Chapter 1
The chair shudders violently, as if the ground itself were trembling, while the boy sits before the computer, utterly absorbed in his mesmerizing games—worlds of intense scenes, razor-sharp cuts, and brutal missions that feel frighteningly real. The chair rocks back and forth relentlessly, echoing with his furious cries, each one charged with rage and an unyielding determination to destroy his enemies.
Suddenly, his younger brother, only ten, peeks around the doorway, clutching a soccer ball in his small hands.
In a soft, hesitant voice, he says:
“…Play with me.”
But the older brother, swallowed by his violent digital universe, snaps back, his voice raw with anger, words sharp and biting:
“…Go away, idiot.”
The younger boy cannot begin to fathom the shocks and battles how he channels his fury into vanquishing his virtual foes.
Yet he repeats his plea, his voice trembling:
“…Please… play with me.”
Suddenly, the older brother glances at the soccer ball, then swings a soda can toward his younger brother, who screams, hysterical and crying, rushing toward his mother and father—but his cries are drowned out by the relentless clamor surrounding the scene, as if waves of noise have severed the moment entirely.
Mr. Jackson’s House
The city of Solam was shaken by a horrifying incident at the house of Mr. Jackson, the father of the two children living in the Silan neighborhood. The night had left an open wound in the city’s heart. This time, the sirens were no ordinary warning, and the faces of the police officers crowding the streets were unlike anything the residents had ever seen.
