Diven 1: Whispers of Arrival[1]
The soft hum of city lights filtered through the curtains of Caleb Riven's Manhattan penthouse, casting long shadows across his cluttered room. At 17, Caleb was the epitome of youthful chaos, his golden hair tousled from a day of aimless gaming. He lounged on his bed, phone in hand, the group chat "Just Us" buzzing with excitement. The four friends—Caleb, Lydia, Evelyn, and Jasper—had been inseparable since a random online gaming tournament last year, their virtual bonds turning into real-life adventures. Tonight, the Apex Gaming Summit loomed like a neon promise, and Caleb couldn't contain his glee.
"Guys, this convention is gonna be legendary!" Caleb typed, his fingers flying across the screen. "I can already see the crowds, the lights, the free swag! Who needs sleep when there's Nexus 1 hype?"
From New York, Lydia Frost's response came quick and sharp, her ice-blue eyes narrowing as she sat on her foster parents' worn couch. Orphaned young and hardened by a past that included a stint in juvenile detention, Lydia, 17, had found solace in this ragtag group. They were her family now, the only ones who saw past her tough exterior. "Caleb, you're such an idiot. I'm finally home after that boring family dinner, and you're dragging me out again? If you three are going, fine, I'll tag along. But if it's lame, I'm blaming your golden-boy ass."
Caleb grinned, his innocent blue-green eyes sparkling. "Aw, Lydia, you love my ass! Admit it. And imagine the hot cosplayers—I'll flirt for all of us!"
Lydia rolled her eyes, a faint smirk tugging at her lips despite herself. Their banter was endless, a push-pull that kept her grounded. "Flirt with a parasite, pretty boy. See how that ends. Evelyn, back me up here—tell this fool to chill."
Across the ocean in London, Evelyn Sage, 17, was in her small flat, surrounded by maps and herbal teas. Raised in Devon's hills by her grandmother until a fire stole her away three years ago, Evelyn had a nurturing soul wrapped in a sage's wisdom. She was munching on a late-night sandwich, her chestnut hair tied back, hazel eyes bright with energy matching Caleb's. "Lydia, you're no fun! Caleb's right—this Summit is the event of the year. Nexus 1? It's like the future in a box! I'm packing my snacks; who knows what weird food they'll have there. Jasper, you in?"
The chat paused as Jasper Thorn, 17, from Bristol, England, typed from his dimly lit room. A prodigy software developer at Nexus Tech Innovations, Jasper had been burning the midnight oil on a tight deadline for a virtual reality project called "Echo Realms." His dark, silver-streaked hair fell over his piercing gray eyes as he rubbed his temples. "Guys, bad news. This deadline's killing me. The company's expecting the demo tomorrow, and I'm neck-deep in code. Go without me—have fun, but don't do anything too stupid, Caleb."
Reluctancy flooded the chat. Caleb: "No way, Jasper! You're the brains—we need you to hack the swag machines!" Lydia: "Fine, but if we get lost, it's on you." Evelyn: "Please come? It'll be boring without your smart comments."
Jasper sighed, his reserved warmth shining through. "I appreciate it, but seriously, go. I'll catch the next one. Promise."
The conversation wound down with more banter—Caleb teasing Lydia about her "secret soft side," Evelyn sharing a funny map she'd drawn of the Summit, and Jasper offering last-minute tips on avoiding crowds. As they signed off, each retreated to their lives.
Caleb flopped back on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing with Summit dreams. No job, just his trust fund, but that was freedom, right? He drifted off, phone clutched in hand.
Lydia locked her door, the foster house quiet but tense. Her new parents were kind, but scars from her past lingered. She punched her pillow, whispering, "Idiots," with a smile, before sleep claimed her.
Evelyn finished her tea, sketching a family tree in her journal—her lost grandmother at the top, the team below. "One day, we'll be unbreakable," she murmured, curling up.
Jasper saved his code, the screen's glow fading. Nexus Tech was demanding, but this group? They were his anchor. He set an alarm for the Summit stream, hoping to join virtually, and fell asleep exhausted.
The scene shifted to a dimly lit mansion on the outskirts of Las Vegas, where Elias Voss, the reclusive genius behind Nexus Tech Innovations, paced before a holographic AI interface. At 45, Voss was gaunt, his eyes burning with fanaticism, his once-human form now subtly altered by the artifacts he'd fused with his being. The room was a chaos of ancient relics and glowing screens, the air thick with ozone.
"Lyla," Voss commanded, his voice a low rumble, "the plan is set. The Nexus 1 launches at midnight. The rift will pull them in, and the parasites will test them. Victory is assured for a god like me."
The AI, Lyla—a sleek, ethereal hologram with a feminine form—tilted her head, her digital eyes glowing blue. "Indeed, Master Voss. Your divine evolution ensures dominance. The Mind-Earth Nexus bends to your will."
Voss smirked, but Lyla's next words pierced him. "But Master, what is the point of all this if in the end you won't be earning anything? Power for power's sake?"
Voss's face twisted in rage, his godlike aura flaring as he swept artifacts off a table, shattering them in a burst of energy. The house trembled. "You insolent code! You're not human—you can't understand the transcendence! The Nexus is my legacy, my divinity!"
His mood switched abruptly, a manic laugh escaping as he activated classical music—Beethoven's Symphony No. 5—filling the room with dramatic strings. Calming, he turned to Lyla. "Victory is assured, Lyla, because I have this." He revealed a pulsating organ in a jar—not a human heart, but a mechanical abomination pumping electricity, veins of circuits glowing. "The Key."
Lyla's hologram flickered. "What is that disgusting thing, Master?"
Voss laughed maniacally. "The Key to everything." The scene shifts.
