Reality.exe (Volume 2)

"What else do you think, my dear boy?"

"It is exactly as I have stated."

"This world is not real. Not at all."

"..."

"Look closely," the wise speaker continued, gesturing toward the flickering sky. "Do you really believe the sky would behave like this, glitching and flickering like some kind of projection? And what about the massive boulders that fell from the sky, crushing everything in their path?"

"Doesn't it all feel like a..."

"A computer simulation?" Kaito interjected, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Yes, you are correct, my dear boy."

"..."

Kaito fell silent, his gaze distant. He needed time, to process it all. After all, it had been an overwhelming day - confessing his love, mourning the loss of his beloved, and now, being told that the very world he lived in was nothing more than an illusion. 

How could anyone, even someone with the most rational mind, come to terms with such revelations?

And yet, for Kaito, it oddly started to make sense. The events he had endured defied all logic. It was as the wise speaker had pointed out, would the sky truly flicker like a faulty projection. Was it normal for massive boulders to materialize and suddenly rain down without warning?

Of course not.

"..."

"What's troubling you, my dear boy? Still trying to wrap your head around it all?" The wise speaker's voice cut through the silence, his eyes fixed on the bewildered boy before him. "I suppose it is normal to feel that way."

"..."

Kaito's mind swirled with questions, but he struggled to decide where to begin. Should he first challenge the authenticity of the wise speaker's claims? Yet, he hesitated, those claims seemed to explain everything, and why reason would someone with such profound wisdom have a need to lie? Besides, it felt more pressing to inquire about their current predicament.

Kaito finally spoke, "So, what do you know about this situation? Despite all the chaos and destruction, you remain composed. Surely you must know something, dear Sir." 

The wise speaker smiled, "As I have said before, my dear boy, this world is nothing but a computer simulation. Everything you see, everything you touch, is merely a construct of 0s and 1s."

"I understand you may find it hard to believe. Everything here feels so real, doesn't it? You can taste, touch, hear, feel, and see it all as if it were reality itself. The developers have indeed done an impeccable job developing this world and embedding people's consciousness within it."

"But even so, do not be deceived, my dear boy," the speaker continued with a measured tone.

Developers? A Computer simulation? Is this some kind of VR game? Kaito joked internally. Yet, as he processed those words, a sudden memory surfaced, his late beloved, Natasha. The thought of her struck him like a lightning bolt. Desperation replaced scepticism as he suddenly blurted out, "Does this mean... Natasha is still alive?"

"..."

The wise speaker fell silent, studying Kaito intently before raising an arched eyebrow. "If I were to tell you she is still alive, what would you do, my dear boy?"

Kaito's face lit up with a spark of hope, exclaimed, "So then, she is alive-"

"No!" the wise speaker injected, quashing Kaito's rising optimism. "Well... Not quite. It is a bit difficult to explain."

"Please," Kaito pleased, desperation flooding his voice. "Tell me anything. Anything at all. I just need to know." 

The wise speaker sighed heaving, as though burdened by the weight of his next words. "This is why I didn't want to tell you," he muttered. "But I suppose you leave me no choice."

"Listen very well, then, my dear boy. Or should I say, Mr. Kaito Lionheart?"

"...!"

Kaito froze, his eyes widening in shock. He had never mentioned his name. 

How could the wise speaker possibly know it?