Who You Are

The more technology advances, the more socially withdrawn society becomes. Outdoor and nature were feeling lonelier than ever—existing merely like a useless decoration rather than a living sanctuary for human connection. Twenty-four-seven, people's phones were glued to their hands, ignoring each other in the clean, quiet streets as if they were mere non-playable characters in a role-playing game. The phone had become like a deep-diver's oxygen tank—and without it, people would struggle to breathe in the world around them. Because of this worldwide issue, people have also begun losing interest in building a family. And because people gradually lost interest in socializing, fewer and fewer people were building families, leaving streets, playgrounds, and attractions around the world increasingly deserted.

Many people, especially conservative older generations, blame technological advancement and social media for the global problem. They would often mention the nostalgic "good old days" when they would play with other children from the neighborhood and spend a lot of time in the library looking for the resources they needed. But many people, especially Akihiko Kyou, a Japanese social VR developer, strongly disagreed with the negativity. In an interview regarding the social isolation crisis, he stated, "You complain the world only texts? Then build something worth speaking in."

Thus, a new kind of social media was born. To use VOXA—a software created by Akihiko Kyou—the app should be downloaded to the phone, and the VR headset should be connected to it. In the VOXA Universe, everyone walked around behind masks and lived as if they were in reality. Everyone could choose their own identity—their preferred gender, race, body structure, and names—so long as they do not use a very distinct name for their avatars, such as "Morvayne," "Draxim," or "Alixandreja." There were also age limits, and 14-year-olds were the youngest who could enter. And because everyone was faceless and bloodless, everyone treated each other equally—whether they're a commoner or a royal, whether or not they're related by blood, whether they're wealthy or poor, whether they're famous or ordinary, whether or not they came from the same race, country, or religion, and whether they're attractive or ugly. The only thing that maintained order in the heavenly virtual universe was the GodBot—whose presence was felt everywhere yet invisible to the eyes of all individuals—which monitored the behaviors of each avatar.

At the same time, during the age of VOXA, there was a famous yet anonymous novelist named Raven North. They were famous for their speculative fiction stories that expose the reality and fallibility of the universal morals widely practiced by society. And they once stated in a social media post that the reason why they wrote such novels was to save people from being "brainwashed." However, despite their fame, some of their works had been controversial and were often viewed negatively by extreme, close-minded traditionalists. But their fans, on the other hand, argued that the traditionalists' refusal to engage with North's ideas only reinforced their intellectual rigidity. By the year 2050, Raven North had become the world's best-selling author, and many of their works had been made into films.

Despite their popularity, North's identity had always been a mystery. No one knew—not even their parents, nor their siblings, nor their closest friends—who they were. The only things people knew about them were their existence, fame, their books, and their beliefs.

Well, who was Raven North? The truth was they were nothing as people would expect. Based on their writing style, people may think of them as an intelligent, married man in his 40s. But in reality, she was merely a reclusive teenage girl who had not yet reached adulthood. Her name was Roxana Steinberg—a plain-looking white 15-year-old girl living in California. She had straight, chest-length black hair, dark eyes, light skin, and a petite build—nothing alluring and striking. She was only close to her caring mother and older brother, yet invisible and alien in the eyes of everyone else.

Despite being famous, rich, and exceptionally intelligent, she was not a very good student. Being in her classroom always felt as if she were surrounded by deafening megaphones. Every day, she would have a difficult time concentrating during lectures because the commotion of the class disrupted her train of thought, and the sudden, sharp noises of teachers yelling at the whole class to keep quiet felt like a jump scare. As a result, she would only stare at her tablet during every exam, barely answering the questions on her test, and her mind inevitably drifting away to the novel she was currently working on. And while she may be the best in writing and literature, her voice was also not as accomplished as her hands.

And yet, there was a popular, handsome jock who had been a motivation for her to go to school—Sven Henderson. His body was as lean and tall as a Grecian god, and his eyes were as blue as a crystal sea. His red, wavy, shoulder-length hair was his calling card, which made him stand out even more among his peers—and his nose and jaw were as perfect as a sculpted masterpiece. Though exceptionally handsome, he had always looked down on people he found ugly and not as popular as he was. When Sven talked to her, Roxana heard nothing but scornful laughter, rejection, and contempt, as if she were the ugliest woman his eyes ever laid on.

Taking a rest from the exhausting school day, Roxana lay down on her comfy white floor bed and opened her Onyx TV frame one afternoon to immerse herself in StreamAlpha movies. Among the "Top 10 Most Watched TV Series" was a sci-fi movie whose description started with the words, "Roxana and Sven, a loving married couple..."

