Chapter 5 Beta Phase I

Back in time:

Zephyrion sat there, with his almost empty bottle of alcohol in his hand, his mind wandering back to the past. "I can't believe I was so long in that room," he muttered to himself. "Layla saved me. If it wasn't for her, I don't know how long I would have stayed in that room."

He took a deep breath and continued, "She helped me get back on my feet, time and time again. She even taught me different martial arts, something I was always interested in. And Kate, despite our differences, we became best friends and hang up together with Layla and Kai."

A small smile crept up on Zephyrion's face as he thought about all the funny moments he had shared with his loved ones.

Zephyrion's smile faded as he muttered angry under his breath, "But it all ended because of that damn beta phase of the game Elysium Soul!"

He took another sip of his drink and continued, "We were all so excited for the game's release, Kate parents even put all their assets and money into the game because Kate believed it would be the greatest game ever."

4 years after Zephyrion parents passed away. 

A man stood tall at 6'1, his toned physique evident in the way his muscles flexed with every step he took. A backpack rested comfortably on his shoulder as he walked down the street, the summer sun casting a warm glow on his well-maintained, mid-length brown hair, which glistened in the light. His most striking feature, however, was his piercing red eyes that seemed to glow like embers, captivating anyone who looked at him.

Suddenly, his attention was drawn to a group of menacing-looking men who had surrounded A young woman, standing at 5'5, with long brown hair and piercing sapphire blue eyes, ignored the lewd remarks and advances of the group of men as she scanned the surroundings, as if searching for someone.

Without hesitation, the man walked over to the group and listened in on their conversation. The men had made suggestive comments, offering to escort her to her destination while making inappropriate comments about her appearance.

But before they could get any more daring, the man spoke up. "Layla, there you are. Did you wait long?"

The beautiful girl turned to him, relief washing over her face. "Zephyrion, I've been waiting for you. What took you so long?"

Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, Zephyrion chuckled. "Sorry about that. I overslept since our high school exams finally finished. It doesn't matter, does it?"

Layla pouted, annoyed at his carefree attitude. But when a cold glint appeared in her eyes, Zephyrion knew he was in trouble. "Seems like training for this week will be doubled," she declared.

The last four years had been spent training with his girlfriend, five days a week, non-stop, at her family dojo. Zephyrion couldn't help but panic at the thought of doubling the amount of training. "My beautiful, intelligent girlfriend, are you sure we have to do double the amount?" he pleaded. But Layla just shook her head, making Zephyrion feel a sense of dread.

The men had grown tired of being ignored and decided to take matters into their own hands. One of them threw a punch at Zephyrion, but he effortlessly dodged it with a slight lean of his head. He looked at the man with a nonchalant expression and said, "Buddy, it would hurt if you hit someone with that punch. You should be more careful."

The men's anger grew as Zephyrion continued to dodge and weave, easily avoiding his punches and kicks. Layla, standing off to the side, watched with a bored expression. The men grew more frustrated and his attacks became more wild and uncoordinated.

Before long, the other four men joined in on the attack, but Zephyrion continued to dance around them with ease. He was like a ghost, moving fluidly and with precision. Layla couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as she watched her boyfriend handle the situation with such grace.

Finally, the men gave up, panting and sweating from their failed attempts to take down Zephyrion. With a smirk on his face, he turned to Layla and said, "I guess our training has paid off."

Layla rolled her eyes and replied, "Don't get too cocky. We still have double the training to do this week."

Zephyrion's face fell at the thought of the grueling training ahead, but he knew Layla was right. The last four years had been filled with hard work and training, and they weren't about to let their guard down in a world like that.

Layla smiled at Zephyrion and said, "Let's continue to school. Kate and Kai must be waiting for us." She suddenly increased her speed and ran in the direction of the school.

Zephyrion didn't wait and followed after her at the same speed.

After a while, they finally reached their high school. It was the last month before they would finish and go to the university they had always wanted to attend.

Layla intertwined her arms around Zephyrion's as they walked to their classroom where Kai and Kate were already waiting. As they opened the door, they saw what they had expected - Kai and Kate were fighting again.

Kai and Kate had grown up quite a bit in the 4 years. Kai, standing tall at 6'2, now sported a sleek black and blonde hairstyle that perfectly complemented his sharp features. His blue eyes still shone with the same enthusiasm for life that had always been a part of him, and the addition of some ear piercings gave him an even more stylish look.

Kate, on the other hand, had blossomed into a stunning young woman. Her long black hair flowed down her back in loose waves, and her violet eyes now held a soft, kind gaze. She no longer looked petite like she used to; rather, she had grown into a mature beauty that commanded attention wherever she went.

