1 SIMULATED REALITY

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑: 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

Eric Brander was shocked by the sudden change in his surroundings and the numerous matrices of codes that enveloped the entire building. To him, it felt like he was in a sci-fi movie.

"W-Wh-What is all this!?" Eric yelled in shock and confusion.

At that moment, the unknown invader's words echoed out of the matrix and let out a truth that broke Eric's reasoning...

"You see all this, this...is reality for what it truly is. A simulated program or to put it bluntly, a simulation."

....𝐀𝐓 𝟏𝟐:𝟎𝟎𝐀𝐌....

A hidden secret of the world, no, maybe even the universe had been revealed to Eric Brander, but he was still in disbelief...

"What the- No, no! Just no! I must be hallucinating or maybe dreaming! Yeah, that's right! It's all just a dream, a crazy dream!"

"Yeah, yeah that's it! I probably slept off as I was working on the documents. Yes, that sounds right. I'll wake up very soon." Eric's thoughts ran rampant and in denial of everything he had just seen.

The unknown invader's voice echoed out once again...

"Listen to me, you're not dreaming and this is not a hallucination. The sooner you accept that this is all real, the better. We do not have much time."

"This is your reality." With his hand on Eric's shoulder, the unknown invader confirmed once more.

"What? But that's just impossible!" Eric rebelled and retreated from the invader's touch.

"But it is, and I don't have much time to explain it all. Like I said before, WE don't have much time." The unknown invader retorted.

"And why's that?" Eric asked.

"Well, Mr. Brander, you'll die in an hour, and I don't think you want that, do you?" Eric was reminded of his pending death once more. And to Eric, there wasn't a need to deject the unknown caller's claims anymore. He had literally seen the man come out of thin air, what more would he need to be convinced?

"No, of course, I don't, but it still doesn't explain why all of this is happening in the first place. I'm just an accountant who lost half of his past, family, and wife. I'm a loser! Why me!?" Eric lamented.

"I wish I could explain it all to you, but..."

"But what?"

The unknown invader walked towards the human-sized glass windows, placed his right hand on a window, and proceeded to tap on it with little knocks on the window. He was quiet, he continued to lightly knock on the glass window, he didn't speak to or respond to Eric's calls from behind almost as if he was contemplating something.

Unknown kept quiet for a while before...

"MISTER!?"

"Um, yes...sorry, it's just..." The unknown man stopped knocking on the glass window but was still focused on the window.

The invader looked at Eric's worrisome face and decided to explain the situation once more, in detail.

With a sigh, the invader says, "Fine, I can at least tell you this much..." He stopped in his tracks once again.

"Well, get on with it!" Eric pulled him away from the window pulling the invader's full attention towards him.

The invader sighs once more, "Fine... You see, you're what we CyberVerse Reality agents call an 'Error'." With a sigh, the unknown invader explained. There was a hint of regret in his voice.

"...An error?" Eric was confused.

"Yes, an error, a bug, a mistake, an accidental creation, or as some may define it, a paradox. Well specifically, an error in time."

"Wait, wait, you're not making any sense. How am I an error in time? I've never messed with or done anything to do with time or space!? I haven't even been to the sea before, talk less of space!" Eric defended his innocence.

"Hmm... You really don't know? Or more specifically, you don't remember, do you?" The unknown invader approached Eric with a step. He had a menacing aura circulating him then.

Eric understood that this man that stood before him wasn't simple or a pushover in any way possible.

"I...don't know what you're talking about?" Eric took a step back, retreating from the invader's stare.

"So you don't know why your life may be forfeited tonight, you're sure?" The unknown invader stared Eric's face down with his blue-lit-up x-shaped mask eyes.

"N-No... Do you know why?" Eric dared to ask.

There was a short silence from the unknown invader, he retreated from Eric's personal space, and with an aloof attitude, he said...

"Nope, I don't make the calculations or analysis. I'm just a Hacker, it's up to Time Management or the Watchers that know why. Sorry, I guess?"

"Huh...!?💢" Eric became annoyed by the nonchalant attitude he had just received, especially when it concerned his life.

"Ok, ok, calm down. I understand that it's a lot to digest."

"A lot to digest!?" Eric yelled.

"You're telling me that I'm about to DIE for a reason that you don't even know! And you're saying it's a lot to digest!!?" Enraged, Eric broke his computer monitor with his knuckles. And proceeded to grab the unknown invader, but the attempt was evaded and he fell to the floor in despair.

Eric stayed down contemplating his life choices, thinking in silence until...

"But I do know something about the effect your very existence causes." The invader mentioned.

"And what might that be?" Eric listened carefully.

"Well, what I do know is that your existence has a 5% chance of breaking the matrix of space-time and the CyberVerse Reality can't have that." There was a silence after the invader said those words. A bothersome silence, like the calm before the storm.

Evidently, a flash of lightning passed by. But there was still silence.

"What does that mean?" Eric broke the silence. He felt so dejected and depressed.

The invader moved towards the glass window once more and with a feel on the window, he spoke...

"I'm afraid it means that you may have to die."

Lightning, thunder, and then a rainstorm began.

"But you may not have to die as well." The invader thought to himself.

𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝...