Chapter 1

**Prelude**

While everyone else was panic-selling their accounts,

I was pulling all-nighters, hanging out with NPCs like it was our last day together.

People said I'd lost it-talking to them like they were real.

Then the game's dungeons merged with reality,

and those so-called NPCs? They became the ultimate raid bosses.

While the world lost its mind, scrambling to survive,

I was chilling in my backyard, fishing and enjoying a hot pot.

Bosses? What bosses?

Those are my guys.

**Prelude ends**

The news hit like a nuke-Sword World, the game that had taken the world by storm, was shutting down in 24 hours.

The second the announcement dropped, players flooded the market, desperate to sell their accounts. My roommate, Sarah, was no exception. "You should sell yours too," she said, scrolling through listings. "Might as well get some cash out of it while you still can."

But I couldn't do it. This wasn't just a game account-it was a piece of my life. A place I'd escaped to when reality got too hard. To me, it was priceless.

Sarah even suggested we bundle our accounts for a better deal. I told her no and logged in alone. If this was really the end, I wanted to say goodbye properly.

After all, Sword World had been with me for five years.

I went through my usual routine-harvested the crops in my little virtual garden, tidied up, made sure everything was in order. Then, I set off to visit the NPCs one last time.

I spent every last coin in my inventory.

Bought the stable boy his favorite pastries.

Picked out a high-quality calligraphy set for the schoolteacher.

Got the beggar by the city gates a new pair of straw sandals.

One by one, I visited them all, bringing gifts, watching as their faces lit up. "Thank you, hero!" they said, cheerful as ever.

I smiled back. "Goodbye," I whispered to the screen. "I don't think we'll meet again, but I hope you'll be okay. Take care of yourselves."

Behind me, Sarah snorted. "Oh my God, are you serious?" She rolled her eyes. "They're just a bunch of pixels. The second the servers shut down, poof-gone."

"Take care of themselves? You're acting like they're real people."

I didn't respond, but her words grated on me.

"You've seriously lost it," she went on, laughing. "NPCs as ‘friends'? You need help. Maybe I should call someone-get you checked out or something."

Then she reached for my phone. "Come on, stop being ridiculous! Just sell your account already. If we sell together, we'll make way more-"

I shoved her hand away. "I said no, Sarah." My voice was steady, but my patience was razor-thin.

"And for the record," I added, meeting her gaze, "friends are the ones who are there when you need them. These NPCs were there when no one else was. So yeah, they're my friends. Deal with it."

Before she could say anything else, the clock struck midnight.

I looked back at my screen-

Disconnected.

The servers were shut down. Sword World was gone.

And worst of all, I hadn't made it to Michael.

Michael-the quiet one, the sensitive one. The one who'd take it the hardest if I disappeared without saying goodbye.

I stared at the blank screen, a hollow ache settling in my chest.

But it was too late now.

Sword World was gone. And there was nothing I could do.