I find myself lying on the ground next to my bed. My body must have tossed even though that should have been impossible when full-diving. The helmet is padded but it seems that I still hit my head pretty hard. I take it off and try to get up.

My head is spinning and I feel like throwing up. I resist it for a few seconds but then my last meal goes down the toilet. I take two painkillers, rather not thinking that eating drugs on an empty stomach is asking for digestion problems. Do I feel like this because of my telepathy or because of the possibly faulty helmet? I’m not sure which would be worse.

Anyway, I’m all sweaty so I take a shower right away, hoping it’ll clear my head as well. I expect relief but when hot water lands on my back, it starts to hurt almost unbearably. I quickly dry myself and inspect my back in the mirror only to discover that areas under my shoulder-blades are red. In panic, I reach for the only cream I have. I apply it to the affected places but it doesn’t help at all.

Is this really just from gaming? Can a person lie on their back so badly that it would irritate the skin or something like that? Should I… go see a doctor? What would I even say to them? That I have strange injuries from gaming? They’d send me right to a psychiatrist for sure!

No, let’s analyse it logically. There’s definitely something wrong with the game but I’ve also been playing too much and my telepathy got stronger which could be a contributing factor. In any case, others didn’t mention any physical pain. I just need a good rest, that’s all. Tomorrow I’ll ditch school and tell my professors that I’m sick. Technically, that isn’t a lie.

After writing a message of apology to my supervisor, I go back to bed. I’m tossing for a few minutes as I can’t lie on my back, my migraine is at its worst and my head is full of catastrophic scenarios. I also feel my neighbours way too strongly. But sleep eventually comes when I’m thinking about Erik.

*****

Crazily strong hunger wakes me up. I don’t even think of my back for a while because staring at a revolving plate in the microwave is somehow more alluring. I ravenously eat the whole pizza in just ten minutes and then continue with cornflakes and milk.

When hunger fades away, I start to think and most importantly feel my body again. My shoulder-blades are pulsating wildly and the unease spread to neighbouring areas. I rush to the bathroom, take off my shirt and inspect my back. Red areas are even redder and now also swollen. I try touching the swelling and it hurts like hell.

Doctors… I should… probably… see some doctors. Where is the nearest hospital anyway? Is my basic health insurance sufficient to treat this mysterious illness? I take out my phone to call an ambulance but my phobia kicks in and I don’t.

Instead, I look at my Vortex profile. Liana, Fefnir and Gotrid are asking me to confirm their friendship requests so I do. I consider writing Erik but what would I even say to him? That I’m ill from excessive gaming? That there’s a possibility that VR helmets can mess with one’s brain?

Oh, right, an unread message from him. I haven’t noticed for all that puking and panicking.

Erik (21:50)

Going for my night shift, what about lunch together when I’m done and had some sleep?

Erik (2:30)

No emergencies, bored. Did you have a good time with that raid thing?

Erik (2:53)

Still playing?

I want to reply to him, I really do, but my eyes close and I fall asleep.

*****

I’m looking at myself in the mirror. There’s only me and the mirror, nothing else matters. My reflection is confusing—it’s showing my virtual avatar while I’m still the real life me.

“What’s real?” I whisper. “Am I dreaming?”

I look around but I see only blackness. I turn back to the mirror and now it reflects my usual body. However, I feel a familiar comforting weight on my back. I have wings! The images switched places.

“This is also not right,” I say and the world around me starts to spin.

There’s nothing to hold on to except for the mirror. I clutch to it so desperately that it falls down and breaks to pieces. The reflection is fragmented and it’s showing my virtual avatar again. Who am I now? I inspect my body—I still have wings, even my hair turned silver and my eyes golden. Two images became one. Who am I at the end?

Then comes pain so excruciating that my vision blurs indistinguishably and when I regain consciousness again, I’m lying on the bed in my apartment. Not only my back, my ribs hurt now as well. All I can think about is food. Do I still have something left? Please, anything will do.

I look into my pantry and find some old toast bread. It’s a bit stale but luckily without mould. Good enough. I even find a jar of jam I probably got as a present for correcting someone’s essay. I spread the jam on the bread and nothing has ever tasted better in my life. I eat all of it, take more painkillers and after a few minutes the pain mitigates to the point I’m able to think straight again.

I’m afraid to check my body in the bathroom but I have to. I shiver when I see my reflection in the mirror. I look shitty. Moreover, a few millimetres of my hair from the scalp turned white. Is it because of stress or something? The state of my back isn’t that surprising considering that my whole torso hurts like hell. As expected, areas around shoulder-blades are even more swollen.

Call an ambulance? Call Erik? He does have medical training. For my whole life I’ve been terrified of doctors and hospitals. Now for the first time I desperately need them but every fibre of my body is warning me against it.

I collapse on the floor and start crying. My Mom had hallucinations before she died. Doctors said the tumour was causing it. Could her illness be hereditary? Am I going nuts because my brain isn’t okay? Is it because of my telepathy? After all, having telepathy isn’t exactly normal.

But my friends are also experiencing strange fatigue. It can’t be a coincidence. Maybe I’m not the only one experiencing weird symptoms apart from dropping compatibility level? What if it somehow affects all players of Draconia? It seems ridiculous, of course, but I have to make sure.

I check Draconia’s Internet forum. The most popular topics are usually strategies for dungeons and stat builds for specific classes. Used to be. The hottest topic in the last 24 hours is reporting problems with dropping VR compatibility but there’s nobody reporting strange physical symptoms in the real world.

I lie down on my stomach, a pillow under my chin, and put on my VR helmet. I need to talk to Liana. And other race rulers and basically everyone else this effects. I’m a little bit afraid how the connection will seem now but there’s nothing to lose, I guess.

CHECKING VR COMPATIBILITY…

WARNING: COMPABILITY FAILURE

ERROR#542