Author's Note: Many reader might have perished before reaching here,If you are still here... T-Thank You So Much...
To understand story better, it is recommended to read atleast all free chapters.
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"The operation was successful."
That single sentence, spoken calmly by the doctor the previous night, had carried enough weight to keep two parents awake until dawn.
Ekant was shifted back to his assigned room late at night, his body still lost in the heavy fog of anesthesia. Machines hummed softly beside him, their steady rhythm the only reassurance that things were proceeding as they should.
Tiyan had been guided to the relatives' room next door not long after. Exhaustion overtook him almost instantly.
But Ken and Dhriti remained.
They sat quietly—one on each side of the bed—watching their son breathe through parted lips, his chest rising and falling in a fragile, measured rhythm.
Minutes dragged.
Seconds felt like hours.
For those who slept, night passed in a blink.
For those who didn't—
Every minute felt like a year.
Dhriti adjusted Ekant's blanket for the fifth time without realizing it.
Ken checked the monitors again, even though nothing had changed.
They didn't speak much.
There was no need.
Morning light crept into the room slowly.
Tiyan was the first to wake.
He rubbed his eyes and hurried into Ekant's room, stopping abruptly at the sight before him.
His brother lay still, his nose completely sealed with white bandages. Tubes and gauze covered what little skin was visible. Ekant's mouth was slightly open, drawing air in shallow breaths.
"…Whoa," Tiyan muttered.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice instinctively.
"Brother looks… weird."
But there was no fear in his eyes.
Only concern.
Ekant didn't wake immediately.
It was almost an hour later when his eyelids fluttered.
Consciousness returned slowly, like wading through deep water.
The first thing Ekant felt was heaviness.
His body didn't respond the way he expected it to.
His arms felt distant. His legs nonexistent.
And his breathing—
'Why… can't I breathe properly?' He thought.
Air rushed only through his mouth, dry and uncomfortable. Panic flickered briefly in his chest.
His eyes opened wider.
White ceiling.
Beeping machines.
Bandages.
So many bandages.
His gaze drifted to the small tray beside the bed.
On it lay a sealed transparent container.
Inside—
Fragments.
Bone.
Extracted pieces from his own nose.
A chill ran through him.
His breath hitched.
Dhriti noticed immediately.
"It's okay," she said gently, leaning closer. "Don't panic."
Ken stepped in as well. "Everything went perfectly."
Tiyan raised both thumbs. "Doctor said you're officially repaired."
Ekant wanted to smile.
But he couldn't.
Instead, he let out a soft breath.
So that's what surgery feels like…
The day passed slowly.
Doctors came and went.
Instructions were repeated.
"No smiling."
"No brushing teeth."
"No walking."
"Minimal talking. Only when necessary."
Ekant listened quietly.
He had no strength to argue anyway.
Stories filled the silence.
Ken talked about work.
Dhriti reminisced about old memories—small things, unimportant things, comforting things.
Tiyan exaggerated stories from school, embellishing every detail until even the nurses smiled when passing by.
Days blurred together.
One became two.
Two became three.
By the third day, Ekant was discharged.
Home welcomed them with familiar smells and warmth—but rest was far from over.
At the follow-up, the doctor was clear.
"One month," he said firmly. "Minimal activity. No strain. Let the body recover fully."
Ekant nodded.
He had no objections.
---
The very next day, as Ekant lay resting on his bed, Tiyan appeared beside him with a familiar spark in his eyes.
"Brother," he whispered dramatically, "I have a solution."
Ekant glanced at him lazily.
"A… solution…?" he murmured. Speaking hurt, so he stopped after two words.
"You're bored," Tiyan said confidently. "And you're not allowed to move."
Ekant blinked once.
"VRMMORPG," Tiyan announced.
Ekant's eyes shifted slightly.
Tiyan nodded. "You can play lying down."
That was enough.
Ekant gave a slow, deliberate nod.
Since talking was discouraged, Dhriti stayed behind with Ekant while Ken and Tiyan went to the study room.
The laptop hummed to life.
Tiyan took control immediately.
Search results filled the screen.
[1. Eternal Arcana of Magic]
Launched three months ago. Receiving worldwide popularity.
Player base unavailable until one year after launch.
Based on forums and social platforms, it surpassed Pokémon World in sales.
[2. Trial World V2]
Launched 15 years ago.
One of the most popular VR games.
Player base: 53% of the global population.
[3. Pokémon World[1]]
2D / 3D / Anime-based.
Player base: ~30%.
[4. Shangri-La Frontier[2]]
One of the oldest VRMMORPGs—150 years since the VR era began.
Peak player base: 78%.
Current player base: 49%.
[5. Education and Sports Institute]
Not a game.
A nightmare for students.
Used by schools and universities during emergencies.
Student base: up to 90% of the population.
Tiyan grimaced. "That last one still gives me chills."
Ken chuckled softly.
Even Ekant would eventually have to attend classes there.
After some discussion, the choice was obvious.
"Eternal Arcana of Magic," Ken said.
Tiyan grinned. "I'm already playing it."
They didn't choose a helmet.
Ekant's nose was too fragile.
Instead, they opted for a bed-length VR pod.
Ken made a call.
Porus answered.
"…Yes?" his elder brother's voice came through.
"I need a bed pod," Ken said simply.
There was a pause.
Then—
"Done."
That night, the setup arrived.
And quietly—
A new chapter of Ekant's life prepared to begin.
To Be Continued...[3]
[1] Author's Fan-fic.
[2] Shangri-La Frontier is a popular Japanese web novel, manga, and anime franchise centered around a "crappy game hunter" who takes on a highly acclaimed virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game (VRMMORPG). The story follows Rakuro Hizutome, an expert gamer who applies the skills he acquired from mastering buggy, low-quality games to a "god-tier" VR game, where he plays as his unique, bird-masked character, Sunraku.
[3] Prologue is now completely. Entering on VRMMORPG in next chapter...