Hyderabad one of the major metro cities in 'India' lived a boy named Eshu.
He was eighteen years old ,fat and 5.4 foot tall . An ordinary student. He had no parents, no friends, and no girlfriend. His life revolved around part-time shifts at a game shop, classes at college, and the small joy of playing video games during his rare holidays.
That evening, after finishing work, he crossed a bridge on his way home. But fate chose that moment to change his life forever.
A strange woman stood in the middle of the bridge. Her face was hidden behind a black scarf. She wore a dress that looked like it belonged in a fairytale, not in the middle of a modern Indian city.
The woman called out to him.
"You are Eshu, aren't you?"
Startled, the boy stopped in his tracks.
"Wha… who are you?"
"Answer my question first. Then I will answer yours."
After a pause, Eshu nodded.
"…Yeah, I'm Eshu. Now tell me who you are."
The woman's eyes gleamed behind the scarf.
"I am Alexa. I need a favor."
"A favor…?" He frowned. "If it's money, I don't have much. It's my holiday—I've got plans. I can only give a little."
Alexa laughed quietly.
"I don't need your money. I have enough to buy this entire city."
"What…?!"
Instead of answering further, she pulled out a game disc and handed it to him. The cover read: Royal Battleground.
"Please," she said, "connect this to your console and play it for me."
Eshu took the disc, turning it over curiously.
"Looks like Call of Duty… no, maybe like Free Fire or PUBG. A new game?"
"It hasn't been released yet," Alexa whispered. "Play it and tell me how it feels."
"I see. Alright, I'll try it."
But her voice grew sharper.
"First, read the contract. Promise me this."
"…Fine."
When he turned away with the game in hand, the woman was already gone. Her body dissolved into light, vanishing from the bridge as though she had never existed.
---
The next morning.
Eshu prepared himself as usual—brushing, bathing, cooking breakfast. But his mind drifted to the mysterious game.
"What should I do today? …Right, the game she gave me."
He rushed to his room, searched through his belongings, and finally found it.
"Got you."
He slid the disc into the console. The screen flashed with the message:
Create Your Avatar.
"…An AI feature too? Not bad."
The system began asking questions.
How should the Avatar look?
"Make him a nineteen-year-old boy with black hair he should have eigh packs and he should be six foot tall ."
What should he wear?
"A black coat and scarf. In battle, a war mask should appear automatically. After the fight, it disappears."
What should be his nature?
"Violent. Brave. Fearless. Strong enough to crush mountains. With foresight, strategy, diplomacy… a perfect warrior."
Final question: What should be the Avatar's Spirit Power?
"Spirit power…?"
The Spirit Power is the soul of your Avatar, symbolized by a beast.
"…I see. Then—give him the Power of Destruction. His beast will be a red-and-black tiger."
Avatar created. Please enter a name.
He grinned.
"Black Tiger."
At last, the contract appeared on the screen.
It was long. Too long. Just like terms and conditions no one ever read.
Eshu frowned.
"Tch. What a waste of time."
He skipped through it and pressed Accept.
The world fell silent.
A heavy THUNK echoed, like an axe striking stone. A glowing portal opened before him.
An axe flew out—faster than lightning.
The blade severed his head in a single swing.
Blue flames erupted from his body, burning it to ash. His soul was pulled into the portal.
---
When Eshu opened his eyes again, he was no longer in Hyderabad.
Above him stretched a boundless sky, dyed with colors he had never seen. A massive dragon flew across the heavens.
"…A dragon?"
Not one, but many dragons filled the skies, flying as though on a great migration.
Below, demi-humans packed their belongings. Families loaded carts pulled by gigantic red oxen, leaving their homes behind.
Eshu sat up, his voice trembling.
"…Where… am I?"
---
To be continued…