The clock in the gaming room struck 12:07 AM, the most chaotic time in existence—too late to sleep and too early to admit that everyone's life choices were questionable.
Eight friends, bonded by memes, snacks, and a supernatural ability to procrastinate life responsibilities, sat in a circle around their glowing gaming setup:
Aria – the self-declared leader who panics first and thinks later.
Kian – sarcastic dude powered entirely by energy drinks and questionable decisions.
Mira – soft girl but will roast you so politely that you'll say thank you.
Ravi – the genius who hacks things "just to see what happens."
Zoya – hopeless romantic, cries at dog videos, screams at mosquito bites.
Dev – gym freak but emotionally as fragile as a soap bubble.
Rhea – bookworm with trust issues… especially when the pages end.
Yuvan – the chaotic gremlin friend no one wants but everyone needs.
Their gaming room looked like a tech paradise built by people who clearly never cleaned. Pizza boxes? Check. Tangled wires that could kill someone? Check. That one LED strip flickering like it's sending Morse code to aliens? Double check.
"Okay guys," Aria said dramatically, tapping her controller. "Tonight… we beat ALL 25 rounds of this mystery game I found online."
"What's it called again?" Mira asked.
Aria grinned mischievously.
"Level Lockdown: The 25 Round Curse."
Yuvan blinked. "That sounds like a scam."
"It was free," Aria added proudly.
"That is a scam," Ravi confirmed.
Before anyone could vote against bad decisions, Dev—who pressed buttons like he was born to ruin things—clicked START.
The screen glowed a shade of red that screamed, leave the room immediately.
A robotic female voice echoed:
"Welcome, Players. Game initializing…"
The lights flickered.
The floor vibrated.
Zoya clutched Mira like someone stole her chocolates.
"Uh… why is the room shaking? Did anyone not pay the electricity bill?" Dev whispered.
Then—
BOOM.
A blinding blue flash swallowed the entire room like a camera flash from God.
Silence.
Then—
THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD.
Eight bodies dropped onto cold grass.
Kian groaned. "If this is heaven, why do my elbows hurt?"
Mira sat up, eyes wide. "Guys… where are we?"
They were in a huge circular arena with floating screens, glowing pathways, and a holographic scoreboard listing all their names. A shimmering blue sky stretched above them like someone installed RGB in a universe.
And in the center…
A massive hourglass hovered, sand dripping upward instead of down.
Then the robotic voice returned, louder and clearer:
"Welcome, Players. You have been transported into LEVEL LOCKDOWN.
To escape, you must clear all 25 rounds.
Each round contains a story.
You will enter the story.
You will become the characters.
Solve the clues.
Complete the task.
Or… restart."
Ravi's jaw dropped. "This is… this is impossible… right?"
Kian stared around. "We're inside the game. BRO. WE ARE THE BUG."
Suddenly, the hourglass spun violently and projected a swirling portal in front of them.
"Round 1 loading…"
The wind roared.
The portal growled like an angry vacuum cleaner.
Yuvan screamed first and loudest.
"NOOOO—WAIT—CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS LIKE RESPONSIBLE ADULTS—"
Too late.
The ground disappeared beneath them.
They fell—
spinning, tumbling, yelling, insulting each other—
straight into the glowing portal.
Everything around them stretched like paint on water.
Time twisted.
Colors melted.
And then—
Darkness.
Followed by a soft distant voice:
"Welcome to Story One."
The air was suddenly warm.
Music drifted in.
A lantern flickered above them.
They opened their eyes.
They were no longer in the arena.
They were standing inside an old vintage tavern… wearing outfits that looked like they walked straight out of a historical romance novel.
Aria froze.
Kian stared at his clothes.
Zoya gasped dramatically.
"GUYS… WHY DO I LOOK LIKE A SIDE CHARACTER FROM BRIDGERTON?!"
Mira checked her reflection on a shiny teapot.
Rhea covered her mouth in shock.
Dev, wearing a vest and billowy shirt, whispered, "Guys… I HAVE A NECKLACE. I NEVER WEAR NECKLACES."
Ravi picked up a scroll that materialized on the table:
STORY 1: THE FORGOTTEN BALLAD OF TWO LOVERS
Solve the heartbreak or repeat it forever.
"Oh hell no," Yuvan muttered. "Our first mission… is a romantic story? I don't even have a love life IRL!"
But before they could complain further, a burst of golden dust swirled toward them like glitter on steroids.
Their surroundings pixelated briefly—
And they heard the voice again:
"Objective: Learn the story. Find the clues. Fix the tragedy."
The tavern door creaked open.
A mysterious woman stepped inside—
eyes glowing silver, dress flowing like she walked out of a dream.
She smiled softly.
"Let me tell you a story…"
The door shut behind her.
And the chapter ended there.
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