The bell above the door jingled softly, as a young girl walked out. The shop was mostly empty, as usual.

  Dillion Rogers sat behind the counter, hunched over a paperback fantasy novel, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the faded corner of the cover.

  Outside, the city moved fast — neon signs flashing Eden advertisements, Center queues snaking around blocks, and air trains buzzing overhead. But inside Twilight Books, time moved at a slower pace. The kind of place the world had forgotten, or maybe never cared about in the first place.

  He didn’t mind.

  Dillion liked the silence. He liked the smell of paper and cardboard and the way the sunlight filtered through the cracked blinds. It was the only place that didn’t feel like it wanted something from him.

  He turned a page.

  Behind him, the old analog TV crackled softly with a local news loop. The anchor’s voice was dull, bored — “…as the Sora Grand Tournament continues, Eden confirms that celebrity author Silas Crow will appear live in Sora’s Capital Circle next week…”

  Dillion’s eyes flicked up.

  Silas Crow.

  His heart jumped.

  The author of The Soul Within the Stone, Rainborn, and Whispers Beyond Mana. The man whose books kept him sane during the worst parts of his life. The one who taught him that courage didn’t need to be loud or in the spotlight

  it could be quiet and Calm and in Solitude.

  He’s going to be there. In Sora.

  Dillion clicked his tongue.

  The thought had crossed his mind before. Sora. The Centers. Everyone talked about them like they were just big arcades. A dream world. A game.

  But the Centers weren’t free. And he barely made enough at the bookstore to cover rent and ramen. The only thing he bought regularly were used books and old paperbacks with yellowed pages.

  Still… Silas Crow.

  He looked around the shop. His boss wasn’t in today. He was alone again. Like most days.

  Outside the window, a group of college kids laughed as they walked by, their Eden badges flashing on their wrists. One of them looked inside, made eye contact with Dillion, then quickly turned away — laughing harder now.

  Dillion looked down. He was used to it.

  That night, at home in his tiny apartment above a laundromat, Dillion stared at his ceiling.

  A cracked poster of a book cover — Rainborn — was taped beside his bookshelf. The main character, a blue-marked Soul user, stood on a cliff with a massive sword made of mist and stars.

  He probably went to Sora when he was ready.

  “I’ll never be ready” Dillion Said.

  But his fingers itched. He reached under his bed, pulling out a box of saved credits. Birthday gifts. Years of leftovers from book wages. Never enough for anything… except maybe, now, just maybe...

  Just one dive.

  Just one visit.

  Just one moment to meet the person who saved his life through pages.

  He sat up slowly.

  Staring intently at his Poster with dreams of being the main character in Rainborn

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  The next morning, the bookstore was quiet. It always was on weekday mornings... just the way Dillion liked it.

  He ran a careful finger down the spine of a hardcover, pausing only to blow a speck of dust from the shelf. The musty scent of old paper lingered in the air like a comforting blanket. In this corner of the world, tucked between travel guides no one read and fantasy novels that only he seemed to enjoy, Dillion felt safe.

  Safe from noise.

  Safe from pressure.

  Safe from expectations.

  A soft jingle at the front door snapped him out of his thoughts.

  "Morning, Dillion!" came a cheerful voice.

  May Saunders walked in, her brown hair bouncing with every step. She wore a yellow cardigan over her store uniform and carried a reusable cup covered in cat stickers. She always tried to make him laugh, and most days, she succeeded.

  "You reorganize the back shelf again?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

  He gave a sheepish nod. "The travel section was bothering me."

  May rolled her eyes playfully. "You're the only person I know who stress-organizes guidebooks to countries you can't even point to on a map."

  "Someone might want to go to Bhutan one day," Dillion mumbled.

  She smirked. "Sure. And maybe you'll finally play Sora one day, too."

  That made him pause.