Kai and Kate were always bickering when they were alone. Layla and Zephyrion both knew that they both loved each other, but their pride and stubbornness kept them from admitting it seriously. Kai had a reputation for being a player, constantly dating new girls every week, and that made Kate furious. But she was at fault as well, having rejected Kai three years ago when his confession of love had been lackluster and ill-timed. 

It had happened in a diner while they were all eating, and Kai had just casually dropped the bombshell that he had feelings for her. Kate had been taken aback and had reacted by slapping him, which had started a cycle of fights between them that continued to this day.

Layla and Zephyrion exchanged knowing glances and smiled as they walked over to their best friends.

"Kate, why do you always get mad at me? I was just telling you how broken-hearted I am because my girlfriend broke up with me, and then you start insulting me and calling me an idiot and a moron," Kai said, looking hurt and bewildered.

Kate rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Because you're always playing games with girls, Kai! You don't even know what love is! And I don't want to hear about your stupid girlfriend problems anymore."

Kai sighed and shook his head, "You don't understand, Kate. I'm just trying to find the right person, and I thought it might be you."

Kate snorted, "Well, you have a funny way of showing it. You're always flirting with other girls and acting like you don't care about me." 

Kai smiled in a perverted way and replied, "That's because most women are so beautiful, how can I not try to date them once, while I'm still young and handsome?"

Kai's perverted smile quickly disappeared when Kate's anger boiled over. She glared at him with her violet eyes, her fists clenched at her sides. "You can't just use your looks as an excuse to play with women's emotions like that. It's not fair to them or to yourself," she said, her voice shaking with emotion.

Kai opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything, Layla and Zephyrion walked between them. Zephyrion's calming presence and Layla's understanding nature diffused the tension in the room.

"Enough fighting, you guys," Zephyrion said, trying to steer the conversation away from the argument. "Class starts soon, and we don't want to disturb everyone."

Kate was still fuming, but Layla intervened, knowing the root of her friend's frustration. "It's okay, Kate. We'll beat Kai up later. Let's just focus on class for now, okay?" she said, trying to soothe her friend's anger.

Kai looked baffled at the turn of events, wondering how his smooth-talking ways had backfired on him so badly. "Wait, wait, why do I get beaten yet again?" he asked, hoping to diffuse the situation with a joke.

Layla and Zephyrion were having none of it. They looked at him with a deathly serious expression and said in unison, "Because you are an idiot." 

After their class ended, the four of them made their way to the school cafeteria to grab some food. They found a table and sat down, their trays of food in front of them. As they ate, Kai suddenly brought up the beta phase of the new virtual reality game, "Elysium Soul".

"Hey, Zephyrion, do you remember that we'll be visiting the beta phase of 'Elysium Soul' today? Our lovely Kate managed to get us spots in the beta phase since her parents are the main shareholders of the game," Kai said, a grin on his face.

Kate simply rolled her eyes in response, unimpressed with Kai's flattery. Zephyrion had almost forgotten about the beta phase, but he quickly covered it up with a smooth smile and responded, "Of course I remember. We've been waiting for months for the release of the game."

Layla saw through the charade of her boyfriend instantly and said with a smirk, "He completely forgot that it was today. Look at how he's trying to hide his expression."

Zephyrion's cheeks turned slightly red, but he didn't deny it. Kai and Kate chuckled at that sight, and Kai continued, "It doesn't matter that you forgot. But be ready today after school. We will go to the place where they hold the beta test."

Kate let out a sigh of frustration. "There will be 1000 beta testers for the game, so we'll have to wait anyway. But it's still a great opportunity for us to try the game first and get more information than anyone else, besides the other beta tester."

Kai and Zephyrion nodded in agreement, and the group continued to eat their lunch, but Kai couldn't help but speculate about what the game would be like. "I bet it's going to be epic. I heard it's a full immersive open world game with endless possibilities."

Zephyrion added, "Yeah, and there are even rumors that it's going to be the next big thing in the gaming industry."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Well, let's not get too ahead of ourselves. We won't know for sure until we actually play the game."

Layla nodded in agreement. "That's true, but it's still exciting to be one of the first people to try it out."

After they finished their food, they headed back to class. As they sat in their seats, their minds were buzzing with anticipation for the beta test. They couldn't wait to see what the game had in store for them.

Class dragged on and eventually ended. The four friends quickly gathered their things and headed to the location of the beta test. When they arrived, they saw a long line of people waiting to get in.