The rain hit first.
Not the soft, rhythmic kind from his bedroom window. This was a neon-drenched downpour that made the air smell like electricity, hot metal, and fried street food. It splashed on his jacket in erratic bursts, streaking reflections of holographic ads across his arms.
Elric blinked, trying to take it all in.
"Alright," he muttered, leaning forward slightly, hands hovering like he might reach for a controller he didn't have. "New map, open world, obviously scripted side quest."
A hovercar slid past him, tires making no sound, lights leaving streaks like brush strokes across the wet streets. A group of people or something ran past, cybernetic limbs clanking in ways that were just slightly… off.
Elric tilted his head. "…NPCs. Definitely NPCs."
He crouched behind a neon-lit kiosk, squinting. A digital overlay appeared in his peripheral vision brief, glitching, almost like a heads-up display. Health bar? Ammo? Mini-map? He wasn't sure. He tried to touch it. Nothing happened.
"Okay," he said softly, smiling, "some UI is broken. Classic bugged alpha."
A dog-like robot padded past him, tail wagging in exaggerated arcs. Its eyes glowed pink. It stopped, tilted its head at him, then without warning its head rotated a full 180 degrees, making him flinch.
"…Right," he muttered, backing up slowly, "classic animation bug. Totally intended."
He stood, brushing rain off his jacket, and stepped into the street. Footsteps slick on wet concrete, his boots slipping once. No pain, no problem he barely even noticed.
Then his first quest marker.
Not on a screen. Not hovering in front of him. It was real, in the middle of the street. A glowing holographic arrow pointing toward an alleyway pulsing faintly with digital distortion.
Elric raised an eyebrow. "…Quest? First objective? Okay. This game is ambitious."
He followed it.
The alley smelled of wet metal, cheap oil, and something spicy that made him salivate despite the situation. Steam rose from vents, twisting around neon signs advertising energy drinks, synthetic food, and… companions.
"…Companions," he murmured, smirking. "Right, side quest, maybe romance DLC, classic."
The marker led him to a terminal wedged between dumpsters, blinking faintly. Holographic text hovered above it:
[COMPANION ASSIGNMENT: SELECT YOUR PARTNER]
Elric's eyes widened. "…Wait, really?"
He crouched, scanning. A line of six holographic avatars appeared, each flickering like the game was struggling to render them.
• One looked elegant, formal, and suspiciously poised.
• Another had bulky cybernetic armor, fists clenched.
• A third sparkled like a stage performer.
• A fourth seemed calm, almost ethereal, with eyes that felt… too knowing.
• A fifth blinked rapidly, chaotic and mischievous.
• The last… unnervingly perfect, smiling just slightly too calmly.
"…Okay," he said, voice cracking with excitement. "This is definitely… not normal."
He reached out. Touched the holograms. Nothing happened. Then the first avatar flickered, then the second, then all of them, and suddenly the terminal's surface shattered like glass in reverse, sending arcs of neon light across the alley.
Elric stumbled back. "…Whoa. Visual effect! Totally immersive."
A faint mechanical whirring filled the air. Something slid behind him a drone? A security system? He looked up, and a small, cube-shaped device hovered, glowing faint red, blinking… like it was scanning him.
Elric laughed nervously. "…Okay, stealth objective, got it. Totally fine. RNG, random chance. Let's see how my stats handle this."
He stepped forward. One foot. Then another. The cube's light fixed on him. It rotated like it was tracking every movement. A panel on its side blinked, text overlaying the alley:
[SYSTEM ERROR – COMPANIONS BINDING FAILED]
Elric's mouth fell open. "…Wait… what?"
Before he could process further, the six avatars behind him no longer confined to the terminal blinked into existence in the alley. Holo-light shimmering off wet concrete, rain dripping in chaotic arcs. Each looked at him. Each waited.
Elric froze. "…Okay," he whispered. "…this is… insane."
A voice soft, sharp, and unnervingly human echoed in his ears, though no one was near:
"Player… welcome to Neon Meridian."
Elric swallowed, eyes darting between the avatars. "…Yeah," he said, smiling nervously. "Definitely… upgraded beta."
The rain continued. Neon flickered. Steam curled around the alley like it had a life of its own.
And somewhere in the corner of his vision a tiny HUD-like blink he saw one word:
[LOGGED IN]
Elric grinned.
"…Oh. This is going to be fun."