  Everyone played Sora. The fully-immersive VR world had changed everything—from how people worked and played to how they connected. Centers opened across the globe where people could log in using their unique Soul Mark, a symbol said to represent the truest version of themselves.

  But not Dillion.

  Not because he wasn’t curious. Not because he was scared.

  But because… it just never felt like his world.

  May leaned against the counter and slid a sleek black pamphlet across the surface. The Eden Center logo shimmered faintly on its cover.

  "Silas Crow is doing a meet-and-greet," she said casually, sipping her drink. "In Sora. This weekend. He’s never done one before."

  Dillion stared at the name. Silas Crow—his favorite author in all of Sora. A fantasy writer who's in-world books had sold millions of copies both digitally and physically. His stories were dark, strange, and beautiful… and they’d gotten Dillion through more than one rough night.

  "You’d have to make an account. Go to the Eden Center across town. Unlock your Soul Mark. Nothing too crazy."

  He swallowed. "You really think I should?"

  May gave him a look that said “You already know the answer.”

  "Live a little, Dilly."

  He smiled, and for the first time, it wasn’t the shy kind.

  For the first time in a long time, Dillion felt something bubbling up from the quiet corners of his soul.

  A question.

  A possibility.

  A beginning.

  The Eden Center towered over the block like a polished monolith — all chrome and mirrored glass. Even the air outside felt colder, cleaner, like the building didn’t belong to the same city as everything around it.

  Dillion stood frozen on the sidewalk, his hands tucked deep into his hoodie pockets.

  “You, okay?” May Saunders asked, nudging his arm. She had swapped her bookstore outfit for something more practical — joggers, a light tech-jacket, and her Eden Dive Band strapped to her wrist.

  “Yeah,” Dillion said. “Just… didn’t expect it to be this big.”

  “First-timer nerves,” she said with a grin. “You’ll be fine. You’ve read enough to fake it, right?”

  He nodded weakly. The entrance doors hissed open, and a wave of artificial warmth and synthetic floral scent hit him.

  Inside was all white marble and soft LED lights. Reception kiosks lined the walls, staffed by Eden workers in matching gray uniforms. Holographic ads floated in the air — combat highlights, scenic tours of Sora, leaderboards with names he didn't recognize and one he did:

  #37 – Death Walker

  He’s in the top 50… even when he loses?

  “Come on,” May whispered. “Don’t get hypnotized by the shine.”

  She led him to the New Diver Desk, where an attendant scanned Dillion’s ID and handed him a form to sign. He hesitated.

  “It’s just a waiver,” May said, teasing. “You’re not selling your soul.”

  Dillion smiled faintly.

  Once the paperwork was complete, they followed a curved hallway into the Pod Room.

  It was quieter here.

  “This is where the fun starts,” May whispered, giving him a gentle nudge

  Rows of sleek white pods sat in concentric circles, each shaped like a smooth, upright coffin with glowing blue lines. Attendants helped users climb inside, securing them gently before closing the lid.

  His pod was at the far end, tucked into a corner. The inside was soft and warm, like a zero-gravity nest. Dillion lay back slowly, his heart hammering.

  “Hey,” May said, leaning into view before the lid closed. “You’re gonna be fine. I’ll meet you in Southspring once you're through the tutorial. Just look for the pink cat flag, okay?”

  He nodded.

  She winked. “See you on the other side Dilly."

  The lid sealed shut with a soft hiss.

  Darkness.

  Then light — blinding, blue, infinite.

  And then a voice:

  Welcome, Dillion Rogers.

  Initializing Sora Dive Protocol...

  Soul Mark Detected: BLUE

  Do you accept the sync?

  He hesitated.

  Then: Yes.

  The world he knew vanished, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Sora for the first time.

  Silas Crow sat cross-legged on the wooden floor of his private study — not in Sora’s Capital Circle, but somewhere deeper, older. A place not shown on the maps. A place only accessible if you knew it existed.

  thud. “I’m giving them warnings.”