1 White Space

How long has it been? A week, a month, a year? Or perhaps it was only a few minutes. Time blends together in this fog and I can no longer tell anymore.

Around me, there was nothing. No scent, no taste, no sight. Nothing to feel but the cold, smooth ground. Eventually, even that sensation begins to slowly dissipate.

Why was I even traveling through the fog in the first place? It is scary forgetting who you are, yet at the same time, you grow numb to the fear, confusion and anxiety when you traverse through the sea of white. My memories began to fade into the fog. It started off with something small, I believe, like a pet if I had one. Over time, I drew blanks when I tried to recall things. My family? My friends? My love? Did I even have any of these things? My name... What was it?

If there was a hell, I am sure this is it... or at least purgatory. Huh... strange... Am I perhaps religious? Either way, I want to give up moving and become one with the fog. To be rid of all my worries and rest. Yet something continues to drive my feet forward. Towards salvation? Who know?

I lost my footing. I recall what pain feels like. It does not feel that good. My knee hurts. Why did I lose my footing? Looking towards the ground, I see a line with directed arrows extruded from the ground around 5 cm. I was a bit embarrassed that I tripped over something so small, yet that fade while another emotion sparked up in my chest. Hope. With a little anticipation, I followed the line.

How strange... The line lead me to a door. Just a door. Magic? Such a bizarre concept sprouted in my head. A door should be just that. Opening it would just get you to the other side. Yet a mysterious fog that wipes out your existence does suggest this door was more than meets the eye. Even now, I feel as though my existence is getting fainter. There is no time to waste!

Opening the door, I stepped through... to the other side of the door. It was just a regular door afterall. In the midst of my disappointment, a pitfall opened up under me as I stepped through.

On one hand, 'Yay! Magic exists!' On the other, "Aggghhhhhh!!!" I screamed as I fell down the black portal. Regardless, a change of scenery is nice.

"Come get some!" I cried. It was me vs the world. Or the system in this case. Here I am surrounded by bearwolves and bunnybees.

Perhaps a bit of context would be helpful here. Hi! I'm Damo. That's my online handle and if you haven't noticed it yet, I'm playing a game. Or the game is playing me. You can never really tell. FallRise Legend or FRL for short (though I like to call it frill) is the newest in a long line of full-dive games in which players are actualized in a virtual environment. This is beyond the VR of the old ages. It could be considered an artificial reality in itself!

Oh yeah! While I was doing a monologue, I was gnawed and punctured upon every inch of my body! As for why I am monologueing, I am being driven crazy by the game!

Let's rewind. I am an computer engineering savant (self-proclaimed) and a hard core gamer. My best friend Florence recommended this game to me. Before now, the tech for full-dive gaming could be considered substandard such as instantiating only a single building. Not accommodating to MMORPGs at all, which is my preferred genre. Why I have not heard of it before given my profession is a huge plot hole, but let's ignore that.

I was surprised the game could recreate my handsome self so perfectly. Skin, face, smile; everything feels identical to my real self. Florence also turned out OK, but that's too be expected compared to my radiance. How could her dirt-brown (well-groomed and syylized) ponytail compare to my lustrous, black mane. Her tofu (fair and smooth) skin holds no candle to my tan, herculean complexion. Her stick and ball (thin and curvy) body is also no match for my tall and large stature. I could not find a worthy enough adjective to describe my own body. Yet even god can grow envious. I was struck with near sightedness which conceal my dashing looks beneath my glasses. Oh woe is me!

Of course, when I said the first part, I was promptly beaten up by her and her friends, Anna and Rose. Needless to say, both are inferior to me.

I feel as though I've gotten off-track. I'll sum it up for you. Me. Honey. Bush. Eyes. Chase. Bump. Snarl. More chase. Dead end. If you don't get it from that, you are dumber than I gave you credit for.

By the way, as to my current situation. I am being mangled by bear-wolf hybrids and bee-bunny hybrids. While the former blends well since they are both mammals, the latter is a freak! Describing it will make you vomit.

I pray to the glory of me that someone will save me. I didn't think this would work, but something did happen. The monsters and I paused when we heard a screaming sound eccho through the night sky of the outskirts.

While I am displeased it was a man, I am pleased the heaven's have answered my calls. No, it was my good fortune that brought him too me. Aren't I the most amazing person ever! "Are you a fellow player. Please save me! I don't want to be killed by a rabbit." The a-bunny-nation buzzed at me.

"Player? So we are currently in a game. So you won't die for real right?" the stranger spoke. How weird. He is dressed in starting equipment and holding a plain sword.

"Yes, of course..." I answered his question in the end. Perhaps I shouldn't get too acquainted with him. He seems like a dimwit. "Say, can you sav-"

~snkkk

YOU HAVE DIED.

"How strange. I had a strange impulse to kill that man for some reason."

"... You @$#@%%@@#" I cursed at him in my ethereal form.

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