Shadow Player (SAO)

World of Swords

•••{First Person POV}•••

As the bright colors fade, a starting menu quickly invades my vision. 

<Beta avatar is still available for use, do you wish to accept?>

I accepted without a second glance. The opening sequence started, welcoming me back into the world of Aincrad. I smiled as the familiar floating castle came into my view. As I, along with all of the other excited players of SAO, started at the lowest level known as the <<Town of Beginnings>> I swiftly followed the path to the closest weapon shop. 

Even with my avatar's average appearance of straight black hair and pale green eyes coupled with the standard female armor, I still managed to attract the attention of desperate guys. Sighing to myself I continued on, ignoring their insistent calls. 

After purchasing a strong yet standard sword, I made my way to the outer fields near the town in order to level up. I ran further coming across some <<Frenzy Boars>> in my way; slashing through with my sword I was able to kill the few that were in my range. 

•••

Time passed and I began to wander back. I took notice of two players, one with black hair and the standard clothes while the other had slightly dark pink hair and a bandana, that were battling another one of the nearby pigs. I smirked, it seemed like the black haired one was teaching the other. He seemed familiar too, maybe I met him during the beta. 

Oh well, I'll figure it out tomorrow. I need to log out anyway or else I will end up missing dinner. I swiped down to open my menu in order to click the <<LOG OUT>> button...but I couldn't find it. This can't be happening! It worked just fine during the beta, what happened? Panic slowly invaded my thoughts as the possibilities of the situation ran through my mind. 

Suddenly a bright flash of pale blue and white light encased me, and I was transported to the town square. It was crowded, it seemed everyone in SAO had undergone a forced teleport. 

Surrounded by people, I was pushed and shoved in all directions causing me to trip and bump into the person in front of me. 

"I'm sorry!" I quickly apologized. 

He turned around and smiled slightly, "It's fine, don't worry about it," and then turned to face forward once more. Dark black hair and a basic avatar, was he the one I saw earlier?

The confused musings of the crowd ceased all together, causing me to snap out of my thoughts. I looked up as the once beautiful blue sky turned to a fiery crimson. Blood like liquid seeped out of the sky and into the form of a Game Master's cloak. 

"Attention all players of Sword Art Online, I welcome you to my world!" The cloaked figure spoke out in a deep voice. "I am sure you are all confused as to why your menu's lack a log out button. I assure you all this is not a defect of the game, I repeat, this is not a defect. As of right now no one out side of this world can interfere."

What is he talking about? If its not a defect then something bad is about to happen. 

"With the removal of the log out button that means none of you will be able to exit the game," Panicked cried from the crowd did not deter him from his explanation, "Furthermore forced removal of the NerveGear will result in the transmitters of the system electrocuting the brain ending in death. Despite a previous warning to the families and friends in the outside world, many did not heed the warning and lost their lives." 

Images of different news reports showed the truth of the situation only causing more panic among the crowd.

Rage boiled within me, how dare he! He had no right to create something like this!

"Also there will be no revival in this game, meaning that once your HP bar drops to zero that is game over both here and in the real world."My eyes visibly widened as I stared up at the cloaked figure. If I die here...I die in real life..."The only way to escape is to complete all one hundred levels of Aincrad, defeating each boss in the different dungeons located somewhere on each floor."

He's sick and twisted! Designing and trapping all of us in a death game! I will survive this hell, mark my words Kayaba Akihiko!

"Oh and before I leave you all, I have one more gift. It is in your inventories."

Swiping down my menu, I looked in my inventory to see something labeled <<Mirror>>Clicking on it a small hand mirror appeared and a bright flash of light followed soon after. When it cleared I looked in the mirror once my and saw...me.

 Long jade green lock fell down my back replacing my avatar's black hair. Startling heterochromatic eyes, one a brilliant shining gold and the other an emerald green, stated back as I took in my new appearance-cringing slightly. 

"My goal of creating SAO, was to create a world and intervene in it. This is a game...but it is not something you play. Fight, survive, and level your way up to the top." and with those words the cloak disappeared and the sky turned to its normal beautiful blue, a harsh contrast to screams of fear and panic that followed after.

 Determination burned within me, I will prove myself. I will beat this game and survive for my sake as well as others. 

I ran, faster than possible. I needed to get away from the crowd before all hell broke loose. Slipping into the shadows I ran far away in order to get to the next town. Hopefully nobody followed, as selfish as it sounds I need to level up faster to get stronger or I would never beat the game.

 I was always bullied because of my appearance so I hid behind hoods and in shadows. Games like the these always seemed like a safe haven to me. But now, he ruined it. My safe haven, my escape from reality, has become my prison. I swear I will escape, or die trying...