Chapter 1- The Launch
Jean’s POV
Tonight is going to be awesome, not because it’s Halloween, but because it’s the biggest update Zythera has released in months.
What is Zythera?
Zythera? It’s a full-immersion VRMMORPG.
Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game.
Basically, you put on a neural-link headset, log in, and enter a massive virtual world where you create your own character, level up, learn skills, fight monsters, complete quests, join guilds, and do pretty much whatever you want. Think of it as living inside a fantasy game instead of sitting in front of a screen pressing buttons.
It’s got different classes, races, weapons, dungeons, raids, world bosses, crafting, PvP, the whole thing. And the world is ridiculously huge. You could play for years and still discover things you didn’t know existed.
The best part? Your character actually grows with you. You gain experience, unlock abilities, find better equipment, and build your character however you want. Two people could start at the same level with the same class and end up playing completely differently.
And because it’s full immersion, everything feels real. You can run, jump, swing a sword, cast spells, and interact with other players like you’re actually there.
Honestly, it’s easier to understand if you try it yourself. But fair warning, once you get into Zythera, real life starts to feel a little boring.
And this time, nobody is allowed to disappear halfway through a raid because their mom needs them to take out the trash.
Like my homeboy Mason.
My phone vibrates against my desk, and I glance down at the squad group chat.
Mason: EVERYONE ALIVE?
Jayden: Unfortunately. Why?
Mason: Because tonight we become LEGENDS.
Noah: You said that before the last update and got killed by a level twelve skeleton.
Mason: THAT SKELETON WAS CHEATING.
I laugh, leaning back in my chair.
Honestly, I don’t know why I bother with these people.
Actually, that’s a lie. I know exactly why. They’re my people. We’ve been playing together for nearly two years, and somehow, despite the constant arguments, questionable strategies, and Mason’s apparent inability to read a health bar, we’re still a team.
A terrible team sometimes, but a team nonetheless.
I check the time on my monitor.
6:14 p.m.
The update is scheduled to go live at seven, which gives me just enough time to shower, grab something to eat, and set up my VR equipment before everyone starts complaining about server queues.
And tonight’s update is supposed to be insane.
According to the developers, the Halloween expansion introduces an entirely new region, special event dungeons, limited-edition equipment, and a world boss that will only appear once during the event.
Once.
Which means if we miss it, we’re going to hear about it for the rest of our lives.
Noah has already made a spreadsheet. He knows the game’s mechanics, reads update notes, and plans the squad’s builds. He takes gaming seriously but isn’t necessarily the best player.
My phone vibrates again.
Chloe: Jean, are you getting on early?
I stare at her message for a second before replying.
Me: Depends. Are you asking because you need my expert gaming skills?
Chloe: You’re funny.
Me: I try.
Chloe: Anyway, I heard the new region has a hidden quest. Apparently someone found a screenshot on the developers’ forum.
I sit up a little straighter.
Me: What kind of hidden quest?
Chloe: That’s the problem. Nobody knows. The screenshot disappeared.
Me: That sounds suspicious.
Chloe: It’s the art of marketing, pff. They want people talking about the update.
Me: And it’s working.
Chloe: See you at seven, gamer boy.
I grin at my phone, then drop it onto the desk.
Chloe is fun to talk to. She’s one of the few people in our squad who can keep up with Noah’s complicated explanations without making the rest of us feel like we accidentally enrolled in a university course.
She’s also pretty.
Very pretty, actually.
But that’s all it is. A small crush that comes and goes depending on how much time we spend together. I’m not about to ruin a perfectly good friendship over it, especially when I already have a girlfriend.
Speaking of which, I should probably text her.
I pick up my phone again and open Mia’s conversation.
Me: Happy Halloween, beautiful. What are you doing tonight?
Her reply arrives a minute later.
Mia: Helping my mom with the trick-or-treaters. Then probably watching a movie. You?
Me: Gaming with the squad. Big update tonight.
Mia: Of course you are 😂 Have fun, okay? And don’t forget about me.
I smile.
Me: Never.
Mia: That’s what you said last time before disappearing for six hours.
Me: That was an important raid.
Mia: I’m sure it was, babe.
I send her a heart before putting my phone away.
Mia doesn’t play Zythera. She tried it once, spent twenty minutes trying to figure out how to equip a weapon, and decided that watching paint dry would be a more enjoyable use of her time.
I can’t really blame her, the game isn’t exactly beginner-friendly. And tonight, the developers are promising something bigger than anything they’ve released before.
I finish getting ready, grab a sandwich from the kitchen, and return to my room just as another notification appears.
Zythera Official Announcement
Halloween: The Night Beyond the Veil.
Prepare yourselves, adventurers.
At 7:00 p.m. server time, the gates to the Hollowed Realm will open.
New monsters. New treasures. New challenges.
And a secret waiting for those brave enough to seek it.
Happy Halloween.
“I’m brave, I’m brave,” I whisper to myself with a huge grin, the thrum of excitement washing through me as I read the announcement twice.
Then I open the comments;
What secret?
NEW REGION LET’S GOOOO!
Please tell me the level cap is increasing.
Hollowed Realm sounds terrifying. I love it.
Anyone else notice the announcement doesn’t mention the world boss?
That last comment catches my attention, and I squint my eyes. They’re right. The developers have been teasing a “world boss” for weeks, but there’s no mention of it in the official announcement.
Maybe it’s part of the secret.
I take a screenshot and send it to the squad.
Me: Anyone else think this announcement is weird?
Noah responds almost immediately.
Noah: It’s deliberately vague. They’re probably trying to generate engagement before launch.
Mason: BRO WHO CARES. WE’RE GETTING LOOT.
Sophie: I think the region looks creepy.
Jayden: It’s Halloween. That’s literally the point.
Ava: Everyone, please remember we agreed to stay together this time.
Owen: Define together.
Ava: Eww
Owen: I’m just asking questions.
I shake my head, laughing.
At 6:52 p.m., I am finished checking my equipment. My headset is charged, my controllers are ready, and my character’s inventory has enough health potions to survive at least one of Mason’s plans.
I open the game launcher.
