Chapter 2: From the past:

Opened the game, is in it now. "This thing is terrifying, I want to get out, its evil, get me out" Noah wakes out of a nightmare. The same morning, same pain, same hope, same people, when will the change strike. At school Amelie comes to Noah to count him in for the VR game today too. Noah couldn't deny to that insisting face of Amelie's. In the class, the teacher is showing a documentary, but Noah is lost, lost in the fear and desperation for to know the game he found, to get to the truth, to find his answers maybe, he seems to take a step but hope not to regret. Waiting for the school to get over, he leaves in a hurry after the class, Amelie trying to spot him but he has already left. Noah reaches home, rushes to his dad's computer to copy the setup and install in his VR setup, ready to take his first thoughtful step without knowing failure or success, to live peaceful or surrender in whole. Before starting the game, he started to have second thoughts, thinking maybe he should recap his skills before starting this game. And again, Amelie strikes at right time, asks Noah to join and resume yesterday's game. Without a hinge Noah joins the room and is now motivated to use this game to practice and apply the skills is the other game he wishes to discover. While playing the game, accomplishing the missions, even Amelie couldn't believe and asked Noah that how is he so excited to play the game today, the one he didn't even want to play a day back; to which Noah replies that it's just the will of gaming that bloomed again in him after playing with her. Amelie absorbs the comments as a joke and both of them plays the game for so much time, that, they have already passed the level 'D' missions, taught them the survival instincts, fighting skills, putting brain over power and wisdom over kindness.

The gaming world puts a lot of effect on real life too, especially when its such high technology VR gaming now. Noah is now more confident to at least start the game that killed his father. He has gathered enough courage to get to the main screen of the game, the game called "SEVEN". Typically means the seven chakras in a human body, the game overview can be said as to play the character and attain control over yourself, opening every door of the body, so that to know what the real world is, come to everyone, somehow, someday, but one who keeps a will and a reason to attain it according to them needs to pass some test. As it is a VR life simulation game, but with effects of future gaming for which we are not ready yet. Noah starts the game and his brain and body is scanned to build his character. At the start he couldn't believe the quality at which game was performing and the strain it was putting on the head already. He moves around to know the surrounding, how things work, what is that we got to do, after some time the strain coverts in severe headache, so he quits the game, the game won't quit, shows a message box- "the application running doesn't allow admin to overdo tasks". Hence, game won't let quit, if you don't want to play, then just minimize from the lobby, but the game won't shut close. Noah didn't also think it to be problem anyway. he takes a shower to cool the head a bit, rolls up another spliff after it, on the window he sits with the lighted joint and a cup of green tea. Having absolutely nothing running is mind is what he is observing but the reality is that so many things are rushing in the head that he can't even focus, the weakness, which he need to overcome to be able to sustain in SEVEN. For now, the things are on low, music in the background and trying to get to sleep once more.

