My name is Jason Kusanarie and right now I’m in a battle for my life but lets not get ahead of ourselves it’s a long story so sit down, shut up, and listen.

It all started on my 17th birthday, it was a warm humid morning in Tokyo, Japan the sun shined through my bedroom window catching sight of the white walls.

The alarm clock on the end table to the right side of my bed went off echoing throughout the small 3-bedroom house I awoke
Gasping for air, my eyes burning and legs aching.

I rolled out of bed grabbing the inhaler that sat next to the alarm clock, breathing in the medicine.

My body started to calm down as I got up off the carpet floor, hitting the snooze on the alarm.

I went over to my desk that rested against the wall across from my bed. I opened the drawer that was built into its side and pulled out a notebook.

I reached over and grabbed the glasses that sat on the desk and put them on I then opened the book and began to write.

September 23rd 2060, Had the dream again this time he appeared with a blade what do these dreams mean are they trying to tell me something.

I don’t know but whatever they are this is the 15th time in a row and every time a different place and weapon am I going crazy or…

The sun shined on my black hair making it feel warm as I brushed my hand through it.

I could hear footsteps coming down the hall towards my room then KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK sounded at my door.

“Are you ok?” asked Christina Kusanarie my stepmother

“Yeah I’m fine I’ll be out in a minute” I replied my voice was dry and scratchy as I spoke.

The sound of her footsteps faded as she left down the hall, I went over to my closet and grabbed my navy blue pants and my black and white shirt, I got dressed and grabbed my backpack as I exited the room toward the kitchen.

My watch rang; I looked at the caller ID Alex I answered with a greeted hello.

A hologram appeared.

“Hey man…were…outside” she was breathing heavily as she spoke.

“Ok I’ll be down in a sec” the call ended.

I entered the kitchen seeing my older brother Dominic, my little sister Leah, Christina and my father PJ all sitting and eating breakfast at the table.

Leah got up from the table running toward me with open arms almost tackling me as she gave me a big hug wishing me a happy birthday.

My father got up shaking my hand and saying the same followed by Christina who gave me a big hug and kiss.

I looked over at Dominic who still sat at the table reading the newspaper and finishing the rest of his breakfast.

Not that I blame him we haven’t really talked since our birth mother died 3 years ago in a violent car crash.

“Thanks guys but I got to go to work can’t be late on the first day right?” I said.

“Well ok we’ll see you when you get home I’ll have a little surprise waiting for you when you do” replied Christina as she released me from her grip.

“I have to go see you later tonight” Dominic got up and left out the door walking right past me not even saying a word.

I followed catching sight of Alex and Ethan Alex’s hair was black with blonde highlights at the ends, her eyes were brown and her skin color was nude.

She was wearing dark blue jeans and a white Green Day shirt with a black tie.

Ethan also had black hair and brown eyes his skin color was caramel.

He was wearing khaki shorts and a black polo shirt Alex came over to me giving me a hug wishing me a happy birthday.

I looked down the street and watched Dominic as he walked down the street toward his garage

“You ok?” asked Alex in a soft comforting tone.

“Yeah I’m fine let’s go we don’t want to be late for the internship now do we.”

We headed toward the Tokyo University of agriculture and technology.

“Oh I almost forgot here” Alex reached into her pocket and pulled out a little black box with a bow on it, giving it to me.

I opened the box and took out a stainless steal necklace with a masquerade pendant on the end

“Cool thanks,” I said while putting on the necklace.

“You excited?” asked Ethan.

“Yeah you know it” I said, the humidity in the air kept fogging up my glasses and making our hair messy.

Alex looked at me worriedly

“Did you have another nightmare?”

“Yeah” I replied putting my glasses back on Ethan and her were the only ones who knew about my dreams.

“What happened this time?” she asked.

“An arrow pelted me in the chest as I entered a secret room on the side of a mountain then he showed up and I woke up.”

“How many times has this happened now?”

Before I could answer Ethan interrupted.

“Hey guys look.”

We reached the university a mass group of people were surrounding the front of the university.

“Ladies and gentleman boys and girls welcome to the beginning of a new world, a new generation, a new life this is strike” The mans voice came over the speakers, the crowed was loud and energetic as the man appeared from inside the building.

He was wearing a black cloak that hid his face and body; he was also wearing black boots.

Thousands upon thousands of people were yelling and screaming for the man to reveal more, he lifted the microphone and began to speak.

“Let me introduce my self my name is Kiru Mizioto I am the founder and creator of the latest virtual RPG. A world full of fantasy and adventure waiting for you to explore and conquer. It took my company nearly 25 and half years to develop the technology capable enough to gain access to this world. The only way to enter this world is by inserting this devise into your central nervous system.”

He held up what looked like a computer chip

“This devise is the first of it’s kind by reacting immediately to your brain functions. Now were still working on some bugs but rest assured we will have the game up and running by mid-night tonight thank you.”

The crowed burst into a roar of excitement as he left into the building.

The crowed dispersed leaving me, Alex and Ethan still standing in front of the university I looked at Ethan who looked as if he hadn’t slept in days.

“Are you ok? You don’t look so good” I said he immediately shot back.

“I’m fine!”

“Ok fine sorry I asked.”

We entered the university, the whole place was filled with computer surveillance whatever was going on that day made the security very nervous as people walked the halls.

I could see a group of men around forty dressed in suits walking into a different room one of the men pulled out a key card a used it to open the door.

I could see was a dim blue light coming from inside the room before a women stood in front of me depriving my chance to see any further.

The woman in front of me was dressed in a light brown top and a matching skirt her hair was dark blonde she was about 6ft tall including the high heels she had been wearing.

