1 And it Began

As usual, the weather is blazing today. Although the electric was turned on it's maximum power I am still sweating non-stop. If not for the occasional breeze coming from the gaps in the wall of our little bamboo house I would have already been baked alive.

Going outside will straight up solve the problem but that is impossible today. Well if someone with a free time passes by and carried this useless body of mine outside then it is possible.

Since I was a little boy my health has been slowly deteriorating. It got worse each passing day until one day my body stopped responding. Though I can still move both my arms lifting them is a bit difficult.

My father is a small time farmer and money is hard to come by. Just earning enough to fill our bellies is an everyday struggle let alone saving money for my medical expenses.

My mother left us a week after I was born so I can't really blame my father. Being a solo parent is already difficult, and me having this illness only made it worse. That's why I try not to be a burden as much as possible.

Passing time would have been an ordeal if not for my two childhood friends, Antonette and Joel.

Antonette gave me books of varying kinds, ranging from school books to dictionaries and even some light novels. She would always encourage me to keep on reading and acquire as much knowledge as I can. Saying that if I got better I can easily skip school levels and catch up to them. She would also get annoyed Everytime I play with my mobile phone telling me that it is bad for my brain and health.

Joel is the culprit who gave me that mobile phone. He told me that he received a brand new phone as his birthday present and he didn't need his old phone. He downloaded it with a lot of games, specially rpg games telling me that it's the best way to kill time. Sometimes he would also buy load for my mobile number so that we could play online games together.

Being with them is so fun that oftentimes I forget all about my life problems. I always wished that they would visit me more often but recently they just can't seem to find a free time.

Specially after the Greyed Phenomenon began. My friend, Joel, who is a game addict, excitedly shared the unbelievable news to me one day. That the world had become gamelike.

Apparently just a month ago some people reported seeing a gamelike menu hovering in front of them. They even said that they heated a voice asking them if they wanted to become a Player. It was even reported on live television.

Most of the people who heared about it just laughed it off saying that those people had gone crazy or delusional. Some even suspected that a new kind of drug is being circulated in the society.

Then came the Grey Zones. Simultaneously around the world a random area just suddenly turned into grey. The smallest area is reportedly a school ground around 1000 square meters while the largest is whole town.

The authorities was baffled by the event and none of them could enter the affected area.

Once, a truck driver tried to ram his vehicle forefully into the area only to die horribly as his vehicle crashed and crumpled upon collision.

The onlookers told the reporters that the truck was travelling at the speed of around 100 miles per hour and that the incident was bizzaire. It looked like the truck rammed against a steel wall and couldn't penetrate the area. Not even a milimeter.

But that changed when the self proclaimed Players entered the scene. It started when a known and wealthy man called for a press conference, announcing that all the Players can and should enter the Grey Zones. He added that they should do it as soon as possible or there might be severe consiquences.

The Players emerged after that. One by one they entered the Grey Zones. When they got out the area returned to normal but the Players came back different.

The atmosphere around them changed. Some were bloodied, with torned limbs, with shocked expressions, and there were also those who are just calm.

The most abundant case, however, was those who returned as a corpse. Almost half of the Players died. Various kinds of wounds could be seen on their bodies and most were with missing parts.

When one of the Players was interviewed and asked what occured inside he told them of a horror film like story about monsters and beasts. He also told them about how each and everyone of them fought those monsters in a gamelike scenario where one shoots fire or water ball out of thin air. "It was a nightmare." He said cutting the interview.

The good thing was, somewhat, none of the ordinary people within the Grey Zone got hurt. It was also said that none of the Players encountered any ordinary people inside. It was as if the had vanished. Those people stated that they suddenly fell unconscious and the next thing they knew they were on the ground. The Grey Zone had already been cleared.

However the incident didn't end there. A couple of remote Grey Zones suddenly turned black after five days of being uncleared.

The place turned into a deep black void where light could not penetrate. The residents in the area also did not show any indications of coming out. Some Players tried to enter to save those people but even they could not enter the area.

With no lead of what to do the government set the case aside for the moment to further study the phenomenon. They also convened a world-wide leaders conference to plan their next steps as the Players said that it was just the beginning. Zones will continue to emerge anywhere at anytime.

Well, that is most of what Joel and Antonette told me.

The world got busy after that. Most of the people around the world feared that the next Zone emerging will be where they stand and that they will vanish unknowingly if no help came.

Those who live in remote or underpopulated areas even took off and went into the cities where most of the Players live. While those Players received benefits and financial offers for thier service in defending against the Grey Zones.

I even recently heared that they now have a clear ranking system for Players where Players are ranked and categorized properly. With benefits increasing according to the Players rank.

I mean lucky them? or unlucky them?

For me, I just hope that my father will always be safe for we do not posses the money to relocate even near the city. If a zone appear here? Then we are on our own.

Clearing my mind of the unnecessary problems a disabled person should think about I returned to playing offline games. Whatever happens to the world it's not like I could be of help anyway.