Chapter 18: Offline Chapter: Error 404: Normal Life Not Found

The headset hissed softly as it powered down, the world of Eidolon Nexus fading into the darkness behind my eyelids. For a moment, I felt like I was falling—weightless and cold—before my bedroom's warm, stuffy air hit me like a brick wall.

I ripped the VR headset off, gasping for air.

Sweat clung to my hairline, and my oversized sleep shirt dampened against my back. My chest heaved, and every breath was ragged and sharp. The faint glow from my monitor and the flashing green light on my VR rig pulsed with my frantic heartbeat.

My HUD. My powers. The chaos. UNKNOWN.

It all came rushing back in waves, and for a terrifying moment, I couldn’t tell if my hands were shaking because of fear or because somewhere, deep down, that wild surge of power still lingered.

Kiera… get it together.

A loud banging noise shook my bedroom door.

“KIERA!” Devon’s voice boomed from the other side. “Open the door right now!”

Before I could answer, the door swung open with enough force to bounce off the wall. Devon stood in the doorway, breathing hard, his hair sticking up in every possible direction, wearing an old hoodie and flannel pajama pants. His dark eyes were wild with panic as they darted across my room before landing squarely on me.

“Dev—”

“Are you okay?!”

His voice cracked slightly as he rushed forward, grabbing my shoulders and looking me up and down like he expected to find a glowing error message stamped across my forehead.

“I—I’m fine,” I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. “I think.”

Devon didn’t let go, his hands firm on my shoulders. “Kiera, you—You lost control. You… you—”

I flinched, looking down at my trembling hands. I could still feel it—the glitching energy that had coursed through me, the power that felt far too big for my body to contain.

“I didn’t mean to,” I whispered. “It just…UNKNOWN...they sent me a code... and it...just happened.”

Devon exhaled sharply, pulling me into a crushing hug. His arms wrapped tightly around me, his chin resting on my head.

“You scared the hell out of me, Ki,” he said softly. “One second you were fine, and the next… you were something else.”

My chest tightened, my fingers clutching the fabric of his hoodie.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes, his brows furrowed in worry. “Don’t apologize. Just… promise me you won’t mess with any more shady cheat codes, okay?”

I managed a weak laugh, wiping at my face with the sleeve of my shirt. “No promises.”

Devon sighed, “I'm serious.” running a hand through his messy hair. “Come on. You need to get out of this room. Some fresh air might help clear your head.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

I hesitated, glancing at my tangled bedsheets and the faint glow of my VR setup. The game was still calling me—its glitching whispers lingering in the corners of my mind.

But Devon was right. I needed air.

“Okay,” I said softly. “Let me change first.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Despite the early afternoon hour, the small café down the street was buzzing with life. A bell chimed softly as Devon held the door open for me, and the warm scent of coffee and baked goods wrapped around me like a comforting blanket.

We grabbed a table near the window. Devon ordered his usual black coffee (“Real men don’t add sugar, Ki”), while I opted for an iced caramel latte that was more sugar than coffee.

I stirred my drink absently, my mind replaying the chaos of the last in-game encounter on an endless loop.

Devon watched me over the rim of his cup, his brow furrowed. “You’re still thinking about it, aren’t you?”

I nodded slowly. “It’s hard not to. I felt… wrong. Like I wasn’t in control of my own body. And UNKNOWN—they’re still pulling the strings. What if next time—”

Devon set his cup down and leaned forward, his voice low and serious. “Nothing will happen, you got that? Because you’re stubborn as hell, and you’ve got me, Selene, watching your back.”

The mention of Selene made my heart twist, but I pushed it aside.

“Yeah,” I said softly, managing a faint smile. “You’re right.”

The bell above the door chimed again, and two college dudes walked in wearing hoodies with Eidolon Nexus guild logos plastered on the front. One of them was animatedly talking about a raid boss while the other scrolled through her phone.

It hit me then—how big the game was. How many people were in there, living their own stories, while I was tangled up in something bigger than I understood.

“You know,” Devon said casually, interrupting my thoughts, “you should try to log out more often. Not just when your body demands snacks or sleep.”

I laughed weakly. “What, and join you in your exciting world of couch naps and junk food binges?”

Devon grinned, leaning back in his chair. “Exactly. You’d be living the dream, Ki.”

I smirked, sipping my latte as the café buzzed around us.

For a moment, it felt normal.

The afternoon sun hung low as we walked back toward the apartment. Devon, with his hands stuffed into his hoodie pocket, took slow, casual steps.

“Are you going to log back in tonight?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yeah. We’re in too deep now to stop.”

Devon sighed, his expression unreadable. “Just… don’t lose yourself in there, Ki. Promise me that.”

I paused mid-step, my shadow stretching long against the sidewalk.

“I promise,” I said softly.

We walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence.

Devon flopped onto the couch in the apartment while I headed to my room. My VR headset sat waiting for me, cables neatly coiled and the faint green standby light glowing.

But before putting it on, I caught sight of my sketchpad on the desk.

I flipped it open, skimming through my earlier drawings—Lucien, Selene, Devon’s avatar Overlord Ren—until I reached a blank page.

For a while, I just stared at it.

Then, slowly, I began to draw.

The faint outline of chaotic shadows. Twisting glitching patterns. Eyes glowing with unstable crimson light.

My Succubus Demon Lord form.

When I set down the pencil, I exhaled slowly.

“Okay,” I muttered under my breath. “Let’s see where this goes.”

With one last glance at my reflection in the dark windowpane, I picked up the VR headset and slipped it over my head.