The airmount understandingly moved sideways toward me, and a rider’s saddle appeared. One second, the last preparations before takeoff, and the sky was a little closer, the clouds parted beneath the broad wings. Higher, higher, I wanted to go even higher.

“Over there...” I mentally marked the point on the map.

The hawk flinched, sensing the direction, flew a little forward and whistled down. And the soul, it seemed, decided to compete in speed, swooped down to my belly and hushed, watching with curiosity for the butterflies that fluttered inside me with delight.

The square was really crowded. After letting Ari go, I sneaked into one of the old bar-like diners. The plasma screens looked ridiculous in a medieval setting. At first glance. Over time, you get used to everything.

The sniper rifles of the latest generation also did not fit the rapier and axe set either, but they even looked harmonious on the two-meter tall ogre. Once again I marveled at the tastes of some players who purposely disfigured the avatar’s appearance, and then I pushed my way through the throng to the visors.

And the news was terrible. On one channel the announcer was talking about ballet and graceful swans, on another one there was an already useless debate about Virtul, and on the third channel drone cameras were filming a bunch of protesters storming the police and fire trucks.

“It’s like going back six centuries in development,” a short nymph with fluffy ears and a tail whispered frustratedly watching the latest video.

“First they will take away our Vir, then our homes, then our last money, our freedom. And then what? Life?” a werewolf-fox was clearly eager to start another uprising of gray separatists, brutally suppressed, by the way. “People, citizens of Virtul and Unica, will we tolerate this?”

Some supported the redhead, but most just looked doomed to a bleak future. Knowing our president and his dictatorial policies, there was no way to make a riot – all ingredients would scatter when the military machine arrived.

“But how can this be?” a woman sobbed in the corner, “I have a son and brother here. Both of them have been buried long ago, their eternity imprints stored only on the Cardin server, and if it’s shut down, I won’t be able to see them anymore. It’s cruel and wrong!”

Some thought in the back of my mind flashed and slipped away. I tried to catch it, but in vain. It ran around, taunting me, but no clarity was forthcoming, and the visor broadcasted growing areas of conflagration. Perhaps this time the military power will not be enough to quell the nation’s resentment. The people would no longer fight for freedom, but for life. After all, Virtul is indeed, for many of us, our everything.

“And the latest news. Thirty radical activists set themselves on fire outside the government building in protest. Thirteen people were saved, the fire spread to nearby buildings, but the flames were extinguished. Representatives of the Ministries of Health and Security urge citizens not to engage in provocative methods of protest that threaten the health of others and the protesters themselves…”

Now there was more anger and hostility in the air. Everyone probably wondered if he was ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of the game.

I didn’t know. I had not yet come to the realization that soon the world I had known since childhood, the world I loved, the world I knew, the world I was ready to devote my dreams and time to, would be gone. I stood in the middle of a stirring sea of people, a brewing gale, and stared blankly at the holograms and text summaries that flashed in rapid lines.

Again and again the recordings from drones, phones and video cameras were scrolling before my eyes. I woke up from the surprised exclamations. The visors went off one by one, all went out, and for a moment the hall was enveloped in deep silence. But then dozens of holograms of the same man flashed simultaneously. A man? Or rather... a monster?

Only a monster in human form could steal the world from us.

“As I said before, our decision is final. Satellites and servers will be disabled without the possibility of restoration. Your futile attempts to go against the law and the system will lead to nothing, all rebellions will soon be suppressed. After three days, any activity related to the game of Virtul will be considered illegal. Violators will be brought to justice. The five terrorists who were captured today for attempting to blow up the building of the Ministry of Internal Control will be executed at sundown.”

A groan of horror and unconscious fear ran through the crowd. I closed my eyes to avoid seeing the face of the man who was announcing capital punishment with such ease. As if he didn’t just cut someone’s life short with one word, but was telling us the algorithm for making a banana smoothie.

“I urge you to be calm. By a majority vote of Parliament, our country has decided to go the way of eradicating virtual reality. Think about your lives, about your loved ones, about our future generation. Our children will thank us for the fact that one day we chose a real life, that we chose to live in the present, not in numbers and fictional reveries.”

“To hell with this parliament together with their ‘right’ idea, they don’t understand anything!”

“And the president, too! Let him burn in hell, the antsy bastard...”

The appeal of the head of state went for a second round, as if they had forgotten to change the record. The scolding towards the country’s top officials became more venomous and subtle. And I finally caught up with the elusive thought...

In this world, I have only one close person left.

“Dad,” I exhaled into the void.

And again there was the café, the aroma of coffee, and the music from the rarity radio. My heart raced in fright, my breathing quickened, as if I’d run barefoot back and forth to the international train station.

Father must not find out about the closure of Virtul. He simply won’t be able to bear the news.

× × Death’s desire × ×

× We all die, but we don’t all live ×