My name is Kamari. People call me weird because all I ever do is play games. Online games, RPGs, FPS, strategy, you name it, I grind it. I don't party, I don't date, I don't even go outside unless someone drags me. My brain works like a hard drive. I remember every detail. Cheat code, basically. I have photographic memory
But none of that prepared me for the day my life turned into a game.
---
"Kamari, I dare you!" my best friend Eloise grinned, pulling my arm as we walked through the mall. Her eyes sparkled with that dangerous look.
"Uh oh," I muttered. "That look means trouble."
Beside her, our other friend Alaina laughed. "No backing out this time, Mari. We're bored. You need to live a little."
"I live plenty," I shot back. "I have five max-level characters, thank you very much."
"Characters aren't boyfriends," Eloise said, poking my side.
"Correction," I smirked. "They're better."
Alaina groaned. "You're hopeless."
We walked past the food court, neon lights buzzing. People rushed everywhere, voices blending into noise. My headphones hung around my neck, still warm from the game I paused at home. My fingers twitched, missing the keyboard.
Then Eloise suddenly stopped. "There. Him."
I followed her gaze. My stomach dropped. A tall guy leaned casually against a column, phone in hand. Black jacket, sharp jaw, too handsome for his own good. And beside him, a pretty girl holding his arm. His girlfriend, obviously.
"What about him?" I asked, already sensing where this was going.
Eloise grinned like a devil. "Go tell everyone you're his girlfriend."
I froze. "What? Are you insane?!"
Alaina laughed so hard people looked at us. "Oh, this is gold."
"No way," I said, shaking my head. "I'm not doing it."
"Scared?" Eloise taunted.
"I'm not scared. I'm… sane!"
"Come on, Mari," she begged. "It's just a prank. You always hide behind your screen. One time, just one time, do something real."
I clenched my jaw. She wasn't going to let this go. Alaina was already smirking like she had front-row tickets to chaos.
"Fine," I muttered. "But when I die, I'm haunting you both."
I straightened my shirt, pushed my hair back, and walked over like I had every right to. My heart banged in my chest like boss battle drums.
"Babe," I said sweetly, sliding in beside the guy. I wrapped my hand around his arm before the girlfriend's jaw even had time to drop. "You didn't text me back."
The world froze.
The girlfriend's eyes widened. "Excuse me? Who the hell are you?"
I smiled innocently. "His girlfriend."
Gasps. Even Alaina choked on her soda. Eloise covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
The girl let go of the guy's arm like it burned. "What did you just say?"
The guy, tall, dark eyes, confused as hell, stared at me like I was a glitch in his system. "What the—"
"You heard me," I said, doubling down. "You didn't tell her about me?"
The girlfriend's face flushed red. "Are you cheating on me?!"
"What?! No!" the guy protested.
People started watching. Phones came out. My inner gamer whispered *Achievement unlocked: Public Chaos*.
The girlfriend pushed him. "We're done! Don't talk to me again!" And just like that, she stormed off.
The guy turned on me, fury flashing in his eyes. "What the hell was that?!"
I stepped back, hands raised. "Uh… prank?"
"Prank?!" he shouted.
From behind me, Eloise lost it. She was on the floor, laughing. And Alaina wheezed.
The guy clenched his fists. "You ruined everything! Do you even know—"
But then—
Suddenly the lights flickered.
I froze. Everyone did.
The mall's bright glow dimmed, like someone pulled the plug on reality. Shouts rippled through the crowd.
"What's happening?" Alaina whispered.
My chest tightened. This wasn't part of the prank.
The sky outside the glass ceiling turned black. Not just dark, swallowed. A purple crack split across the sky, glowing like fire veins.
"Oh my god…" Eloise's voice shook.
The air vibrated. Then—
*BOOM.*
The crack ripped open. A portal. Swirling, and massive, bleeding violet light into the world.
And from it, things poured out.
Not birds. Not planes. Insects. Huge, crawling, buzzing monsters. Wings sharp like blades. Claws clicking. Screeches that pierced bone.
The mall erupted in screams. People ran, shoved, trampled.
I couldn't breathe. My brain screamed *cutscene*. My body screamed *run*.
"Kamari!" Alaina grabbed my wrist. "Move!"
I stumbled as one of the insects smashed through the glass, shards raining everywhere. Its mandibles snapped, dripping with some glowing green liquid.
"What the hell is that?!" Eloise shrieked.
The guy I pranked shoved past me, eyes wide. "Run!"
I didn't argue. We bolted. The mall shook as more creatures crashed in. Stores shattered. People cried. Security guards fired their guns, but bullets barely slowed the monsters down.
"This isn't real," I whispered. "This can't be real."
But it was.
---
We ducked into an electronics shop, crouching behind shelves. My heart pounded so loud I thought it would attract them.
Eloise gasped. "Kamari, what's happening?!"
"I– I don't know!" I stuttered.
"You always know!" Alaina hissed. "You play this crap every day! Look at them, what do we do?!"
I blinked. She was right. Their movements, their formations, even the way they circled, it was familiar. Like raid bosses. Like the AI I'd studied for years.
"Oh my god," I whispered. "It's just like *Swarmfall*."
"What?" Eloise asked.
"That game I showed you! The insect mobs, the same attack patterns!" My brain shifted gears, locking into gamer mode. "They hunt in clusters. Don't get cornered."
"You're telling me you recognize this?!" Alaina said.
"Yes!" I snapped. "Shut up and listen!"
The guy from before stumbled into the shop, breathing hard. He spotted us and froze. "You—"
"Not now, pretty boy!" I cut him off.
He blinked. "Did you just—"
"Shh!" I hissed.
Outside, the sound of glass crunching grew louder. Shadows loomed.
Eloise squeezed my arm. "Kamari, we're going to die, aren't we?"
"Not if I can prevent it," I muttered.
The first insect crawled into the store, legs scraping the floor. Its many eyes glowed violet.
Everyone held their breath.
It screeched.
I grabbed the nearest weapon I could find, a metal stand. My hands shook, but my brain screamed the pattern. Left feint, right strike, weak spot under the jaw.
"Kamari, no—" Alaina started.
I charged.
The stand slammed into its jaw. Crunch. It shrieked, reeling back. Green ichor sprayed the floor.
My arms shook, but adrenaline screamed louder than fear. "I knew it."
"You killed it," Eloise gasped.
"Correction," I said, panting. "I outplayed it."
But then the ground shook again. More shadows crawled through the broken mall.
Dozens.
The guy cursed. "We're screwed."
"Not yet," I muttered, gripping the bloody stand tighter. My gamer brain burned like fire, memories flicking through every raid I'd ever studied.
I looked at my friends. "Stick with me. Follow my lead. This isn't a prank anymore. This is survival."
And just like that, my game began.