sacred games

The dying star pulsed, it’s heart on the verge of collapse. Twelve figures, cloaked in unimaginable power, stood amidst its final throes. On one side, six beings (the angels) blazed with light so intense, it dwarfed the star's dying brilliance. Across from them, five figures (the demons)exuded a chilling darkness, a black hole's silent hunger, their very presence accelerating the star's demise. And in the center of this cosmic ballet of light and shadow, stood Reaper. He seemed to absorb the dying star's essence, his form cloaked in a darkness deeper than any of the others, a living embodiment of the star's final, terrible scream. But then, the things discussed were by no means simple, the fate of the world was resting on their soundless star toppling discussion. The intensity of the conversation loomed above the star like an omen of death, accelerating it's death even further. Suddenly, the figure in the middle broke the sacred rule, yelling in a language that speaks for all, his voice was like the rushing of a mighty wind. I Reaper, will dethrone and destroy that God, make him pay for neglecting us all and if you don't join me, you will all suffer the same fate. The faces of the angels and demons -a vortex of light and darkness- went grim as they moved to strike down the tyrannical being. But before they could, Reaper, the demon of death and chaos was gone. Our story...begins here.

"The Responsibilities Of Which I Must Carry As An Angel's Avatar!" ••••• What do you think about becoming an Angel's Avatar? This sacred calling would challenge you to wield divine energy and wisdom, while shouldering the responsibility of protecting humanity from the forces of darkness. •••••• As North's life slipped away, a blinding light enveloped him, and a celestial voice whispered, "I offer you a choice: embrace death or become my Avatar, a harbinger of hope in a world shrouded in darkness. Choose wisely, for your destiny awaits." With a heart heavy with loss and a mind clouded with uncertainty, North made a fateful decision that would forever alter the course of his existence. A new journey as an Angel's Avatar was about to begin, filled with challenges, sacrifices, and a purpose greater than he could ever imagine. •••••••

Silence. Like a nice bucket of shhhhhhhhh. Everyone shut the effing fudge UP! That's all I've ever wanted. *Sigh.* But silence comes in different flavors. There's mint - the peaceful kind that wraps around you like a blanket. The kind I chase at 2 AM. I've cried once. Just once. With a bucket beside me, watching heroes with super suits and impossible strength tear each other apart. Somehow that feels less broken than my reality. Then there's the suffocating silence at school. Not an ice cream flavor. This one tastes like metal and shame. High school is my personal hell. Empty wallet, empty lunch tray, empty seat beside me like I'm radioactive. Empty soul on Wednesdays because middles are always the worst. *The usual.* But Emily made the silence bearable. Mint-flavored again. Until she broke something between us. *Snap.* One moment she's whispering secrets with me, the next she's weaponizing them. She scattered my private thoughts, added her own twisted lies. The betrayal burns hotter than the stares drilling into my back. I went from invisible to spectacle. Being a ghost feels like luxury when you're dodging spit balls and "accidental" lunch trays. But somewhere between my third panic attack and contemplating switching schools... *Something shifted.* Like in those games you play, when your character suddenly glows and the screen flashes: "New Skill Unlocked" And it wasn't just in my head. I tested it. Small things at first – a pencil moving across my desk when I focused hard enough. Then books. Then someone's lunch tray right as they walked past Emily. *tap tap tap* I used to think rock bottom was the end. *Well ladies and gentlemen,* it's just a really messed up spawn point. And now? I don't stumble from cliffs anymore. I swim in gravity, and dive head first.

A brilliant computer scientist, desperate to secure funding for her family, is recruited to fix a malfunctioning game world that has evolved beyond its original programming. But when a glitch traps her inside the game, she finds herself unable to escape. As she navigates this strange digital realm, she encounters the game’s Hidden Boss, an NPC whose existence defies the system’s rules. The more time she spends in the game, the more her consciousness begins to morph into an avatar, erasing her memories and sense of identity. Now, she must find a way to break free before she loses everything, her past, her family, and her very humanity.