The room was heavy with silence.
The bangles lay on the velvet cloth like sleeping beasts — majestic, ancient, and humming with untold power. No one dared move. Saurabh stood near the door, arms folded tightly. Ankur nervously fidgeted beside the table, while Suraj sat cross-legged on the floor, watching the bangles as though they might wake up and speak.
Harsha took a slow breath and stepped forward.
His palms were sweaty, but his grip was firm. He picked up the first bangle and slipped it over his right wrist. It clinked into place with a strange softness. He then wore the second on his left hand.
At first, nothing happened.
Then—a soft click echoed through the room.
The gems embedded in the bangles began to glow—faintly at first, then with a growing intensity. Before anyone could react, the stones burst open, releasing a gentle surge of metallic-blue liquid. The fluid slithered over Harsha's wrists like living mercury, wrapping itself around the bangles and merging into his skin.
The gold dulled, fading to a deep, worn iron hue. The once-proud image of a free-roaming elephant on the bangle twisted as the liquid settled. Now, iron shackles encased the creature's legs, binding it in place.
A hush fell over the room.
Saurabh took a cautious step forward. "Harsha... are you okay?"
Harsha didn't answer immediately. His eyes had gone vacant.
---
FLASHBACK
He was somewhere else.
Smoke choked the air. Screams echoed from every direction. Shadows darted across crumbling walls as soldiers clashed with blades of fire and thunder. Harsha watched in horror as people were cut down, trampled, and dragged.
In the center of the chaos, a fierce man, his eyes burning with fury, held another man high by the neck. Blood dripped from his fingers, but his voice was clear and thunderous.
"I'm your true king! Look well, I shall lead you into a new era of blood and fire!"
A thousand people bowed as one.
Harsha stumbled back, heart pounding.
That man… the king…
Why did he look so familiar?
Suddenly, everything turned white.
---
Harsha blinked. He was back in the room.
Everyone was staring at him. The bangles were now fully bound to his arms. They no longer looked like accessories—they looked like a part of him.
He rubbed his temples, still shaken.
"What happened?" Suraj asked gently.
Harsha forced a smile. "Just felt... a little dizzy. I'm fine."
But it wasn't. The vision felt too real. Too familiar.
He decided not to tell anyone.
Not yet.
He turned toward the glowing screen that had just appeared on the gaming console.
> PROTOTYPE ENTRY OPENS IN: 00:34:56
A soft hum filled the room. Lights blinked. The system was waiting.
Ankur looked at Harsha. "Are you... sure about this?"
Harsha nodded.
"Yes. I don't know what's ahead. But I have to find out."
Suraj placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll be here. Just don't forget us."
Harsha smiled faintly.
"I won't.
The countdown continued.
🕒 PROTOTYPE ENTRY OPENS IN: 00:34:00
---
🔻 00:34:00 – 00:25:00
Saurabh pulls Harsha aside, speaking with concern:
"Harsha, I'm not just your teammate. You're like my younger brother. If something happens in there, we won't even know how to face shubham."
Harsha looks up, expression calm but focused.
"I understand. But something in me says… this is what I was meant to do."
Just then, Ankur, trying to lighten the mood, grins:
"Don't die before you find treasure, alright?"
Everyone laughs—nervously—but it cuts the tension.
---
🔻 00:25:00 – 00:15:00
The enhanced gaming system glows, and the voice announces:
> "Initializing biometric sync… Scanning linked artifact…"
A holographic ring appears above Harsha's arm. Slowly, glowing markings begin forming along his forearm—like runes or circuits connecting.
Suraj: "What's happening to your hand?!"
Harsha looks at it calmly and says,
> "Wait… I don't feel any type of pain. I think this is just a linking process, syncing me with the game."
The console flashes:
> "Connection Established. Prototype recognizes artifact bearer."
He's prompted:
> "Do you want to begin your journey?"
Harsha taps YES.
---
🔻 00:15:00 – 00:08:00
Suddenly, Harsha blinks — and a flashback hits him.
> A chaotic battlefield.
People are being slaughtered, smoke rising.
In the middle, a fierce warrior holds a man by the neck and raises him before a roaring crowd:
"Behold your king!"
The vision ends as fast as it came.
Harsha, disturbed, says nothing.
> "I've seen this before. I've lived this before…"
But he hides the truth from the others.
---
🔻 00:08:00 – 00:03:00
The gaming chair vibrates. Then, with a mechanical hiss, four panels slide out from its base.
They rise and lock into position, forming a transparent dome around Harsha.
Ankur: "Whoa! A gamer cage?"
Suraj: "That's next-level tech."
The marks on Harsha's arm begin pulsing, in perfect sync with the bangles and console.
---
🔻 00:03:00 – 00:00:00
The countdown flashes on the console:
> 00:03:00… 00:02:59…
The countdown flashes on the console:
> 00:03:00… 00:02:59…
Harsha glances at his friends with calm determination.
He nods silently — no words needed.
Saurabh: "We'll be right here when you come back."
The dome surrounding Harsha glows brighter, and the headset lowers gently over his eyes.
The bangles pulse, the markings on his arm flicker — then stabilize.
Harsha exhales slowly…
His eyes flutter shut.
> His body relaxes completely in the chair.
A soft blue aura surrounds him as the system announces:
"Consciousness transfer complete. Welcome, player Harsha."
He doesn't disappear — but he is no longer here.
His mind has crossed into another world.
"The body sleeps. The game begins."
> PROTOTYPE ENTRY INITIATED. TRANSFERRING CONSCIOUSNESS…
🌌 Scene: Entry Into the Game World
A blinding white light surrounded Harsha.
Everything turned silent. The weight of his body vanished, and his clothes slowly changed into simple, rugged garments — like those worn by ordinary villagers. The iron bangles remained on his wrists, cold and still.
A glowing green screen appeared before him.
---
> "Welcome, Mr. Harsha."
Your First Quest:
Collect 100 Blue Gems from the Elemental Quarry.
Time Limit: 1 week in-game (equal to 7 hours in real life).
⚠️ Failure to complete the quest will result in execution for breaking your client's contract.
Resurrection is not available in this prototype.
---
The screen vanished.
Suddenly, Harsha felt dizzy, his vision blurring. He closed his eyes.
When he opened them, he was lying near a riverbank at the outskirts of a peaceful village. Mist floated gently over distant fields, and the sky carried the golden glow of early morning.
Harsha slowly stood up. He glanced at his simple clothes, then at the silver bangles.
Then, his eyes lifted to the view before him.
> "This place... is beautiful," he whispered.
For a moment, the danger felt distant — and the world, like a dream.
Next chapter :-10 Beautiful city of Goblins and the humans