see… well, then I'll just…" He paused and touched the neural chip at the back of his neck. A translucent screen sprang to life, hovering midair. The interface glowed softly, reflecting off his crimson eyes, displaying friends lists, game libraries, trending streams, and chat notifications.
His gaze immediately caught the top stream: a girl with luminous blue hair, streaked with subtle colored layers, brown eyes focused and alive, fighting her way through a dungeon in Mytherra, the most popular VR game of 2040. Its fanbase wasn't just massive—it impacted real-world credits. Every dungeon cleared, every rare drop earned, translated to real money. Watching Rio wasn't just entertainment; it was seeing the flow of wealth, skill, and opportunity in action.
"Again about that girl's stream?" Lina asked, peeking from the kitchen.
"You mean Rio?" Aiden replied. "Yeah… well, it's good to watch the stream when I can't play the game myself."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Lina muttered, rolling her eyes.
---
The stream focused on Rio as she squared off against the dungeon's final boss: a massive goblin with stats rivaling a Level 50 player.
"Now, now, guys, I can reach Level 50, you know!" Rio said, gripping her sword, her eyes scanning the enemy's movements.
The chat lit up instantly:
Oh, so it's been a month lol, and now she's reaching Level 50!
Don't you know that dungeon is hard AF lol
Haha, well duh, that's true
Aiden hesitated, then typed a greeting:
Rei: Hi Rio!
Rio noticed the new viewer and smiled at the camera. "Hello, Rei! Welcome to the stream. And everyone else—don't call me, I'm only greeting the new viewer."
The goblin growled, muscles rippling under its coarse skin. Its eyes glinted with intelligence. Rio's focus sharpened. Why is this game so hard? she thought. I'm still Level 49…
She lunged forward, piercing the goblin's left leg with a swift sword strike. It staggered, distracted. Rio didn't hesitate, spinning and slicing clean through its head in one fluid motion.
System Message: Player Rio has reached Level 50.
"Hurraaaay! Guys, I'm finally Level 50!" Rio shouted, throwing her fist in the air.
The chat erupted:
Donated 40,000 credits. That was really hard work, Rio!
Donated 1,000 credits. Wow, you finally did it!
Level 50? That dungeon's insane!
Congrats, Rio! You earned it!
Aiden leaned back, eyes wide. "What… did someone just donate forty thousand credits?" he whispered. "Is that for real? Streamers actually make this much? I mean… Rio has 20k followers, but still…"
"What happened?" Lina asked, curiosity winning over her earlier detachment.
"Someone just donated 40k in a stream!" Aiden said, disbelief dripping from his voice. "And there were more donations after that!"
"I see…" Lina said thoughtfully. "Well, you can't stream those games, Aiden. They're for rich people. Even we don't have enough money to eat properly, let alone buy a game that costs fifty thousand credits."
"When did I say I wanted to stream?" Aiden asked, though his face betrayed him.
"Brother, I know you better than anyone," Lina said, smirking. "Your face is clearly saying you want to try."
Aiden groaned. "Ah… I see. My face gave it away, huh?"
"But… can't I try free ones?" he asked, hope flickering in his eyes.
"Well, it's not harmful," Lina replied. "But the free ones are all… not famous. You won't get followers easily."
"Yeah… but if I can make some money through that, maybe I could buy Mytherra someday," Aiden said, eyes bright with determination.
Lina chuckled softly. "I'm not going to stop you."
---
The city outside reflected its own life in neon and wet pavement. The distant hum of drones, the faint chatter of passersby, the shifting lights across the buildings—it all felt alive. But up here, in their small apartment, Aiden felt a spark of possibility. The VR worlds, the streams, the games… all of it felt reachable, if he tried.
He adjusted his chip interface, opening the free games library. Most were low-budget, barely playable, and almost all lacked the fanbase he needed. Yet, he scrolled through, mentally noting which ones could still attract viewers if he approached them creatively.
"Tomorrow, I'll set up the channel," he muttered, more to himself than to Lina. "I'll try streaming… even if it's just small stuff. I'll figure it out."
Lina leaned on the doorframe, arms folded. "Just don't forget reality, Aiden. PixelMart, bills, dinner… streaming's fun, but you can't live in a game."
Aiden smirked. "I know, I know. But… maybe the game can help me live better in reality."
"Hmm," Lina said, shaking her head but smiling. "Just… don't lose yourself completely, okay?"
He nodded, eyes returning to the screen, watching Rio pack up after her dungeon run, fans still sending messages and donations rolling in. He imagined the thrill of streaming himself, the rush of viewers, the adrenaline of playing something impossible in reality.
The night stretched on, neon lights outside painting the walls in shifting colors, the city alive, their small apartment quiet, but inside Aiden's mind, possibilities ignited.
For him, the games weren't just escape—they were a first step toward something bigger. Something real.