The Last Player: When the Game Became Reality

Three Years Ago

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 stopped.

"What?"

"The old one."

She nodded toward his room.

"I heard your computer."

Ethan looked down at his food.

"Just for a minute."

"You promised you wouldn't go back to it."

"I know."

His mother sighed.

"You spent fifteen years on that game."

Ethan didn't respond.

She wasn't wrong.

Fifteen years was a long time.

Long enough for a person to change completely.

Long enough for childhood friends to become adults.

Long enough for people to get married, have children, change jobs, move to different cities.

And Ethan had spent most of those years behind a screen.

His mother continued quietly.

"You already finished it."

"I know."

"So let it go."

Ethan looked at her.

"I have."

She smiled sadly.

"I hope so."

________________________________________

On the way to work, Ethan found himself thinking about the game again.

He hadn't expected it.

He had spent three years trying not to think about it.

Yet the words remained in his head.

Welcome back, Player Ethan.

Why had the game recognized him?

The servers were supposed to be gone.

The company had stopped maintaining the game years ago.

Even the official website had disappeared.

Ethan had checked everything himself.

He had watched the game's population fall from hundreds of millions to thousands.

Then hundreds.

Then dozens.

Eventually, only he remained.

He had continued playing even when there was nobody left to play with.

Not because he needed the money.

Not because he needed fame.

He simply didn't know what else to do.

The game had become his entire world.

And when he finally reached Floor 1,000, there was nothing left.

So he walked away.

Or tried to.

________________________________________

"Ethan."

He looked up.

His coworker, Marcus, was standing beside his desk.

"You finished the report?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Marcus placed another stack of documents on Ethan's desk.

"These too."

Ethan stared at them.

"When do you need them?"

"Before lunch."

"There are forty-seven files."

Marcus shrugged.

"You're fast."

He walked away.

Ethan watched him go.

Across the room, two coworkers laughed.

One of them whispered something.

The other looked at Ethan.

They laughed harder.

Ethan lowered his eyes.

He had learned a long time ago that responding only made things worse.

So he opened the first file.

And worked.

________________________________________

At lunch, Ethan sat alone.

He opened the food his mother had packed.

Rice.

Egg.

A small amount of vegetables.

He stared at it.

Then someone dropped into the chair across from him.

"Still eating alone?"

Ethan looked up.

Marcus.

"Can I help you?"

Marcus laughed.

"No."

He pointed at Ethan's lunch.

"Your mom still makes your food?"

Ethan didn't answer.

"How old are you again?"

"Twenty-eight."

"Twenty-eight."

Marcus shook his head.

"Still living like a teenager."

The people around them laughed.

Ethan continued eating.

Marcus leaned closer.

"You know, Ethan, you should try getting a girlfriend."

Someone behind him said:

"Who would want him?"

More laughter.

Ethan tightened his grip around his spoon.

For one second, he imagined standing up.

He imagined saying something.

Anything.

Instead, he swallowed.

He had dealt with worse.

________________________________________

That evening, Ethan arrived home exhausted.

He passed his parents' room.

His father was awake.

"Ethan."

"Yes?"

"Come here."

Ethan stepped inside.

His father looked at him for a long moment.

"You look tired."

"I'm okay."

"You always say that."

Ethan smiled.

"Maybe because it's true."

His father chuckled weakly.

"You were always a terrible liar."

Ethan sat beside the bed.

His father reached toward the drawer.

He pulled out an old photograph.

Ethan looked at it.

It was a family picture.

Ethan was young.

His parents looked healthier.

And standing beside him was a little girl.

His childhood friend.

Both children were smiling.

Ethan smiled too.

"That was a long time ago."

His father nodded.

"Her family visited again."

"When?"

"Last week."

Ethan's expression softened.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were working."

His father looked at him.

"She asked about you."

"What did you say?"

"I told her you're doing well."

Ethan laughed quietly.

"You lied."

His father smiled.

"Maybe."

________________________________________

Later that night, Ethan sat in front of his computer again.

He didn't turn it on.

He simply stared at it.

His phone vibrated.

A message.

Unknown Number:

Are you still awake?

Ethan frowned.

He replied:

Who is this?

A few seconds passed.

Then:

It's me.

Another message followed.

I heard something strange today.

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

He already knew who it was.

His childhood friend.

He typed:

What happened?

Her response came quickly.

My old game account turned on by itself.

Ethan stopped breathing.

He looked toward the computer.

Eternal Ascension of Tower?

Three dots appeared.

Then disappeared.

Appeared again.

Finally:

Yes.

Ethan sat upright.

He typed:

What did it say?

Her reply came.

Nothing.

Then another message.

But the screen showed 1%.

Ethan stared at the phone.

His heartbeat began to accelerate.

He typed:

Don't open it.

Three dots appeared.

Why?

Ethan didn't know how to answer.

Because he remembered something.

Three years ago, when he had reached Floor 1,000, the game had asked him whether he wanted to play another game.

He had clicked yes.

Then the update had stopped at one percent.

And now—

three years later—

the update had started moving.

Ethan looked at the old computer.

The screen was still off.

Then suddenly—

CLICK.

The monitor turned on by itself.

Ethan stood.

The screen was completely blue.

No desktop.

No game launcher.

Just blue.

Then white letters appeared.

[UPDATE STATUS: 4%]

Ethan's face went pale.

A second message appeared.

[GLOBAL CONNECTION ESTABLISHED.]

Then—

[PLAYERS DETECTED: 108,734,921]

Ethan stared at the number.

Over one hundred million.

Players who had supposedly quit years ago.

Players who should have been gone.

Then one final message appeared.

[UPDATE COMPLETE.]

Ethan took a step backward.

The lights in his house suddenly went out.

Across the city, thousands of windows went dark.

Then his phone began vibrating.

Once.

Twice.

Hundreds of notifications.

Ethan looked down.

Every notification carried the same sender:

ETERNAL ASCENSION OF TOWER

And then the entire world turned blue.

[WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT]

[THE GAME HAS BECOME REALITY.]

Ethan's blood ran cold.

He whispered:

"...No."

Outside his window, someone screamed.

Then another.

And another.

Ethan slowly walked toward the glass.

The city below was changing.

People were running through the streets.

Cars had crashed.

Something enormous moved between the buildings.

And floating above every person in the city—

were blue screens.

Ethan stared at the words hovering in the night.

[WELCOME BACK, PLAYERS.]

His hands began to tremble.

After three years of peace...

the game had finally begun.