The world fell into chaos, nothing was normal, everything has changed. No one was able to revert the world back to how it was. It was people's actions that lead it down this way, and when it comes to the real world, there is no superman to woshh in and save the day.

The outcome of That Day would make kings weep. Wherever you looked, you could find weak, miserable, and pathetic humans scavenging to survive another day in hell. It was hell on earth that many people had the terrible luck to live in. It was wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony that brought this upon them. However, only few could turn away from continuing their path of sin. It was especially hard as the world fell into chaos. It appeared as if only the ones that were willing to stick a knife in the back of others were able to rise to power. Luckily, even in the bottom pit of hell, people who have not yet been corrupted can be found.

Zai Price, as far as he could remember, considered himself lucky. He was able to survive the chaos that unfolded in the world in 2012 - without being forced to suffer like the others. On top of that, he had an adorable younger sister who was known for her beauty and sharp mind.

His sister, Ell, was three years younger than him. He loved her very much but did so silently from the shadows. He concealed every possible sign of affection towards her. The relationship could be described as ‘we just exist in the same house.’ Ell felt like they had nothing in common, nothing to talk about.

The Price Family was an Upper-Lower class family. They were able to afford the necessities of good everyday life, and in the year 2025 that was something rare. Thanks to his father, a hard-working man, they could live a pretty stable and enjoyable life with presents on birthdays and a full belly every day. This was a considerable feat in such a day and age.

His family was able to enjoy life without worrying about money unlike most of the kids around them. Other parents couldn't earn enough money to promise their kids a full plate of food let alone to be able to send them to school. To assist their parents, most kids had to work and earn money.

Ever since the Catastrophe 13 years ago at the end of 2012—when people blindly believed in a myth which told about the end of the world on the last day of the year of 2012 at 20:12. People had panicked, and hell had broken loose on earth. One cult with massive followers had decided to commit suicide in various places for the enlightenment of the people on their final days. It was to their way to warn the people: to allow them to join the cult before it was 'too late'.

People were worried about the predictions that were circling around the social media. It was something on the tongue of everyone, and when they started hearing reports on people all over the world suddenly taking their lives, they began to panic. They began to fear that the end has begun. To make it all worse, some people started robbing and stashing things in their basements in panic and preparation in case something did happen.

Countless murders occurred that were done by people who believed that they wouldn’t be judged for their deeds on the last day. Workers worried about their families, went back home disregarding their responsibilities.

Emergency personnel was no longer available; the phone network fell down, and no one was able to contact another.

Ironically, these deeds brought exactly what the humans feared. Historians, analysts, and psychologists agree that what happened was due to bad luck and the generally weak nature of humanity.

After the chaos started to calm down and people started to realize that nothing catastrophic happened, everyone thought that everything would go back to normal. However, that was not their fate.

One of the biggest driving forces behind “The Catastrophe,” was from a pharmaceutical company, the information about what exactly happened then was lost in the chaos of that day. However, the virus PHXV that was being created for the military was released, killing everyone it had infected.

The population dwindled in mere hours. The virus itself only lasted a day, and then vanished by itself; its aftermath, however, was devastating. Upon sunrise, the new day started with the rotten smell of corpses and ashes from the burning buildings filling the air accompanied by the sight of destroyed homes. Those who acted smart or were just plain lucky had survived.

In the following years, the governments couldn’t regain their standings. Instead, it was the corporations that were in control. Even though the majority of people now lived like rats, while the wealthy minority got even more prosperous, numerous companies fell. Only a few of them survived the catastrophe, and they came out of it stronger than ever.

13 Years later, his family was considered an Upper-Bottom class as they were not wealthy but had shelter, food, and water. They were even able to afford to send him and his sister to corporate school; it was all thanks to his father who managed to get a job at a company that was working on creating a virtual reality game. Not many would be able to afford the game, but it was not meant for everyone to begin with. The whole world spoke about it as if they would be willing to sell their soul to play it.

Zai being only 16 felt a little guilty for the precious and joyful moments of being in school, while knowing that the vast majority of other kids his age were working all day long to support their families with the meager wages they earn. His father didn't approve of him not "living the time of his life as long as possible" as if whatever would follow these years would only be torment.