Amused, Roxana raised her brows, closed her eyes, and grinned. While she was pleased by the coincidence, she knew that Sven would not like it as much as she did and would possibly mock the TV series for the naming combination for its main couple. Disheartened by the realization, she looked down and sighed quietly and hopelessly.

Unfortunately, Roxana was right. A few weeks after the TV series made it to the top ten, she overheard Sven boasting aloud to his friends, "Isn't it disgusting that the author of that sci-fi movie actually named the couple Sven and Roxana? It makes me wanna barf."

His friends snickered like a pack of hyenas.

"Oh my gosh, that was so unfortunate!" said one of his friends.

"I would never forgive the shithead who named that couple," said another one of his friends. "You're too cool for Roxana, and Roxana's too ugly for you."

Having had enough of Sven's nonstop derision, her chest sank and tears began to fall from her eyes. Quickly, she ran into the restroom, retreated into one of the cubicles, and sobbed quietly and continuously until she ran out of tears. Then, after ensuring that no one else was outside, she left the cubicle and looked at the mirror, making sure that her hair was tidy and that she did not look as if she had just cried.

At last, the school had ended. Upon returning home, Roxana lay down on her bed with her body curled, still feeling heartbroken yet somehow thankful that the weekend had come. To divert her mind away from what had happened earlier, she listened to her favorite songs and surfed the internet. Then, as she scrolled on her phone, a picture of a prince—whose elegance outshone the beauty of Sven—appeared in front of her eyes. He looked as if he were some ethereal figure that came out of a Renaissance painting. His beauty was rather soft and feminine, yet in a graceful way. And when Roxana looked him up on the internet, she learned that his name was Prince Theodore—the heir to the British throne—and he was just a year older than her. He had straight, waist-length hair that shone like the golden sun, siren eyes that were as blue as a morning sky, and skin that was as white and smooth as milk. His nose and jaw were rather delicate yet still prominent, and his face wore a gentle yet melancholic look. And when she searched further, she saw that many artists were making fan-made art inspired by him.

Feeling inspired, Roxana grabbed her digital pencil and began drawing portraits of the beautiful prince. In the very first portrait, she drew him with big white wings and a himation wrapped around his body. Upon finishing it, she converted her digital work into a canvas online and bought the product. For the rest of the day, she continued with her current novel, aiming to finish it as soon as possible so she could start on her new novel, where she could use her feelings for the distant prince to spark her ideas.

Then in her dark room, before she slept, she looked once again at her new drawing on her tablet and thought, "We may not meet each other, but I'll create a world where we could meet and love together. From now on, you'll be my shield from such feelings. We may live apart, but we can never betray each other."

And as she switched off her tablet, she savored the softness and coldness of her bed, realizing that even though her day was ruined by the person she used to admire, her feelings were saved by some distant prince she would certainly never meet in person.

From that Friday onward, Roxana no longer thought of Sven. And during class intermissions, just thinking of the prince swept her boredom away. As VOXA rose in popularity, Roxana heard more students talking about their experiences in the VOXA Universe.

And in one moment, she heard one of her classmates say, "Do you guys know that Kyou was inspired by Raven North to develop VOXA?"

Hearing those words, a burning curiosity to visit the virtual universe gripped her—despite not being very active on social media.

The following Friday, Roxana downloaded the VOXA app on her phone, inserted her rider's license, and customized and named her own avatar Angela. She gave her avatar silver platinum blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, snow white skin, and a curvier and taller body. She also gave it a navy blue shearling trench coat with a black dress and leggings underneath and long, beige, low-heeled boots.

Afterwards, she customized her VOXA house interior. She painted some of her rooms white and some light lavender—filling them with white, gray, and wood-colored furniture and some aesthetic designs such as decorative lights, framed quotes, and posters of her favorite singers, movies, and books.

After setting up her account, she was asked to give a complete description of her personality. She typed:

"I'm very quiet. I'm an introvert. I'm analytical and quite skeptical about everything. I'm idealistic. I believe our world should evolve for the better. I value equality. I'm a feminist. I prefer routines. I'm a planner—spontaneity stresses me. I don't like overstimulation and thrills. I'm not very materialistic. I prefer staying at home—but occasionally, I like visiting new places. I don't believe in deontology."

Lastly, she added her interests:

"I like philosophy. I like reading mystery and sci-fi novels. I like alternative/indie and rock music. I like writing stories. I'm a fan of Raven North. I sometimes like cooking and trying new foods."

And finally, when Roxana was ready to enter the VOXA world as Angela, she grabbed her VR set from her white bedside table and put it on her head.