“Hello my name is Bridget I work for the university if you have any questions at all please feel free to ask” her voice was very mature for her age which by looking at her face seemed like 20or 21.

“Thanks, actually were here for the intern ship my name is Jason and these are my friends Alex and Ethan” she looked shocked as her eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

“You mean to tell me those good for nothing guards let the testers come in alone!! Today of all days” rage was building up inside of her as she balled her hands into fists after awhile she started to slowly un ball her fists as she looked at us and smiled.

“Please follow me” she led us to the same room that the men in suits went into and gave each of us a key card.

In side the room sat 4 men at a long table with 4 chairs on each side and 2 at their ends the 4 men were on one side.

“Sit on that side” she pointed at the empty chairs facing the men, we did the chairs were padded and soft the woman sat down on one end staring at the empty chair next to me she looked as if she was about to have another mental breakdown.

“Are you ok? Is something wrong?” she was speechless then the door opened revealing none other than Kiru Mizito followed by a girl wearing a hoodie that hid her face the only thing I could see was her long blond hair that went down to her tail bone.

They came in and both sat down she sat next to me and he sat at the other end for about a minute no one spoke a word then Kiru spoke.

“I want to start off with a congratulations each of you have showed potential in one way or another whether it be virtually or physically. For some of you your whole life has been leading up to this moment for others well you know your fate.”

He glanced over at me and grinned as if he knew something.

“Sir if you don’t mind we’d like to leave.”

Said one of the men in reply Kiru nodded his head the men got up and left out the room leaving their key cards behind.

“Anyway we have carefully gone over your résumé and I have to say you are the right ones for this job.”

He stared at us and smiled giving an ere sense throughout the room.

“Now if you would please fill out the survey so we can get started right away, Bridget if you’d please.”

The woman clicked a button under her side of the desk, for a moment silence then the desk in front of us opened 4 medium sized rectangular shaped slots.

A large beam of light shot out of the slots and a second later a digitalized screen appeared right before our eyes Alex and Ethan looked as confused as I was while on the other hand the girl seemed just fine touching the screen and answering the questions shown.

“It’s simple just touch the screen” she spoke her voice was soft and calm I don’t know what happened but hearing her voice made it like as if nothing else mattered.

I snapped out of what felt like a trance and began to read the questions. They were endless and somehow were all related to Strike I answered a, a, a, b, b, a, b, a, a, b, a, b and a couple others.

The screen vanished for a moment all was calm then another beam of light shot out from the desk but this time in the light was one of the computer chips that Kiru was showing earlier that day.

We had each received one and each had a different number on the front of the chip Alex had a 24 on hers Ethan had a 19 on his the mystery girl had a 2 and I had the number zero on mine.

“Ah I see you all have passed the survey now if you would please follow me to the next room.”

He pushed a button under his side of the desk and down we went the floor split up into four parts and we were lowered to a gigantic underground facility.

“Ladies and gentlemen I give to you the Nest.”

He stood up and started to walk away we quickly followed he lead us to a room that read “Testing” in bright red, put his hand on the hand pad and the door opened we all stepped inside only to find that the room was full of mirrors or so we thought.

The door closed behind us and automatically locked.

“Now if you would please put this on.”

He took out 4 devises that resembled a dog collar and gave them to us; we put them on and the devise made a loud beep then a second later a little red light appeared on the front of it.

“Please insert the devise you got from the survey into the slot compartment.”

We did exactly what he told us to do once inserted another beep but somewhat softer went off followed by the light changing to green.

He then pushed on one of the mirrors and a small table appeared out of the floor with 4 glasses and a bottle of some sort of liquid.

He went over to the glasses and filled each with a table spoon of the liquid then went over to us and gave us each a glass telling us to drink it Ethan was the first then Alex next was the girl and I drank mine last.

Something was happening to me all I can remember after that is falling to the ground almost paralyzed all I could think was why, why was Kiru doing this to us then it all made sense we were all apart of his sick twisted game.

Before I blacked out I could hear Kiru talking to a man that had just walked into the room something about protocol launch and an accident.

I came to, to find my self sprawled across my bed I looked at my clock 11:00 it read what happened I tried to think but nothing came to mind then a sharp pain shot into the back of my neck.

I fell to the floor waiting for the pain to stop and soon enough it did I turned on a light so I could see my room it took a moment for my eyes to adjust I looked down to find nothing on my neck nothing at all.

My head was spinning I ran out my bedroom door and headed straight for the bathroom only to get sick in the toilet blood, blood came out of me the bitter taste of metal filled up my mouth I closed my eyes and a second later it was gone.

Then a pounding at the door startled me.

“Hey Jason are you ok?” it was Dominic his voice seemed to have a sense of hesitation behind it as if a murder had just been committed.

“Yeah I’m fine I’ll be right out” I responded.

I could hear him through the door mutter something then he left.

I exited the room and went into the living room to see my brother sitting on the couch holding a small box in his hands he got up looking me dead in the eyes and handed me the box inside was a small key card with my initials on the front and my picture on the back.

“Happy birthday” he said with a smile.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“The key to you hover car I’ve been building it for three and a half years and I also found this in a pile of moms old stuff.”

He reached into his pocket and took out what looked like a small orb and handed it to me on my touch it opened up to reveal an old hologram of me and my mom when I was younger I started to cry looking at my mom.

“Thank you, oh where’s the rest of them?”

“Honestly I have no clue I came home about an hour ago you were in your room and they were gone.”

I had a bad feeling that I wouldn’t see them again but I quickly forgot about that when my watch range.

“Hello?” the hologram was blackened out all I could hear was a dark voice.

“Party starts in thirty minutes you should get ready.”

“Who is thi…” he hung up.