Their lives changed on his sister's 13th birthday and the days that followed it. When she unwrapped her present, they were surprised to find the virtual reality game their father’s company was working on with the rumored 99% realism. They were looking at a gift that they thought they could never afford, wondering if he got it for cheaper due to working at the company.

They didn't dare to ask him this question. After all, asking a money-related question was extremely rude in such a day and age. They might have been curious, but curiosity killed the cat. That’s why they let those thoughts slip.

Opening her present Ell was greeted by the headset which she immediately put on only for her father to put it down again. He explained that even if the access was ready, the game wasn’t. It was a multiplayer game with thousands of participants. So to make it fair for all the players, they had to wait till everyone who was supposed to get it got it.

Zai was excited just as his sister to try the new game. Sadly his life changed days before the game launched. It was a typical day when the doorbell rung. Believing his parents had returned. He called out to his sister to open the door but she ignored him. Then the bell rung again, and he got annoyed by it and shouted this time.

"Ell, go open the door!!"

"I can hear you - you don't have to shout" answered Ell.

When she stood up, she noticed her brother lying on the bed and listening to music she decided it was outrageous. Why should she be the one to open the door and not him, turning back to her room she told him to open the door by himself and the typical Price siblings quarrel begun.

"Why don't you open the door yourself? Why do you boss me around?"

"I'm older this makes me wiser by default. That means, I know what is best and it’s my duty as your older brother to order you around."

Ell looked at him baffled.

"It is true; you are older but wiser? Unlikely."

The two siblings glared at each other, then Ell continued.

"Anyway, know I'm not going to open the door. I want to note that it was you who stated before that you need some exercise. So when you go and open the door, you will hit two birds with one stone." Ell said that knowing full well that the type of exercise her brother enjoyed doing was different.

He had stopped exercising because of the exam period at school, but he gained the title of martial arts champion in a tournament last year. Yet a few months ago, he easily lost to a guy called Logan as if he was a beginner.

Nonetheless, he still held the title of a champion in martial arts that he gained in the corporate school. The doorbell rang, again and again, showing the impatience of the one standing in front of the door. Ell and Zai remembered what they were quarreling about and agreed for a truce for the moment and so both of them went to open the door together.

To their surprise, the one waiting at the door was not their father, but rather bob, the guard who was employed to guard the neighborhood from envious people who tried to rob or attack people with any symbol of power.

Zai and Ell were slightly intimidated by Bob's existence. The neighborhood had picked the scariest looking guy to guard them, in order to give a visual warning to anyone who doesn't mean well.

However, their curiosity about what he had to say was stronger than their fear of him. Sadly, what he shared with them was even worse than the catastrophe 13 years ago. He never managed to finish what he wanted to say before the Ella started crying and Zai closed the door in his face.

"Why? What should we do now? Dad is dead."

"We will do, what we have to do,” Zai said without a tear in his eyes. Then he looked at his sister’s face, held her face in his hands and told her reassuringly.

"Don't worry, No matter what, I will keep you safe.”

Hearing his decision, Ells crying got stronger.

Being orphans they degraded to “rats,” the same kids he felt pity for only weeks prior, the ones that weren't able to enjoy their childhood. He was left with no choice but to look for a job, but without completing his education, he wasn’t able to get a well paid one. Since he wasn’t the only one like this, the help from the corporate was also nonexistent. They now had only themselves to count on. With the savings being enough for a month worth of living.

Five days ago it had been his sister’s birthday, and now their happy family of 3 became 2. As if the angel of misery didn’t want anyone not suffering and he poked a stick in the Price household.

On the next day he dropped out of school without problems due to the school having everything prepared, knowing well that he wouldn’t be able to pay for accommodation. One small sign on a paper and the words “ this makes it easier for all of us” made him a high school dropout denying him the chance for a good job.

He went around trying to find a job as soon as possible and just as he expected - what he wanted to do for a living when he grows up, and any type of decent work that would keep him in the upper bottom class is not the type to be entrusted to a teenage dropout.

He didn't have a chance and instead tried hard labor. His first day was wasted, without him being able to find a job. On the second day, he was able to work in the mine. He has hoped that the money would be enough to get food on the table and keep his sister in school, but his hopes were nothing but a child's wishful thinking. It was futile the money he earned at the end of the day was barely enough to cover the dinner, he knew that times were bad but this is not what he expected. At this rate, his sister also needed to drop out of school, but he would rather spend every waking moment working than to let that happen.

