(Thursday, December 31st Real Day)

I must confess; I am a man of many faces. What appears on the surface belies a complicated, tormented interior.

In public I'm a well-spoken and social man with a confident but passive disposition often considered optimistic and positive. A man who most consider genuinely kind and who will always be there to support or help one in need.

In private, I'm a conflicted person who often struggles with doubt and apprehension, motivational issues stemming from a lack of self-confidence, and a myriad of health issues that have plagued me for nearly half my life.

I'm a quiet person that prefers isolation and solitude as I run from my constant failure. I've failed myself, failed my family, failed my friends, and failed all of those who have tried to help me over the years.

But then there's also the virtual side of me… the best side of me. The side that showcases everything I'm too afraid to do in real life, everything I failed to achieve personally, where my confidence knows no bounds.

I found redemption online. I found success. Within that virtual world I found myself. Within that game were all of the answers I sought, where my dreams could come true. All of it was inside The Dragon's Wrath.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Thursday, December 31st Real Day)

Strapped into the chair at the center of the perfectly square room, I slowly closed my eyes while trying to clear my mind. The lights had already begun to dim in the silence until I found myself in complete darkness.

Though one could hear the faint whirring of the computer's fans running in the background, the droll hum was soon forgotten. The eerie feeling washed over as my mind relaxed and received the first of many electrical signals to come; The Cube had entered the login phase.

Lights began to flash inside my mind, first of a dim golden white and then soon after brighter colors began to appear as they mixed and became fluid. In but a moment, the fluid colors became one and in a slow fade started to morph into something recognizable. An image of something I had seen before, an image of the world of The Dragon's Wrath.

The bold letters of the game's title soon materialized in front of the world while the image behind started to flutter like leaflets in the wind. Before I knew it, hundreds of picturesque locations had flashed before me, showcasing the entirety of the world contained within.

And then, there I was.

Naked and alone in some dark place; staring at a mirror in an illuminated circle, staring at myself. Turning to the side, I viewed myself in the virtual space and could find no flaw. I was represented exactly how I was, it was a perfect recreation.

Accepting the character as it stood, I skipped past the submenus to the side of my visual field that allowed for customization and confirmed my decision. A prompt then appeared asking for my name.

My character's name… my name would be Roth Sigurd.

Upon confirmation, the mirror tipped back and fell off into the darkness below, taking with it the darkness as well. Before I could even register the change, I was floating amongst the imagery of seven distinct geographical regions.

These were the starter zones.

Looking down to the Southwest was the land of the Dark Elves in the heart of the swamplands, while to the Southeast were the Orcs in the plains.

Neither of those regions held any interest for me, they simply were not what I wanted.

Looking up I saw the Central-western region that contained the majority of the Human population, with its near perfect weather and lush forests it was considered the prime destination in the game.

One of the top two regions by a large margin; still not quite what I was looking for.

Turning my head to the right, I gazed upon the Central-eastern region that was split into a northern Wood Elf dominated area and a southern range occupied by the mixed Animal Races.

Both were areas that would undoubtedly prove popular with many; too popular for me.

Then I lifted my gaze slightly higher to the North-central region of the Dwarves, located in the mountainous forest range of the North. A cold place, but not too far removed from civilization.

I had no desire to live under a mountain.

Second to last of the starter zones was the North-eastern region of the High Elves, a place rich with massive forests and numerous rivers that somehow escaped the cold of the North.

It was an anomaly, but again an area I thought lacking.

With only one region left, I quickly selected it without hesitation.

The North-western region that was regarded as the true North was where I would call home. A desolate snow-covered wasteland inhabited sparsely by Humans too far removed from civilization.

That was where I wanted to be.

That was where I would start.

That was the land that would soon become mine.

And all was rendered black once more.

In the darkness I stood motionless as I waited for what was to come, but it was what I heard that reassured me.

In that very darkness where nothing could be seen, a low hum soon became a low chant and then followed the sounds of drums and horns as the chanting became increasingly loud.

And at that very moment, where I had thought the noise could get no louder, I was engulfed in the warming light.

Golden rays had descended and with it, so too had I.

As the warmth of the light dissipated, I found myself shivering in the snow. The golden rays quickly shrinking into oblivion with only the light of the moon left to illuminate me. Behind, the slight warmth of a fire could be felt while the distinct smell of ash permeated the air. In front, the village elder waited silently, kneeling down with gift in hand.

With a deep breathe I inhaled the cold crisp air of the North and let out a large exhale. The road I chose would be a hard one, a lonely one.

But it didn't matter, for I had finally arrived.

I had finally begun my journey in the VR-MMORPG known as The Dragon's Wrath.