Ethan didn't sleep that night.He stayed in front of the computer until three in the morning, waiting for the screen to come back.It didn't.At 3:17, he finally gave up."Probably just an old server message."He said it aloud, but even he didn't believe himself.He shut down the computer and went to bed.The next morning, everything looked normal.His father was still asleep.His mother was preparing breakfast despite Ethan repeatedly telling her not to.The television was playing quietly in the background.A news reporter was talking about traffic.Nothing unusual.No monsters.No blue screens.No Tower.Just another morning.Ethan almost convinced himself that last night had been a dream.Almost."You're going to be late."His mother placed a plate on the table."I'll eat after work.""You said that yesterday.""I know."She gave him a look.Ethan sat down.He picked up the spoon.For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.Then his mother asked, "Did you play that game again?"Ethan

The streets no longer looked familiar.Ethan had lived in the city for years. He knew which convenience store stayed open late, which alley was the quickest way to the train station, and which streets became crowded during rush hour.Tonight, none of that mattered.Cars were abandoned in the middle of intersections.People ran past him without knowing where they were going.Some were crying.Some were shouting names.Others stood completely still, staring at the blue windows floating in front of them.Ethan kept walking.The metal pipe was still in his hand.It felt ridiculous.If someone had shown him this scene three years ago, he would have thought it was a badly designed event from an online game.But the blood on his arm was real.The pain was real.The smell of smoke was real.And the dead Fang Rat lying behind him had been real.His phone vibrated.Mina: Where are you?Ethan typed while walking.On my way.He looked at the road ahead.Three blocks.Maybe four.He could make it

Ethan walked away from the dungeon.It wasn't an easy decision.Every instinct he'd developed during fifteen years of playing Eternal Ascension of Tower told him to investigate anything unusual.A hidden dungeon on Floor 1 was exactly the kind of thing a player would kill to discover.But Ethan wasn't that player anymore.He was Level 1.No class.No equipment.No skills.And, most importantly, he had people depending on him.Mina followed quietly."You really aren't going inside?""No.""You used to be obsessed with discovering hidden areas.""That was before hidden areas could kill me."She laughed."Fair enough."They returned to Mina's apartment before sunset.The cat followed them.Ethan noticed it sitting outside the door.He stared at it.The cat stared back."You brought it home."Mina smiled innocently."It followed us.""You could have left it.""I tried.""And?""It followed me again."Ethan sighed."Fine."The cat walked inside as if it owned the place.Mina picked it up.

"Ethan!"His mother's voice came from behind the bedroom door.Ethan ran toward it.Another impact shook the frame.BOOM!"Mom!""I'm here!"His father shouted something, but the sound was drowned out by another crash.Ethan grabbed the doorknob.It was freezing.He pulled.The door opened halfway before something struck it from the other side.Ethan stepped back.His heart hammered against his chest."Stay away from the door!""What is it?" his mother cried."I don't know!"That was the problem.He didn't know.After fifteen years of playing Eternal Ascension of Tower, Ethan had learned to recognize almost everything.The sounds of monsters.The warning signs of bosses.The difference between an ordinary dungeon and a hidden dungeon.But whatever was inside this room—he had never encountered it.He looked at his status.[LEVEL: 6][CLASS: NONE][SKILLS: NONE]Not enough.He looked around.A chair.A lamp.The metal pipe.That was all.Another impact.The door opened slightly.Ethan

Ethan didn't move.The room was dark except for the faint light coming from the computer.His own voice still echoed in his head."If you're seeing this..."He knew that voice.There was no mistaking it.It was his.But Ethan had never recorded that message.He slowly sat down.His eyes remained fixed on the monitor."Play it again."Nothing happened.He clicked the mouse.The screen remained black.He pressed the keyboard.Still nothing.Then the computer displayed another message.[MEMORY FILE CORRUPTED.]Ethan frowned."Of course."He leaned back.For fifteen years, he had dealt with strange quests, hidden events, and unexplained system messages.But this was different.This wasn't something he had discovered inside the game.This was something that seemed to come from himself.His phone vibrated.Mina: Are you awake?Ethan looked at the time.2:14 a.m.He replied.Yes.Her answer came almost immediately.I can't sleep.Ethan stared at the screen.He typed:Neither can I.A few sec