Two months later.
The neon lights of Toukio, a city that never sleeps, glowed brilliantly. So bright they drowned out the stars. Music, culture and energy pulsed through every corner of the metropolis, attracting tourists from around the world. The heart of Gyapan beat loud, fast, and alive.
But just a few streets away, a narrow alley broke the illusion. Cracked pavement, potholes, rusted signs and weathered walls stood in quiet defiance. There, between shadows and silence, the real city breathed.
Inside one of those aging buildings, behind a curtained window, light flickered. Two monitors and a drawing tablet glowed defiantly in the darkness, casting sharp angles of digital white and bluish glare.
Wet footsteps echoed faintly across the floor.
A young man in his early twenties stepped out of the bathroom, towel hung around his shoulders. He moved lazily toward the desk, rubbing his messy, curved black hair before slumping into the chair.
With a few clicks, he opened Newtube and played a stream from his favorite Neotuber who is a rising star with bright red theme named Akari Hoshino. Her voice filled the room as he hummed along.
He logged into the game and hovered his mouse over the social tab, pausing over a familiar name:
Shadowfox42.
They'd been gaming together ever since that one random friend request two months ago. At first, it was just the occasional match. Then once every few days. Then mission runs. Voice chats. Regular play. Over time, they fell into a rhythm, enough to know each other's habits like what time they logged on, the way they played, their favorite food, even casual talks about war, music and history.
7:00 PM. Shadow should have been online by now.
7:30... 8:30... 9:30... Still nothing. That was unusual.
Akari Hoshino's stream was winding down. The room felt a little emptier than usual.
He stretched his arms.
"Guess I'll play solo then," he muttered, clicking Find Match.
Pupon.
A soft ping echoed in his headphones. Someone had joined the voice channel.
"You're really late today," he said, reflexively. "I'm queuing a match."
He hovered his mouse over the button.
"...And cancel."
...
Minutes passed.
"Shadow, I think you're muted."
A breathy, tired voice came through. "Sorry. I didn't notice. I was... busy."
"You sound really tired," Star said, concerned. "Everything okay over there?"
"Yeah. Let's just play for now. I'll join your lobby."
"Sure! Hop in. I was dying waiting for you."
...
Forty minutes later, the match was over. It was a tight game. Either side could've won. But they lost.
"Damn," Star sighed. "That should've been an easy win. You were all over the place, dude."
"Sorry. I was distracted. Got into an argument with my friend."
"Oh?" Star leaned forward, curious. "What kind of argument?"
"Hypothetical battle," Shadow replied. "Modern-day setting."
Star remembered Shadow's military-nerd friend and grinned. "Ah, that guy again?"
Shadow hesitated. "Yeah..."
"Mind sharing it with me?" Star offered. "Maybe I can pitch in too."
He had no idea that question would change his life forever.