Azalea watched as the others climbed into their gaming pods one by one, then followed their example and settled into the seat.
The pod door slid closed above her, and everything went dark for a moment. Then a cold female voice spoke. For a moment, she froze. She was sure she had heard that voice directly into her mind.
"Initializing neural connection."
Soft waves of blue-white light swept over her body from head to toe.
"40%... 70%... Synchronization complete. Genetic markers verified. Health profile optimal. No anomalies detected."
A holographic face of a woman appeared before her. To its right, a column of text listed her official identity.
Legal name: Azalea Theon.
Chronological age: Seventeen.
Origin: Agora Village
"Welcome to the Star Planet, Azalea Theon. Please state your preferred name for profile registration."
Azalea raised an eyebrow, taking everything in with fascination.
"Maeve," she gave her middle name.
"Preferred name set: Maeve." On the holographic scene, her information was updated simultaneously.
" Now customizing avatar. Please choose your preferred appearance."
Azalea blinked in confusion. How exactly was she supposed to do that? Didn't these games usually come with menus full of options you could select from? That was how all the games in her time had worked.
For some reason, the image of a little girl with half-black and half-pink hair appeared in her mind. She was wearing a pink frilly dress and was holding an ace-trimmed umbrella. That was the character she used to play the most.
"Avatar confirmed."
"Huh?" Azalea was confused. When did she select anything?
Her question was immediately answered when she saw the image of a girl in a pink dress materialize on the screen beside her information. Unlike the simple pixelated one she remembered from her old games, this version looked startlingly realistic.
"Profile synthesis complete.
Legal name: Azalea Theon. Preferred name: Maeve. Chronological age: Seventeen. Body Strength index: 21.64%. Current Strength index: 16.04%."
Azalea felt a nerve twitch in her forehead. They really didn't have to announce that last part out loud. It was too embarrassing.
"Your identity will not be used unless authorized. You will now be transferred to Star Planet. May you enjoy your visit."
The world dissolved around her, and Azalea felt her consciousness being pulled by something.
The next instant, she found herself standing on a vast, open cliff.
She looked down at herself and discovered she was indeed wearing that same pink dress, complete with layers of lace and bows at the waist and sleeves. In her hand, she was holding the matching umbrella.
She blinked and raised her hands in front of her face. They were definitely smaller than they'd been a moment ago.
"Don't tell me I actually turned into that lolita girl," she muttered to herself, examining her tiny hands.
If only she had a mirror she could look into.
The moment that thought crossed her mind, a holographic screen materialized in front of her, making her jump slightly.
On the right side was an icon showing the little lolita's face with the name "Maeve" written beneath it. Below that were various game options: Status, Inventory, Skills, Quest Log, Settings. Her friend list showed a depressing '0'.
On the left side of the screen was a common chat room where she could see different players communicating in real-time. Messages scrolled by rapidly:
[Wolf Warrior]: Anyone want to party up for the Darkwood dungeon?
[Mystic Rose]: Looking for a healer to join our team for a mission.
[Shadow Blade]: Selling rare materials, DM for prices
Below the chat was her private message inbox, also showing zero messages.
In the center of the screen, beneath the word 'Inventory' written in elegant lettering, various items were displayed as small icons. Her eyes caught on the small hand mirror with an ornate frame.
Curiously, she reached out and touched it with her finger.
The screen instantly disappeared, and the mirror manifested into physical form, floating in the air right in front of her face.
She did not have time to appreciate all of this because the moment she looked at her reflection...
"What monstrosity is that on my head!?" she shrieked out loud, her voice much higher and cuter than usual.
Perched atop her head were two fluffy black cat ears, complete with cute pink ribbons tied in bows around each one. They twitched and swiveled in response to sounds around her.
Her hands flew up to touch them, and she felt the soft fur beneath her fingers. They were warm and real and definitely attached to her head.
Did this mean she'd turned into an actual cat?
Dreading the answer, she twisted to look behind her. Sure enough, a long, fluffy cat tail was swaying there.
"It's over, it's over, it's over..." she began muttering to herself, covering her eyes with both hands as if that would make the reality go away.
She couldn't bring herself to look at her reflection again. She didn't want to be a cute little cat girl in a frilly dress. It didn't matter if she had beautiful pink eyes or adorable small canine teeth peeking out when she spoke. How was she supposed to face anyone after this?
Wait...
She lowered her hands and looked around, suddenly realizing she was completely alone on this cliff.
"Where are the others?" she wondered aloud.
She looked around before walking to the edge of the cliff. The wind caught her dress, making it flutter. Then she reached the edge and looked out, and suddenly she froze completely still.
For a long while, she just stood there, staring ahead with eyes that had gone wide with shock and something like...recognition.
This... this was her world.
No, she was still in the same world, but this... this was her era. This was Calestra, the imperial city of Zargos. This was also her kingdom and the city where she'd been born.
The city was built on a series of hills, surrounded by tall fortified walls made of white stone that gleamed in the sunlight. At the very top of the highest hill was the Imperial Palace. The buildings around it were both old and modern, but there were no towering skyscrapers even though this had been the era when such buildings dominated everywhere.
Calestra was an ancient city with a heritage stretching back thousands of years. Old myths and legends claimed this was the birthplace of magic itself. To preserve its long and storied history, royal law had forbidden the construction of any building taller than four floors within the city limits. Damaging or demolishing older structures that held historical significance was also strictly prohibited. This was why Calestra was known throughout the world as the City of Magic.
A single tear traced its way down Azalea's cheek, followed quickly by another.
She felt like she was back in her own time. She felt like she'd never left. She was standing here just like she had hundreds of years ago, before everything went horribly wrong. Before the demons broke through the veil and entered their world, turning the sky black and the earth bleed red.
But how was this possible? Calestra was long gone in the Great War, and so was the Kingdom of Zargos. She knew it because she had tried to search the internet about it, but it no longer existed. Heck, it did not even exist in history. It was funny how Calestra was the origin of the Guardians, yet no one knew about it.
So, why did it exist here? Wasn't this just a game? Who was the one who created this game? And how were they able to build it exactly as she remembered it?
"I wish I had read the manual that came with its introduction."
Then, she remembered the game menu. The instant she thought about it, the holographic interface reappeared before her. She looked through the inventory, which was not much. Soon, she found a thick-bound book floating in the very center. The words 'Sky Planet' were written in cursive on the cover.
Azalea touched the book, and it manifested into a physical form. Spotting a smooth boulder near the cliff edge with a perfect view of Calestra, she walked over and sat down. Her tail curled around her side, and her cat ears twitched occasionally in the gentle breeze.
She had long forgotten the real reason why she came here.