Chapter 16: THE IF STORY BEGINS.

Mateo, Luar, Ofurd, Kamil, and forty-two other players were told they had to complete over one hundred thousand questions and 250,000 points each. Every player lay down inside an Animus that would take their soul into a new world. Inside this game, they would have twenty-five days to finish their quests.

Mateo opened his eyes to darkness. Nothing around him, no sound, no ground, no light.

He thought to himself, Why does this place look like the void itself?
Then, one by one, flashes of red light appeared, bringing other players into view.

A tall figure appeared to the examiner.
“All of you,” he said, his voice echoing through the black, “will be sent to different villages. Each team will stay together. In this world, you can feel pain, taste food, smell, hear, and remember everything. Time flows differently; one hour here equals one year there. You will all receive random abilities. Tap the side of your head with two fingers to open your status tablet.”

The players did as told. A tablet-like screen appeared before each of them, glowing faintly.

It read:
LEVEL: 1

Player 42, Ohre, saw the word “Copy.”
Mateo’s tablet displayed Dest – Level 1.
Luar saw Intelligence – Level 1.
Ofurd saw Multiply – Level 1,
and Kamil’s screen showed Stealth – Level 1.

A message blinked:
DO YOU WANT TO START?

Everyone pressed Next.
The ground split open. Wind howled, dragging them downward.

When Mateo regained consciousness, he found himself lying on something that felt like soft threads, a bed made of grass and vines.

A voice called, “Mateo, wake up!”
He groaned. “I don’t want to go to school…”
The voice laughed. “Wake up, you idiot!”

Mateo sat up suddenly but no one was there. Then, in front of him, stood a tiny creature, a small, perfect version of himself.

Mateo jumped back. “What the?!” He slapped the little version of himself. “What in the world is this?”

Ofurd arrived, chuckling. “Relax, Mateo. That’s your IF your Imaginary Friend. Everyone has one here. They whisper thoughts in your mind, answer questions, and guide you when you’re lost.”

Mateo frowned. “How do you know so much?”
Ofurd smirked. “Because I’m smart, obviously.”

Mateo sighed. “So… can I see yours?”
“You can’t,” Ofurd said. “You can only see your own IF. But we can hear each other’s if they speak aloud.”

“Why ‘IF’?” Mateo asked.
Ofurd smiled. “Ask yours.”

Mateo tapped his temple. “Player 41 come out.”
The small creature appeared.

Mateo asked, “What does IF stand for?”
The tiny version of him replied, “It stands for Imaginary Friend.”

Mateo muttered, “What a ridiculous name…”

He turned back to Ofurd. “So how long have I been asleep?”
“Three years,” Ofurd said seriously.
Mateo’s eyes widened until Ofurd grinned. “Just kidding.”

They both laughed.

Then Ofurd’s tone shifted. “We learned something while you were out. This place it looks like the past of our world. Maybe even before Yar was born.”

Mateo’s expression hardened. “Then one of our quests must be to find him.”

Ofurd nodded. “Remember, one hour in the real world is one year here. We have twenty-five days that’s about 1,550 years in here. We can’t leave until all quests are complete or the time runs out.”

Mateo exhaled slowly. “Then we’d better be careful. If the people here discover we’re not real, what happens?”

Elsewhere in the Animus world, Players 45 and 46 walked into a nearby settlement.

“We’re the strongest,” one of them bragged. “We’re kings!”

The townsfolk stared silently until one man’s eyes darkened.
“Gangsters,” he hissed.

Before they could react, the crowd attacked. Player 45’s IF shouted, Say it!

Player 45 screamed, “We’re from the real world!”
Instantly, all six of the attackers exploded into nothing but blood and dust.

Player 46 staggered back, horrified.
His IF said coldly, “Never reveal you’re from the real world. If you do, every non-player around you will explode. That’s the rule of this world.”

Player 45 trembled. “If you weren’t here, I’d be dead.”

His IF replied, “You’ll be here for 1,550 years. Each of you has an IF only you can see yours. But we can see one another.”

Player 46 reached out, grabbing his IF. “Then you can see each other, huh?”
The little creature struggled. “Let go! I can feel pain too!”

Player 45 shouted, “Stop! He saved us!”

Player 46 laughed. “Fine. But now I know my ability is unseen. I can see everything, even the invisible. If I level it up, I’ll hear what no one else can.”

His IF appeared at last, bowing politely. “Hello there, my friend.”