1 Hope After a Dream

Some people say they see their lives flash before their eyes right before they're about to die. Realistically speaking though, there is no way the human brain would conveniently resurface sealed or forgotten memories right before the body is in danger would it? Well, maybe in that instant, and I mean that immediate fraction of a second, when we realize we are about to die, we instinctively wanted to relish those memories that we're fond of. But a recollection of a fragmented memory is probably just a natural response to self-sooth our dying selves. Its just an opinion of someone insignificant that should've been dead though.

Yes, I said I should've been dead.

I do want to think this is what 'life flashing before my eyes' is, but it's probably not. I mean, if it's truly my life flashing before my eyes, I don't think I could move nor interact with anything besides myself right? Something like watching a movie in a theater. So the only conclusion I came to was that I was saved by someone when I was unconscious. But that shouldn't be possible.

I mean...

I definitely died, you know?

Furthermore, I'm sleeping on a comfy bed. My head on a pure white pillow, with a dark gray bed sheet under my body full of youthfulness and vigor. A familiar ceramic-white roof with no blemish, and the wood floor that I despise because I always slip when walking on it with socks worn. On the wall that was painted white, various posters of my favorite anime and novels stand out brightly under the shine of sunlight that came through the window opposite of it. Under those, my work desk, made of a mix of wood and metal painted in gray, is filled with scattered notes from various subjects. Next to it, stood a tall wooden closet that housed my everyday clothes, school uniforms and the recently washed blazer that I dirtied it yesterday.

This is no doubt, my personal room.

Right...This is my room. What is weird about that? Yesterday, I obviously just came back from school. Too tired to even finish my homework, and slept the entire evening till today morning. In other words, I slept until tomorrow. Not the tomorrow of today, but the tomorrow of yesterday.

Ah right!

Along the way, I used my blazer to cover an injured stray cat that was drenched next to a river under the bridge. So, immediately after I reach home, I washed the cat, dried it, and made sure to warm itself up using my blanket. Then I left it in the living room on the 1st floor and went to take a shower myself. After that...

Eh, who am I trying to explain yesterday to?

In any case, I probably tired myself out and went to sleep without dinner. Right, I'll have to check up on that cat...And I gotta make breakfast too...What time is it now? 6:48AM...Wednesday, 1st of April. Man~ Having a digital clock sure is nice. Anyways, there's more important things to do right now other than monologuing. So with that, I walk out of my room and freshen up to get ready to go to school. My usual routine is taking a cold shower, brush my teeth, and make breakfast for myself. That's how every morning usually goes for me anyways. I did woke up a bit later than usual, but eating breakfast should be manageable.

7:23...Not bad I'd say. At the very least I'm managing my time properly. Well, making a sunny side-up with some sausages and toasts didn't take too much time. More importantly, what should I do with this spare time? I still have around thirty minutes before going to school. The cat is still sleeping, so I guess I shouldn't bother it. I was slightly hoping that I could pet it though.

With nothing to do in mind, I decided to just sit back and relax in the living room. A morning coffee is best enjoyed in the morning. Speak of the obvious.

Heh..

I lightly chuckled at my nonsensical thought, and proceed to turn on the television for the morning news. Usually I'd check for the weather on my smartphone, but it's fine once in a while. It's not like I'm the one paying the electricity bills each month anyway.

'-VRMMORPG! Circumstances!'

Immediately after switching on the television, a scream-like announcement filled with unnatural enthusiasm could be easily heard. I probably stayed on the MMOSTREAM channel yesterday, I thought.

'It's a pretty weird name for an mmorpg isn't it, Asami-san.'

A somewhat handsome man in his late twenties said after regaining composure from the slight shock his female colleague gave him just awhile ago.

'Yes it is, Ibaragi-san. Though, if you were to look at the game's mechanics, you'd probably understand why it is named as such. Apparently...'

Apparently, this woman of a news reporter, whom is famous for always ahead of everyone else when it comes to MMOs, is the type to be excited by the prospect of a new mmorpg, much less in virtual reality. Usually, she'd be so composed you'd think she's an ice queen. Though whenever the topic of discussion leans to anything related to mmorpgs she'd be thrilled to the point of being unable to sit properly.

Well, I do understand where the excitement came from though. The technology today allows us to simulate an entire world, so to speak. However, most online VR games do not utilize that efficiently. Usually, only an entire city would be simulated for players. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, but this couldn't entertain the majority of players forever. A video game will become boring once you've done everything you could in there, after all.

Hence why the reporter lady was showing such over-the-top excitement. Circumstances simulates the entirety of the Earth. In other words, it is the first VRMMORPG to actually utilizes the current technology to its full potential.

Circumstances is set in a world where science had reached its peak. One not full of unbelievable science-fictional cities but an apocalyptic stage. Due to a mistake in researching the exotic material, Ether, a portal connected to another world was created. From there, an entity that no human being could comprehend appeared through it. An entity shrouded in a veil of shadow. Its entirety completely blackened, while its deep crimson eyes glowed eerily as if it sees though everything. Yes, it is an entity that not even science could explain, because could only be imagined. A fictional being. Yet, without any sort of warning, it spreads its shadow across the entire nation, swallowing everything that was once the nation of scholars.

But it didn't stop there. Out of nowhere, portals began to be made to existence, followed by monsters that should've been fictional. Starting there, chaos ensued. Nations fell like dominoes, while citizens are left powerless and killed indiscriminately. As the crisis slowly becomes unsalvageable, this resurfaces one of the most primitive emotions inside humans...fear of the unknown.

As time goes on, humanity keeps getting pushed back into a corner. Unable to even damage nor harm those fictional characters, we have no means of fighting back at all. However, one scientist who turned mad from guilt discovers a method. Not literally a method per se, but a means. In a series of coincidences, he had discovered that humans possess powers that should've been fictional. He found out that, humans need to be in a situation where all circumstances are aligned perfectly in order for the power to manifest. From then on, humanity was shown a light of hope in the eternal darkness.

That...was the description given by the developers of Circumstances.

In all honesty, what piqued my interest the most is the word play of the developers. If we were to look at what a 'circumstance' is, it would be...

A condition that connects with a situation.

From Circumstances's backstory, I can probably guess what it'll be about, but I'll keep it to myself for now. In any case, Circumstance will probably be the center of attention for a long while. For mmorpg enthusiasts at the very least.

However, there is this sense of discomfort coming from the depth of my chest. An...indescribable feeling like I've...known about this already.

Ah...

7:58...I gotta get going. I'll have to ask the landlady to take care of the cat for today. Maybe I should find someone that could take care of it, better than me at least.

With that, I left the house in an unhurried manner. Though with a slight discomfort.