Astral Flow

Part 1: Prologue

Loneliness is a rather interesting feeling, oftentimes it can make even a crowded bus feel like an empty sea, or a full house feel abandoned.

Hundreds if not thousands of bodies seem to blur together in everyday monotony, their voices just becoming meaningless background noise.

Though that's just how some people would rather it be, the isolation being preferable to dealing with other people face to face... to deal with whatever the other is feeling at that moment.

On days like this the sea of voices seems to die down amidst the gloom and freezing cold air. The dark gray overcast clouds painted a melancholic image of the city while the first snowfall seemed to bring some comfort to it.

A figure stops for a moment to gaze at their surroundings... an odd sense of nostalgia washing over them.

Standing before them was the entrance to a park, one they could never hope to forget.

"4 years... it's really been 4 long years since that day..." their mind danced with bittersweet memories that felt a lifetime away now.

Memories of a dear friend and family member who'd vanished in the blink of an eye.

Yet it was curious, why did they walk to this park today of all days?

They never visited the park frequently, rather it was often a place they were drawn to when something was about to happen.

They came here before getting that life changing phone call.

Before getting a promotion at work.

Yet it was also the place where they were informed of their mother's passing.

Yes, this place was always a sign of some kind.

Though It couldn't possibly be today, everything had been mundane, without much sign of changing.

Normal and stable just how they liked it... everything right where it belonged.

Still an odd sense of unease shook them right to their very core.

No, there was no way anything bad could happen, It was just the gloomy weather messing with them again.

After all today was a day for excitement, it's not everyday a new promising rpg comes out for the Reflection.

It was an artsy name for a full dive VR device that felt a bit cringe worthy, but with its cutting edge tech no one argued.

Reflection mastered full dive immersion to the point that it became hard to distinguish virtual from reality at times.

So many top of the line games and social hubs had been developed for it and it'd even started to become a go to staple for most developers.

So the premise of a massive open world rpg inspired by some of the greatest rpgs in history was enticing.

Though apparently it'll act partially as an MMO in some regards such as multiplayer, but supposedly it was amazing according to beta testers and early reviewers.

As for the game itself it appeared to be a dark fantasy world set in its dying days.

The last great lord denied the end and used his powers to hold it off.

Now a natural decay is overtaking the lands and death has descended.

The outlanders, players, have been summoned from across space and time to solve the issue.

All who have ventured towards the great lord have perished along the way.

Now only the outlanders remain to decide the fate of this world.