Upon returning home after the work in the mine, he had a bowl of soup for dinner. Some might call it a bowl of soup, but it was only boiled water, with drops of ketchup in it, to give it a terrible taste - it was a necessity that they would eat less daily, so that food would last longer - it was something that he agreed with Ell on. They only planned to do that for a little while, but they both felt differently in their heart, they didn't dare say it out loud, but they feared that they would have to continue eating such things for the rest of their lives.

As they were dining at the table, sharing an awkward silence, Zai's eyes started close slowly until he fell asleep, Ell stared at her brother, brought a blanket and cover him with it - she then whispered the secret she didn't want him to know but the one she had to tell.

The next morning Zai woke up with neck pain from sleeping in a sitting position all night, his eyes were still sleepy when he noticed the blanket he was covered with. He smiled knowing that it could be no other than his sister who wrapped him in the blanket. He went to her room to check up on her. But, she wasn't in her bed - instead, she was in his Father’s room sound asleep - Zai didn't know how to feel, whether to cry or to smile, but he left quietly.

When Ell woke up, he was already out, and she noticed that she was late for school, but that was okay as she has decided to become a high school dropout yesterday. By doing so, she would make it easier for her brother who kept trying hard to keep it together, but that could never fool her.

Upon his return, they got into a big argument over the fact that she quit school. Zai knew that he couldn't have earned enough money to keep her in there in the first place, but it still pained him. So he made a statement in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Even if you quit school, I will not allow you to work. Not now, not ever."

Ell failed to negotiate with Zai but did not accept what he told her.

"But what should I do now?" she asked hoping to make him rethink the no working rule.

"STUDY! You might’ve had quit school, but you will study nonetheless, you will study by yourself, and you will make sure, that once you grow up, you can work as father did, and afford to let us go back to how we used to be. Until then I will work wherever I can, and I will keep us alive."

Zai took his jacket and left the house to search for a second job. In the meanwhile, Ell opened a math book in hopes to study.

After she solved the first equation, she looked to her right, only to find the headgear for the Virtual reality game - Secret Online.

She remembered that the game should have already begun by now, so she took the gear and divided to test it out for herself.

For the year that followed Ell spent most of her time in the game. While Zai spent his time working. Whenever he was home, he would see she was studying, he had faith in her and trusted that she was doing the best she could. However, the moment he left, she would dive back in the game, it was a point of addiction. He had already forgotten about the existence of the headgear in the house. He would only spend his time working. From one place to the other, the only time he came back home, was to eat dinner and to sleep, until he wakes up early on the next day to head back to work.

One time, as he was leaving his job, he was attacked by a gang.

“Give us all you have earned, and you will keep your life” said one of them.

"Maybe” continued another.

Zai didn’t waste time with negotiations. Instead, he immediately hit one of the guys with a sharp punch and kicked the other with his leg. The gang surrounded him, but he made a kick-jump to one of their faces.

This allowed him to jump high enough, to be able to get past the gang, and continue his way back home running, escaping from the group.

It was not the last he has heard from them. A few days later, as he was leaving home again, he found one of the guys from the gang waiting for him.

“Yo,” the boy with the golden head said.

However, Zai did not reply. Instead, he continued on his way without a care in the world.

“I SAID YO” the boy said again as he patted Zai’s back.

Zai, made his hand into a fist, and warned: “whatever you want to say, better not be a waste of my time.”

“Chill bud! the boss person wants to meet cha” he said. To that, he found a punch in his face and fell on the ground with blood pouring from his nose.

“You bastard! How dare you hit me?” Zai looked back at the boy, was on the ground with his nose bleeding.

The boy merely stared back at Zai and then, stood up, while pushing the dust away. “People who meet the boss, either end up dead, or rich.”

The boy then turned around and started walking away. While irritated Zai found himself following him.

***

Zai followed the boy, for no other reason than the word “money.” Had the invitation been to kill him, more than one person would’ve had been sent.

The entire way, the boy continued to try to brush up a conversation with him. However, he was entirely ignored by Zai. Finally, they have reached the gang’s HQ.

“Ay. there-there” Said the boy, while urging Zai to enter the room.

Zai looked in the eyes of the boy, held his shirt in his hand and brought him closer to him. “if my life is in danger here, I will kill you.”

