Chapter 2: The Reset

Reality’s Tragedy – A Glimpse Outside the Game

In a small, low-lit bedroom, a child sat cross-legged on the floor, completely immersed in The World of Seas and Skies. His fingers twitched ever so slightly as he controlled his character in the vast, virtual world.

The door creaked open.

“Dinner’s ready,” his mother called from the hallway.

The boy didn’t respond.

“Hey, I said—” She stepped closer, her voice trailing off as a creeping sense of dread washed over her.

The VR headset remained snug over his head, but his body had slumped unnaturally, lifeless in his chair.

Her heart began to race. She rushed to his side, shaking him gently. “Sweetheart? Sweetheart, wake up!”

No response.

She pressed trembling fingers to his wrist, then to his neck.

Cold.

Lifeless.

A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air, shattering the heavy silence.

The World of Seas and Skies – Chaos Unfolds

Back in the game, the world was chaos.

A colossal monster roared, its clawed foot crashing down onto the battlefield with earth-shaking force. The shockwave sent ripples through the terrain, tearing apart the ground and flinging players into the air like ragdolls. Their bodies crumpled upon impact, health bars vanishing in an instant.

Others were erased entirely, their forms disintegrating into digital dust, wiped from existence without a trace.

The creature was a towering grotesque undead dragon. Its form flickered between shadow and steel, surveying the remaining players with hollow, glowing green eyes. With a final, deafening roar, it disappeared into the void.

For a few heartbeats, there was only silence.

Then-

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!”

Panic erupted like wildfire.

Players scattered in every direction, their voices a cacophony of confusion, terror, and desperate cries for help.

A sudden notification flashed at the top of every player’s screen:

9,110,347 players remaining...

A beat passed.

The number dropped.

9,109,456.

Axel felt a cold shiver crawl up his spine.

Kane’s eyes widened in horror. “What... what the fuck does that mean?!”

“Is this part of the event?!” shouted a random player, his voice shaky with panic.

Axel’s gut twisted, the unsettling truth sinking in. “...I don’t think so.”

A loud siren blared, slicing through the frenzy.

Then, a grim news broadcast appeared in the sky, like a death knell over the chaos.

A shaken news anchor appeared, her face pale, her voice trembling.

“Breaking News… Millions of players in The World of Seas and Skies have been declared dead... with their VR headgear still active. Experts are still trying to understand…”

Her words barely registered before another explosion of chaos consumed the crowd.

Screams filled the air as players scrambled, desperately pulling at their menus.

“This is fa-fake i-isn’t i-it?!”

“THE LOG-OUT BUTTON IS GONE!”

“What’s happening?!”

“I CAN’T EXIT!”

“SOMEONE GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!”

Axel’s hands flew to his menu, fingers trembling as he swiped frantically through the options.

Nothing.

Kane fell to her knees, fists clenched, tears slipping down her face.

Damon let out a furious roar. “FUCK! GET ME OUT OF THIS STUPID GAME!!!”

Madden stood frozen, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached.

Alt remained still, observing in silence.

Then, the same female robotic voice echoed across the game world.

The Reset Begins

“Welcome, players.”

The panic fell to a stunned silence as the female robotic voice boomed across the landscape.

“You now have 30 minutes to select five items from your current inventory to retain. Upon completion, all players will undergo a full reset, including levels and avatars. Failure to select your items within the time frame will result in complete inventory loss. The timer begins… now.”

A countdown appeared in the sky:
30:00

Kane’s breath hitched, her voice barely a whisper. “Reset? What… does that mean?”

Axel’s hands curled into fists, his face hardening. “I don’t know.”

A heavy silence stretched between them.

Then-

“…They might be trying to reset our avatars to our real-life appearances.”

Everyone turned toward Damon, who stood with his arms crossed, his expression grim.

“…Just like that one anime.”

Madden cursed under his breath. “Shit. He might be right.”

Kane paled, her eyes wide with panic. “N-NO! NOT MY FACE!”

Alt, as calm as ever, selected his items without hesitation.

“Five revive potions.”

Axel blinked in confusion. “Wait-what?”

Alt’s eyes darkened, his voice edged with something dangerous. “This game just killed those players without a second thought. I don’t plan on dying here.”

A heavy silence fell over the group.

Alt continued, his voice low. “Plus, if I were the game master, I’d make revive potions scarce. Look at how it’s showing off the number of players remaining.”

He pointed at the massive holographic screen, where the numbers were steadily decreasing.

Axel swallowed hard. “…You might be right. It’s like it wants to see our numbers dwindle.”

Kane exhaled sharply. “Fuck… What about our legendary equipment?! We’ll die quickly without them!”

Madden shook his head. “We’ll just have to earn our gear back.”

Axel hesitated, then selected his own set of revive potions. The others followed suit, each of them silently agreeing to play it safe for now.

