1 Prologue
September 7, 2088 a day after the release. Doctor Auld was sitting in his office looking over his reports, over 250,000 people went into a coma in a day.
Most Hospitals were full, so some had to stay at home and treated. This hospital was close to full, they bound forty patients to a bed, wearing metal bands around their heads.
The device, Dream Ring, a new generation VR device, by FromMoon, a gaming company. Completely control over the player's consciousness by redirecting the signals the brain sends to the body and sending its own waves to stimulate the five senses.
The Dream Ring, installed with the latest gaming system software, that allows the player to just play anywhere that has a wi-fi or direct internet access.
Survival VR games were first produced by Instinct Vidia, powerful software that made things real for players, and Darkest Ground is the first virtual reality survival horror role playing game, able to run it at full potential. A major success in the gaming industry, a grand design selling over 550,000 copies during its first official launch on September 6, 2088.
"All these people are in a coma, from a video game, impossible."
Observing the device more, trying to find answers, he stopped when one nurse came bursting in his office. It was urgent and dire.
"This one is worse! Doctor Auld please come see this!"
Doctor Auld rushed and saw a young boy laying on the stretcher wearing a Dream Ring, as blood leaked from his eyes and ears.
"How did this happen?"
"We received a call from the boy's mother and she said she heard a noise from him room and when checked on him he wasn't responding."
"Get him into the emergency room."
An hour passed, sitting back in his office shaken to what he just witnesses. Turning back to his computer, scrolling through news and forums seeing pictures of other victims. Some were from different cities, states and even countries, worldwide and nobody knows what is causing these players to go into a coma. Doctor Auld had enough, if he wanted to know what caused this he would do it himself.
Being a gamer himself, from time to time he will be in his office playing some first-person shooters or a few games here and there. Even in his early 50s he hasn't lost his touch. After setting everything up, he called in his most trusted nurses.
"Nurse Lucille please come to my office. I have something I need to discuss."
Luciel was his first student and rival in video games. The other nurses that worked in the building weren't his students but they were reliable. Dr Auld knew them well happens to him he knows that they will run it without him.
"Yes, Doctor Auld?"
"Luciel, I'm leaving this hospital in your care while I'm away. If anything happens, you know what to do."
"Yes sir, I understand."
Luciel nodded and left his office to inform the other nurses of his plan. It was going to be a long night. After installing the gaming on his pc and making an account, he then synced the Dream Ring to his computer and put it on. Dr Auld leaned back in his chair and relaxed as the Ring began to glow, as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
It was cold and dark, Dr Auld awoke and saw himself sitting in the middle of a strange forest, his work clothes, tattered and having no shoes. The ground was infested with worms and maggots, as if the land was rotting. He stood up fast, swiping the mud and maggots on his clothes.
"What is this place, is this the game?"
"Why...Me...Why...Me…?"
"Who is that? Where are you?"
A woman, crying in the distance was not too far. Following her cries, feeling worms and maggots slither through his feet, feeling himself about to vomit. Moment's later he found her, crouched next to a dark puddle covered in sores and bumps.
"Hey! Are you ok!?"
"No... no... No!"
"Ma'am... I can help you! I'm a Doc-"
"Who... Are... You?"
She turned, her face was hollow, circled inside were jagged teeth. Dr Auld couldn't stand, falling backwards, as the women crept closer to him.
"Who... Are... YOU!?"
Twitching, getting closer, as other faceless people spawned from the shadows, some crawled like animals.
"Who... Are... You?"
They all said, blood dripping, their fang faces, their claws digged into the ground. Was this a game or nightmare, he thought, having no choice he ran.
The faceless creatures started chasing after him, crushing every worm and maggot, ignoring the gross feeling, he kept running until he heard nothing. He stopped and turned around; they weren't chasing anymore but stood still. In the middle of the woods Dr Auld felt a soft cold feeling under his foot, he stepped back and saw a pale woman face, poking out the ground.
Looking around, he saw more faces, men and women, horror grew, recognizing all of them.
"The Patients!? They're all here!?"
In the middle sat an arch tree, great, had no life, its branches dead as the land. In the center of the tree was a large blood mark. The mark started to leak down towards the roots, spreading through the ground and even the faces until he was standing in a pool of blood.
"This is no game."
Shook with horror, as faceless women and men surrounded the area, kneeling, as if they were praying to something.
"Come…. Come… Come." The mystery's voice called out from the arch tree.
"What is that?"
"You… Must…. Come."
The faceless creatures kept their head down, pointing in the hole, inside was a thing of great size and horror.
"Come… Come… COME!"
The pool of blood began to boil, scorching heat, as the forest set ablaze. The fire, spreading everywhere, as they stood unfazed.
"What is it... that you want from me!?"
Dr Auld screaming in pain as the fire burned his skin.
"It's… not… what… I… want."
"What do you mean!?"
"They… weren't… true… to… themselves!"
"But… you… do!"
"And… so… you… shall… be… TRUTH!"
Dr Auld fell to his knees, roots shot out, wrapping themselves, burning his flesh. Feeling only pain, agony and hate. The fire burned him greatly, his body now scarred, an empty husk. Lost is the only thing he felt, his life, family, friends and all the people he helped were all gone.
The memories of his past went through his mind like channels until there was nothing left, as darkness settled in.
"Who am I?"
Dr Auld saw the back of a creature that had pitch black fur and two spiked horns from its head. Being barely able to speak, the creature turned around and faced him.
"It's… me..."
Staring at an empty husk, crumbling to ash, as the roots burrowed back into the bloody ground, he stood changed.
"You… Are… Truth!"
The Faceless spoke in unison as they bowed again.
"I… understand… now."
Raising his beastly hands, conjuring fire in his palm. Dr Auld was no more, something else took his place.
"Now... drink!"
The creature, stretching its malformed arm out from the tree, dripping its blood onto him.
As blood rain down on him, drinking it, as faceless creatures joined in, mind, and body, forever changed. Each holding claws to their chest, as fire burned, they tore it open as beastly roars replaced their screams.
A few hours passed, Luciel was just checking on the last patient. The monitor showed everyone was green, and she went back to check on Dr Auld.
"I Hope he's all right. It's been a while now."
A strange noise came from his office, she hastened, opening his door she saw Dr Auld chair facing the window.
"Doctor Auld are you ok?"
Walking to his desk as his chair rocked back and forth.
"Doctor? Are you…"
Dropping to her knees, staring in horror.
"DOCTOR AULD!"
Her voice reached out, since the other nurses were down the hall. But before they could react, large error messages began spamming across the monitors. Each of the patients began to move, speaking in a strange language. The nurses just starred in horror as the patient looked like they were having a seizure, finally they came to a stop. While blood leaked from each of their eyes and ears.
"What... happen... to you, Doctor Auld?"
Blood leaked from his eyes and ears, remaining silent staring into the night sky.
