1 Unexpected Storm

A sudden boom of thunder made the ground tremble beneath my feet. As I gazed up at the dark sky, I let out a resigned sigh. The weather forecast had promised clear skies all day, so why was there suddenly a storm brewing? I quickly retrieved my umbrella from my backpack and opened it, not wanting to be caught unprepared. I picked up my pace and jogged towards my next class, grateful that it wasn't too far away from where I currently stood.

As I hurried along the empty campus pathways, the rain began to pour down in a sudden torrent. I pulled my hood up and hunched my shoulders against the biting wind, holding my umbrella tight.

I rushed into the lecture hall, panting and sweating as I slid into a seat. My laptop bag bounced against my shoulder as I fumbled to get my computer out. Finally, I opened it up and began typing notes. But then, a bolt of electricity flashed across my screen, causing me to jump back in surprise.

The screen went black for a moment before a new one appeared in bold font reading "The Battle of the Gods." Panic set in as I tried to shut off my computer, but even holding down the power button did nothing.

Looking around the lecture hall, everyone else seemed completely absorbed in their screens. Desperately, I flipped over my laptop and struggled to remove the battery. But when I looked back at the screen, a new message had appeared: "Enter into the world of the Gods." Confusion and fear gripped me - how was this possible when my laptop was now powerless?

I looked around once more, trying to gauge if anyone else was experiencing what I was, but everyone seemed oblivious to my panic. As I sat there, helpless and frozen in fear, the screen flickered once more.

This time, some instructions appeared on the glowing screen.

"Press 'yes' if you want to enter into the world of the Gods, where eternal life and ultimate power await you."

What kind of twisted joke was this? I have no interest in power or computer games. All I want to do is take notes. Defeated, I close my laptop and look up at the professor entering the lecture hall.

"Good morning class, before we begin, please make sure your laptops are open. If you refuse to take notes or don't have your laptop open, I kindly ask that you leave as it shows a lack of respect for this class." His tone is sharp and he glances in my direction.

I have no choice but to comply and pretend everything is fine. Reluctantly, I open my laptop again, only to find the same screen still frozen in front of me. What should I do? Maybe if I hit "yes" I can somehow exit the game by clicking on "quit."

My hand hovered over the keyboard as I contemplated my options. It seemed like a bad idea to enter into this strange world of the Gods, but something about the offer was tempting me. Eternal life? Ultimate power? What could it hurt to at least take a peek?

With a deep breath, I pressed "yes" and waited for something to happen.

As I glance around the lecture hall, my eyes fall on the handsome and muscular guy sitting in the front row. He's known as "the prince" among the girls on campus, a title that I could never hope to attain. What was his name again? Oh right, Levi!

Suddenly, Levi stands up and faces the entire lecture hall, ignoring the professor's request for him to sit back down. His voice booms throughout the room.

"I know you're all looking at the same screen as me. And I'm asking every one of you to enter this world with me," he declares boldly. "I am going to be the reincarnation of Zeus, and I need your help."

The chatter in the lecture hall dies down as everyone turns their attention to Levi, eagerly hitting enter on their computers as he commands.

What is happening? I turn my attention back to the computer screen and realize that, just like in real life, I am insignificant. I am content with this, as I have no desire for fame or attention. But it seems that in this game, I am destined to remain a nobody. Another message appears on the screen, flashing before me.

"Welcome Phoenix to the Underworld. You have been chosen as the reincarnation of Hades, the God of the Underworld. Transporting in 3...2...1..."

"What the.." Before I can finish my thought, a bright blue light bursts out of the screen.