The Reset – Transformation

10:00

Kane rocked on her heels nervously. “Sooo…” She glanced at the others, her usual playful grin faltering. “There’s a chance we’ll see each other in real life, huh?”

A pause.

Then, with an exaggerated bow, Kane laughed awkwardly. “Looking forward to meeting you all!”

A brief silence hung in the air.

Then, a soft chuckle.

Axel smiled faintly. “Likewise.”

Damon smirked, his tone teasing. “I look forward to meeting everyone too… especially this silent knight.” His gaze pointed towards Alt.

Alt glared, his expression unreadable.

Madden stared up at the sky, his voice unusually somber. “…This is bittersweet.”

Kane let out a long, exaggerated sigh. “Guess I can’t act cute and feminine anymore.”

Everyone froze.

“…What?”

00:10
The countdown blared across the sky.

00:05
00:04
00:03
00:02
00:01

A brilliant flash of light engulfed the world.

When the light faded-

Axel gasped.

Kane stared at Alt in shock, his voice trembling. “…Alt… you’re a GIRL?!”

Madden turned, his crimson eyes widening as he pointed at Kane’s short orange hair and yellow eyes. “And you’re a GUY?!”

Damon whistled lowly, clearly entertained. “Woooah. Plot twist.” His pink eyes gleamed with excitement.

Axel, his cheeks burning red, quickly covered his face. “…Oh no.”

Madden slicked back his fiery red hair, raising an eyebrow. “What are you hiding, Ax?”

Axel flailed in embarrassment. “NOTHING!”

Kane narrowed his eyes at Axel, a mischievous grin forming. “…Wait a second.”

His gaze locked onto Axel’s new appearance. His real appearance.

“…Alexander Lester?!”

Damon’s jaw dropped. “Wait, Wait... Axel’s the billionaire’s son?!”

“No wonder you had those high-end gears…” Kane remarked as he dramatically collapsed.

Madden caught him with one arm.

“And you look like a delinquent, Madden!”

Kane exclaimed, a judgmental tone in his voice.

Madden then unceremoniously dropped him to the ground.

Kane groaned. “Ow…”

Kane then gasped, his finger pointing at Damon. “…And you… aren’t you Damien Foster? The model?” he asked.

Damon gawked, a surprised grin spreading across his face. “Damn, you know your stuff, kid.”

Kane paled. “Shit. We’re too famous.”

Damon karate-chopped him on the head. “In your dreams.”

Kane’s eye twitched. “Hey!”

Before the argument could continue, the game’s voice returned.

Panic Settles

The revelation of the reset left the players reeling. Some were frozen in shock, while others desperately tried to deny the reality of their situation.

The streets of Sethia buzzed with confusion as players, now in their real-life appearances, scrambled to comprehend what had just happened. Some stared at their reflections in disbelief, running hands through their actual hair, touching their faces as if expecting to wake up.

Cries of “This can’t be happening!” and “I want to go home!” echoed through the district.

Meanwhile, Axel and his group stood amidst the chaos, absorbing the weight of their new reality.

Some players were even staring at them, gawking at the sight of their striking features.

“Isn’t he a model?” a female player whispered to her friend.

“Yeah, and that guy’s a rich person.” Her friend whispered back.

Axel exhaled deeply, raking his fingers through his now-black hair. His striking red eyes betrayed the unease he felt.

Kane, still grappling with the shift in pronouns, stared at his hands. “My voice… it’s my real voice now!”

Alt crossed her arms, her gaze steady. “They reset everything.”

Kane flinched at her confirmation, his brows furrowing.

Madden scanned the crowd, his voice low but serious. “The game said we can now ‘enjoy the event to its fullest’... which means—”

Axel gritted his teeth. “There’s more to come. And we have no idea what.”

Damon, now sporting his real blonde hair and pink eyes, leaned casually against a lamppost, arms crossed. “We need to get ahead before this turns into a full-blown war zone.”

Axel nodded, his usual charismatic confidence creeping back into his voice. “Then we need a game plan.”

As they observed their surroundings, something became painfully clear. Players were forming groups. Alliances were already being made in preparation for whatever was coming next.

Kane suddenly snapped his fingers. “Wait! Where did that newbie go? Gary, was it?”

The team fell silent, scanning the crowd.

No sign of him.

Damon shrugged. “If he’s smart, he’s already found a group.”

Madden exhaled, arms still crossed. “Or… he didn’t survive the reset.”

A chill ran through the group, but no one said anything. Instead, Axel shook off the unease and changed the subject.

“Alright, let’s move. Too many people are watching us.”

Damon glanced around, eyes narrowing as many players sneaked glances their way. “Yeah, not liking this attention.”

Axel exhaled sharply. “Let’s go to my house.”

With that, the team disappeared into the crowd.