“hahaha! You are a fine joker dude” gulped the boy as he said, and the continued “but that would be troublesome for me. you see, I don’t want to die.”

Right after saying that, another two men appeared, and pushed Kai forward. He could have escaped at that moment, but he decided to continue forward, to see what this opportunity was about.

He stood watching the scene that unfolded before him. A man, probably ‘that boss person’ was hitting another poor-idiot mercilessly with a screw bar.

Other people in such a situation, would either try to help the man, scream, or run away. However, it was a dog eat dog world. Only the strong survive, Zai knew that he didn’t care what happens to anyone else. As long as he can accomplish his mission. As long as he kept his sister safe. That was all that mattered.

Once the situation solved itself, and the man’s blood was pouring on the floor. The boss person was able to talk with Zai.

“I heard you had an offer for me.”

“It isn’t an offer. You either do what I tell you and get alot of money, or you die.”

Zai, didn’t feel any threat, and he felt as if he could kill the boss at any moment if he needed to. However, he stayed quiet, the element of surprise was better than letting that guy be on guard.

“Your punch and kick did a number on my men. One had his teeth fall off; the other had a broken nose - I even heard you did it all without getting hit once, and you were even able to escape while being surrounded by them.”

The boss, clapped slowly three times “My name is Bayko, and I am Impressed.”

Zai, however, was not impressed “So, what do you want?”

“Underground fights! I am officially inviting you to be one of the competitors - if you win, You will earn more money, than working anywhere else.“

Zai answered, but not too eagerly “Now, we have something to discuss about” he then became quiet for a moment, and continued “Boss.”

At the end of that day, Zai ended up participating and winning in an underground fight.

The money he earned from one fight was worth what he could earn by working 5 days as a manual laborer.

When he entered the battle arena. no one could tell he was strong, everyone thought he was simply a bone given for the dogs to chew on- to entertain the watchers. a scrawny kid that would be broken in half, against the muscle mountain that was against him.

However, they were wrong, extremely wrong, and that was proven once Zai was able to win the fight without even being harmed once.

***

With the money he earned from the underground fights, he was able to afford food and to live in a similar standard as to when his parents were alive. after he started to learn exactly how much one can earn money, he always wondered about how his father was able to afford sending 2 children to school, to buy a house, to own a car, and to live in a poor man's luxury. In today's society, there are 3 classes. The first class; the people that belonged to this class lived in castles. the second class was Upper-lower class for poor people who were able to afford a good life, and the 3rd class, the low class - for the rats - the rest of humanity, the millions that run around the street that would kill each other for a piece of food, the sort of class he believed he was in.

The one thing that kept him going was knowing that Ell didn't have to suffer. If he weren’t there, the only destiny a girl would meet in the street was one that he wouldn't allow himself to think about. when it was time to eat, he and his sister would sit in an awkward silence that was only broken by the sound of chewing.

It had already been a year since this became their daily routine; He would go out from the morning till the night and work. Even he didn’t work, he would only come back when the clock turns 21:00 never a moment before, never a moment after. Ell suspected that he was doing it as such on purpose. He would always leave the house when it was 6:00.

He never got sick, he never got tired. it was just the thing he did, for the past year. His sister was similar to him, in a way. She did not leave the house for a year, instead she would wake up and dive in Secret Online the virtual reality game. And then leave the game, to cook some food for her and her brother and to study a bit and to greet her brother as she was holding the pen in her hand.

She felt slightly guilty about hiding the truth of the game from him. but she felt as if what was going in Secret Online, was far more important than anything else. The things that unraveled in the past year, the secrets she discovered. it had all lead her down a path of no-return.

One day, Zai returned like he did everyday, and for the first time, he saw the headgear worn by his sister. He neither felt anger or resentment. had she known how he would feel she would only laugh at her self. He didn't expect her not to play it. He was actually surprised to find her studying every time he came home.

He simply started to cook food for himself. He gave no thoughts to the fact that Ell was playing the game. But then, he heard that cursed ring again. The doorbell had ranged again as it did almost a year ago. For a whole long year, for as far as he know no one had rang the bell. The sound of the cursed bell flashed some memories of a better time. Zai stepped toward the door with haste, took a deep breath and opened it to see what curse has been placed upon him now.