Harsha visited the family's game testing company with his brother. As he stepped inside, his eyes scanned the place that once buzzed with life. Now, the room told a different story. Nearly everything that used to be there was slowly sold off — the missing computers, empty desks, and dark corners whispered of struggles no one had spoken aloud.
For the first time, Harsha realized just how much his family had endured while he was in the hospital. Silent guilt crept into his heart.
Eventually, they reached the main testing room — once the nerve center of their company. Now, it held only three employees and two advanced testing chairs, equipped with headsets, fingerprint readers, and retina scanners — the last pieces of high-end tech they still owned.
Shubham introduced them, saying, "We once had a thousand game testers working here. But after your accident, the clients withdrew, and everyone left. Only these three remained. They're more than just employees — they're like family now."
He gestured to the men: Suraj, Saurabh, and Ankur.
Ankur stepped forward. "Your father raised us like his own. When we were kids, our parents died in a tragic road accident. Your father — their closest friend — took us in. We've been with him ever since."
The five of them took their seats. Two of them began playing different games to complete pending testing tasks. The fifth person, Ankur, wasn't playing — his role was to find and report bugs to the developers. If the bug was minor, he fixed it himself.
This routine continued for the next seven days. By the end of it, they had only earned ₹300,000 — not nearly enough to cover their needs.
One night, Ankur called Harsha aside. "There's something you need to know. We took on some high-paying contracts... meant only for elite players. Two employees with similar skills to yours were poached by a rival company for better salaries. After that, our entire team resigned, one after another."
He opened a drawer and pulled out a black game case. "Then came the disaster. The companies we signed with accused us of fraud. We were fined ₹76 crores, and because of the ongoing allegations, we're not receiving any new contracts. If we don't pay the fine in six months, both this building and our company will be seized."
He placed the game on the table. "This is our last hope."
Harsha's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"
Ankur replied, "It's a prototype game. No one has cleared even a single quest. The company that made it is offering ₹1 crore per quest. But there's a catch. This game scans your DNA, retina, and fingerprints. It gives you only one chance. If you die inside… everything's over. No second attempts."
"Nine of our best employees, including Mr. Verma, tried it. Not a single one could even pass the entrance trial."
Harsha asked, "What do you mean by entrance?"
Suraj answered, "This game is based on Hindu mythology and the Elementals world. According to the myth, humans were created by Lord Brahma and gifted the elemental powers. But as humanity became corrupt, Lord Vishnu decided to take those powers back — sealing them within the human body."
Harsha's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
Suraj nodded. "Yes. The game won't let you play unless you carry that dormant elemental power inside you. When we received the game, there was a letter. It said only 10 people in the world would be able to access the prototype. Out of a thousand testers... only two were worthy."
"One of them was that traitor who left our company for money."
"The other... was Shubham."
Ankur continued, "One month after you fell into a coma, Shubham tried the game. But he failed to complete the quest on time and died in the game. After that, he couldn't even remember what happened inside — because when you lose, the game erases your memory."
"Now, only one final attempt remains."
"But Shubham isn't here. He left two days ago with Mr. Verma to handle the legal crisis. Before leaving, he strictly told us to destroy the game. He said it's too dangerous. That's why Suraj and Saurabh protested when I suggested you should try it."
But Harsha didn't hesitate. He pricked his finger to drop a bit of blood, then placed his eyes against the scanner and confirmed his fingerprints.
The display on the chair lit up:
> "Worthy Player Detected. Access Granted."
They all stared in awe.
Harsha… was worthy too.
Harsha trying to enter the game twice and getting denied.
A third attempt triggers a mysterious system message.
It ends with suspense: a parcel from the developer is the key.
---
As the others watched with held breath, Harsha settled into the high-tech gaming chair. The headset locked into place. Fingerprint scanner — clear. Retina scan — confirmed. DNA match — successful.
The game hummed.
Lights flickered.
The screen pulsed…
> "Verifying access…"
Everyone leaned forward.
But then — a sudden beep.
> "ENTRY DENIED — ACCESS TEMPORARILY LOCKED."
The screen went black.
A confused silence fell. Harsha looked at the others.
"I… don't get it. I was verified. Why didn't it let me in?"
"Maybe try again," Ankur said hesitantly.
Harsha nodded and initiated the process once more. Fingerprint, retina, DNA — all matched.
> "Verifying…"
> "ENTRY DENIED — ACCESS BLOCKED."
Frustration flickered in Harsha's eyes. "What is going on?"
Before anyone could speak, the screen glitched — and then something new appeared. A slow, eerie message typed itself out across the screen:
> "SYSTEM UPDATE IN PROGRESS."
> "You are a valid candidate."
> "However, game entry has been restricted."
> "Await delivery from the developer."
> "A parcel will arrive within 24 hours."
> "Until then… do not attempt access again."
The screen faded to black. The room fell silent.
A chill crept into the air, not from fear — but from mystery.
"What parcel?" Saurabh whispered.
Harsha slowly removed the headset, his thoughts racing.
One thing was clear:
This game was far more real than they'd ever imagined.
And tomorrow…
something was coming....
Next chapter:-8 The Arrival