The world vanished the instant Riley hit START on the Nexus-VR headset.
A deep chime echoed through the void—
BOOM.
Light exploded outward.
Riley's breath caught.
He stood on a vast circular platform made of living white light, suspended in an endless void of drifting particles and shimmering mist. The surface beneath his feet rippled like liquid glass, glowing brighter with each heartbeat.
Beside him, two silhouettes materialised—blank white shapes that flickered into form.
Aria let out a scream of joy and spun in a full circle.
"OH. MY. GOD. THIS IS SO COOL."
Sofia pressed her hands to her mouth, eyes wide.
"It feels… real."
Riley smiled softly.
"This is the Start Hall. This is where everything begins."
Five years ago… he had stood here alone.
Bitter. Exhausted. Hollow.
Now?
He wasn't alone at all.
A godlike voice boomed through the chamber:
"CHOOSE YOUR CLASS."
Five colossal statues erupted from the glowing floor and rotated in a great, slow circle around them. Each towered twenty feet tall, made from swirling energy—blue, gold, silver, crimson, violet.
Their names flickered beneath their feet:
VANGUARD
RANGER
CHANNELER
ARTIFICER
MYSTIC
Aria inhaled sharply. "Okay this is insane. This is actually insane."
Sofia whispered, "They look alive."
Riley stepped back, letting them have this moment.
"Take your time," he said. "Pick what feels right. There's no wrong choice."
Aria immediately sprinted full-speed toward the Artificer statue.
Riley pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Or do that."
The Artificer statue whirred with shifting gears, floating gadgets, glowing drones, and chaotic sparks of energy.
Aria rested a hand on her hip.
"This one literally screams my name."
Sofia frowned. "You didn't even look at the others."
"I don't need to. Explosions. Gadgets. Chaos. Destiny."
A UI panel flickered open:
> ARTIFICER
Tactical • Engineering • Traps
Strengths: Gadgets, AoE, utility
Weaknesses: Fragile, setup time
Ideal for inventive players.
Aria didn't read a word. She slapped CONFIRM like she was hitting a big red button in a cartoon.
Crimson-blue energy wrapped around her, shaping her avatar into something sleeker, sharper, chaotic.
She threw her arms up.
"I. AM. A GENIUS."
Riley smirked. "It fits."
---
Sofia's Turn
Sofia moved slowly, studying each statue with quiet care.
Vanguard… Ranger… Channeler…
But she stopped in front of the Mystic statue.
A robed figure made of moonlight, floating runes drifting around its hands. Warm beams of soft magic flowed from its palms into the glowing floor.
Sofia's voice was barely a whisper.
"This one…"
The UI appeared:
> MYSTIC
Spells • Support • Elemental Magic
Strengths: Healing, shields, versatility
Weaknesses: Low physical defense
Ideal for thoughtful, precise players.
Sofia read every line.
Then she nodded, small but sure.
"I want this."
She pressed CONFIRM.
Golden light wrapped around her silhouette, forming robes, rings, drifting seals of magic.
She stared at her glowing hands.
"I feel… peaceful."
Aria slung an arm around her. "You're gonna be OP and adorable."
Sofia blushed.
They turned to Riley.
"Okay bro," Aria challenged. "Your turn. Impress us."
"What class fits you?" Sofia asked softly.
Riley stepped toward the silver statue—the Channeler.
Its form flickered constantly—alone one second, then joined by a Spirit whose shape changed every heartbeat. Luminous threads of energy linked them.
He swallowed.
"This class fights with Spirits," he said. "Supports them. Combines attacks. Grows with them."
Aria raised an eyebrow. "So like a Spirit tamer?"
"More like a partner."
He looked at both sisters.
"You two picked what suits you. I'll pick what suits us."
Sofia gave a warm, fragile smile.
Aria nodded proudly. "Then take it."
Riley tapped the panel:
> CHANNELER
Spirit Specialist • Enhancement • Synergy
Strengths: Spirit empowerment, flexible builds
Weaknesses: Weak early game
Ideal for cooperative, team-focused players.
CONFIRM.
Blue-silver threads wrapped around him.
Beside him, for just a heartbeat, a faint creature silhouette flickered—blurred, unfinished, waiting.
A promise.
---
Weapon Selection
The statues sank away.
A new ring of holograms erupted upward—floating weapons orbiting each player.
The voice returned:
"CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON. THIS DEFINES YOUR SUBCLASS."
---
Aria's Weapon Choice
Her options circled her:
Trap Gauntlets
Rune Pistols
Bomb Satchel
Drone Core
She sprinted straight to the gauntlets.
"TRAP GAUNTLETS. No hesitation."
The UI glowed:
> TRAP GAUNTLETS — Saboteur Path
Deploy traps. Punch things. Cause chaos.
High-risk, high-reward.
Aria smashed CONFIRM like she was detonating something.
Gauntlets materialized, crackling with energy.
"I have achieved PEAK ME."
---
Sofia's Weapon Choice
Her options circled gently:
Lumen Rod
Crystal Rings
Grimoire
Charm Bell
She drifted to the Lumen Rod, mesmerized by its soft gold glow.
"I like this… It's calming."
UI:
> LUMEN ROD — Luminist Path
Light magic, healing, shields, support bursts.
She pressed CONFIRM.
Motes of light spiraled around her as the rod formed in her hand.
"It's perfect," she breathed.
---
Riley's Weapon Choice
His options rotated around him:
Aether Staff
Focus Gauntlets
Spirit Lantern
Spirit Bow
He already knew.
The Spirit Bow shimmered with ethereal threads. Each arrow formed from pure energy, humming with Spirit resonance.
UI:
> SPIRIT BOW — Rare Path
Channel Spirit energy into ranged attacks.
Special combo skills with bonded Spirit.
Aria peered over his shoulder.
"A bow? Seriously?"
Riley shrugged. "Perfect synergy with my class. Good support. Good combos. Good everything."
Sofia smiled. "It suits you."
Riley pressed CONFIRM.
The bow materialized in his hands—elegant, glowing, pulsing with unfinished power.
---
The Gate Appears
The entire hall dimmed.
The glowing floor shifted.
Statues sank away.
A massive crystalline gate rose before them—blue light radiating from its core like a heartbeat.
The voice echoed again, deeper, resonant:
"ENTER THE SPIRIT HALL."
Aria's eyes went huge.
"Oh. My. GOD. IT'S HAPPENING."
Sofia whispered, trembling with awe:
"This is… incredible."
Riley's pulse quickened.
This was it.
The moment where the timeline split.
Where fate changed.
Where he would meet the creature that shaped his entire future.
He took a steady breath.
"Let's go."
Together—
Aria, Sofia, and Riley stepped toward the crystalline gate—
into the Spirit Hall.