In a narrow, dimly lit room illuminated only by the cold blue glow emanating from a massive screen mounted on the wall like a window into another world.
Reis sat there.
The darkness enveloped the room like a heavy cloak, broken only by the faint light of a small lamp on the table and the low whisper of the console's cooling fan.
In his hands was the PlayStation 5 Pro controller, Sony's latest creation.
His fingers moved with swift, precise motions, like those of a skilled knight wielding a sword.
On the screen, The Song of Falling unfolded in all its glory.
The game was a legend in the gaming world.
It was said to be built upon an ancient myth set in a fictional realm called Etherion, a flat, endless world without boundaries.
The First Realm, known as the Lower Earth, consisted of seven interconnected continents surrounded by immense mountains called the Sky Mountains. No one could cross them except by the wings of dragons or long-lost magic.
In this first realm lived only humans: nobles clad in silk and gold, commoners working the fields, sorcerers wearing black robes embroidered with stars, and knights bearing swords that burned with holy fire.
Yet Reis was now in the Second Realm, the Great Promised Land.
Fourteen vast continents, distant from one another like separate planets, were surrounded by even greater and harsher mountains known as the Mountains of Despair.
Here the land was far more savage, and the magic deeper and more dangerous. The sky was painted in the colors of a bloody sunset even during the day, while the winds carried mournful melodies like the lament of an ancient fallen king.
Reis was completely immersed.
His dark eyes were wide open, his lips slightly parted in intense concentration. He was controlling the character Kailin the Shadow, a young sorcerer from the Shadow faction, riding a black steed with eyes glowing purple.
Before him on the screen raged a massive battle across the plains of the continent Valgorth. An army of the Fallen Ones, hybrid creatures half human and half beast, was assaulting an ancient fortress.
Reis raised his right hand on the controller, and Kailin unleashed the spell Night of Blood. The screen exploded with stunning shades of black and purple.
The shadows themselves transformed into flying swords that sliced through the enemies. The 8K resolution and 120 frames per second made every droplet of blood feel strikingly real. The surround sound reverberated through the room, causing the walls themselves to tremble.
"Oh my God…" Reis whispered under his breath as he watched Kailin leap into the air using the Shadow Step ability, vanishing only to reappear behind the enemy leader, a colossal creature with horns of bone, and plunge his enchanted dagger into its neck.
The blood burst across the screen in slow, cinematic splendor.
The game's music swelled suddenly, a melody both sorrowful and majestic, as if mourning the fall of this ancient beast that had lived for thousands of years.
Reis smiled widely, his heart pounding with excitement.
"This… this is impossible. How do they create something so beautiful?"
He felt as though he were no longer in his cramped room, but there, upon the soil of Etherion, running with the winds that carried the scent of blood and burning magic.
His fingers moved with frantic speed, seamlessly blending magic and swordplay in a terrifyingly fluid manner. He activated the Echo of Souls skill to summon the ghosts of fallen warriors who had died on this very land.
In that moment, Reis was no longer just a player.
He was part of the legend.
When the beast lord fell with a final roar, the screen erupted in a soft golden light. Reis smiled a broad, genuine victor's smile, his tired face illuminated by the reflected glow, his eyes shining.
Reward messages cascaded down the screen like golden rain:
〔You have defeated the Army of Ruin in the Plains of Valgorth.〕
〔Your level has risen to 87.〕
〔You have acquired a new skill: Blood Shadows.〕
〔You have obtained a fragment of the Golden Key of Worlds.〕
Reis watched the key fall slowly in cinematic fashion from the giant beast's corpse, spinning through the air before vanishing into his digital inventory. It emitted a distinctive soft chime, like an ancient key unlocking a door of destiny.
Reis whispered in a tired yet content voice:
"This… is enough."
He glanced at the top corner of the screen.
The time was 4:17 AM.
He let out a long sigh, then pressed the exit button.
The world of Etherion gradually faded, transitioning to the Waiting Square, an elegant space suspended in the void, resembling a hanging garden among the stars where statues of legendary characters floated peacefully.
He went straight to the Mail section.
There was a new envelope glowing with a rare golden hue. He opened it.
The first thing that appeared was a three-dimensional image of a small golden key radiating warm light, rotating slowly before his eyes. Then the text began to flow:
〔Congratulations, explorer Reis.〕
〔You have unlocked the achievement: Bloody Shadow Walker.〕
〔A new continent has been opened in the Second Realm, the Great Promised Land.〕
But what he had truly been waiting for was at the bottom.
〔700 new chapters of the Song of the Fall novel have been sent.〕
Reis smiled a calm, longing smile and tapped on the file.
The novel began to display before him as elegant text, designed like an ancient book opening in the void:
〔Chapter 1423 – Naisel and the Lost Path〕
Naisel stood at the edge of the great mountains, the wind carrying the melodies of the ancient fall. Beside him stood his friend Kailin the Shadow, whose dark eyes concealed secrets deeper than any abyss.
The connection was remarkable.
In the game you live the story. You explore the open world, fight battles, and discover side tales never mentioned in the novel. The novel, in turn, grants you the psychological depth and grand secrets that the game cannot fully convey.
Reis belonged to a rare breed: a loyal, clean player who never sought spoilers on forums. He refused even to ask anyone about the ending of any event.
"Where is the fun if you already know the ending?" he would always say.
"You are not a true veteran if you steal answers from others. The joy lies in the journey… in every step whose destination you do not know."
He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of exhaustion creeping into his body.
Reis rose slowly.
His body was thin and frail, the body of a fourteen-year-old boy whose growth was not yet complete.
His black hair was somewhat long, tangled and disheveled from long hours of sitting. His eyes were sunken in their sockets, surrounded by heavy dark circles that made his gaze appear far older than his years.
His face was pale, his bones prominent beneath the thin skin, as if fatigue had carved him into a wax statue.
He stood in the middle of the dark room, swaying slightly, and looked out through the slightly open window at the sky.
The stars in the sky shone coldly, distant and silent.
He stood there for a few moments, thinking about something vague, something he himself could not grasp in words. It was a faint feeling that echoed in his chest like a faraway resonance.
Suddenly, he heard the cry of a lone owl cutting through the darkness outside the window. A sharp, sorrowful sound that pierced the silence of the night.
Reis let out a long, weary sigh, then turned toward his bed and walked with heavy steps.
He fell onto the bed on his stomach, his face buried in the pillow.
With great difficulty, he reached out and pulled the blanket over himself.
Exhaustion finally settled deep into his bones. A light but persistent headache began to throb behind his forehead.
He felt a vast emptiness in his chest, an emptiness that neither the world of Etherion nor seven hundred new chapters could fill. A slight ache lingered in his eyes.
He closed them.
As his eyelids shut, a single hot tear slipped from the corner of his right eye, followed by another from the left. They slid silently down his pale cheek before disappearing into the pillow.
Then silence prevailed.