Rain hammered against the cracked windowpane of the orphanage.
Eren's pale fingers danced across his keyboard, eyes locked on the glowing screen that had become his escape from reality. The game's dungeon timer ticked down — ten seconds before the final boss spawned.
If I can clear this, I'll finally hit Level 100… he thought, his voice barely audible beneath the storm.
Behind him, the old door creaked open.
Riel, his younger brother, peeked in with a small smile and a tray of food.
"Brother, you haven't eaten since morning. The caretaker said—"
"I'll eat later, Riel. Just… give me a few minutes."
Riel sighed and walked over to the desk. The light from the monitor painted both their faces — the brothers shared the same sharp eyes and the faint silver hue in their hair.
The game boss roared. A massive explosion of light filled the screen as Eren's avatar swung his sword — and the moment the hit connected, the monitor flared too bright.
[SYSTEM ALERT: Dimensional Sync Reached]
[Transfer Sequence: Initiated]
"What—?" Eren started, but the words never left his mouth.
A surge of energy erupted from the computer. Symbols of blue light spread across the floor, pulsing like veins beneath the wood.
"Eren!" Riel shouted, dropping the tray as the food scattered. He rushed forward, reaching for his brother's shoulder. The moment his hand touched Eren's sleeve, the symbols expanded — swallowing them both in light.
For a second, everything went silent.
Then came the wind.
The scent of iron.
And the sound of chains rattling.
Eren opened his eyes to find himself standing in an ancient stone hall. Broken pillars surrounded him, and glowing runes lined the cracked floor. Floating in the air before him was a familiar blue screen:
[Welcome, Player. You have entered the Realm of Valtheris.]
He blinked in disbelief. The same interface from his game hovered right in front of him — only this time, he could feel the air, smell the dust, and hear the faint hum of magic around him.
"This… this can't be real," he whispered, taking a step forward.
Beyond the broken windows, an endless horizon stretched into mist — a world vast and unfamiliar, yet eerily familiar.
And somewhere far away — under a different sky — Riel woke up too.
The ground beneath him was cold earth, the air heavy with the scent of moss and damp leaves. He pushed himself up, coughing, only to see the same kind of symbols fade from his skin.
But before him, there was no system screen.
No glowing interface.
Only the sound of growls echoing through the forest.
Riel turned slowly. In the shadows, something moved — eyes gleaming faintly between the trees.
He backed away, trembling. "Brother…?"
But the forest answered only with silence.
High above, the storm clouds parted — and lightning flashed across two different skies.
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