The morning rises again and wakes up Noah with it, "oh, its morning already" is what it feels like, when you don't know the time, you slept nor the nightmare that arrived, just the empty vessel of time, echoing with its hollow. Noah takes a shower, survives the family breakfast, takes his dad's car to school today. Stops on the way to pick up Amelie today. Because she missed her bus. On the way to school Amelie asks Noah if he has heard yet about school going to get closed for a month because of some repair and renovation work, Noah acts surprised to it, which definitely answered Amelie's question. After reaching school, when they were walking to the classes, everyone was talking about what they going to do in this time. Amelie asks Noah if he shall come to his place to play, now that they don't have school. Before Noah could deny, Amelie already declared that if won't come to her house on time then she will come at his house. On the other hand, Noah was full of adrenaline as now he can push himself at par to play that deadly game. After school, Noah got back home, relaxed a bit, joins the game with Amelie. Today they have a main mission today, there are some thugs troubling the farmers on the mountain, they have to use their learnt skill and get rid of the thugs. The route itself was a tricky one because these mountains lay deep in the jungle to keep the special plant called Peyote safe, the plant of dimensions, this plant helps you get control to jump dimensions, that's why it is planted rarely and kept isolated. The thugs are after the plant, Amelie and Noah have to keep the plants safe until the wise monks can extract the power of the plants through the ceremony and store it in their protected jar, the midnight is the time when the plant will be ready and same is the time when the enemy will strike. After fighting their way to find the mountains, they reach to the village and it's not much time left for the thugs to arrive. Monks have done all the preparations for the ceremony, the midnight strikes, comes out the thugs all of a sudden, monks have started the ceremony of plants and it will go on till the first ray of sunlight completes it. Thugs reaching for the plants were intercepted by Amelie and Noah; the thugs flaunt their skill level and trying to get both of them out of the way without extra trouble. Committed to the mission, Amelie and Noah starts to defend the attacks from the thugs, get la little help from the villagers to protect the ceremony by creating a wall around it. The fight goes on and on for hours, everyone is almost out of capability to stand for long. Low on the stamina and chakra. It's not much time left for the sun to rise and shine, apparently the thugs have no karma power whereas both Amelie and Noah have some of it earned by doing D level helping missions. But they still don't have mastered the skills to convert karma as their power. The time has come and the monks are ready to transfer the power of plants in the protective spell jar. The thugs push themselves to death to get hold of it by giving the last best shot. All three thugs come together combine their aura to combine their power left. The time their attack was going to hit the wall of villagers and ruin the transfer process, Amelie finds Noah in front of that attack, surprised that Noah has unlocked his was to control his karma, the thugs cannot even believe it themselves. Amelie rushes towards Noah to see if he is fine, turn out Noah didn't use any karma power, he blindly jumped in front of the attack with a minor defence from his power left. The ceremony was completed successfully and turns out the thugs were able to escape too in wait for the next time. The monks approach Noah and one of them check him, "he will be alright, correct?" Amelie asks the monk. "The boy cannot be saved" says the monk, Amelie is speechless, "… but I have a way" said the monk and drained the power of the Peyote plant down his throat. Dead silence for a while and with a strong wind Noah opens his eyes with a deep breath gets back to stability. Amelie asks Noah what happened to which Noah replies- "it was dark for a moment and the suddenly a bright light of flame hits my soul and then I myself sinking though dimensions so fast that when he could finally open his eyes again, he couldn't handle the breath. After a night rest in the village, they will get back for the next mission in the morning. As they went to sleep, both Noah and Amelie get back in the lobby, Amelie laughing in excitement about what just happened was crazy and on the other hand Noah is fear that if his brain is tired of this level of fight then maybe he is too weak still. Anyways Amelie tells Noah that she is going to her native place for some days so he will have to find some other game till she returns. Noah is still zoned out; he then exits the lobby abruptly. He texted Amelie that his mom has been asking to do some work so he got to go. Noah got down to the kitchen for lunch. His mother asks him about his plans for the month, that he should not sit idle. In fact, should join some club or some activity and this way will get to know more people too. But these are all the things that Noah is going to stay far away from. He said he is working on a game, so it would be better if he is left alone. His mom puts just one condition, that, he will get out of the house for some time at least, maybe to his friend's house or a general walk. Noah sighs and agrees in not so convinced way. After it, Noah takes a visit to the G-mart near his house to pick some munchies and drinks so that he doesn't have to move at all and concentrate on the game SEVEN for the whole week. After coming back home from the mart, Noah locks himself in the room resumes the game from the taskbar which was already running. He quickly smokes up a joint and get his gaming gears on. While moving around in the city in the game, looking around for some clue, something to get a lead from; and by the side of a huge glass corporate building sits a weird homeless guy, who puts up a stone and gem stall, cries that he knows something fishy. Noah's character approaches that man to get some information out of him. "What is it that you are crying about" Noah asks. "Hold one of these stones and two of these gems in your right hand and give me the other hand, just do it," said the homeless guy. Noah does so in desperation and as soon as they hold hands the right eye of the homeless guy turns blue, it's like collecting information and matching details, and in the next moment, the homeless person exclaims, pulls Noah closer and ask him a question with an evil smile and eyes shadowed- "you are searching your father's truth isn't its son". Noah gets shocked and grabs the collar or the weird guy asking him what does he know, he tells or he dies. To which the homeless guy laughs and respond- "my existence is important to you boy, help yourself before you seek help, for the truth I know about your purpose of being here needs more a man in you to understand the wisdom of it". The homeless guy takes his things and bids a goodbye and for the next time he shall be ready, he knows who he is because he knows who is father was. Noah just couldn't move after hearing all this, maybe some game glitch, his eyes then catch the name written on the glass building and his expressions freeze in shock because its same company his father worked in, "karma gaming co". Noah tries to enter the building but the guard there stops him and ask for his id, after checking it, the guard said that Noah cannot enter the building because of his low rating and he better come after a good reputation and power to be in such a strong place. Noah doesn't like what he hears, but before taking a wrong step reminds himself that this game is will twist his mind and lead towards death but he must always stay in control to survive in this game. He moves away from the building and starts to walk towards a training camp shown in the map, slowly as he walks, he encounters several training camps and wondered why couldn't he just train in these ones, keeping the step count on, he apparently is now away from the city pleasure into a little natural wind. Noah sat down near a river, washed his face, calmed his thrust of water, relaxed his back. The only thought in his mind was to plan out his training and find that homeless answer- "he certainly knew something, can't be guessing so accurate." his thinking time was interrupted by a young, bulked man. "What brings you here boy?" asked to Noah; "I'm here for my training" replied Noah. "Well then I'm your trainer, you can call me 'master' and you are not allowed to ask many question"; "you are the trainer? But where are your camp and other students?" asked Noah. "You are my only student after 2 years, you will train in open, and sleep outside my house". Noah put things together and asks his master if his last student's name was 'Seth', "yes and he was my failure is all I remember of him." Master replied. Master start to talk towards his house in woods and asks Noah to get vegetables for dinner from the town. Noah furiously said- "first you say stuff about my father and now you want me to go back to the town again!". Its already time for sun to go down you better hurry, if you don't want to be killed by thugs in night" master replied and starts to walk away again. Noah gets his trip going sulking inside. Master gets to the hot water pond as the sun sets, siting with his eyes closed, thinking about Noah's father and if he has the potential like Seth. Diving into the flashbacks, and Noah while returning is lost in the dark, trying to find the right track as fast as possible. Suddenly felt like being followed, Noah, increases his speed, the thugs couldn't get hold oh him this time. Noah feels like it was quite easy what was master worrying about. Noah's eyes suddenly open wide in shock and everything started to fade away feeling like waking up from a dream. The other moment Noah find himself tied and surrounded by the thugs. He still couldn't believe what just happened- "what is this trick you played on me". "Just a small mind delusion trick, and ya we are taking some food for us, safe journey ahead" thugs replied and left the spot. Noah shouts furiously. Master in back to the house from the bath and watches Noah returning empty handed- "where is our food you idiot", Noah took and pause and replied in a low voice "the thugs…. They took it", "I knew you couldn't have made it from those hungry thugs" master said. "What do you mean you knew" Noah yelled and asked; Master in a dominating and promising tone replied "I said no many questions, just know that from tomorrow your life will change in every world you ever survive, from tomorrow your training shall start for whatever purpose you keep in good kind or bad whichever you choose wise to rein good that you hope on". The screen turned black; Noah takes off his VR set. Firstly, takes a deep breathe, realize he has goosebumps and gets to his bed with a burning joint to get up tomorrow to another better game.