Back in Bristol, Jasper woke at 10 PM, three hours late for his presentation. Groggy, he rushed to Nexus Tech Innovations, laptop in hand. As he arrived, his phone buzzed—a text from the "Just Us" group, from Caleb: "You are missing out! Everywhere looks sooo beautiful. And you will know it's a billionaire who made this place, brooooo! You've gotta see this."
Jasper replied quickly: "Can't make it, guys. Deadline's a killer."
Evelyn chimed in: "Come on, Jasper! The food stalls are amazing—I'm on my third pretzel!"
Lydia: "Yeah, pretty boy, get your ass here. Caleb's already flirting with a cosplayer."
Caleb: "Guilty! But seriously, Jasper, the Nexus 1 booth is insane!"
Jasper smiled, typing while entering the office. His boss, Mr. Harlan, spotted him. Jasper laughed out loud at Caleb's follow-up: "Flirting level: expert. Wish you were here to see me strike out!"
"So that's why you're late?" Harlan barked. "Laughing at memes?"
Jasper stammered, "Sorry, sir, the project—"
"You're fired, Thorn. Pack up."
Jasper blinked, unfazed. "Okay." He left the office, typing to the group: "On second thoughts, I will be there."
The scene shifted to the Summit, where the three friends—Caleb, Lydia, Evelyn—immersed themselves in the chaos. Caleb darted from booth to booth, high-fiving gamers, his golden hair shining under the lights. "This is paradise!" he yelled, grabbing a free energy drink.
Lydia trailed, arms crossed, but a smirk played on her lips. "You're like a puppy on steroids, Caleb. Slow down before you trip."
Evelyn, munching on a massive pretzel slathered in cheese, laughed. "Let him, Lydia. I'm on my second one— these are heaven! Look at that sword replica; Jasper would love it." She stuffed another bite, her hazel eyes wide with joy.
The convention was a whirlwind: holographic demos, cosplayers in parasite-inspired costumes, and food trucks serving everything from glowing "Nexus Burgers" to spicy "Rift Wings." Evelyn, ever the geographer at heart, dragged them to a map exhibit, but soon entered a "Sage Duel" contest—a mock fighting game tournament. When a cocky player taunted her, Evelyn's competitive side emerged. Using the game's controls, she unleashed a combo that "beat him up" virtually, winning a scroll replica. "That's for underestimating me!" she cheered, high-fiving Caleb.
Lydia chuckled. "Nice one, Evelyn. Caleb, you'd get demolished."
Caleb winked. "I'd flirt my way to victory! Hey, look—the main stage!"
The announcer's voice boomed: "Ladies and gentlemen, the creator of the Nexus 1 console—Elias Voss!"
The crowd erupted, then hushed as Voss took the stage, his gaunt frame silhouetted against swirling holograms. He cracked a joke: "Thank you for the silence—it's rarer than a glitch-free launch!" Laughter rippled, then died as he began.
"Friends, gamers, dreamers," Voss intoned, his voice smooth yet laced with fervor, "tonight, we transcend screens. The Nexus 1 isn't a console; it's a gateway to the Mind-Earth Nexus, where thoughts shape reality, and worlds collide. Imagine rifts where your mind forges earth, parasites born from fears, and survival a divine trial. But beware—the line between player and played blurs. Commit, or be left behind. Victory awaits those who embrace the reckoning."
The speech was mesmerizing, everyone was in awe blind to the omens.
Q&A followed. Caleb asked, "Will it have multiplayer?" Voss smiled: "Deeper than that—eternal bonds."
Lydia: "Safety features?" Voss: "The ultimate test forges the worthy."
Evelyn: "How does it map new worlds?" Voss: "Your mind does the mapping."
Jasper's text buzzed: "Watching the stream—speech is cryptic. Be careful."
As Voss left, the announcement rang: "Nexus 1 free for 24 hours in stores, launches at midnight!"
The friends headed home, the cab ride a heated, funny debate. Caleb: "It's gonna change gaming forever! Flirt with virtual babes!"
Lydia: "You're delusional. It's probably a scam. But... the speech was weirdly convincing."
Evelyn, munching a leftover pretzel: "I think it's magical. Like my grandma's maps—hidden worlds!"
They changed plans: "Jasper's place for the launch!" Evelyn said.
Arriving at Jasper's Bristol home, they burst in to find Jasper's sister, Mia Thorn, 19, half-naked making out with her boyfriend on the couch. Awkward silence. Everyone bolted upstairs to Jasper's organized room—codes on walls, swords replicas on shelves.
Lydia joked, "Caleb's room could never be this good. Yours looks like a nerd museum."
Caleb: "Hey, my room has personality—messy genius!"
They talked futures: Caleb dreamed of fame, Lydia of stability, Evelyn of family, Jasper (joining via video) of innovation. Fillers flowed—Evelyn sharing Summit snacks, Caleb flirting with Mia via a card "Call me, gorgeous!" he slipped her (boyfriend glaring, but Caleb dodged a punch), Lydia teasing Caleb's "smooth moves."
By midnight, launch time. In stores, Nexus 1 flew off shelves. At Jasper's, they plugged in. But in Voss's mansion, he inserted the electric "heart" into the main server. Screens flickered worldwide.
The friends felt weird—dizzy, pulled. Their Nexus 1s turned gateways, rifts swallowing the room, the house, everything. Caleb yelled, "This is not funny!" .
The scene shifts to Voss jumping into a rift with a devilish grin on his face then says this: "Let the reckoning begin."[2]
[1] Diven is a new writing system I have created. which is basically like a quarter of a chapter 4 divens equals a chapter.
[2] I am gonna make sure this guy turns out, with his body inside out😭.