I can only allow myself to believe in so much coincidence. If I read articles saying he died from a gunshot wound inflicted by his father, I...I don't know what I would do or think. So it's best not to know.

Homework doesn't take long, leaving me with the dilemma of what to do next. Should I play Revelations? Should I risk messing up someone else's life? How is it even possible a game can do that?

It can’t. I’m being an idiot over this.

I google Revelations game.

Wikipedia gives me the shortest of short bios.

Revelations (Video Game). A North American video game developed by a new independent game studio Duality Contract. Most notable for its true to life graphics and unique control system.

I scan the page. Awards, critical reception, controversy--which deals with protests over the game’s content which many parents groups called "immoral."

If they only knew.

I next google Duality Contract. There's a number of news articles about the company, but no actual website belonging to them. Odd. In fact, further scouring of the net produces only a phone number for media inquiries. Duality Contract has never produced another game, never built controllers, never done anything before the release of Revelations. As far as the internet is concerned, Duality Contract, Revelations, and the neurolinx controller all came into existence on the same day.

How does a company come out of nowhere with a game and controller like this? I mean, you'd think there would've been press releases ahead of time, calls for investors, shit, a Kickstarter campaign. Where did they get the money for this?

I type into the search bar Is Revelations real?

The screen floods with the responses I should've anticipated--discussions on the Biblical Book of Revelations. I should refine my search, but for a bit, I just keep scanning the page titles and clicking on to the next set of results. In some way, the lack of responses I want is reassuring. Maybe it's all just coincidence and paranoia.

I turn away from the screen and look at the gaming chair and my neurolinx helmet. It couldn't hurt if I stick to Hellbound missions, right?

“Descend.”

I’ve only been in the Queue five minutes when the crush of bodies seems to get closer. A hard shove slams against my shoulder.

“Loser,” someone hisses.

A savage blow is delivered to my side. The game’s pain dampeners soften it, but I suffer fifteen points of damage.

“Where do you think you are?” another passing demon says. He’s laughing, most definitely at me.

What the hell is going on?

“Look what we have here, boys.” Rot’s familiar voice rakes across my skull. “Seems someone got a bit confused about the difference between Ahh-scend and Dee-scend.”

Rot’s decayed mouth swings on strained threads of sinew as he guffaws at his own joke. The three demons with him laugh as well. The sound is closer to a group of cats fighting than laughter. I try to ignore them and push ahead--I’ve got to find a place to pause and figure out what’s happening. Before I can leave, Rot and his men are on their feet, blocking my way.

“I don’t recall saying you could leave.” Rot sneers.

“Fuck off, Rot. I don’t have time for you today.”

The words come out before I can contain them. It’s a mistake. I have flashing Aggro warnings dancing across my screen. Seems the three closest to Rot weren’t the only ones from his clan in the area.

“I don’t know who you think you are, noob...but no one talks to me like that.”

Funny, I do. And noob? What is going on?

No time to wonder, I need to act. I can already feel spells pressing down on me.

I have a gemstone woven into my armor. It cost me ten levels on every spell I know, but it was worth it. The gem prevents any player whose level is lower than my own to successfully cast a spell on me. I do my best to never be stupid enough to take on a player higher leveled than me, so it’s damn useful. Especially now. Multiple spells are being deflected. Even though their intended purpose doesn’t happen, I still feel a tingle where I should be affected. For instance, my mouth tingles with the spells cast to silence my own magic. My legs register the impact of spells meant to slow me down. My torso from the spells meant to lower my defense levels.

One of the demons breaks from the ranks and charges me. The players in the Queue dash for cover, giving room for this rare showdown. I wait until the last moment to roll away, dodging the charger’s onslaught. As I roll to my feet, I draw my sword from its scabbard.

Fire jumps from the handguard of the sword, running upward until the entire sword is ablaze.

“Holy shit.” I almost drop the damn thing I’m so surprised. No time to figure it out, I just know it’s caused my attackers to back off a bit.

Something hits my back, tossing me into the air. The pain dampeners kick in, but I still feel aches in my chest. My damage points take a big hit. Another two like that and I’ll be eating grass. Obviously not everyone is intimidated by the sword’s flames.

The charger.

Aggro ratings spike--his lucky hit has inspired his clanmates.

I need room to breathe. I raise the index and middle finger of my left hand and then bend my remaining fingers down to form an ‘o’ with my thumb. Every player creates their own hand position for casting spells. It helps to reduce the number of unintentional misfires. Like I said, spells are all thought. The hand position is a way of focusing that thought into action.

Wall of Flame.

I’m encircled in flames jumping ten feet into the air, pushing back the charger, Rot, and his cronies.

Disorient.

A crowd control spell. If it’s successful it will cause most of the people in the Queue to feel muddled and will play havoc with their aim.

Smoke Screen.

One more crowd control spell. Hard to attack what you can’t see.

I hit pause.

Now just what is going on? Quick, quick, quick, I need a solution. I just leveled up, so I'm not worried about losing experience points, but if I die in the Queue, I'll just respawn here and Rot and his boys will be waiting for me.