The Genius in the Game

Prologue : From Dream to Reality

The clock on the wall ticked quietly in the dimly lit room as Hiroshi Tanaka sat at his desk, surrounded by a mountain of textbooks, papers, and scribbled notes. The light from his desk lamp cast a soft glow over his workspace, the only source of illumination in an otherwise dark room. Hiroshi's eyes were glued to the pages of a complex theoretical physics book, his fingers tracing equations with the precision of someone who lived and breathed academia.

Hiroshi was what some might call a prodigy. From a young age, he had shown an exceptional aptitude for science and mathematics, his mind working in ways that left his teachers in awe. But his brilliance came at a cost. While others his age were out playing games or socializing, Hiroshi spent his days buried in books, striving for knowledge. His understanding of games or social conventions was limited; his world revolved around the pursuit of academic excellence.

"Just a few more pages," Hiroshi whispered to himself, his voice barely audible in the stillness of the room. His eyes burned with fatigue, but he pushed through it, driven by an insatiable thirst for understanding. "I need to finish this section before I sleep."

Despite his determination, Hiroshi's eyelids grew heavier with each passing moment. The lines of text began to blur together, and the once-clear equations started to dance on the page. He shook his head, trying to stay awake, but the exhaustion was too overwhelming. Slowly, without realizing it, Hiroshi's head drooped, and he drifted off to sleep, his pencil slipping from his hand and rolling across the desk.

As sleep claimed him, the darkness behind his closed eyelids gradually gave way to a soft, warm light. He was no longer in his room but standing in a familiar park from his childhood. The sun was shining brightly, filtering through the leaves of tall trees, and the sound of birds chirping filled the air. Hiroshi looked around, recognizing the park immediately. It was a place where he had spent countless afternoons playing as a child.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and Hiroshi's attention was drawn to the sound of laughter—a sound that tugged at his heart with a mix of nostalgia and melancholy. He turned to see a young girl running ahead of him, her long black hair flowing behind her. She was wearing a simple white dress, and her laughter was like music to his ears.

"Aiko…" Hiroshi whispered, his voice thick with emotion. It had been years since he last saw her, yet here she was, as vivid as ever in his dream. Aiko was his childhood friend, the one person who had always been by his side when they were younger. They had spent countless hours together, sharing dreams and aspirations, before life pulled them apart.

"Hiroshi, hurry up!" Aiko called out, turning back to look at him with a smile that made his heart ache. "I want to show you something special!"

Hiroshi's feet began to move of their own accord, following her through the sunlit park. As they ran together, the world seemed to blur around them, but Aiko remained clear, a beacon of warmth and familiarity in a sea of uncertainty.

"Aiko, where are we going?" Hiroshi asked, his voice trembling slightly. He was older now, aware that this was just a dream, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that it was more than that.

"Just trust me," Aiko replied, her laughter echoing through the park. "You'll see when we get there."

Hiroshi wanted to ask more, to hold onto this moment with Aiko for as long as possible, but before he could say anything else, the scene around him began to change. The sunlight faded, and the warmth of the park was replaced by a cold, harsh light. Aiko's figure blurred, dissolving into the whiteness, and Hiroshi felt a strange sensation, as if he were being pulled away from her by an unseen force.

"Aiko!" Hiroshi called out, reaching for her, but his voice seemed to vanish into the void. The dream disintegrated completely, and he was plunged into darkness.