Awakening in Virtualis
Early morning in Virtualis. The sky hadn't yet decided on a color, shimmering from soft pink to golden, like the sides of a ripe peach. The air was so crystal clear it felt as if you could reach out and touch the horizon.
At the very edge of the abyss, where the serpentine road freezes before a leap into infinity, stood Jamie’s bike. But its engine was silent now.
Jamie and Nalen stood still, dissolved in the moment. It wasn't just a kiss — it was a quiet whisper of two souls against the backdrop of the endless sea. Time in Virtualis had stopped, and the world around them was shimmering with the golden haze of happiness.
When they finally broke their embrace, Jamie looked at his companion with such adoration that even the sun on the horizon seemed dull.
— Nalen... sweetie... — he exhaled happily, adjusting his glasses. — After a start like this, I’m ready not just to ride, but to fly to the very edge of the Universe.
The girl, beaming, adjusted her helmet.
— No need for the edge. For starters — to your cousin Adam. I promised Neira we’d be on time.
Jamie hopped into the saddle with flair. His companion pressed against his back, and the bike, as if sensing their shared drive, surged forward along the serpentine.
— To cousin Adam, then? — he hit the starter, and the iron horse responded with a powerful, confident roar.
Soon, a villa appeared ahead, hovering over the mirror-like surface of the water. Adam and Neira were already waiting for them on the terrace. While Adam and Jamie exchanged a firm handshake, Nalen sat down next to Etherius. The boy was so absorbed in a comic book that the letters around him seemed to glow and jump with impatience.
— Look! — Etherius pointed at a picture where a giant fish was trying to swallow a starship. — That’s Sholpan. She’s not in a good mood today.
On the page, a whale shark looked sad, the corners of its mouth turned down. Neira approached Nalen and, with a mysterious smile, handed her an elegant little box. Inside lay a signet ring, shimmering with all the colors of a digital dawn.
— This is a nano-device for you, Nalen, — Neira said softly. — With it, you can reshape this world. Try pointing it at Jamie’s bike and imagine... well, let’s say we need to visit Sholpan herself.
Nalen put on the ring, and in an instant, the air around the bike shimmered like heat haze.
— Oh, — was all she could say as the wheels began to melt, transforming into streamlined fins.
Jamie’s bike, which just a second ago had been roaring its engine on the serpentine, was now gently rocking on the waves of Virtualis. Instead of chrome pipes, it now had elegant air intakes, and the headlights had turned into huge glowing "eyes," ready to pierce the ocean depths.
— Well, Captain Nalen? — Jamie winked playfully, adjusting the collar of his leather jacket, which had now become waterproof. — Sholpan is waiting for her fricassee. Shall we dive?
Etherius clapped his hands, Adam and Neira waved from the terrace, and we plunged into the abyss, where surrealism becomes our daily life!
